Class 12 History Syllabus 2024-25

Unit Name

Topics Covered

• 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

• Broad overview: Political and economic 
• History from the Mauryan to the Gupta period
• Story of discovery: Inscriptions and the Decipherment of the script. 
• Shifts in the Understanding of political and economic history. 
• Excerpt: Ashokan inscription and Gupta period land grant 
• Discussion: Interpretation of inscriptions by historians.

• Broad overview 
• Social Histories: Using the Mahabharata Issues in social history, including caste, class, kinship and gender
• Story of discovery: Transmission and publications of the Mahabharat 
• Excerpt: from the Mahabharata, illustrating how it has been used by historians. 
• Discussion: Other sources for reconstructing social history.

• Broad overview
• A History of Buddhism: Sanchi Stupa 
• A brief review of religious histories of Vedic religion, Jainism, Vaishnavism, Shaivism (Puranic Hinduism)
• 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 Name

Topics Covered

• Broad Overview: outlines of social and cultural life as they appear in the traveller’s account
• Story of their writings: A discussion of where they travelled, what they wrote and for whom they wrote. 
• Excerpts: from Al Biruni, Ibn Battuta, Francois Bernier. 
• Discussion: What these travel accounts can tell us and how they have been interpreted by historians?

• Broad overview: Outline of religious developments during this period saints.
• Ideas and practices of the Bhakti-Sufi
• 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.

• Broad Over View: New Architecture: Hampi
• Outline of new buildings during 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.

• Broad overview: The Aini-Akbari
• 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 texts to reconstruct history.

• The Mughals and Their Empire
• Different Chronicles of Mughals
• The Paintings of the Mughal Period
• Historical Text of Mughals: Akbar Nama and the Badshah Nama
• The Ideal Kingdom of the Mughal Empire
• Capitals and Courts of the Mughals
• The Mughal Household
• The Officials in Mughal Administration
• Jesuit Missionaries in the Mughal Court
• Akbar’s Quest for Religion

Unit Name

Topics Covered

• Colonialism and Rural Society: Evidence from Official Reports
• Life of zamindars, peasants and artisans in the late18^th century
• Permanent Settlement, Santhals and Paharias
• 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 Fifth Report
• Discussion: What do the official records tell and do not tell, and how they have been used by historians?

• The events of1857-58 
• Vision of Unity
• 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.

• The Nationalist Movement 1918 -48 
• The nature of Gandhian politics and leadership.
• Focus: Mahatma Gandhi and the three movements and his last days as “finest hours”
• Excerpts: Reports from English and Indian language newspapers and other contemporary writings.
• Discussion: How newspapers can be a source of history

• The Making of the Constitution an overview
• Independence and then a new nation-state.
• The making of the Constitution
• Focus: The Constituent Assembly Debates
• Excerpts: from the debates
• Discussion: What do such debates reveal and how they can be analyzed?

Book 1 

Mature Harappan sites:

• Harappa, Banawali, Kalibangan, Balakot, Rakhigarhi, Dholavira, Nageshwar, Lothal, Mohenjodaro, Chanhudaro, KotDiji.

Mahajanapada and cities :

• Vajji, Magadha, Kosala, Kuru, Panchala, Gandhara, Avanti, Rajgir, Ujjain, Taxila, Varanasi.

Distribution of Ashokan inscriptions:

• Kushanas, Shakas, Satavahanas, Vakatakas,Guptas
• Cities/towns: Mathura, Kannauj, Puhar, Braghukachchha
• Pillar inscriptions -Sanchi, Topra, Meerut Pillar and Kaushambi.
• Kingdom of Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas.

Important kingdoms and towns:

• Kushanas, Shakas, Satavahanas, Vakatakas,Guptas.
• Cities/towns: Mathura, Kanauj, Puhar, Braghukachchha, Shravasti, Rajgir, Vaishali, Varanasi, Vidisha

Major Buddhist Sites:

• Nagarjunakonda, Sanchi, Amaravati, Lumbini, Nasik, Bharhut, BodhGaya, Shravasti, Ajanta.

Book 2

Bidar, Golconda, Bijapur, Vijayanagar, Chandragiri, Kanchipuram, Mysore,

Thanjavur, Kolar, Tirunelveli, Quilon

Territories under Babur, Akbar and Aurangzeb:

• Delhi, Agra, Panipat, Amber, Ajmer, Lahore, Goa.

Book 3

Territories/cities under British Control in1857:

• Punjab, Sindh, Bombay, Madras Fort St. David, Masulipatam, Berar, Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Avadh, Surat, Calcutta, Daccan, Patna, Benaras, Allahabad and Lucknow.

Main centres of the Revolt of 1857:

• Delhi, Meerut, Jhansi, Lucknow, Kanpur, Azamgarh, Calcutta, Benaras, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Agra, Avadh.

Important centres of the National Movement:

• Champaran, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Benaras, Amritsar, ChauriChaura, Lahore, Bardoli, Dandi, Bombay (Quit India Resolution), Karachi.