Artham Resources | Class 12 History Half-Yearly Sample Paper with Solutions (Set 6)

Strictly Aligned with CBSE Board Pattern & New NCERT Curriculum 2026–27

A full-length, board-calibrated 80-mark practice examination for Class 12 History designed to evaluate archaeological stratification techniques, monetary and agrarian shifts in the early historic period, non-Brahmanical models of social kinship, the philosophical traditions of Jainism and early Hinayana Buddhism, and cartographic accuracy on ancient India outline maps under authentic 3-hour examination conditions.

Key Highlights & Academic Features

• Authentic Examination Rigor: Calibrated to mirror the official CBSE mid-term blueprint (Theory: 80 Marks, 3 Hours) across Sections A through E—comprising 21 objective/assertion-reasoning MCQs (1 mark each), 6 short-answer conceptual questions (3 marks each), 3 long-answer evaluative essays (8 marks each), 3 source-based analytical extracts (4 marks each), and 1 dedicated historical map-work section (5 marks).

• 50% Competency-Focused Mandate: Packed with higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) requiring students to evaluate Mortimer Wheeler’s introduction of stratigraphic excavation against horizontal digging, assess how numismatic evidence reflects changing trade volumes from the Indo-Greeks to the Guptas, analyze the social implications of Varna-samkara (intermixing of castes), and examine the historical reasons behind the decline of the Amaravati Stupa compared to Sanchi.

• Integrated Textbook Syllabus Coverage (Themes in Indian History Part I): Features comprehensive questions covering the core mid-term syllabus:

  • Theme 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones: Specialized craft production at Lothal and Chanhudaro, discovery of seals and their commercial functions, settlement patterns in Cholistan vs. the Indus basin, and the historiography of early archaeological investigations (Alexander Cunningham to John Marshall).

  • Theme 2: Kings, Farmers and Towns: The emergence of oligarchic ganas/sanghas (Vajjis), agrarian transformation through iron plows and paddy transplantation, Mauryan administrative committees described by Megasthenes, and the economic role of urban trade networks (nigamas).

  • Theme 3: Kinship, Caste and Class: Brahmanical rules of marriage (eight forms of marriage in the Dharmashastras), the tension between ascribed status and achieved status, Buddhist social theories found in the Agganna Sutta (the myth of the origin of kingship and social contract), and untouchability in early literature.

  • Theme 4: Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings: Jain monastic discipline and the doctrine of Anekantavada (multi-sidedness of reality), the significance of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path in Buddhism, structural features of rock-cut architecture, and the transition from aniconic Buddha symbols (footprints, umbrella, wheel) to image worship.

• Source-Based Interpretive Extracts: Includes authentic text excerpts adapted directly from NCERT primary sources (e.g., extracts from the Agganna Sutta on the election of Mahasammata, Ashoka’s edict on religious tolerance from Major Rock Edict XII, and passages from the Dharmasutras regarding the classification of occupations) to evaluate textual deconstruction and historical reasoning.

• Cartographic & Map Identification Skills: Includes board-standard map prompts for locating and labeling major Harappan urban sites (Banawali, Rakhigarhi, Lothal, Harappa, Mohenjodaro), key early historical political nodes and capitals (Rajgir, Vaishali, Pataliputra, Ujjayini, Mathura), and prominent Buddhist monumental sites (Sanchi, Bharhut, Bodh Gaya, Nagarjunakonda).