CBSE Class 12 History Sample Paper 2026-27, Download Model Paper PDF FREE

SECTION A

(Multiple Choice Type Questions) (21x1=21)

1. Read the statements about the Indus Valley Civilisation. Identify which of the following options is correct.  1

I. More than 2000 Harappan archaeological sites have been discovered in the Indian sub-continent.

II. Most of the sites are found located between the Indus and the Saraswati River basins. Nearly two-thirds of these settlements are in the Saraswati basin.

III. The urban phase of the civilisation, termed as Mature Harappan is the most prosperous phase.

IV. Animal bones found at Harappan sites include those of lion, elephant, and giraffe.

Options: (A) I, II and III

(B) II, III and IV

(C) I, II and IV

(D) I, III and IV

2. Which of the following sites of Harappan civilization was a source of carnelian? 1

(A) Shortughai

(B) Bharuch

(C) Kalibangan

(D) Banawali

3. Megasthenes mentions a committee with six subcommittees for coordinating military activity in the Mauryan empire. Match the subcommittees listed in Column I with the military divisions given in Column II and select the correct answer. 1

(А) І-ііі, II-і, ІII-iv, IV-ii

(В) I-іv, II-і, I-iii, IV-ii

(C) I-iv, II-iii, III-ii, IV-i

(D) I-ii, II-iv, III-iii, IV-i

4. Two statements labelled as Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Read them carefully and select the correct option:

Assertion (A): Mandasor inscription provides a fascinating glimpse of complex social processes and provides insights into the nature of guilds or shrenis.

Reason (R): They collectively decided to invest their wealth, earned through their craft, to construct a splendid temple in honour of the Sun God.

Options: (A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of the Assertion (A).

(B) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of the Assertion (A).

(C) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.

(D) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

5. Name the archaeologist who excavated at a village named Hastinapura in Meerut (Uttar Pradesh) in 1951-52. 1

(A) Rakhal Das Banerji (B) Daya Ram Sahni (C) S.N. Roy (D) B.B. Lal 

6. Which of the following is NOT a vow taken by Jaina monks and nuns? 1

(A) To practise non-violence towards all living beings (B) To abstain from taking what is not given (C) To observe complete celibacy (D) To maintain personal property for religious use 

7. Read the following lines and identify the source from which these are taken. 1

In five ways should a master look after his servants and employees … by assigning them work according to their strength, by supplying them with food and wages, by tending them in sickness; by sharing delicacies with them and by granting leave at times …

Choose the correct option:

(A) Sutta Pitaka (B) Ashokavadana (C) Mahavamsa (D) Vinaya Pitaka

8. Read the statements about the traveller. 1

Identify which of the following option is correct.

❖ He was a French jeweller, who travelled to India at least six times.

❖ He was particularly fascinated with the trading conditions in India, and compared India to Iran and the Ottoman empire.

(A) Manucci (B) Duarte Barbosa (C) François Bernier (D) Jean-Baptiste Tavernier

9. Choose the correct statement from the following options with reference to Kitab-ul-Hind. 1

(A) It is divided into 90 chapters.

(B) It covers various subjects such as astrology etc.

(C) Generally, each chapter is beginning with a question, following this up with a description.

(D) It is based on Arabic traditions, and concluding with a comparison with other cultures.

10. The terms ‘Great and Little traditions’ were coined by a sociologist named ________. 1

(A) John Marshall (B) Robert Redfield (C) Cyril Radcliffe (D) Francis Buchanan

11. Which of the following Chola ruler had consecrated metal images of Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar in a Shiva temple? 1

(A) Parantaka I (B) Parantaka II (C) Rajaraja Chola I (D) Rajaraja Chola II 

12. Look at the image given below and identify it correctly from the given options:

(A) A fortified gateway of a medieval South Indian city

(B) The Lotus Mahal at Hampi

(C) The interior hall of the Meenakshi Temple at Madurai

(D) The gopuram or gateway of the Brihadishvara temple at Thanjavur

Note: The following question is for the Candidates with Visual Impairment only in lieu of

Q. No. 12. The rulers of Vijayanagara were called__________. 

(A) Gajapati (B) Ashvapati (C) Nayakas (D) Rayas

13. Eighteenth-century records tell us of zamindars in Bengal remunerated blacksmiths, carpenters, even goldsmiths for their work by paying them “a small daily allowance and diet money.” This arrangement later came to be known as the__________. 1

