The Department of History is one of the oldest Departments in the University of Jaffna. The Department of History has long tradition of producing competent graduates in history equipped with sound knowledge and skills. Therefore, graduates of History are able to be challenged, encouraged and supported to attain the highest level of life among the existing societies and in the world of job markets. This is the objectivity of the department of History in the Faculty of Arts in particular and with the University of Jaffna in general.
The Department of History was established when the faculty of Humanities started functioning on December 2, 1974 when the Jaffna Campus was inaugurated and set up at the Parameswara College premises as one of the excellence unique subjects and it was headed by Professor K.Indrabala. Under the leadership of Professor K.Indrabala the function of the department was designed and the curriculum with course modules were prepared Professors from the University of Peradeniya, and from the University of Kelaniya had assisted for special degree lecture programs in the beginning and also Professors from the department of Tamil and Sanskrit of the Jaffna Campus then the University of Jaffna in 1979 had their contributions to share the interrelated course of studies with the Department of History until 1985. During this period the department of History had provided two kind of course of directions to the students of History as Ancient history & Archaeology and Modern History.
On March 3rd 1975 Dr.K.Indrapala, the Dean of the Faculty was appointed as the first Professor of History. Mr.V.Sivasamy Lecturer in History at the under graduate Department of Jaffna college was absorbed into the staff of the new campus and he was the only member of the Department at the inception on 20th January,1975 Mr.S.K.Sitrampalam and Mr.S.Sathiaseelan were appointed as temporary Assistant Lectures in the Department. On April 21st both were appointed as Lecturer (Probationary).
Prof .S.Pathmanathan, Associate Professor, of University of Peradeniya was appointed to the chair of History in the University of Jaffna in 1986, following the resignation of Prof.K.Indrapala in 1985. In 1994 Prof.S.Pathmanathan was appointed as the Vice-Chairman of the University Grants Commission. Dr.S.K. Sitrampalam was appointed as the Professor of History in September 1996. Professor K.Indrapala was the first Head of the Department. Mr.Seelan Kathirkamar followed him as Head. From June 1983 to July 1996, Prof.S.K.Sitrampalam served as the Head of the Department. Prof.S.Saththiaseelan was appointed to the post of Head of the Department in July 1996 and from 2008 to 2014, Professor P.Pushparatnam was served as the Head of the Department Professor S.Kirshnarajah followed him as Head in 2015. In 2018 Snr.Professor Pushparatnam was appointed as the Head. Professor K.Arunthavarajah was appointed as the Head of the Department on 1st September, 2020 and he is functioning as the Head to date.
In 1984 the Departmental museum was established to study and store the artifacts that founded from excavations and explorations. It was damaged during both the I P K F operation and the exodus of 1995. In 2017 it was modernized in the name of Dr.K.Indrapala Archaeology Museum and an open space Archaeology Museum was established by the Donation of Central Cultural Fund. In 2018 an Archaeology Museum Laboratory was established by the U.S. Ambassador Fund for the Preservation of culture. It should be mentioned that the Department of History was instrumental in carrying out archaeological excavations at Anaicoddai in 1980. This helped to unearth new information about early settlement in the Jaffna region. Further, our Department of History is begin to release the students Journals under the patronage of the Historical society and Archaeology Study Circle and the names of the journals are Kalasurabi and Thedal.
Recently, the Department of History has introduced two special degree programmes, in 2003, a special degree programme in Archaeology was introduced and later, in 2017 a special degree programme in Cultural Tourism was commenced.
The Department of history Consist of an associate professor, a Senior Lecturer (Gr-I) and five Lecturers (Prob). Staff Currently, more than 500 hundred under graduates are following the degree programmes in our Department.