CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus - Free PDF Download
CBSE Syllabus 2025-26 Class 12: The CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for the examination year 2025-26 has been released by the Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE. The board will hold the final examination at the end of the year following the annual assessment scheme, which has led to the release of the syllabus. The 2025-26 CBSE Class 12 History Board Exam will entirely be based on the most recent syllabus. Therefore, students must thoroughly understand the new CBSE syllabus to prepare for their annual exam properly.
The detailed CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for 2025-26 is below.
Academic year:
CBSE Class 12 History Revised Syllabus
CBSE Class 12 History and their Unit wise marks distribution
CBSE Class 12 History Course Structure 2025-26 With Marking Scheme
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Syllabus
CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones: the Harappan Civilisation
- Introduction to Harappan Civilisation
- Subsistence Strategies
- Agricultural technologies
- How artefacts are identified
- Mohenjodaro: a Planned Urban Centre
- Laying out drains
- Domestic architecture
- The Citadel
- Tracking Social Differences
- Burials
- Looking for “luxuries”
- Finding Out About Craft Production
- Identifying centres of production
- Strategies for Procuring Materials
- Materials from the subcontinent and beyond
- Contact with distant lands
- Seals, Script, Weights
- Seals and sealings
- An enigmatic script
- Weights
- Ancient Authority
- Palaces and kings
- The End of the Civilisation
- Discovering the Harappan Civilisation
- Cunningham’s confusion
- A new old civilisation
- New techniques and questions
- Problems of Piecing Together the Past
- Classifying finds
- Problems of interpretation
CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for Chapter 2: Kings, Farmers and Towns: Early States and Economies
- Prinsep and Piyadassi
- The Earliest States
- The sixteen mahajanapadas
- First amongst the sixteen: Magadha
- An Early Empire
- Finding out about the Mauryas
- Administering the empire
- How important was the empire?
- New Notions of Kingship
- Chiefs and kings in the south
- Divine kings
- A Changing Countryside
- Popular perceptions of kings
- Strategies for increasing production
- Differences in rural society
- Land grants and new rural elites
- Towns and Trade
- New cities
- Urban populations: Elites and craftspersons
- Trade in the subcontinent and beyond
- Coins and kings
- Back to Basics - How Are Inscriptions Deciphered?
- Deciphering Brahmi
- How Kharosthi was read
- Historical evidence from inscriptions
- The Limitations of Inscriptional Evidence
CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for Chapter 3: Kinship, Caste and Class: Early Societies
- The Critical Edition of the Mahabharata
- Kinship and Marriage: Many Rules and Varied Practices
- Finding out about families
- The ideal of patriliny
- Rules of marriage
- The gotra of women
- Were mothers important?
- Marriage: definition and functions.
- Definition, merits, demerits, functions of the following:
- Rules of marriage: exogamy and endogamy (clan, gotra, pravara, village and sapinda), cross and parallel cousin, levirate, sororate, hypergamy and hypogamy.
- Forms of marriage: polygamy (polyandry and polygyny), monogamy.
- Social Differences: Within and Beyond the Framework of Caste
- The “right” occupation
- Non-Kshatriya kings
- Jatis and social mobility
- Beyond the four varnas: Integration
- Beyond the four varnas Subordination and conflict
- Beyond Birth Resources and Status
- Gendered access to property
- Varna and access to property
- An alternative social scenario: Sharing wealth
- Explaining Social Differences: a Social Contract
- Handling Texts Historians and the Mahabharata
- Language and content
- Author(s) and dates
- The search for convergence
- A Dynamic Text
CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for Chapter 4: Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings: Cultural Developments
- A Glimpse of Sanchi
- The Background: Sacrifices and Debates
- The sacrificial tradition
- New questions
- Debates and discussions
- Beyond Worldly Pleasures: the Message of Mahavira
- The spread of Jainism
- The Buddha and the Quest for Enlightenment
- The Teachings of the Buddha
- Followers of the Buddha
- Stupas
- Why were stupas built
- How were stupas built
- The structure of the stupa
- “Discovering” Stupas the Fate of Amaravati and Sanchi
- Sculpture
- Stories in stone
- Symbols of worship
- Popular traditions
- New Religious Traditions
- The development of Mahayana Buddhism
- The growth of Puranic Hinduism
- Building temples
- Can We “See” Everything?
