Class XII

Session 2020-2021

Subject: History

Mohammad Allam

Syllabus for Unit Test-1 : Themes in Indian History-I(Units 1-4)

Book-1

Textbook in History for Class XII (NCERT)

http://ncert.nic.in/textbook/textbook.htm?lehs1=0-4

No. of Period for Unit-1/Chapter-1: 10/55

Marks for Unit Test-1:25

Syllabus of History:
http://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/CurriculumMain20/SrSecondary/History.pdf

Text Book Access for Unit Test-1

http://ncert.nic.in/textbook/textbook.htm?lehs1=1-4

Discussion of the lessons of the whole Chapter: Online

 Chapter-1: The Story of the First Cities: Harappan Archaeology

Broad Objectives of the Lesson -1(Unit-1)

As per CBSE, the broad objectives of the Unit-1 are the following:

1-“Familiarize the learner with early urban centers as economic and social institutions.

2-Introduce the ways in which new data can lead to a revision of existing notions of history

3- Illustrate steps of making archaeological reports.” 1 (COURSE STRUCTURE CLASS XII (2019-
20))

Specific Objectives of the Lessons/ Unit-1

I. To know about the Harappan Civilization
II. To know the social, political, economic, cultural, religious life and the technology of the
people of Harappan civilization.
III. To know the Arts and Crafts of Harappan Civilization
IV. To Know the evolution of Harappan Civilization
V. To know the role of Archaeologists in the discovery of Harappan Civilization

Introduction of the Lessons/ Unit-1: Chapter-1

The Harappan civilization is one of the oldest civilizations of the world and the earliest
civilization of India. This civilization was discovered in the early twentieth century by chance but
in due course with the collective efforts of a group of archaeologists this civilization brought
before the world. The geographical extent, its sites, its technological advancement, its social,
political, cultural and religious development amazed the historians and scholars around the
world. This civilization not only pushed the history of India before 1500 BCE but also gave India a
civilization to feel pride.

This civilization did not only attract the British government officials, independent Indian
government but also a group of world archaeologists and scholars. Due to efforts all of the
above mentioned, this civilization excavated extensively in India and Pakistan. The findings by
the archaeologists have surprised historians and change their notion of the earliest civilization of
the world.

In the present lesson, we will study all the important aspects of the Harappan civilization. The
story of the origin of this civilization to the decline of the civilization; from the social
development to political, economic, cultural, arts &crafts to technological development and
from archaeological excavation to discovery of the various articles e.g. beads, script, seals, etc.
The important point which one has to keep in mind while studying the Harappan civilization is
that the script of Harappan civilization has not yet been deciphered.What one knows is based on
the archaeological findings e.g. pots, weapons, ornaments, beads, seals, toys, etc.

To study the chapter following plan of study (methodology) have been adopted.

Study of Map of Harappan Civilization: See map and watch video for studying map to
understand the geographical extent of Harappan civilization.

To know about civilization

What is Civilization? (Watch video in the context of Indus Valley Civilization)

Meaning of Civilization: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvI5vVsxdVQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHiegyD18EI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7ndRwqJYDM

See map: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/538180224194101830/visual-

search/?cropSource=6&h=470&w=534&x=16&y=14

To Watch Video to understand Map of Indus Valley Civilization:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFy3spFvl_o
 Lesson-1: Beginning of the Chapter

The chapter begins with three main words “Bricks, Beads and Bones” which are related
to the three distinct features of the Harappan civilization for which this civilization is
known. Bricks show the architectural development; beads show the technological
development and bones show who were people who developed this civilization.

Read page: 1 & 2 from the Text

To know who were the Indus Valley Civilization People Watch Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKl_jXIWUuw)

Watch Video on the introduction of Harappan civilization:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhDY4KJuvc0

The beginning of the Civilization: Most of the historian agreed that this civilization emerged
around 3300 BCE, reached to maturity around 2500 BCE and started to decline after 1750 BCE
onwards.

Watch Video for the beginning of the Civilization:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKGq56YP98I

Sites (Centers) of the Civilization. Numerous sites (centers) have been discovered by the
Archaeologists. These were the main centers around which numerous cities developed. And all
these centers were interconnected. The sites discovered are Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, Lothal,
Dholavira, Kalibangan, etc.

Watch Video for main centers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sibi4sLPpgw

Lesson-2: Subsistence strategy and Agricultural technology of Harappan Civilization

This lesson deals with the question of what they used to do for their survival. How they were
practicing agriculture and what sort of technologies they developed for the advancement of
agriculture.

