UK Board Class 12 History Syllabus

PART – I

1. The Story of the First Cities: Harappan
   Archaeology. (13)
   Broad overview: Early urban centers.
   The story of discovery: Harappan civilization
   Excerpt: Archaeological report on a major site.
   Discussion: How it has been utilized by archaeologists/historians.

• Familiarize the learner with early urban centers as economic and social institutions.
• Introduce the ways in which new data can lead to a revision of existing notions of history.
• Illustrate steps of making archaeological reports.

2. Political and Economic History: How Inscriptions tell a story. (14)
   Broad overview: Political and economic history from the Mauryan to the Gupta period.
   The 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.

• Familiarize the learner with major trends in the political and economic history of the subcontinent.
• Introduce inscriptional analysis and the ways in which these have shaped the understanding of political and economic processes.

3. Social Histories: Using the Mahabharata (14)
   Broad overview: Issues in social history, including caste, class, kinship, and gender.
   The 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.

• Familiarize the learner with issues in social history.
• Introduce strategies of textual analysis and their use in reconstructing social history.

4. A History of Buddhism: Sanchi Stupa (14)
   Broad overview:
   (a) A brief review of religious histories of Vedic religion, Jainism, Vaishnavism, Saivism.
   (b) Focus on Buddhism.
   The 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.

• Discuss the major religious developments in early India.
• Introduce strategies of visual analysis and their use in reconstructing histories of religion.

PART-II

5. Medieval Society through Travelers’
   Accounts (13)
   Broad overview:
   Outline of social and cultural life as they appear in travelers’ accounts.
   The story of their writings: A discussion of where they traveled, why they traveled, what they wrote, and for whom they wrote.
   Excerpts: from Alberuni, Ibn Battuta, Bernier.
   Discussion: What these travel accounts can tell us and how they have been interpreted by historians.

• Familiarize the learner with the salient features of social histories described by the travelers.
• Discuss how travelers’ accounts can be used as sources of social history.

6. Religious Histories: The Bhakti-Sufi Tradition (13)
   Broad overview:
   (a) Outline of religious developments during this period.
   (b) Ideas and practices of the Bhakti-Sufi saints.
   The 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.

• Familiarize the learner with religious developments.

• Discuss ways of analyzing devotional literature as sources of history.

New Architecture: Hampi (13) Broad overview:

(a) Outline of new buildings during
Vijayanagar period-temples, forts,
irrigation facilities.
(b) The relationship between architecture and the political system.
The 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

• Familiarize the learner with the new buildings that were built during the time.
• Discuss the ways in which architecture can be analyzed to reconstruct history.

8. Agrarian Relations: The Ain-i- Akbari (13)
   Broad overview:
   (a) Structure of agrarian relations in the 16th and 17th centuries.
   (b) Patterns of change over the period.
   The 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.

• Discuss developments in agrarian relations.
• Discuss how to supplement official documents with other sources.

9. The Mughal Court: Reconstructing
   Histories through Chronicles (13)
   Broad overview:
   (a) Outline of political history 15th-17th centuries.
   (b) Discussion of the Mughal court and politics.
   The 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.

• Familiarize the learner with the major landmarks in political history.
• Show how chronicles and other sources are used to reconstruct the histories of political institutions.

PART – III ( Periods 80)

10. Colonialism and Rural Society: Evidence from Official Reports: (13)
    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.
    The 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 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.

• Discuss how colonialism affected zamindars, peasants, and artisans.
• Comprehend the problems and limits of using official sources for understanding the lives of people.

11. Representations of 1857 (13)
    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.

• Discuss how the events of 1857 are being reinterpreted.
• Discuss how visual material can be used by historians.

12. Colonialism and Indian Towns: (13)
    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. 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.

• Familiarize the learner with the history of modern urban centers.
• Discuss how urban histories can be written by drawing on different types of sources.

13. Mahatma Gandhi through Contemporary Eyes (13)

    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.

• Familiarize the learner with significant elements of the Nationalist Movement and the nature of Gandhian leadership.
• Discuss how Gandhi was perceived by different groups.
• Discuss how historians need to read and interpret newspapers, diaries, and letters as a historical source.

14. Partition through Oral Sources (14)
    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 analyzed to reconstruct the history of the event.

• Discuss the last decade of the national movement, the growth of communalism and the story of partition.
• Understand the events through the experience of those who lived through these years of communal violence.
• Show the possibilities and limits of oral sources

15.  The Making of the Constitution (14)
    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.

• Familiarize students with the history of the early years after independence.
• Discuss how the founding ideals of the new nation-state were debated and formulated.
• Understand how such debates and discussions can be read by historians.

Map Work on Units 1-15 (10)

Project Work (10 periods) Please refer Circular for project work guidelines. Project work will help students For UK Board Class 12 History Syllabus

To:

• Develop the skill to gather data from a variety of sources, investigate diverse viewpoints and arrive at logical deductions.
• Developing skill to comprehend, analyze, interpret, evaluate historical evidence and understand the limitation of historical evidence.
• Develop 21st-century managerial skills of co-ordination, self-direction and time management.
• Learn to work in diverse cultures, races, religions, and lifestyles.
• Learn through constructivism-a theory based on observation and scientific study.
• Inculcate a spirit of inquiry and research.
• Communicate data in the most appropriate form using a variety of techniques.
• Provide greater opportunity for interaction and exploration.
• Understand contemporary issues in context to our past.
• Develop a global perspective and an international outlook.
• Grow into caring, sensitive individuals capable of making informed, intelligent and independent choices.
• Develop lasting interest in history discipline.