- Grappling with the unfamiliar
- If text and image do not match
CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for Chapter 5: Through the Eyes of Travellers: Perceptions of Society
- Al-biruni and the Kitab-ul-hind
- From Khwarizm to Punjab
- The Kitab-ul-Hind
- Ibn Battuta’s Rihla
- An early globe-trotter
- The “enjoyment of curiosities”
- Francois Bernier - a Doctor with a Difference
- Comparing “East” and “West”
- Making Sense of an Alien World Al-biruni and the Sanskritic Tradition
- Overcoming barriers to understanding
- Al-Biruni’s description of the caste system
- Ibn Battuta and the Excitement of the Unfamiliar
- The coconut and the paan
- Ibn Battuta and Indian cities
- A unique system of communication
- Bernier and the “Degenerate” East
- The question of landownership
- A more complex social reality
- Women Slaves, Sati and Labourers
CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for Chapter 6: Bhakti - Sufi Traditions: Changes in Religious Beliefs and Devotional Texts
- A Mosaic of Religious Beliefs and Practices
- The integration of cults
- Difference and conflict
- Poems of Prayer Early Traditions of Bhakti
- The Alvars and Nayanars of Tamil Nadu
- Attitudes towards caste
- Women devotees
- Relations with the state
- The Virashaiva Tradition in Karnataka
- Religious Ferment in North India
- New Strands in the Fabric Islamic Traditions
- Faiths of rulers and subjects
- The popular practice of Islam
- Names for communities
- The Growth of Sufism
- Khanqahs and silsilas
- Outside the khanqah
- The Chishtis in the Subcontinent
- Life in the Chishti khanqah
- Chishti devotionalism: ziyarat and qawwali
- Languages and communication
- Sufis and the state
- New Devotional Paths Dialogue and Dissent in Northern India
- Weaving a divine fabric: Kabir
- Baba Guru Nanak and the Sacred Word
- Mirabai, the devotee princess
- Reconstructing Histories of Religious Traditions
CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital Vijayanagara
- The Discovery of Hampi
- Rayas, Nayakas and Sultans
- Kings and traders
- The apogee and decline of the empire
- The rayas and the nayakas
- Vijayanagara - the Capital and Its Environs
- Water resources
- Fortifications and roads
- The urban core
- The Royal Centre
- The mahanavami dibba
- Other buildings in the royal centre
- The Sacred Centre
- Choosing a capital
- Gopurams and mandapas
- Plotting Palaces, Temples and Bazaars
- Questions in Search of Answers
CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for Chapter 8: Peasants, Zamindars and the State: Agrarian Society and the Mughal Empire
- Peasants and Agricultural Production
- Looking for sources
- Peasants and their lands
- Irrigation and technology
- An abundance of crops
- The Village Community
- Caste and the rural milieu
- Panchayats and headmen
- Village artisans
- A “little republic”?
