CUET History Syllabus 2027 PDF - Section-Wise Important Topics

Unit

Theme / Main Topic

Detailed Topics Covered

Unit I

The Story of the First Cities: Harappan Archaeology

• Emergence of the first urban centres in the Indian subcontinent

• Features of the Harappan (Indus Valley) Civilization

• Town planning and urban settlements

• Economic activities, trade, agriculture, crafts, and technology

• Discovery of the Harappan Civilization

• Major excavations at Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Dholavira, Lothal, Kalibangan, etc.

• Contributions of archaeologists in reconstructing Harappan history

• Archaeological report of a major Harappan site

• Interpretation of material remains such as seals, pottery, tools, buildings, drainage systems, and artifacts

• Methods used by archaeologists and historians to interpret archaeological evidence

• Limitations of archaeological sources

• Significance of archaeological discoveries in understanding ancient urban life

Unit II

Political and Economic History: The Narrative Function of Inscriptions

• Political history from the Mauryan Empire to the Gupta Empire

• Administrative systems

• Economic development, taxation, land grants, and trade during the Mauryan and Gupta periods

• Discovery of inscriptions across India

• Decipherment of Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts

• Contributions of James Prinsep and other scholars

• Changing interpretations of political and economic history through inscriptions

• Ashokan inscriptions (Rock and Pillar Edicts)

• Gupta period land grant inscriptions

• Historical interpretation of inscriptions

• Reliability and limitations of inscriptional evidence

• Role of inscriptions in reconstructing political, social, religious, and economic history

Unit III

Mahabharata-based Social History

• Social structure in ancient India

• Caste (Varna and Jati)

• Class divisions

• Kinship and family system

• Gender roles and status of women

• Compilation, transmission, and preservation of the Mahabharata

• Oral traditions to written manuscripts

• Printing and publication of the Mahabharata

• Selected passages from the Mahabharata illustrating social life, customs, family relationships, and political values

• Use of the Mahabharata as a historical source

• Historians' interpretations of caste, kinship, gender, and social relations based on the epic

• Strengths and limitations of literary sources

Unit IV

Buddhist History: Sanchi Stupa

• Religious developments in ancient India

• Vedic religion

• Jainism

• Vaishnavism

• Shaivism

• Rise, teachings, and spread of Buddhism

• Discovery and excavation of the Sanchi Stupa

• Importance of Sanchi as a Buddhist heritage site

• Contributions of archaeologists in studying Buddhist monuments

• Sculptures, relief carvings, gateways (Toranas), inscriptions, and artistic remains found at Sanchi

• Interpretation of sculptures and archaeological remains

• Reconstruction of Buddhist history using archaeological and literary sources

• Role of art, architecture, and inscriptions in understanding Buddhism

Unit

Theme / Main Topic

Detailed Topics Covered

Unit V

Agrarian Relations: Ain-i-Akbari

• Agrarian structure during the 16th and 17th centuries

• Land revenue system under the Mughal Empire

• Peasants, zamindars, and state relations

• Agricultural production and cultivation

• Patterns of agrarian change during the Mughal period

• Compilation of the Ain-i-Akbari by Abul Fazl

• Translation of the text into different languages

• Importance of the Ain-i-Akbari as a historical source for Mughal administration and agrarian economy

• Selected passages from the Ain-i-Akbari describing land revenue, agriculture, administration, and rural society

• How historians use the Ain-i-Akbari to reconstruct Mughal agrarian history

• Reliability and limitations of the text as a historical source

Unit VI

Religious Histories: The Bhakti-Sufi Tradition

• Religious developments in medieval India

• Emergence and spread of the Bhakti Movement

• Emergence and spread of Sufism

• Teachings, beliefs, and practices of Bhakti saints and Sufi saints

• Social and cultural impact of the Bhakti-Sufi traditions

• Preservation and transmission of Bhakti and Sufi literature through oral traditions and manuscripts

