History and Civics Class 8 ICSE CISCE Topics and Syllabus

• The Period of Transition 

   

  • Sources – Primary and Secondary
• The Transition from Medieval to Modern Age 
  • (a brief mention of Renaissance, Reformation, Voyages, discoveries)
• The Industrial Revolution 
• Imperialism 
  • Its meaning, cause, and impacts with special reference to South Asian Countries

The period of transition – basic understanding

• Sources – Primary and Secondary

The transition from Medieval to Modern Age

• (a brief mention of Renaissance, Reformation, Voyages, discoveries)

The Industrial Revolution

• meaning and reasons why it began in England, major inventions, Impacts of the Industrial Revolution

Imperialism

• Its meaning, cause, and impacts with special reference to South Asian Countries

• The French Revolution 
  • Introduction of French Revolution
  • Causes of the Outbreak

  1. Political
  2. Economic
  3. Social
  4. Inspiration from French Philosophers
  5. American War of Independence

  • Course of the French Revolution

  1. The Fall of Bastille
  2. National Assembly
  3. March to Versailles
  4. Flight to Varennes
  5. Girondins and Jacobins 
  6. Constitution of 1791 
  7. Emigres and the Revolutionary War
  8. National Convention and the Reign of Terror, June 1793-July 1794

  • Impact of French Revolution
  • The post-revolution period
  • Napoleon Bonaparte
• The American War of Independence 
  • Introduction of American War of Independence
  • Colonies of European Powers
  • Plantations and the Slave Labour
  • Increasing incidence of Taxation
  • Townshend Acts
  • Boston Tea Party
  • American War of Independence

  1. First Continental Congress, September 5, 1774
  2. Second Continental Congress, May - 10, 1775
  3. Battle of Bunker Hill

  • Declaration of Independence
  • War

  1. French Alliance
  2. Victory at Yorktown

  • Results
• American Civil War 

  background, causes, beginnings, the role of Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address

The French Revolution – causes the outbreak, impact, the post-revolution period, Napoleon Bonaparte (the brief study of the revolution)

The American War of independence - colonies, causes, beginning, the birth of the United States of America.

American Civil War - background, causes, beginnings, the role of Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address

• The Decline of the Mughal Empire 
• Rise of Independent/Regional Kingdoms 

  Hyderabad, Awadh, Bengal, Rajputs, Sikhs, Mysore, Marathas (brief)

The decline of the Mughal Empire – (Major factors/causes)

Rise of independent/regional kingdoms- Hyderabad, Awadh, Bengal, Rajputs, Sikhs, Mysore, Marathas (brief)

• The Advent of the English East India Company 
• Conquest of Bengal 

  Battle of Plassey, Buxar - causes and results

• Dual Government 

  Drawbacks of Dual government

• The Policy of British Expansion 

  (meaning and examples) – The doctrine of lapse, Subsidiary Alliance, Annexation of Awadh (pretext)

The advent of the English East India Company- a brief mention

Conquest of Bengal- Battle of Plassey, Buxar - causes and results

Dual Government - Drawbacks of Dual government

The policy of British Expansion (meaning and examples) – The doctrine of lapse, Subsidiary Alliance, Annexation of Awadh (pretext).

• Economic Policy 
  • Land Revenue System (Permanent Settlement, Mahalwari, Ryotwari), highlight Permanent Settlement only,
• The Exploitation of Artisans and Weavers 
• The Drain of Wealth 
• Introduction of Modern Education 
• Wood’s Despatch 

  (What was Wood’s despatch and its effects)

Economic policy

• Land Revenue System (Permanent Settlement, Mahalwari, Ryotwari), highlight Permanent Settlement only,

The exploitation of artisans and weavers

The drain of wealth

Introduction of Modern Education

Wood’s Despatch (What was Wood’s despatch and its effects)

• The Freedom Struggle of 1857 
  • The outburst
  • Scope of the struggle
  • Leadership of the struggle
  • Crushing of the struggle 
  • Reasons 

    – political, socio-religious, economic, military

  • Immediate Causes 
  • Leaders and Spread of the Uprising 
  • Consequences 
  • Nature of Uprising 

The Great Uprising of 1857> Reasons – political, socio-religious, economic, military

The Great Uprising of 1857> Immediate causes

The Great Uprising of 1857> Leaders and Spread of the uprising

The Great Uprising of 1857> Consequences

The Great Uprising of 1857> Nature of uprising

• Contribution of Social Reformers 
  • Raja Ram Mohan Roy
  • Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar
  • Dayanand Saraswati
  • Swami Vivekanand
  • JyotibaPhule
  • Annie Beasant
  • Veerasalingam
  • Kandukuri
  • Sree Narayana Guru
  • Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
  • Singh Sabhas