Read page: 2-4 from the Text

Watch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgbXDX4IZx4

 Lesson-3: Mohenjo-Daro

This was one of the most important centers of Harappan civilization. This is situated now in
Pakistan. This was an urban center. The town planning of the Harappan culture can be seen in
the best from in Mohenjo-Daro. In this lesson, we would study the laying out plan, domestic
architecture, and Citadel of Mohenjo-Daro. Indus Valley civilization is famous for its Town
planning.

Read Page: 5-8 from the Text

For Map of Mohenjo-Daro : https://in.pinterest.com/pin/265008759298939898/visual-search/

Watch Video

For Mohenjo-Daro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUng-iHhSzU

Can also watch movie “Mohenjo-Daro” by Hrithik Roshan & Pooja Hegde

For Citadel: What was Citadel? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3H3r781imU

For Town Planning of Mohenjo-Daro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRtkGUxbZqM

 Lesson-4: Tracking Social Differences

This lesson tells us about the social structure of the Harappan civilization. How many castes
or classes were in society? What were their functions? How do we know about them? Was there
any social difference existed? This lesson also tells us about the social differences in the
Harappan Civilization. As we don’t have any written record about the social differences, our
main sources on social differences are from archaeological remains.

Read Page: 9 to 10 from the text

Watch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_PkwGU3hYk

Lesson-5: Finding Out About Craft Production, Strategies for Procuring Materials,
Contact with distant lands and Seals, Script, Weights

This lesson describes the crafts production of Harappan civilization; from where the materials
for production of crafts procured and how the craft production led the growth and development
of the internal and external trade of Harappan Civilization. Many craft production centers
emerged in Harappan civilization. Many pieces of evidence of the relation of trade and
commerce with foreign countries have been found. Many seals with pictographic language have
been discovered. For better trade and commerce they developed a uniform system of weights.

Read page: 10 to 14 from the Text

Watch video

What is craft production? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwpMXg1USV8

For Trade of Harappan civilization: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mscCRg8ZnhM

For Seals, Scripts and Weights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzTsAwajG4o

 Lesson-6: Ancient Authority and the End of Civilization

This section of the chapter deals with the possibility of a political system and political authority.
The systematic growth and development of civilization point out the existence of political
authority. Might be a modern type of municipal corporation existed but we have not found any
written record. What we discuss is based on the archaeological findings.

The second part of this section is about the end of civilization. By reaching to 1750 BCE, the sign
of the decline of civilization appeared. How this civilization came to an end? What were the
reasons for the decline of this civilization? Many theories for the decline of civilization have
been put forward by the scholars which this section deals with.

Read page: 16 to 18 from the Text

Watch Video

For Ancient Authority: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwlpnJf_VqY&t=16s

For the decline of Civilization:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XFkmV7b3Wk&pbjreload=10
 Lesson-7: Discovery of Civilization

This lesson tells us about the collective efforts of the archaeologists in discovering the first site
of the civilization and the whole Indus valley civilization. Numerous archaeologists like Daya Ram
Sahni, A. Cunningham, Sir John Marshal, and R.E.M. Wheeler, etc. played an important role in
discovering various sites situated in India and Pakistan. The various problems like how to
connect the past with the help of findings; how to use modern techniques in excavation and
how to interpret the history of Harappan civilization on the artifacts were some challenging
tasks that these archaeologists completed with their professional training.

Read page: 19 to 24 from the text

Watch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juc3msgLMoc

Outcome of the Lessons on this Chapter

The students would be able to know Indus Valley Civilization and answer questions related to
the various aspects of Indus Valley Civilization as the objectives set for at the beginning of the
lesson.

End of the Chapter-1: Unit-1: The Story of the First Cities: Harappan Archaeology

Additional Study material

Documentary on Indus Valley Civilization

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBZyDq4dSrU
 Work to do at Home

1. Complete the questions given in the exercise.

2. Project Work: Access any Museum on line and write about the artifacts present
there.
3. On the map of Indus valley civilization shows any ten sites of the civilization.
4. Prepare 15 slides for PowerPoint presentation on the Indus Valley civilization.
5. Write about the life and works of eminent archaeologists associated with the
discovery of Indus Valley Civilization.

References

http://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/CurriculumMain20/SrSecondary/History.pdf

End of the Chapter-1