NTA CUET (UG) History Course 2025
Course Content
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.
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Broad overview: Early Urban Centres
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Story of Discovery: Harappan Civilization
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Excerpt: Archaeological Report on a Major Site
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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.
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Broad overview: Political and economic history from the Mauryan to the Gupta period.
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Story of discovery: Inscriptions and the decipherment of the script. Shifts in the understanding of political and economic history.
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Excerpt: Asokan inscription and Gupta period land grant.
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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.
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Broad overview: Issues in social history, including caste, class, kinship and gender.
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Story of discovery: Transmission and publications of the Mahabharata.
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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.
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(a) A brief review of religious histories of Vedic religion, Jainism, Vaisnavism, Saivism.
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(b) Focus on Buddhism.
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Story of discovery: Sanchi stupa.
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Excerpt: Reproduction of sculptures from Sanchi.
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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.
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Broad Overview: Outline of social and cultural life as they appear in travellers’ accounts.
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Story of their writings: A discussion of where they travelled, why they travelled, what they wrote, and For whom they wrote.
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Excerpts: from Alberuni, Ibn Batuta, Bernier.
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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.
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(a) Outline of religious developments during this period.
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(b) Ideas and practices of the Bhakti-Sufi saints.
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Story of Transmission: How Bhakti-Sufi compositions have been preserved.
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Excerpt: Extracts from selected Bhakti Sufi works.
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Discussion: Ways in which these have been interpreted by historians.
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.
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(a) Outline of new buildings during Vijayanagar period — temples, forts, irrigation facilities.
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(b) Relationship between architecture and the political system.
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Story of Discovery: Account of how Hampi was found.
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Excerpt: Visuals of buildings at Hampi.
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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 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 the text to reconstruct history.
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(a) Structure of agrarian relations in the 16th and 17th centuries.
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(b) Patterns of change over the period.
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Story of Discovery: Account of the compilation and translation of Ain-i-Akbari.
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Excerpt: From the Ain-i-Akbari
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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.
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(a) Outline of political history c. 15th-17th centuries.
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(b) Discussion of the Mughal court and politics.
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Story of Discovery: Account of the production of court chronicles, and their subsequent translation and transmission.
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Excerpts: from the Akbarnama and Padshahnama.
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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 18th 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.
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(a) Life of zamindars, peasants and artisans in the late 18th century.
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(b) East India Company, revenue settlements and surveys.
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(c) Changes over the nineteenth century.
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Story of official records: An account of why official investigations into rural societies were undertaken and the types of records and reports produced.
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Excerpts: From Firminger’s Fifth Report, Accounts of Francis Buchanan-Hamilton, and Deccan Riots Report.
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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.
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(a) The events of 1857-58.
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(b) How these events were recorded and narrated.
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Focus: Lucknow.
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Excerpts: Pictures of 1857. Extracts from contemporary accounts.
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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 18th and 19th 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.
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Broad Overview: The growth of Mumbai, Chennai, hill stations and cantonments in the 18th and 19th century.
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Excerpts: Photographs and paintings. Plans of cities. Extract form town plan reports. Focus on Kolkata town planning.
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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.
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(a) The nationalist movement 1918-48
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(b) The nature of Gandhian politics and leadership.
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Focus: Mahatma Gandhi in 1931.
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Excerpts: Reports from English and Indian language newspapers and other contemporary writings.
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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.
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(a) The history of the 1940s;
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(b) Nationalism, Communalism and Partition
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Focus: Punjab and Bengal.
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Excerpts: Oral testimonies of those who experienced partition.
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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.
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(a) Independence and the new nation state.
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(b) The making of the Constitution.
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Focus: The Constitutional Assembly debates.
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Excerpts: From the debates.
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Discussion: What such debates reveal and how they can be analyzed.
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