Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones – The Harappan Civilisation Core Themes Early urban cultures Harappan archaeology and interpretation Key Focus Areas Discovery and excavation of Harappan sites Town planning, drainage, architecture Subsistence strategies (agriculture, pastoralism) Craft production, trade, seals Social and religious life Decline of the civilisation Archaeologists’ interpretations Historical Skills Archaeological evidence analysis Source-based interpretation

Chapter 2: Kings, Farmers and Towns – Early States and Economies (c. 600 BCE–600 CE) Core Themes Political formations Agrarian expansion Key Focus Areas Mahajanapadas and early kingdoms Role of land grants Peasants, chiefs, and kings Towns, trade routes, and coins Administrative systems Historical sources: inscriptions, texts

Chapter 3: Kinship, Caste and Class – Early Societies Core Themes Social structures in early India Key Focus Areas Family and kinship systems Varna and caste hierarchy Gender roles and patriarchy Slavery and social inequalities The Mahabharata as a historical source

Chapter 4: Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings – Cultural Developments (c. 600 BCE–600 CE) Core Themes Religious and philosophical traditions Key Focus Areas Buddhism, Jainism, and Brahmanism Sangha and monastic traditions Stupas, viharas, and temples Art, architecture, and symbolism Role of patrons

Chapter 5: Through the Eyes of Travellers – Perceptions of Society Core Themes Foreign accounts of India Key Focus Areas Accounts of Al-Biruni, Ibn Battuta, François Bernier Social customs and economy Religious practices Strengths and limitations of travelogues

Chapter 6: Bhakti–Sufi Traditions – Changes in Religious Beliefs and Devotional Texts Core Themes Devotional movements Key Focus Areas Bhakti saints and philosophies Sufi silsilas Regional languages and literature Social impact of devotional traditions

Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital – Vijayanagara Core Themes State formation and urbanisation Key Focus Areas Foundation and rulers City planning and architecture Economy and trade Religious and cultural life Foreign travellers’ descriptions

Chapter 8: Peasants, Zamindars and the State – Agrarian Society and the Mughal Empire Core Themes Agrarian relations Key Focus Areas Peasant communities Zamindari system Land revenue administration Mughal state and rural society

Chapter 10: Colonialism and the Countryside – Exploring Official Archives Core Themes British agrarian policies Key Focus Areas Permanent Settlement Indigo revolt Impact on peasants Colonial records as historical sources

Chapter 11: Rebels and the Raj – The Revolt of 1857 Core Themes Resistance to colonial rule Key Focus Areas Causes of the revolt Spread and leaders British suppression Historiography of 1857

Chapter 12: Colonial Cities – The Urbanisation of the Imperial Capital Core Themes Urban history Key Focus Areas Growth of colonial cities Planning and segregation Architecture and public spaces Social life in cities

Chapter 13: Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement Core Themes Indian nationalism Key Focus Areas Gandhian ideology Mass movements Role of peasants, workers, women Civil Disobedience and Quit India

Chapter 14: Understanding Partition Core Themes Partition and independence Key Focus Areas Causes of Partition Communal politics Human cost and migration Oral histories and memories

Chapter 15: Framing the Constitution – The Beginning of a New Era Core Themes Nation-building Key Focus Areas Constituent Assembly Debates and discussions Federalism, rights, and citizenship Vision of independent India