(A) Ryotwari system (B) Jajmani system (C) Mahalwari system (D) Peshkash system

14. Which of the following was NOT a jins-i-kamil crop? 1

(A) Cotton (B) Sugarcane (C) Rice (D) Oilseeds 

15. Which of the following tribe was demarcated the area named as Damin-i-Koh? 1

(A) The Mundas (B) The Paharias (C) The Gonds (D) The Santhals

16. Match the following: 1

(А) І-ііі, II-і, ІII-iv, IV-ii

(В) I-іv, II-і, I-iii, IV-ii

(C) I-iv, II-iii, III-ii, IV-i

(D) I-ii, II-iv, III-iii, IV-i

17. Two statements labelled as Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Read them carefully and select the correct option: 1

Assertion: Deprived of his armed forces, the Nawab became increasingly dependent on the British to maintain law and order within the kingdom.

Reason: By the terms of the alliance the Nawab had to disband his military force, allow the British to position their troops within the kingdom, and act in accordance with the advice of the British Resident who was now to be attached to the court.

Options:

(A) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A

(B) Both A and R are true and R is not the correct explanation of A

(C) A is true but R is false

(D) A is false but R is true

18. Match the following: 1

(А) І-ііі, II-і, ІII-iv, IV-ii

(В) I-іv, II-і, I-iii, IV-ii

(C) I-iv, II-iii, III-ii, IV-i

(D) I-ii, II-iv, III-iii, IV-i

19. Consider the following statements regarding Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Movement. Identify the correct statement(s): 1

I. By 1922, Gandhiji had transformed Indian nationalism, thereby redeeming the promise he made in his BHU speech of February 1916.

II. The National movement was no longer a movement of workers and peasants, but of intellectuals and professionals.

III. Many venerated Gandhiji, referring to him as their “Mahatma.”

Choose the correct option:

(A) Only I

(B) I and II

(C) I and III

(D) I, II and III

20. Which of the following statements best describes the significance of 9 December 1946? 1

(A) The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly was held.

(B) The Constitution of India came into force.

(C) The Objectives Resolution was introduced in the Constituent Assembly.

(D) The Constitution of India was signed by the members of the Assembly.

21. Who described separate electorates as a “poison that had entered the body politic of our country”? 1

(A) Jawaharlal Nehru

(B) B.R. Ambedkar

(C) Sardar Patel

(D) Subhash Chandra Bose

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (6x3=18)

22. A Compare Harappan town planning with modern town planning. Which features of Harappan towns reflect their advanced nature? Support your answer with reasons. 3

OR

22. B “Exchanges were regulated by a precise system of weights in the Harappan civilisation.” Analyse this statement and support your answer with evidence.

23. Describe how Buddha’s first journey into the outside world transformed his life. 3

24. Discuss the role of Shankaradeva as one of the leading proponents of Vaishnavism? 3

25. What role did women play in agrarian society in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries? 3

26. Why did the East India Company introduce the Permanent Settlement in Bengal? 3

27. A ‘Attempts to reconstruct what happened in 1857, are heavily and inevitably dependent on what the British wrote.’ Justify the statement with suitable examples. 3

OR

27 B ‘It was remarkable that during the uprising religious divisions between Hindus and Muslim were hardly noticeable despite British attempts to create such divisions.’ Justify the statement with suitable examples in the context of the 1857 uprising.

SECTION C

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (8x3=24)

28. A Explain how land grants provide some insight into the relationship between cultivators and the state. 8

OR

28. B How has the study of coins helped the Numismatists to reconstruct possible commercial networks?

29. A ‘‘The fortification walls not only encircled the city of Vijayanagara but also its agricultural hinterland and forests.’’ Which traveller was impressed with this feature of Vijayanagara? Analyse the above given statement to explain the significance of fortification. 8

OR

29. B If you were a traveller like Abdur Razzaq or Domingo Paes witnessing celebrations on the Mahanavami Dibba, why do you think such a grand structure was constructed specifically for the Mahanavami festival? What does this reveal about the relationship between religion and kingship in the Vijayanagara Empire? Justify your answer. 4+4