• Role of disciples and communities in preserving these traditions

• Selected compositions of Bhakti saints and Sufi saints (poems, hymns, devotional songs, and mystical writings)

• Historians' interpretations of Bhakti and Sufi literature

• Understanding medieval society, religion, and culture through these literary sources

Unit VII

New Construction: Hampi

• Urban planning and architecture during the Vijayanagara Empire

• Construction of temples, palaces, forts, markets, roads, tanks, canals, and irrigation systems

• Relationship between political power and architecture

• Cultural and economic significance of Hampi

• Rediscovery and archaeological exploration of Hampi

• Contributions of archaeologists and historians in studying the Vijayanagara capital

• Images and archaeological remains of temples, monuments, gateways, sculptures, bazaars, and other architectural structures of Hampi

• Historical interpretation of Hampi's architecture and urban planning

• Use of archaeological evidence to reconstruct the history of the Vijayanagara Empire

Unit VIII

Medieval Civilisation Through the Eyes of Travellers

• Social, economic, political, and cultural life in medieval India as described by foreign travelers

• Daily life, trade, administration, religion, customs, and society

• Who the travellers were

• Where they travelled

• Why they visited India

• What they observed and recorded

• Intended audience of their writings

• Accounts of Al-Biruni

• Accounts of Ibn Battuta

• Accounts of François Bernier

• Historical value of travel accounts

Unit

Theme / Main Topic

Detailed Topics Covered

Unit IX

Colonialism and Rural Society: Official Reports as Evidence

• Rural society in the late 18th and 19th centuries

• Life of zamindars, peasants, and artisans

• Expansion of the East India Company

• Land revenue systems and tax settlements (Permanent Settlement, Ryotwari, Mahalwari)

• Surveys and revenue administration

• Economic and social changes in rural India during the 19th century

• Purpose of official surveys and investigations by the British administration

• Collection of information through reports, revenue records, and surveys

• Importance of official records in understanding colonial rural society

• Firminger's Fifth Report

• Francis Buchanan's Accounts

• Hamilton's Accounts

• Deccan Riots Report

• What official records reveal about colonial rule and rural society

• Biases and limitations of official documents

• Historians' interpretation of colonial reports and archival evidence

Unit X

Representations of the Revolt of 1857

• Causes of the Revolt of 1857

• Major events of 1857–1858

• Centres of the revolt and major leaders

• Consequences of the revolt

• Different narratives and interpretations of the uprising

• Lucknow as an important centre of the Revolt of 1857

• Siege and recapture of Lucknow

• Contemporary newspaper reports

• Official British accounts

• Photographs and illustrations related to the Revolt of 1857

• How photographs and visual sources shaped British perceptions of the Revolt

• Historians' interpretation of visual and documentary evidence

Unit XI

Mahatma Gandhi in Contemporary Perspective

• Indian National Movement (1918–1948)

• Rise of Gandhian politics

• Gandhi's leadership style and philosophy

• Major nationalist movements under Gandhi (Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, Quit India Movement)

• Gandhian methods of Satyagraha and Non-violence

• Mahatma Gandhi in 1931

• Gandhi-Irwin Pact

• Round Table Conference

• Reports from English newspapers

• Reports from Indian newspapers

• Contemporary journals, speeches, and writings

• Newspapers as historical sources

• Different perspectives on Gandhi's leadership

• Reliability and limitations of newspaper reports in historical research

Unit XII

The Constitution's Formation

• Indian Independence (1947)

• Emergence of the new nation-state

• Framing of the Constitution of India

• Objectives and significance of the Constitution

• Constituent Assembly debates

• Drafting process of the Constitution

• Contributions of the members of the Constituent Assembly

• Selected excerpts from the Constituent Assembly Debates

• Constitutional discussions and proposals

• Interpretation of Constitutional debates by historians

• Historical significance of debates in shaping modern India

• Understanding democratic values through constitutional discussions