Class 12 History Notes

Chapters in Class 12 History — 12 chapters.

These notes are free to read without an account. Work through them in order, or use the chapter list to revise selectively before a test.

Chapters in Class 12 History

  1. Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones: The Harappan Civilisation

    24 topics

    • Introdcution of Bricks, Beads and Bones : The Harappan Civilisation
    • Subsistence Strategies
    • Agricultural Technologies
    • Mohenjodaro : A Planned Urban Centre
    • Mohenjodaro : Laying out drains
    • Mohenjodaro : Domestic Architecture
    • Mohenjodaro : The Citadel
    • Tracking Social Differences : Burials

  2. Chapter 2: Kings, Farmers and Towns : Early States and Economies (c. 600 BCE-600 CE)

    23 topics

    • Introduction of Kings, Farmers, and Towns (c. 600 BCE - 600 CE)
    • Prinsep and Piyadassi
    • The Earliest States : The sixteen mahajanapadas
    • The Earliest States : First amongst the sixteen Magadha
    • An Early Empire : Finding out about the Mauryas
    • An Early Empire : Administering the empire
    • An Early Empire : How important was the empire?
    • New Notions of Kingship : Chiefs and kings in the south

  3. Chapter 3: Kinship, Caste and Class : Early Societies (C. 600 BCE-600 CE)

    23 topics

    • Introduction to Kinship, Caste, and Class: Early Societies (c. 600 BCE - 600 CE)
    • The Critical Edition of the Mahabharata
    • Kinship and Marriage Many Rules and Varied Practices : Finding out about families
    • Kinship and Marriage Many Rules and Varied Practices :The ideal of patriliny
    • Kinship and Marriage Many Rules and Varied Practices : Rules of marriage
    • Kinship and Marriage Many Rules and Varied Practices : The gotra of women
    • Kinship and Marriage Many Rules and Varied Practices :Were mothers important?
    • Social Differences: Within and Beyond the Framework of Caste : The “right” occupation

  4. Chapter 4: Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings : Cultural Developments (c. 600 BCE - 600 CE)

    24 topics

    • Introduction to Thinkers, Beliefs, and Buildings: Cultural Developments (c. 600 BCE - 600 CE)
    • A Glimpse of Sanchi
    • The Background: Sacrifices and Debates :The sacrificial tradition
    • The Background: Sacrifices and Debates : Debates and discussions
    • Beyond Worldly Pleasures The Message of Mahavira
    • Beyond Worldly Pleasures The Message of Mahavira :The spread of Jainism
    • The Buddha and the Quest for Enlightenment
    • The Teachings of the Buddha

  5. Chapter 5: Through the Eyes of Travellers : Perceptions of Society (c. tenth to seventeenth century)

    15 topics

    • Through the Eyes of Travellers: Perceptions of Society (c. tenth to seventeenth century)
    • Al-Biruni and the Kitab-ul-Hind : From Khwarizm to the Punjab
    • Al-Biruni and the Kitab-ul-Hind : The Kitab-ul-Hind
    • Ibn Battuta’s Rihla : An early globe-trotter
    • Ibn Battuta’s Rihla :The “enjoyment of curiosities”
    • François 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
    • Making Sense of an Alien World Al-Biruni and the Sanskritic Tradition : : Al-Biruni’s description of the caste system

  6. Chapter 6: Bhakti : Sufi Traditions

    25 topics

    • Introduction to Bhakti-Sufi Traditions: Changes in Religious Beliefs and Devotional Texts (c. eighth to eighteenth centu…
    • A Mosaic of Religious Beliefs and Practices : The integration of cults
    • A Mosaic of Religious Beliefs and Practices : Difference and conflict
    • Poems of Prayer Early Traditions of Bhakt : The Alvars and Nayanars of Tamil Nadu
    • Poems of Prayer Early Traditions of Bhakt : Attitudes towards caste
    • Poems of Prayer Early Traditions of Bhakt : Women devotees
    • Poems of Prayer Early Traditions of Bhakt : Relations with the state
    • The Virashaiva Tradition in Karnataka

  7. Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital : Vijayanagara (c. fourteenth to sixteenth century)

    17 topics

    • Introduction to An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara (c. Fourteenth to Sixteenth Century)
    • The Discovery of Hampi
    • Rayas, Nayakas and Sultans
    • Rayas, Nayakas and Sultans : Kings and traders
    • Rayas, Nayakas and Sultans : The apogee and decline of the empire
    • Rayas, Nayakas and Sultans : The rayas and the nayakas
    • Vijayanagara The Capital and its Environs : Water resources
    • Vijayanagara The Capital and its Environs : Fortifications and roads

  8. Chapter 8: Peasants, Zamindars and the State

    17 topics

    • Introduction of Peasants, Zamindars and the State Agrarian Society and the Mughal Empire (c. sixteenth- seventeenth cen…
    • Peasants and Agricultural Production : Looking for sources
    • Peasants and Agricultural Production : Peasants and their lands
    • Peasants and Agricultural Production : Irrigation and technology
    • Peasants and Agricultural Production : An abundance of crops
    • The Village Community : Caste and the rural milieu
    • The Village Community : Panchayats and headmen
    • The Village Community : Village artisans

  9. Chapter 9: Colonialism and the Countryside : Exploring Official Archives

    19 topics

    • Introduction to Colonialism and the Countryside: Exploring Official Archives
    • Bengal and the Zamindars : An auction in Burdwan
    • Bengal and the Zamindars : The problem of unpaid revenue
    • Bengal and the Zamindars : Why zamindars defaulted on payments
    • Bengal and the Zamindars : The rise of the jotedars
    • Bengal and the Zamindars : The zamindars resist
    • Bengal and the Zamindars : The Fifth Report
    • The Hoe and the Plough : In the hills of Rajmahal

  10. Chapter 10: Rebels and the Raj : The Revolt of 1857 and Its Representations

    21 topics

    • Introduction to "Rebels and the Raj: The Revolt of 1857 and Its Representations"
    • Pattern of the Rebellion : How the mutinies began
    • Pattern of the Rebellion : Lines of communication
    • Pattern of the Rebellion : Leaders and followers
    • Two rebels of 1857 Shah Mal and Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah
    • Pattern of the Rebellion : Rumours and prophecies
    • Pattern of the Rebellion : Why did people believe in the rumours?
    • Awadh in Revolt : “A cherry that will drop into our mouth one day”

  11. Chapter 11: Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement : Civil Disobedience and Beyond

    15 topics

    • Introduction of Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement: Civil Disobedience and Beyond
    • A Leader Announces Himself
    • The Making and Unmaking of Non-cooperation
    • The Making and Unmaking of Non-cooperation : Knitting a popular movement
    • The Making and Unmaking of Non-Cooperation: A People’s Leader
    • The Salt Satyagraha A Case Study
    • The Salt Satyagraha A Case Study : Dandi
    • The Salt Satyagraha A Case Study : Dialogues

  12. Chapter 12: Framing the Constitution : The Beginning of a New Era

    16 topics

    • Introduction of Framing the Constitution : The Beginning of a New Era
    • A Tumultuous Time
    • A Tumultuous Time : The making of the Constituent Assembly
    • A Tumultuous Time : The dominant voices
    • The Vision of the Constitution
    • The Vision of the Constitution : The will of the people
    • Defining Rights : The problem with separate electorates
    • Defining Rights : “We will need much more than this Resolution”