- Women in Agrarian Society
- Forests and Tribes
- Beyond settled villages
- Inroads into forests
- The Zamindars
- Land Revenue System
- The Flow of Silver
- The Ain-i Akbari of Abu’L Fazl Allami
CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for Chapter 9: Kings and Chronicles: the Mughal Courts
- The Mughals and Their Empire
- Production of Chronicles
- From Turkish to Persian
- The making of manuscripts
- The Painted Image
- The Akbar Nama and the Badshah Nama
- The Ideal Kingdom
- A divine light
- A unifying force
- Just sovereignty as social contract
- Capitals and Courts
- Capital cities
- The Mughal court
- Titles and gifts
- The Imperial Household
- The Imperial Officials
- Recruitment and rank
- Information and empire
- Beyond the centre: provincial administration
- Beyond the Frontiers
- The Safavids and Qandahar
- The Ottomans: pilgrimage and trade
- Jesuits at the Mughal court
- Questioning Formal Religion
CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for Chapter 10: Colonialism and the Countryside: Exploring Official Archives
- Bengal and the Zamindars
- An auction in Burdwan
- The problem of unpaid revenue
- Why zamindars defaulted on payments
- The rise of the jotedars
- The zamindars resist
- The Fifth Report
- The Hoe and the Plough
- In the hills of Rajmahal
- The Santhals: Pioneer settlers
- The accounts of Buchanan
- A Revolt in the Countryside the Bombay Deccan
- Account books are burnt
- A new revenue system
- Revenue demand and peasant debt
- Then came the cotton boom
- Credit dries up
- The experience of injustice
- The Deccan Riots Commission
CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for Chapter 11: Rebels and the Raj: 1857 Revolt and Its Representations
- Pattern of the Rebellion
- How the mutinies began
- Lines of communication
- Leaders and followers
- Rumours and prophecies
- Why did people believe in the rumours?
- Awadh in Revolt
- “A cherry that will drop into our mouth one day”
- “The life was gone out of the body”
- Firangi raj and the end of a world
- What the Rebels Wanted
- The vision of unity
- Against the symbols of oppression
- The search for alternative power
- Repression
- Images of the Revolt
- Celebrating the saviours
- English women and the honour of Britain
- Vengeance and retribution
- The performance of terror
- No time for clemency
- Nationalist imageries
CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for Chapter 12: Colonial Cities: Urbanisation, Planning and Architecture
- Towns and Cities in Pre-colonial Times
- Finding Out About Colonial Cities
- Colonial records and urban history
- Trends of change
- What Were the New Towns Like?
- Ports, forts and centres for services
- A new urban milieu
- The first hill stations
- Social life in the new cities
- Segregation, Town Planning and Architecture: Madras, Calcutta and Bombay
- Settlement and segregation in Madras
- Town planning in Calcutta
- Architecture in Bombay
- What Buildings and Architectural Styles Tell Us
CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for Chapter 13: Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement: Civil Disobedience and Beyond
- A Leader Announces Himself
- The Making and Unmaking of Non-cooperation
- Knitting a popular movement
- A people’s leader
- The Salt Satyagraha a Case Study
- Dandi
- Dialogues
- Quit India
- The Last Heroic Days
- Knowing Gandhi
- Public voice and private scripts
- Framing a picture
- Through police eyes
- From newspapers
CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for Chapter 14: Understanding Partition: Politics, Memories, Experiences
- Some Partition Experiences
- A Momentous Marker
- Partition or holocaust
- The power of stereotypes
- Why and How Did Partition Happen?
- Culminating point of a long history?
- The provincial elections of 1937 and the Congress ministries
- The “Pakistan” Resolution
- The suddenness of Partition
- Post-War developments
- A possible alternative to Partition
- Towards Partition
- The Withdrawal of Law and Order
- The one-man army
- Gendering Partition
- “Recovering” women
- Preserving “honour”
- Regional Variations
- Help, Humanity, Harmony
- Oral Testimonies and History
CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for Chapter 15: Framing the Constitution: the Beginning of a New Era
- A Tumultuous Time
- The making of the Constituent Assembly
- The dominant voices
- The Vision of the Constitution
- The will of the people
- Defining Rights
- The problem with separate electorates
- “We will need much more than this Resolution”
- “We were suppressed for thousands of years”
- The Powers of the State
- The Language of the Nation
- A plea for Hindi
- The fear of domination
CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for Chapter 100: Themes in Indian History Part 1
