CUET Exam Syllabus for History - Commerce PDF Download

 Page 1


 
 
 
                                                    
HISTORY 
 
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: 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 and  how they have been interpreted by historians. 
 
                 Unit VI:   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. 
Note:  
There will be one Question Paper which will have 50 questions out of which 40 questions need to be 
attempted. 
Page 2


 
 
 
                                                    
HISTORY 
 
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: 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 and  how they have been interpreted by historians. 
 
                 Unit VI:   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. 
Note:  
There will be one Question Paper which will have 50 questions out of which 40 questions need to be 
attempted. 
HISTORY-314 
3 
 
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: Agrarian Relations :The Ain-i- Akbari 
         
                       Broad overview: 
(a) Structure of agrarian relations in the 16th and 17
th
  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 the text  to reconstruct history. 
                     
                   Unit IX: 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 texts  to reconstruct political histories. 
Unit X: Colonialism and Rural Society: Evidence from Official Reports 
Broad overview: 
(a) Life of zamindars, peasants and artisans in the late 18
th
 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 and the  
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.
Page 3


 
 
 
                                                    
HISTORY 
 
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: 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 and  how they have been interpreted by historians. 
 
                 Unit VI:   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. 
Note:  
There will be one Question Paper which will have 50 questions out of which 40 questions need to be 
attempted. 
HISTORY-314 
3 
 
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: Agrarian Relations :The Ain-i- Akbari 
         
                       Broad overview: 
(a) Structure of agrarian relations in the 16th and 17
th
  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 the text  to reconstruct history. 
                     
                   Unit IX: 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 texts  to reconstruct political histories. 
Unit X: Colonialism and Rural Society: Evidence from Official Reports 
Broad overview: 
(a) Life of zamindars, peasants and artisans in the late 18
th
 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 and the  
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 18
th 
and 19
th 
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.