HISTORY-314: Syllabus for Class 12

Unit I: The Story of the First Cities – Harappan Archaeology

  • Broad Overview: Early urban centres.
  • Story of Discovery: Harappan civilization.
  • Excerpt: Archaeological report on a major site.
  • Discussion: How it has been utilized by archaeologists/historians.

Unit II: Political and Economic History: How Inscriptions Tell a Story

  • Broad Overview: Political and economic history from the Mauryan to the Gupta period.
  • Story of Discovery: Inscriptions and the decipherment of the script.
  • Excerpt: Asokan inscription and Gupta period land grant.
  • Discussion: Interpretation of inscriptions by historians.

Unit III: Social Histories Using the Mahabharata

  • Broad Overview: Issues in social history, including caste, class, kinship, and gender.
  • Story of Discovery: Transmission and publication of the Mahabharata.
  • Excerpt: From the Mahabharata, illustrating how it has been used by historians.

Unit IV: A History of Buddhism: Sanchi Stupa

  • Broad Overview:
    • A brief review of religious histories of Vedic religion, Jainism, Vaishnavism, and Shaivism.
    • Focus on Buddhism.
  • Story of Discovery: Sanchi stupa.
  • Excerpt: Reproduction of sculptures from Sanchi.
  • Discussion: Ways in which sculpture has been interpreted by historians, and other sources for reconstructing the history of Buddhism.

Unit V: Medieval Society Through Travellers’ Accounts

  • Broad Overview: Outline of social and cultural life as they appear in travellers’ accounts.
  • Story of Their Writings: A discussion of where they travelled, why they travelled, what they wrote, and for whom they wrote.
  • Excerpts: From Alberuni, Ibn Batuta, Bernier.
  • Discussion: What these travel accounts can tell us and how they have been interpreted by historians.

Unit VI: Religious Histories: The Bhakti-Sufi Tradition

  • Broad Overview:
    • Outline of religious developments during this period.
    • Ideas and practices of the Bhakti-Sufi saints.
  • Story of Transmission: How Bhakti-Sufi compositions have been preserved.
  • Excerpt: Extracts from selected Bhakti-Sufi works.
  • Discussion: Ways in which these have been interpreted by historians.

Unit VII: New Architecture: Hampi

  • Broad Overview:
    • Outline of new buildings during the Vijayanagar period — temples, forts, irrigation facilities.
    • Relationship between architecture and the political system.
  • Story of Discovery: Account of how Hampi was found.
  • Excerpt: Visuals of buildings at Hampi.
  • Discussion: Ways in which historians have analyzed and interpreted these structures.

Unit VIII: Agrarian Relations: The Ain-i-Akbari

  • Broad Overview:
    • Structure of agrarian relations in the 16th and 17th centuries.
    • Patterns of change over the period.
  • Story of Discovery: Account of the compilation and translation of Ain-i-Akbari.
  • Excerpt: From the Ain-i-Akbari.
  • Discussion: Ways in which historians have used the text to reconstruct history.

Unit IX: The Mughal Court: Reconstructing Histories Through Chronicles

  • Broad Overview:
    • Outline of political history (c. 15th-17th centuries).
    • Discussion of the Mughal court and politics.
  • Story of Discovery: Account of the production of court chronicles, and their subsequent translation and transmission.
  • Excerpts: From the Akbarnama and Padshahnama.
  • Discussion: Ways in which historians have used the texts to reconstruct political histories.

Unit X: Colonialism and Rural Society: Evidence from Official Reports

  • Broad Overview:
    • Life of zamindars, peasants, and artisans in the late 18th century.
    • East India Company, revenue settlements, and surveys.
    • Changes over the nineteenth century.
  • Story of Official Records: An account of why official investigations into rural societies were undertaken and the types of records and reports produced.
  • Excerpts: From Firminger’s Fifth Report, Accounts of Francis Buchanan-Hamilton, and Deccan Riots Report.
  • Discussion: What the official records tell and do not tell, and how they have been used by historians.

Unit XI: Representations of 1857

  • Broad Overview:
    • The events of 1857-58.
    • How these events were recorded and narrated.
    • Focus: Lucknow.
  • Excerpts: Pictures of 1857, Extracts from contemporary accounts.
  • Discussion: How the pictures of 1857 shaped British opinion of what had happened.