101 Political and Economic History - How Inscriptions tell a story.
- Broad Overview : Political and Economic History from the Mauryan to the Gupta Period
- Inscriptions and the Decipherment of the Script
- Asokan Inscription and Gupta Period Land Grant
- Interpretation of Inscriptions by Historians - Mauryan to the Gupta Period
102 A History of Buddhism - Sanchi Stupa
- Brief Review of Religious Histories of Vedic, Religion, Jainism, Vaisnavism, Saivism and Buddhism
- Story of Discovery: Sanchi Stupa
- Reproduction of Sculptures from Sanchi
- Ways in Which Sculpture Has Been,Interpreted by Historians
103 The Story of the First Cities - Harappan Archaeology
- Broad Overview: Early Urban Centres
- Story of Discovery: Harappan Civilization
- Archaeological Report on a Major Site (Harappan civilization)
- Utilized by Archaeologists/Historians
104 Social Histories - Using the Mahabharata
- Issues in Social History, Including Caste, Class, Kinship and Gender
- Transmission and Publications of the Mahabharata
- From the Mahabharata, Illustrating How It Has Been Used by Historians
CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for Chapter 200: Themes in Indian History Part 2
201 Medieval Society Through Traveller'S Accounts
- Social and Cultural Life as They Appear in Travelers Accounts
- Discussion of Where They Travelled, Why They Travelled, What They Wrote, and for Whom They Wrote
- Alberuni, Ibn Batuta, Bernier -what These Travel Accounts Can Tell Us and Interpreted by Historians
202 New Architecture - Hampi
- Outline of New Buildings During Vijayanagar Period
- temples
- forts
- irrigation facilities
- Relationship Between Architecture and the Political System
- Account of How Hampi Was Found
- Hampi - Ways in Which Historians Have Analyzed and Interpreted
203 The Mughal Court - Reconstructing Histories Through Chronicles
- Outline of Political History 15th-17th Centuries
- Mughal Court and Politics
- Account of the Production of Mughal Court Chronicles
- Account of Subsequent Translation and Transmission
- Ways in Which Historians Have Used the Texts to Reconstruct Political Histories
204 Religious Histories - The Bhakti-sufi Tradition
- Religious Developments During this Period (Bhakti-sufi Tradition)
- Ideas and Practices of the Bhakti-sufi Saints
- Bhakti-sufi Compositions Preserved
- Bhakti-sufi - Ways in Which These Have Been Interpreted by Historians
205 Agrarian Relations - The Ain-i- Akbari
- Structure of Agrarian Relations in the 16th and 17th Centuries
- Patterns of Change Over the Period (Ain-i- Akbari)
- Account of the Compilation and Translation of Ain-i-akbari
- Ways in which historians have used the text to reconstruct history (Ain-i-Akbari)
CBSE Class 12 History Syllabus for Chapter 300: Themes in Indian History Part 3
301 Colonialism and Rural Society - Evidence From Official Reports
- Life of Zamindars, Peasants and Artisans in the Late 18th Century
- East India Company, Revenue Settlements and Surveys
- Colonialism and Rural Society - Changes Over the Nineteenth Century
- Story of Official Records
- An account of why official investigations into rural societies were undertaken
- types of records and reports produced
- Official Records Used by Historians
302 Mahatma Gandhi Through Contemporary Eyes
- The Nationalist Movement 1918 - 48
- The Nature of Gandhian Politics and Leadership
303 Colonialism and Indian Towns - Town Plans and Municipal Reports
- Growth of Mumbai, Chennai, Hill Stations and Cantonments in the 18th and 19th Centuries
- Photographs and Paintings
- Plans of Cities
- Extract from Town Plan Reports
- Focus on Kolkata Town Planning
304 Partition Through Oral Sources
- The History of the 1940s
- Nationalism, Communalism and Partition
- Focus: Punjab and Bengal
- Oral Testimonies of Those Who Experienced Partition
305 Representations of 1857
- The Events of 1857-58
- How These Events Were Recorded and Narrated
- Pictures of 1857 Shaped British Opinion
306 Map Work
- Map Work
307 The Making of the Constitution
- Independence and the New Nation State
- The Making of the Constitution
