History

Students who got admissions in class XII this academic year 2022-23 must have a complete syllabus to get good marks as their year comes to an end. Here is a module providing you with the complete class XII history syllabus for the academic year 2022-23 as per the latest CBSE notification. 

Part-I

Bricks, Beads and Bones

The Harappan Civilization

• Broad overview- Early urban centres 
• Discussion- How it has been utilised by archaeologists/ historians 
• Excerpt- Archaeological report on a major site
• Story of discovery- Harappan civilization

Kings, Farmers and Towns

Early States and Economies (C. 600 BCE-600 CE)

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

Kinship, Caste and Class 

Early Society Societies (C. 600 BCE-600 CE) 

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

Thinkers, Beliefs And Buildings 

Cultural Developments  (C. 600 BCE – 600 CE) 

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

• Discussion- Ways in which sculpture has been interpreted by historians, other sources for reconstructing the history of Buddhism
• Excerpt- Reproduction of sculptures from Sanchi
• Story of discovery- Sanchi stupa

Part-II 

Through the Eyes of Travellers 

Perceptions of Society (C. tenth to the seventeenth century) 

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

Bhakti –Sufi Traditions

Changes in Religious Beliefs and Devotional Texts (C. eighth to eighteenth centuries) 

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

• Discussion- Ways in which these have been interpreted by historians
• Excerpt- Extracts from selected Bhakti-Sufi works
• Story of Transmission- How Bhakti-Sufi compositions have been preserved

An Imperial Capital

Vijayanagara (C. fourteenth to sixteenth centuries) 

• Broad OverView- New Architecture: Hampi
  • Relationship between architecture and the political system 
  • Outline of new buildings during Vijayanagar period-temples, forts, irrigation facilities

• Discussion- Ways in which historians have analysed and interpreted these structures
• Excerpt- Visuals of buildings at Hampi 
• Story of Discovery- Account of how Hampi was found

Peasants, Zamindars And The State

Agrarian Society and the Mughal Empire (C. sixteenth-seventeenth centuries) 

• Broad overview: The Aini-Akbari
  • Patterns of change over the period
  • Structure of agrarian relations in the 16th and 17th centuries

• Discussion- Ways in which historians have used texts to reconstruct history. 
• Excerpt- from the Ain-I Akbari.
• Story of Discovery- Account of the compilation and translation of Ain I Akbari 

Part-III 

Colonialism And The Countryside

Exploring Official Archives 

• Broad overview- 
  • Colonialism and Rural Society- Evidence from Official Reports 
  • Permanent Settlement, Santhals and Paharias Story of the official record
  • Life of zamindars, peasants and artisans in the late 18th century 

• Discussion- What do the official records tell and do not tell, and how they have been used by historians
• Excerpts- From Fifth Report
• Story of official records- An account of why official Investigations into rural societies were undertaken and the types of records and reports produced

Rebels and the Raj

1857 Revolt and its Representations

• Broad overview-
  • How these events were recorded and narrated
  • Vision of Unity
  • The events of 1857-58

• Discussion- How the pictures of 1857 shaped British opinion of what had happened
• Excerpts- Pictures of 1857. Extracts from contemporary accounts
• Focus- Lucknow

Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement

Civil Disobedience and Beyond

• Broad overview-
  • The nature of Gandhian politics and leadership
  • The nationalist movement 1918 -48

• Discussion- How newspapers can be a source of history
• Excerpts- Reports from English and Indian language newspapers and other contemporary writings
• Focus- Mahatma Gandhi and the three movements and his last days as “finest hours” 

Framing The Constitution

The Beginning of a New Era 

• Broad overview-The making of the constitution an overview
  • The making of the constitution
  • Independence and then a new nation-state

• Discussion- What do such debates reveal and how they can be analysed
• Excerpts- from the debates 
• Focus- The constituent assembly debates