How to Become a Historian

About Historian

A Historian is a person who has committed himself or herself to the study of past events like social movements, political milestones and military conflicts. The biggest role a historian plays is to give a glimpse of the past by evaluating historical records and conducting field researches. There are two types of Historians - Professional and Amateur. An amateur Historian could be anyone who must have studied or read historical events at the most basic level with no formal prior training. A professional Historian is a person who has some formal knowledge regarding the basic facts of history, how to find and use the source materials, knows how to analyze the available information and convert it into a meaningful written piece. The quality of a Historian is always gauged through his/her publishing record. 

In a nutshell; people who work as historians conduct research and analysis for governmental bodies, corporations, private citizens, non-profit organisations, historical associations, and other institutions. People who choose to pursue careers in history draw on a variety of sources, such as official and institutional records, news articles, pictures, audio and video recordings, films, and unpublished manuscripts, such as historical documents, letters, and other primary source documents.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Historian 

Some of the roles and responsibilities of a historian are:

• Collect historical information from a variety of sources, such as archives, books, and artefacts
• Analyze and interpret historical data to determine its veracity and importance
• Investigate historical developments in a specific field
• Participate in public education programmes and presentations
• Materials and artefacts should be archived or preserved in museums, visitor centres, and historic sites
• Give advice or direction on historical topics and preservation issues
• Create reports, articles, and books based on your findings and theories

For governmental bodies, corporations, private citizens, nonprofit organisations, historical associations, and other organisations, historians conduct research and analysis. In their work, they draw on a range of sources, such as official and institutional records, newspapers, pictures, audio and video recordings, and unpublished manuscripts, including letters, diaries, and other primary source documents. These documents and artefacts may also be processed, categorised, and archived by them.

To educate or advance public understanding of historical events, many historians present and interpret historical events. They frequently research and create a historical profile of a specific person, place, concept, business, or event. Once their research is finished, they use articles, books, reports, exhibits, websites, and educational programmes to present their findings.

Some historians carry out research for the government to provide details on particular occasions or people. Many people write about the past of a specific government organisation, undertaking, or initiative, such as a military mission or space exploration. For instance, they might look into the figures and occasions connected to Operation Desert Storm.

To preserve artefacts and explain the historical significance of a wide range of subjects, such as historic buildings, religious groups, and battlegrounds, historians may collaborate with archivists, curators, and museum staff in historical associations. These professions are also open to people with a history degree. 

Lastly, many history majors go on to teach in postsecondary institutions or high schools.

Eligibility to become Historian

To become a Historian, an aspirant has to fulfil the following eligibility criteria - 

• Should have cleared his/her 10+2 examination from a recognised Board
• Should have at least secured 50% aggregate at the qualifying exam
• Should have studied History at the qualifying level

How to Become a Historian?

Candidates can take the following steps to become Historian:

Step 1: Clear 10+2

Students must understand how to become a Historian in India after completing their 10+2. We'll walk you through the steps to becoming a high school historian. Students must complete their 10+2 exams with a minimum of 50% or equivalent from a recognised board.

Step 2: Clear Entrance Exam

Here are some crucial steps you must take in order to become a historian. Many colleges and universities use entrance exams to determine who gets admitted. In order to be admitted to the various universities and colleges, students must participate in the entrance exams. The results of the students' entrance exams are used to determine admissions. Admission to some educational institutions is based on a student's 10+2 passing percentage. Below, we covered the popular entrance exams.

Popular entrance examination for bachelor's degrees in Anthropology are:

Step 3: Bachelor’s Degree 

Numerous universities throughout the nation offer admission to the bachelor's programme. Students who wish to apply to specific universities must meet the eligibility requirements outlined by those institutions. The well-liked Bachelor of History programmes available in India are listed below.

Popular bachelor’s degrees

Step 4: Post Bachelor Degree

Students have a variety of career options available to them after earning their bachelor's degree. In order to make it simple for you to set your professional goals, we have provided two excellent alternatives below.

Option 1: After completing a Bachelor's degree programme, candidates may continue on to choose a Master's degree programme without even taking a break from the academic year. People could even start working in the industry at entry-level positions after completing a master's degree programme in the relevant specialisation.

Option 2: After completing a Bachelor's degree programme, candidates can begin working in the sector in entry-level positions. He or she can continue to choose a Master's degree programme after gaining one or two years of professional experience working in the sector.

Popular master’s degree programmes 

Types of Job Roles Historian

Being a historian offers a variety of career options. Following are some of the top and most in-demand historical professions:

Employment Sectors for a Historian

Here is a list of those sectors which usually employs a Historian - 

• Editing and Publishing
• Education
• Historical Associations
• Government Organizations
• Research Sphere
   

Top Recruiting Organizations 

The biggest recruiter of Historians in India is the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) which is located in New Delhi and is an autonomous body of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). 
 

Skills Required to be a Historian

One needs to have certain skills in order to become a historian. Below are some qualifications for a career in history:

Communication skills: Since the goal of historians' careers is to study human civilization and share their perspectives with the world, it is expected that they have excellent communication skills. This occupation is necessary to conduct research and finish projects. Numerous experts from various fields, including scientists, librarians, professors, and many others, must be discussed and consulted in order for research and study to be completed successfully. Therefore, effective communication is a necessary component of the research process.

Knowledge thirst: The company will be able to adapt to changing circumstances more quickly than its rivals thanks to its knowledge thirst. It is important to engage in composition when writing about topics that relate to people's day-to-day experiences in various locations and communities because doing so makes it easier to research the topics at hand.

Curiosity: One of the most essential qualities for candidates to succeed as historians is a strong sense of curiosity. The development of human races is being influenced by various facets of human civilization, from sociocultural to biological to economic. It is crucial for historians to have the curiosity necessary to learn about and comprehend a particular factor responsible for human development in order to comprehend and master research in the relevant field. People working as historians in India should be curious about and open to learning about various cultures.

Pay Scale/Salary of Historian

The pay scale or salary of a historian in India is determined by various factors like the degree possessed by the historian, work experience and the value of the organization who wish to hire a historian etc. On an average basis, a historian is paid around 6,55,656 rupees per annum which varies again with the above-mentioned factors. 

Books & Study Material to Become Historian

This section contains the list of those books which is a must-read for a Historian in India - 

• Alberuni’s India by Alberuni (translated by Edward C Sachau)
• India - A History (by John Keay)
• The Last Mughal - The Fall of a Dynasty: Delhi 1857 (by William Dalrymple)
• A Corner of a Foreign Field (by Ramachandra Guha)
• The Great Indian Novel (by Shashi Tharoor)
• The Wonder that was India (by A L Basham)
• India After Gandhi - The History of the World’s Largest Democracy (by Ramachandra Guha)
• The Argumentative Indian (by Amartya Sen)
• Freedom at Midnight (by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre)
• Discovery of India (by Jawaharlal Nehru)

Pros of becoming a Historian

There are so many advantages or pros of becoming a historian out of which the major ones are listed below - 

• More than a good salary compared to other jobs 
• Have the freedom to choose to work indoors or outdoors according to the research a historian might want to do
• Opportunity to visit multiple countries which brings with it experience and knowledge about a new culture
• Opportunity to learn new languages 

Cons of becoming a Historian

Listed below are some cons or disadvantages of choosing to become a Historian - 

• Unlike any other jobs, a Historian’s work hours are not fixed
• Research consumes a lot of time where the probability of finding something meaningful is 50% or sometimes even less than that
• There is always a risk of getting hurt or fatally injured during a historical expedition
• For a beginner, one has to travel to major cities for a job opportunity as smaller cities do not have enough scopes for a historian