Last Updated: 11 May 2026
CUET History (Domain 321) Class 12 Part III (Themes 10-15) — the Colonial Period — provides 16-18 of 50 questions, especially on Mahatma Gandhi, 1857 Revolt and Partition. With DU’s BA Honours History cutoff for SRCC, Hindu, Hansraj at 99%+, every mark counts.
CUET History 2027 — Themes Weightage (Class 12 Part III)
| Theme | Avg Qs (last 4 years) |
|---|---|
| 10. Colonialism and the Countryside | 3 |
| 11. Rebels and the Raj (1857) | 4 |
| 12. Colonial Cities | 2 |
| 13. Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement | 5 |
| 14. Understanding Partition | 3 |
| 15. Framing the Constitution | 3 |
Theme 11 — Rebels and the Raj (1857)
- Causes: Doctrine of Lapse (Dalhousie), annexation of Awadh 1856, greased cartridge (Enfield rifle), General Service Enlistment Act 1856.
- Start: Mangal Pandey, 29 March 1857, Barrackpore. Mass outbreak: 10 May 1857, Meerut.
- Leaders: Bahadur Shah Zafar (Delhi), Nana Sahib (Kanpur), Rani Lakshmi Bai (Jhansi), Begum Hazrat Mahal (Lucknow), Tantia Tope.
- Aftermath: Government of India Act 1858 — Crown takes over; Queen Victoria’s Proclamation 1 Nov 1858.
- Why it failed: lack of pan-Indian leadership, no unified ideology, modern arms gap, princely state betrayal.
Theme 13 — Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement
The Three Mass Movements
| Movement | Year | Triggers | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Cooperation | 1920-22 | Rowlatt Act, Jallianwala Bagh, Khilafat | Withdrawn after Chauri Chaura |
| Civil Disobedience | 1930-34 | Simon Commission, Dandi Salt March | Gandhi-Irwin Pact 1931 |
| Quit India | 1942 | Cripps Mission failure | Do or Die; mass arrests |
Key Sources for the Theme
- Hind Swaraj (1909)
- The Story of My Experiments with Truth (1927)
- Congress Working Committee resolutions
- Police and intelligence reports
- Vernacular newspapers — Young India, Harijan
Theme 14 — Understanding Partition
- Long causes: 1909 Morley-Minto separate electorates; 1916 Lucknow Pact; 1930s Two-Nation Theory (Jinnah’s Lahore address 1940).
- Direct trigger: failure of Cabinet Mission 1946; Direct Action Day 16 Aug 1946 (Great Calcutta Killings).
- Mountbatten Plan: 3 June 1947 — partition along religious lines.
- Radcliffe Award: Punjab and Bengal boundaries (announced 17 Aug 1947, after Independence).
- Casualties: ~10 lakh dead, 1.5 crore displaced (largest forced migration in modern history).
Theme 15 — Framing the Constitution
- Constituent Assembly first met 9 December 1946.
- Objectives Resolution moved by J.L. Nehru — 13 Dec 1946.
- Drafting Committee Chair — Dr B.R. Ambedkar; 7 members total.
- Constitution adopted: 26 November 1949; came into force 26 January 1950.
- Total members: 389 (initially) → 299 after Partition.
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FAQ
Which Theme has the highest weightage?
Theme 13 (Mahatma Gandhi) — avg 5 questions per year.
How to memorise dates?
Group by decade: 1900s movements, 1920s-30s mass agitations, 1940s climax. Use mnemonic cards.
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Are source-based questions asked?
Yes — passages from Hind Swaraj and Constituent Assembly Debates appear regularly.
Practice Quiz
Practice Quiz — 10 CUET-Style Questions
Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.
