Osmania University was established in 1918 and it was named after its Founder H.E.H. Mir Osman Ali Khan the VII Nizam and also the last ruler of erstwhile Hyderabad State. The establishment of the University was unique experiment in Higher Education in modern India where for the first time the medium of instruction was an Indian Language, Urdu. The total area of campus is about 1500 acres.

The first important building of the University campus is Arts College building. It was completed in the year 1939. This majestic building built in granite of Pinkish-hue; it is a magnificent piece of Architecture and standing symbol for the history of Educational progress in this part of the country and the confluence of cultures in the Deccan. This monumental building attracts the attention of all the visitors, from far and near, to the city of Hyderabad and it is a tourist attraction.

The Department of History, Osmania University was established in the year 1919 with Sri Qazi Badiuddin as its first Head.

The Department was headed by eminent scholars and historians like Prof. H.K.Sherwani (1946-51), Prof. Yousuf Hussain Khan (1951-58), Sri. Muneeruddin (1958-60), Prof. P.Sreenivasa Chari (1960-64), Sri. K. Sajjanlal (1964-66), Prof. R.Subramanyam (1966-69), Smt. Zubeda Yazdani (1970-71), Prof. R. Narasimha Rao (1971-76), Prof. Sarojini Regani (1976-80 & 1983-84), Prof. Alladi Vaidehi (1981-82), Prof. Y. Vaikuntham (1985-89), Prof. P. Jhansi Lakshmi (1989-91 & 1993-94), Prof. R. Soma Reddy (1991-93), Prof. K. Sarojini Devi (1995-97), Prof. S. Bhanumathi Ranga Rao (1997-99), Dr. V. Sadanandam (1999-2000), Prof. G.Venkat Rajam (2000-2003) and Prof. A. Satyanarayana (2003-2005), Prof. P.Prasangi (2005-2007), Prof. K. Ramakrishna (2007-2009), Prof. M. Venkateshwar Rao (2009-2011), Prof. I. Lakshmi (2011-2013), Prof. R. Varalakshmi (2013-2015), Prof. G. Sudarshan Reddy (2015-2017). At present Prof. K. Arjun Rao is heading the Department. The faculty of the department has successfully completed over 21 major research projects funded by different agencies like the UGC, ICHR, Nehru Memorial Museum, New Delhi, Government of Andhra Pradesh, A.P. State Archives and some of their reports have been submitted and published.

Prof. Sarojini Regani, served as Director, State Archives and Research Institute, Tarnaka and also served as Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Osmania University. Prof. Y. Vaikuntham, served as Vice-Chancellor of Kakatiya University from 1995-1998 and was the Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Osmania University from 2000-2003. Prof. R. Soma Reddy, served as Principal, University College of Arts & Social Sciences, Osmania University from 1995-1996.

The Department of History, Osmania University, is one of the oldest and largest department in India. In History Department, under-graduate courses were started in 1919 and post-graduate programme was started in 1924. The Ph.D. and M.Phil programmes were started subsequently. The Department has two UG (Nizam College & Women's College, Koti) and three P.G. (University College of Arts & Social Sciences, Nizam College & University College of Post-Graduation) Centres.

Since its inception, the faculty of the department has successfully guided over 114 Ph.D. Scholars and 75 M.Phil Scholars and most of them are occupying important academic positions in India and Foreign Universities. M.Phil course was discontinued from 2008 onwards. The contributions of the faculty of the department are considered to be significant.

The department is also bringing out its own Journal called "Osmania Journal of Historical Research" from 1981 onwards. It is funded by UGC Unit, Osmania University, whenever we publish under Un-Assigned Grant Account.

The Department awards "Prof. R. Narasimha Rao Gold Medal" to the student who secures first rank in the M.A. Final Examination and the "M.L.N. Reddy Memorial Gold Medal" to the Women candidate who secures highest marks in M.A. (Regular) Examinations.

Prof. Y. Vaikuntham, (Retd.) has been awarded UGC Emeritus Fellowship for a period of two years from 2009-2011. Prof. A. Satyanarayana, has been awarded Visiting Fellowship by Jacob University, Bremen, Germany for two semesters from 16 August, 2010 to 15 August, 2011.