CBSE: History Class XI Syllabus

History Class XI Syllabus

Course Structure

S.No.	Units	Marks
1.	Introduction to World History
Section A: Early Societies		15
2.	Introduction
3.	From the beginning of time
4.	Early Cities
Section B: Empires		20
5.	Introduction
6.	An empire across three continents
7.	Central Islamic lands
8.	Nomadic Empires
Section C: Changing Traditions		20
9.	Introduction
10.	Three orders
11.	Changing cultural traditions
12.	Confrontation of cultures
Section D: Paths to Modernization		20
13.	Introduction
14.	The Industrial Revolution
15.	Displacing indigenous People
16.	Paths to modernization
	Map work (units 1-16)	5
	Project Work	20
		100

1. Introduction to World History

Section A: Early Societies

2. Introduction

3. From the Beginning of Time

Focus: Africa, Europe till 15000 BC

• (a) Views on the origin of human beings.
• (b) Early societies.
• (c) Historians' views on present-day hunting-gathering societies.

4. Early Cities

Focus: Iraq, 3rd millennium BC

• (a) Growth of towns.
• (b) Nature of early urban societies.
• (c) Historians' Debate on uses of writing.

Section B: Empires

5. Introduction

6. An Empire across Three Continents

Focus: Roman Empire, 27 B.C to A.D 600.

• (a) Political evolution
• (b) Economic expansion
• (c) Religion
• (d) Late Antiquity.
• (e) Historians' views on the institution of Slavery.

7. Central Islamic Lands

Focus: 7th to 12th centuries

• (a) Polity
• (b) Economy
• (c) Culture.
• (d) Historians' viewpoints on the nature of the crusades.

8. Nomadic Empires

Focus: the Mongol, 13th to 14th century

• (a) The nature of nomadism.
• (b) Formation of empires.
• (c) Conquests and relations with other states.
• (d) Historians' views on nomadic societies and state formation.

Section C: Changing Traditions

9. Introduction

10. Three Orders

Focus: Western Europe, 13th-16th century

• (a) Feudal society and economy.
• (b) Formation of states.
• (c) Church and Society.
• (d) Historians' views on decline of feudalism.

11. Changing Cultural Traditions

Focus on Europe, 14th to 17th century.

• (a) New ideas, and new trends in literature and arts.
• (b) Relationship with earlier ideas
• (c) The contribution of West Asia.
• (d) Historians' viewpoints on the validity of the notion 'European Renaissance'.

12. Confrontation of Cultures

Focus on America, 15th to 18th century.

• (a) European voyages of exploration.
• (b) Search for gold; enslavement, raids, extermination.
• (c) Indigenous people and cultures - the Arawaks, the Aztecs, the Incas.
• (d) The history of displacements.
• (e) Historians' viewpoints on the slave trade.

Section D: Paths to Modernization

13. Introduction

14. The Industrial Revolution

Focus on England, 18th and 19th century.

• (a) Innovations and technological change
• (b) Patterns of growth.
• (c) Emergence of a working class.
• (d) Historians' viewpoints, Debate on 'Was there an Industrial Revolution?'

15. Displacing Indigenous People

Focus on North America and Australia, 18th-20th century.

• (a) European colonists in North America and Australia.
• (b) Formation of white settler societies.
• (c) Displacement and repression of local people.
• (d) Historians' viewpoints on the impact of European settlement on indigenous population.

16. Paths to Modernization

Focus on East Asia, late 19th and 20th century.

• (a) Militarization and economic growth in Japan.
• (b) China and the Communist alternative.
• (c) Historians' Debate on the meaning of modernization