The Third Session of the Indian History Congress

In December 1939 the Indian History Congress held its third session in Calcutta, and this article provides a detailed report of the proceedings. The Congress met from 15 to 17 December in the Asutosh Buildings of Calcutta University, a venue chosen for its spacious rooms and central location. The organisers arranged for the Indian Historical Records Commission to convene immediately before the Congress, creating a week of intensive historical discussion. Delegates from nearly all Indian universities, government departments and cultural institutions attended, resulting in record participation. The session opened with a welcome address by Khan Bahadur M. Azizul Huque, who, as Chairman of the Reception Committee, highlighted Bengal’s contributions to Indian history and emphasised the continuity between the past and the present. The Governor of Bengal delivered an inaugural speech underscoring that the past could not be divorced from contemporary life. The Congress’s General President, Dr. R. C. Majumdar, then presented a thoughtful presidential address. He reviewed the achievements of the previous sessions and cautioned against regional and denominational biases in historical research. He advocated for expanding the scope of the Congress from modern to ancient history and emphasised the necessity of connecting Indian history with the histories of Western Asia, Africa and other parts of Asia. Majumdar urged historians to transcend nationalism, provincialism and communalism and to overcome India’s reliance on foreign scholars for information about Chinese and Tibetan sources. Following these speeches, the Congress divided into five sections—ancient, medieval, modern, archaeology and records—for detailed paper presentations. Papers covered topics ranging from political and economic history to culture and historiography. The article notes that the enthusiastic participation of scholars and students reflected a growing interest in rigorous historical research. The session concluded with resolutions encouraging collaboration among historians and greater use of archaeological and epigraphic sources. By providing a snapshot of the Congress’s discussions and priorities, the article demonstrates how Indian historians in 1939 sought to professionalise their discipline, engage with global scholarship and construct a comprehensive national history.

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