Contribution of Social Reformers

• Raja Ram Mohan Roy
• Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar
• Dayanand Saraswati
• Swami Vivekanand
• JyotibaPhule
• Annie Beasant
• Veerasalingam
• Kandukuri
• Sree Narayana Guru
• Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
• Singh Sabhas 

• India’s Struggle for Freedom 
  • Early Political Associations 
    • The Indian National Congress (formation and objectives),
    • The Moderates- leaders,
    • methods,
    • demands Partition of Bengal- only the Anti-Partition Movement-Swadeshi and Boycott to be covered briefly,
    • Surat split- a brief understanding
  • Home Rule Movement 
    • leaders and objectives,
    • Lucknow Pact (1916)- as Unity Pact (a brief understanding).
  • Gandhian Era (1917 – 1947) 
  • Early Campaigns 
    • kheda
    • Champaran
    • Ahmedabad 
  • Mass Movements 
    • Non-cooperation (causes, withdrawal, impact),
    • Rowlatt Act,
    • Jallianwala,
    • Khilafat (ChauriChaura)
  • Civil Disobedience Movement 
    • (causes)
    • Simon Commission,
    • Lahore Session Quit India-Forward Bloc and INA (objectives only)
    • Independence and partition – Cabinet Mission Plan, Mountbatten plan, Indian Independence Act (only clauses).
• Rise of Nationalism 
  • Factors responsible for the raise of Nationalism:

  1. Centralization of administration during British rule
  2. Economic exploitation
  3. Western Education
  4. Study of Ancient Indian History
  5. Contribution of Newspapers
• Foundation of the Indian National Congress - the Indian National Association (Surendranath Banerjee) 

India’s Struggle for Freedom

> Rise of nationalism

• factors- economic exploitation,
• spread of western education,
• role of the Press,
• repressive policy of Lord Lytton (to be covered briefly)

> Early political associations

• The Indian National Congress (formation and objectives),
• The Moderates- leaders,
• methods,
• demands Partition of Bengal- only the Anti-Partition Movement-Swadeshi and Boycott to be covered briefly,
• Surat split- a brief understanding

> Home Rule Movement

• leaders and objectives,
• Lucknow Pact (1916)- as Unity Pact (a brief understanding).

> Gandhian Era (1917 – 1947)

> Early campaigns

• kheda
• Champaran
• Ahmedabad 

> Mass Movements

• Non-cooperation (causes, withdrawal, impact),
• Rowlatt Act,
• Jallianwala,
• Khilafat (ChauriChaura)

> Civil Disobedience Movement

• (causes)
• Simon Commission,
• Lahore Session Quit India-Forward Bloc and INA (objectives only)
• Independence and partition – Cabinet Mission Plan, Mountbatten plan, Indian Independence Act (only clauses).

• Indian Government: Legislature 
  • Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, composition, term, election, qualifications, Presidency officer. Powers and functions of the Union Parliament
• Indian Government: Executive 
  • The President, The Vice-President, Prime Minister and Council of Ministers- qualifications,
    election (method not procedure) powers and functions
• Indian Government: the Judiciary 
  • The Supreme Court and High Court 
    • Composition, qualifications of judges, appointment
  • Jurisdiction and Functions 
    • Original, Appellate, Revisory, Judicial Review, Court of Record, Writs, what are Writs-few examples
• Powers and Functions of Union Parliament 
  • legislative, financial, judicial, electoral, amendment of the Constitution, control over executive). Exclusive powers of the two Houses
• Composition and Powers of the House of Representatives and the Senate, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha 
• Council of Ministers and the Cabinet 
• Supreme Court - Composition, Qualifications of Judges, Appointment 
• High Courts - Composition, Qualifications of Judges, Appointment 

Indian Government: Legislature

• – Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, composition, term, election, qualifications, Presidency officer. Powers and functions of the Union Parliament

Indian Government: Executive

• – The President, The Vice-President, Prime Minister and Council of Ministers- qualifications,
  election (method not procedure) powers and functions

Indian Government: The Judiciary

> The Supreme Court and High Court

• Composition, qualifications of judges, appointment

> Jurisdiction and functions

• Original, Appellate, Revisory, Judicial Review, Court of Record, Writs, what are Writs-few examples

• United Nations: Aims and Principles 
• United Nations: General Assembly 
• United Nations: Security Council 
• United Nations: International Court of Justice 
  • Composition and functions
• United Nations: Agencies 
  • UNESCO
  • UNICEF
  • WHO
• Objectives of the U.N 

United Nations: Aims and Principles

United Nations: General Assembly

United Nations: Security Council

United Nations: International Court of Justice

• Composition and functions.

United Nations: Agencies

• UNESCO
• UNICEF
• WHO