JAC Class 12 History Syllabus 2026 - Check Jharkhand 12th History Syllabus

Themes in Indian History Part—I

1. BRICKS, BEADS AND BONES: The Harappan Civilisation
The Harappan Civilization:
Broad overview:
Early urban centers Story of discovery: Harappan civilization
Excerpt: Archaeological report on a major site
Discussion: How it has been utilized by archaeologists/ historians

• State and deduce the multi-lateral aspects of Harappan civilization to understand the first civilization of the world.
• Develop an ability to use and analyze socio- economic, political aspects of Harappa
• Investigate and interpret historical and contemporary sources and viewpoints of ASI and historians on Harappa.

2. 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 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.

• Explain major trends in the 6th century BCE to understand the political and economic history of the subcontinent.
• Analyze inscriptional evidences and how these have shaped the understanding of political and economic processes.

3. KINSHIP, CASTE AND CLASS: Early Societies (c. 600 BCE600 CE)
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 Mahabharata
Excerpt: from the Mahabharata, illustrating how it has been used by historians.
Discussion: Other sources for reconstructing social history.

After this unit, students will be able to

• Analyze social norms in order to understand the perspectives of society given in the scriptures of ancient India.
• Examine the varied dimensions explored by historians to understand dynamic approach of Mahabharata

4. THINKERS, BELIEFS AND BUILDINGS: Cultural Development (c. 600 BCE600 CE)
Broad overview:
A History of Buddhism: Sanchi Stupa
a) A brief review of religious histories of Vedic religion, Jainism, Vaishnavism, Shaivism (Puranic Hinduism)
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

• Compare the distinct religious facets to understand the religious developments in ancient India.
• Elucidate the rich religious sculpture and infer the stories hidden in it.

Themes in Indian History Part—II

5. THROUGH THE EYES OF TRAVELLERS: Perceptions of Society (c. tenth to seventeenth centuries)
Broad Overview: outlines of social and cultural life as they appear in 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.

• Identify the accounts of foreign travellers to understand the social political and economic life during the tenure of different rulers in the medieval period.
• Compare and contrast the perspectives of Al Biruni, Ibn Battuta and Bernier towards Indian society.

6. BHAKTI –SUFI TRADITIONS: Changes in Religious Beliefs and Devotional Texts (c. eighth to eighteenth centuries)
Broad overview:
a. Outline of religious developments during this period saints.
b. 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.

• Summarize the philosophies of different Bhakti and Sufi saints to understand the religious developments during medieval period.
• Comprehend the religious movement to establish unity, peace, harmony and brotherhood in society.

7. AN IMPERIAL CAPITAL: VIJAYANAGARA (c. fourteenth to sixteenth centuries
Broad Overview: New Architecture: Hampi
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 analyzed and interpreted these structures.

• Students will be able to classify the distinctive architectural contributions of the Vijayanagar empire to comprehend the richness of mingled cultures of deccan India.
• Analyse accounts of foreign traveller’s on Vijayanagar to interpret political, social and cultural life of the city.
• Assess and appreciate the city planning, water management system, administration of the rulers

8. PEASANTS, ZAMINDARS AND THE STATE: Agrarian Society and the Mughal Empire (c. sixteenth-seventeenth centuries)
Broad overview: The Aini-Akbari
a. Structure of agrarian relations in the 16th and 17th centuries.
b. 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.

• Comprehend the facets of agrarian developments to understand the relationship between the state and agriculture during the Mughal period.
• Compare and contrast the agrarian changes occurred during sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Themes in Indian History Part—III

09. COLONIALISM AND THE  COUNTRYSIDE: Exploring Official Archives
Broad overview: Colonialism and Rural Society:
Evidence from Official Reports
a) Life of zamindars, peasants and artisans in the late 18th century
b). 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 the official records tell and do not tell, and how they have been used by historians.

• Compare and contrast the revenue systems introduced by the British in order to understand the economic aspects of colonization in India.
• Analyze the colonial official records& reports in order to understand the divergent interest of British and Indians.

10. REBELS AND THE RAJ: 1857 Revolt and its Representations
Broad overview:
a. The events of 1857-58.
b. Vision of Unity
c. 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.

• Correlate the Planning and coordination of the rebels of 1857 to infer its domains and nature.
• Examine the momentum of the revolt to understand its spread.
• Analyze how revolt created vision of unity amongst Indians.
• Identify and interpret visual images to understand the emotions portrayed by the nationalist and British.

11. MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT: Civil Disobedience and Beyond
Broad overview:
a. The Nationalist Movement 1918 -48.
b. 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.

• Correlate the significant elements of the nationalist movement and the nature of ideas, individuals, and institutions under the Gandhian leadership.
• Analyze the significant contributions of Gandhiji to understand his mass appeal for nationalism.
• Analyze the perceptions and contributions of different communities towards the Gandhian movement.
• Analyze the ways of interpreting historical source such as newspapers, biographies and auto-biographies diaries and letters.

12. FRAMING THE CONSTITUTION: The Beginning of a New Era
Broad overview: The Making of the Constitution an overview:
a. Independence and then new nation state.
b. The making of the Constitution
Focus: The Constituent Assembly Debates
Excerpts: from the debates
Discussion: What such debates reveal and how they can be analyzed.

• Highlight the role of the Constituent Assembly to understand the functionaries in framing the constitution of India.
• Analyze how debates and discussions around important issues in the Constituent Assembly shaped our Constitution.