30. A Prove that Gandhiji’s appeal among the poor, and peasants in particular, was enhanced by his ascetic lifestyle, and by his use of symbols such as the dhoti and the charkha. Examine how the masses perceived his ‘miraculous’ powers, in the light of the statement. 8

OR

30. B Mahatma Gandhi’s American biographer Louis Fischer wrote “Non-cooperation, became the name of an epoch in the life of India and of Gandhiji. Non-cooperation was negative enough to be peaceful but positive enough to be effective. It entailed denial, renunciation, and self-discipline. It was training for self rule.” Do you agree with the biographer? Give reasons to support your answer.

SECTION D

SOURCE BASED QUESTIONS (4x3=12)

31. Read the following source carefully and answer the questions that follow:

A Mother’s Advice

The Mahabharata describes how, when war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas became almost inevitable, Gandhari made one last appeal to her eldest son Duryodhana: By making peace you honour your father and me, as well as your wellwishers … it is the wise man in control of his senses who guards his kingdom. Greed and anger drag a man away from his profits; by defeating these two enemies a king conquers the earth … You will happily enjoy the earth, my son, along with the wise and heroic Pandavas … There is no good in a war, no law (dharma) and profit (artha), let alone happiness; nor is there (necessarily) victory in the end – don’t set your mind on war … Duryodhana did not listen to this advice and fought and lost the war.

Source -NCERT HISTORY BOOK 1, Chapter-3

(31.1) What was the last appeal made by Gandhari to her eldest son? 1

(31.2) Which two vices does Gandhari feel a king should overcome, to conquer the earth? 1

(31.3) Analyse the impact of his mother’s advice on Duryodhana and discuss what it reveals about his character. 2

32. Read the following source carefully and answer the questions that follow:

Slaves were generally used for domestic labour, and Ibn Battuta found their services particularly indispensable for carrying women and men on palanquins or dola. The price of slaves, particularly female slaves required for domestic labour, was very low, and most families who could afford to do so kept at least one or two of them.

Source-NCERT HISTORY BOOK 2, Chapter-5

(32.1) Who was Ibn Battuta? 1

(32.2) Why were palanquins used for carrying men and women? 2

(32.3) Do you think there was gender and class discrimination in 18th century Indian society? Give an example in support of your answer. 3

33. Read the following source carefully and answer the questions that follow:

The discussions within the Constituent Assembly were also influenced by the opinions expressed by the public. As the deliberations continued, the arguments were reported in newspapers, and the proposals were publicly debated. Criticisms and countercriticisms in the press in turn shaped the nature of the consensus that was ultimately reached on specific issues. In order to create a sense of collective participation the public was also asked to send in their views on what needed to be done. Many of the linguistic minorities wanted the protection of their mother tongue, religious minorities asked for special safeguards, while dalits demanded an end to all caste oppression and reservation of seats in government bodies. Important issues of cultural rights and social justice raised in these public discussions were debated on the floor of the Assembly.

Source-NCERT HISTORY BOOK 3 Chapter-12

(33.1) What do you understand by the term ‘consensus’? 1

(33.2) How was the consensus reached on specific issues within the constituent assembly with the help of the press? 1

(33.3.) Do you think the Constituent Assembly wanted to create a sense of collective participation which henceforth helped in formulating the main ideals of the constitution? Give any two illustrations in support of your answer. 2

SECTION E

MAP BASED QUESTIONS (5X1=5)

34 (34.1) On the given political map of India, locate and label the following with appropriate symbols:

I Nageshwar - Harappan site 1

II. Bharhut - a Buddhist Site 1

III. Vijayanagar

OR

Kanchipuram 1

(34.2) On the same outline map, two places have been marked as A and B, as the centres of the Revolt of 1857. Identify them and write their correct names on the lines drawn near them. 2

Note: The following questions are for the Candidates with Visual Impairment only, in lieu of Q.No.34:

(34.1) Mention any two Indus Valley sites located in Gujarat. 2

(34.2) (A) Which is the birth place of Gautama Buddha? 1

OR 

(B) When was the Vijayanagara kingdom established?

(34.3) Who were famous as Lal-Bal-Pal? 2

CHECK: CBSE Class 12 History Marking Scheme 2025-26