SYLLABUS OF GRADE XII - HISTORY (HS1211)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • This syllabus is divided into four Parts A, B, C, D. All the Parts are compulsory.
  • Separate marks are given with each unit.

UNIT

AREA COVERED

MARKS

PART A

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY-I

UNIT 1

THE STORY OF THE FIRST CITIES: HARAPPAN ARCHAEOLOGY

6

UNIT 2

POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY: HOW INSCRIPTIONS TELL A STORY

6

UNIT 3

SOCIAL HISTORIES: USING THE MAHABHARATA

6

UNIT 4

A HISTORY OF BUDDHISM: SANCHI STUPA

6

PART B

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY-II

UNIT 1

AGRARIAN RELATIONS: THE AIN-I- AKBARI

6

UNIT 2

THE MUGHAL COURT: RECONSTRUCTING HISTORIES THROUGH CHRONICLES

6

UNIT 3

NEW ARCHITECTURE: HAMPI

6

UNIT 4

RELIGIOUS HISTORIES: THE BHAKTI-SUFI TRADITION

6

UNIT 5

MEDIEVAL SOCIETY THROUGH TRAVELERS' ACCOUNTS

6

PART C

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY-III

UNIT 1

COLONIALISM AND-RURAL SOCIETY: EVIDENCE FROM OFFICIAL REPORTS

6

UNIT 2

REPRESENTATIONS OF 1857

6

UNIT 3

COLONIALISM AND INDIAN TOWNS: TOWN PLANS AND MUNICIPAL REPORTS

6

UNIT 4

MAHATMA GANDHI THROUGH CONTEMPORARY EYES

6

UNIT 5

THE MAKING OF THE CONSTITUTION

6

UNIT 6

PARTITION THROUGH ORAL SOURCES

6

PART D

MAP WORK ON UNITS 1-15

10

TOTAL MARKS

100             TIME: 3 HOURS

PART A : THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY-I

UNIT 1. THE STORY OF THE FIRST CITIES: HARAPPAN ARCHAEOLOGY.(06 MARKS)

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 2. POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY: HOW INSCRIPTIONS TELL A STORY.(06 MARKS)

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 under- standing of political and economic history.

Excerpt: Asokan inscription and Gupta period land grant.

Discussion: Interpretation of inscriptions by historians.

 

 
UNIT 3. SOCIAL HISTORIES: USING THE MAHABHARATA(06 MARKS)

Broad overview: Issues in social history, including caste, class, kinship and gender.

Story of discovery: Transmission and publications of the Mahabharata.

Excerpt: from the Mahabharata, illustrating how it has been used by historians.

Discussion: Other sources for reconstructing social history.

 

 
UNIT 4. A HISTORY OF BUDDHISM: SANCHI STUPA(06 MARKS)

Broad overview (a)A brief review of religious histories of Vedic religion, Jainism, Vaisnavism,Saivism(b)Focus on Buddhism.

Story of discov Marksery: Sanchi stupa

Excerpt: Reproduction of sculptures from Sanchi.

Discussion: Ways in which sculpture has been interpreted by historians, other sources for reconstructing the history of Buddhism.

PART B : THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY-II

UNIT 1. AGRARIAN RELATIONS: THE AIN-I-AKBARI(06 MARKS)

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 2. THE MUGHAL COURT: RECONSTRUCTING HISTORIES THROUGH CHRONICLES(06 MARKS)

Broad Overview:

  • Outline of political history 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 3. NEW ARCHITECTURE: HAMPI(06 MARKS)

Broad Overview:

  • 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

 
UNIT 4. RELIGIOUS HISTORIES: THE BHAKTI-SUFI TRADITION(06 MARKS)

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 5. MEDIEVAL SOCIETY THROUGH TRAVELERS’ ACCOUNTS(06 MARKS)

Broad Overview: Outline of social and cultural life as they appear in travelers’ accounts.

Story of their writings: A discussion of where they travelled, why they travelled, what they wrote, and for whom they wrote.

Excerpts: from Al Beruni, Ibn Battuta, Bernier.

Discussion: What these travel accounts can tell us and how they have been interpreted by historians.

PART C : THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY-III

UNIT 1. COLONIALISM AND-RURAL SOCIETY: EVIDENCE FROM OFFICIAL REPORTS(06 MARKS)

Broad overview:

  • Life of zamindars, peasants and artisans in the late 18 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 under taken and the types of records and reports produced.

Excerpts : From Firmingers Fifth Report, Accounts of Frances 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 2. REPRESENTATIONS OF 1857(06 MARKS)

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 3. COLONIALISM AND INDIAN TOWNS: TOWN PLANS AND MUNICIPAL REPORTS(06 MARKS)

Broad Overview: The growth of Mumbai, Chennai, hill stations and cantonments in the18th and 19th century.

Excerpts: Photographs and paintings. Plans of cities. Extract from town plan reports. Focus on Kolkata town planning.

Discussion: How the above sources can be used to reconstruct the history of towns. What these sources do not reveal.

 

 
UNIT 4.MAHATMA GANDHI THROUGH CONTEMPORARY EYES(06 MARKS)

Broad Overview:

  • The nationalist movement1918 – 48.
  • The nature of Gandhi and 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 5. PARTITION THROUGH ORAL SOURCES(06 MARKS)

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 6. THE MAKING OF THE CONSTITUTION(06 MARKS)

Broad Overview:

  • Independence and the new nation state.
  • The making of the constitution.

Focus: The Constitutional Assembly debates.

Excerpts: from the debates.

Discussion: What such debates reveal and how they can be analyzed.

PART D

MAP WORK ON UNITS 1-15(10 MARKS