Unit XII: Colonialism and Indian Towns: Town Plans and Municipal Reports

  • Broad Overview: The growth of Mumbai, Chennai, hill stations, and cantonments in the 18th and 19th centuries.
  • Excerpts: Photographs and paintings. Plans of cities. Extracts from town plan reports. Focus on Kolkata town planning.
  • Discussion: How the above sources can be used to reconstruct the history of towns and what these sources do not reveal.

Unit XIII: Mahatma Gandhi Through Contemporary Eyes

  • Broad Overview:
    • The nationalist movement (1918-48).
    • The nature of Gandhian politics and leadership.
  • Focus: Mahatma Gandhi in 1931.
  • Excerpts: Reports from English and Indian language newspapers and other contemporary writings.
  • Discussion: How newspapers can be a source of history.

Unit XIV: Partition Through Oral Sources

  • Broad Overview:
    • The history of the 1940s.
    • Nationalism, Communalism, and Partition.
  • Focus: Punjab and Bengal.
  • Excerpts: Oral testimonies of those who experienced partition.
  • Discussion: Ways in which these have been analyzed to reconstruct the history of the event.

Unit XV: The Making of the Constitution

  • Broad Overview:
    • Independence and the new nation-state.
    • The making of the Constitution.
  • Focus: The Constitutional Assembly debates.
  • Excerpts: From the debates.
  • Discussion: What these debates reveal and how they can be analyzed.

Note:

  • The History Question Paper will have 50 questions, out of which 40 questions need to be attempted.

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History (314) Syllabus for CUET UG 2025

The History (314) syllabus is designed to test your knowledge and understanding of Indian and World history. It includes a broad range of topics related to ancient, medieval, and modern history, focusing on the significant events and themes that have shaped the world and India.

Part A: Themes in Indian History – I (From Earliest Times to the 8th Century CE)

  1. Early Societies and Early States
    • Introduction to early human societies, agricultural revolution, and the rise of early civilizations.
    • Early state formations, including the Mauryan and Gupta empires.
    • Urbanization, art, architecture, and cultural developments of the period.
  2. The Vedic Age
    • Social, political, and economic life in the Vedic period.
    • Important Vedic texts, their meanings, and the significance of rituals and practices.
  3. The Rise of Magadha and Mauryan Empire
    • The rise and spread of Magadha and its expansion under Mauryan kings like Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka.
    • The significance of Ashoka’s rule and his contribution to the spread of Buddhism.
  4. The Gupta Period
    • The Gupta Empire and its achievements in administration, science, literature, and art.
    • Key rulers like Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, and Chandragupta II.
    • Decline of the Gupta Empire and the impact of regional kingdoms.

Part B: Themes in Indian History – II (8th Century to the 18th Century)

  1. Early Medieval India
    • The establishment of regional kingdoms after the fall of the Gupta Empire.
    • The spread of Islam in India and the establishment of Sultanates.
    • The importance of Delhi Sultanate rulers and their impact on society and culture.
  2. Bhakti and Sufi Movements
    • Rise of Bhakti and Sufi movements and their impact on religious and cultural life in medieval India.
    • Important saints and philosophers like Ramanuja, Kabir, and Guru Nanak.
  3. The Mughal Empire
    • Establishment and expansion of the Mughal Empire under Akbar and his successors.
    • Political, economic, and cultural aspects of Mughal rule.
    • The decline of the Mughal Empire and the causes behind it.
  4. The Rise of Regional States
    • Regional states and their role in the socio-political landscape of medieval India.
    • Important rulers like Shivaji and their contribution to Indian history.

Part C: Themes in Indian History – III (19th Century to the Present)

  1. Colonialism and Indian Society
    • The impact of British colonial rule on Indian society, economy, and culture.
    • Key economic policies, including the introduction of railways, land revenue systems, and trade policies.
  2. Freedom Struggles and Nationalism
    • The growth of nationalist movements in India, from the Revolt of 1857 to the Indian National Congress and Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership.
    • Key events such as the Quit India Movement, Non-Cooperation Movement, and the role of revolutionary movements.
  3. Partition and Independence
    • The causes and consequences of the partition of India and the independence struggle.
    • The impact of partition on Indian society, migration, and communal violence.
  4. Post-Independence India
    • The consolidation of India post-independence, integration of princely states, and the role of the Indian Constitution.
    • The challenges faced by India after independence, including economic and social reforms, and the development of democratic institutions.

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