Syllabus | History for Common University Entrance Test CUET (UG) – 2022
HISTORY | Syllabus for Class 12
Note: There will be one Question Paper which will have 50 questions out of which 40 questions need to be attempted.
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. Shifts in the understanding of political and
economic history.
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 publications 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) A brief review of religious histories of Vedic religion, Jainism, Vaisnavism, Saivism.
(b) Focus on Buddhism.
Story of Discovery: 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.
Unit V: Agrarian Relations The Ain-i- Akbari
Broad Overview:
(a) Outline of new buildings during Vijayanagar period — temples, forts, irrigation facilities.
(b) 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 analysed and interpreted these structures
Unit VI: The Mughal Court: Reconstructing Histories through Chronicles
Broad Overview:
(a) Outline of political history c. 15th-17th centuries.
(b) 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 textsto reconstruct political histories.
Unit VII: New Architecture: Hampi
Broad Overview:
(a) Outline of new buildings during Vijayanagar period — temples, forts, irrigation facilities.
(b) 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 analysed and interpreted these structures
Unit VIII: Religious Histories: The Bhakti-Sufi Tradition
Broad Overview:
(a) Outline of religious developments during this period.
(b) 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 IX: 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 andhow they have been interpreted by historians.
Unit X: Colonialism and Rural Society: Evidence from Official Reports
Broad overview:
(a) Life of Zamindars, peasants and artisans in the late 18th century.
(b) East India Company, revenue settlements and surveys.
(c) Changes over the nineteenth century.
Story of official records: An account of why official investigations into rural societies were undertaken andthe
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:
(a) The events of 1857-58.
(b) 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 century.
Excerpts: Photographs and paintings. Plans of cities. Extract form 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 XIII: Mahatma Gandhi through Contemporary Eyes
Broad Overview:
(a) The nationalist movement 1918-48,
(b) 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:
(a) The history of the 1940s;
(b) Nationalism, Communalism and Partition.
Focus: Punjab and Bengal.
Excerpts: Oral testimonies of those who experienced partition.
Discussion: Ways in which these have been analysed to reconstruct the history of the event.
Unit XV: The Making of the Constitution
Broad Overview:
(a) Independence and the new nation state.
(b) 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.