CBSE Class 7 Social Science Syllabus: Exploring Society Part 1 and 2 Chapter List 2026-2027

An Introduction to History

When, Where and How

(a)    The time frame under study.

(b)   The geographical framework.

(c)    Sources.

The Earliest Societies

(a)    Hunting and gathering as a way of life, its implications.

(b)   Introduction to stone tools and their use.

(c)    Case study: the Deccan.

The First Farmers and Herders

(a)    Implications of farming and herding.

(b)   Archaeological evidence for crops, animals, houses, tools, pottery, burials, etc.

(c)    Case study: the North-West, and North-East.

The First Cities

(a)    The settlement pattern of the Harappan civilisation.

(b)   Unique architectural features.

(c)    Craft production.

(d)   The meaning of urbanism.

(e)    Case study: the North-West.

Different Ways of Life

(a)    The Vedas and what they tell us.

(b)   A contemporary chalcolithic settlement.

(c)    Case studies: the North-West and the Deccan.

Explain the specific nature of the discipline.

(a)    Familiarise the learner with the major developments to be studied.

(b)   Develop an understanding of the significance of geographical terms used during the time frame.

(c)    Illustrate the sources used to reconstruct history.

(a)    Appreciate the skills and knowledge of hunter- gatherers.

(b)   Identify stone artefacts as archaeological evidence, making deductions from them.

(a)    Appreciate the diversity of early domestication.

(b)   Identify the material culture generated by people in relatively stable settlements.

(c)    Understand strategies for analyzing these.

(a)    Appreciate the distinctive life in cities.

(b)   Identify the archaeological evidence of urban centres.

(c)    Understand how this is used to reconstruct processes such as craft production.

(a)    Appreciate that different developments were taking place in different parts of the subcontinent simultaneously.

(b)   Introduce simple strategies of textual analysis.

(c)    Reinforce the skills of archaeological analysis already developed.

Early States

(a)    Janapadas to Mahajanapadas

(b)   Case study: Bihar, Magadha and the Vajji confederacy.

New Ideas

(a)    Upanisads.

(b)   Jainism.

(c)    Buddhism.

The First Empire

(a)    The expansion of the empire.

(b)   Asoka

(c)    Administration.

Life in towns and villages

(a)    The second urbanisation.

(b)   Agricultural intensification.

(c)    Case study: Tamil Nadu.

Contacts with Distant lands

(a)    The Sangam texts and long distance exchange. Suggested regions: the Tamil region, extending to south east Asia and the west.

(b)   Conquerors from distant lands: north western and western India.

(c)    The spread of Buddhism: north India to Central Asia.

Political Developments

(a)    Gupta empire and Harshavardhana.

(b)   Pallavas and Chalukyas.

(a)    Introduce the concept of the state and its varieties.

(b)   Understand the use of textual sources in this context.

(a)    Outline the basic tenets of these systems of thought, and the context in which they developed and flourished.

(b)   Introduce excerpts from sources relating to these traditions.

(a)    Introduce the concept of empire.

(b)   Show how inscriptions are used as sources.

(a)    Demonstrate the variety of early urban centres— coastal towns, capitals, religious centres.

(b)   Illustrate the use of archaeological material including coins, sculpture, as well as textual sources to reconstruct social and economic histories.

(a)    Introduce the idea of different contexts of contact between distant lands, and the motivating forces (including conquest).

(b)   Examine the implications of journeys within the subcontinent.

(c)    Illustrate the use of textual and visual material for reconstructing the histories of such contacts.

(a) Introduce the idea that strategies of expansion, and their logic, differ.

Where, When and How

(a)    Terms used to describe the subcontinent and its regions with a map.

(b)   An outlining of the time frame and major developments.

(c)    A brief discussion on sources.

New Kings and Kingdoms

(a)    An outline of political developments c. 700-1200

(b)   A case study of the Cholas, including agrarian expansion in the Tamil region.

(a)    Familiarise the student with the changing names of the land.

(b)   Discuss broad historical trends.

(c)    Give examples of the kinds of sources that historians use for studying this period. E.g., buildings, chronicles, paintings, coins, inscriptions, documents, music, literature.

(a)    Trace the patterns of political developments and military conquests – Gurjara Pratiharas, Rashtrakutas, Palas, Chahamanas, Ghaznavids.

(b)   Develop an understanding of the connections between political and economic processes through the exploration of one specific example.

(c)    Illustrate how inscriptions are used to reconstruct history.

The Sultans of Delhi

(a)    An overview.

(b)   The significance of the court, nobility and land control.

(c)    A case study of the Tughlaqs.

The Creation of An Empire

(a)    An outline of the growth of the Mughal Empire.

(b)   Relations with other rulers, administration, and the court.

(c)    Agrarian relations.

(d)   A case study of Akbar.

Architecture as Power: Forts and Sacred Places

(a)    Varieties of monumental architecture in different parts of the country.

(b)   A case study of Shah Jahan’s patronage of architecture.

Towns, Traders and Craftsmen

(a)    Varieties of urban centres—court towns, pilgrimage centres, ports and trading towns.

(b)   Case studies: Hampi, Masulipatam, Surat.

(a)    Outline the development of political institutions, and relationships amongst rulers.

(b)   Understand strategies of military control and resource mobilisation.

(c)    Illustrate how travellers’ accounts, court chronicles and historic buildings are used to write history.

(a)    Trace the political history of the 16th and 17th centuries.

(b)   Understand the impact of an imperial administration at the local and regional levels.

(c)    Illustrate how the Akbarnama and the Ain-i-Akbari

are used to reconstruct history.

(a)    Convey a sense of the range of materials, skills and styles used to build: waterworks, places of worship, palaces and havelis, forts, gardens.

(b)   Understand the engineering and construction skills, artisanal organisation and resources required for building works.

(c)    Illustrate how contemporary documents, inscriptions, and the actual buildings can beused to reconstruct history.

(a)    Trace the origins and histories of towns, many of which survive today.

(b)   Demonstrate the differences between founded towns and those that grow as a result of trade.

(c)    Illustrate how travellers’ accounts, contemporary maps and official documents are used to reconstruct history.

Social Change: Mobile and settled communities

(a)    A discussion on tribes, nomads and itinerant groups.

(b)   Changes in the caste structure.

(c)    Case studies of state formation: Gonds, Ahoms.

Popular Beliefs and Religious Debates

(a)    An overview of belief-systems, rituals, pilgrimages, and syncretic cults.

(b)   Case Study: Kabir.

The Flowering of Regional Cultures

(a)    An overview of the regional languages, literatures, painting, music.

(b)   Case study: Bengal.

(a)    Convey an idea of long-term social change and movements of people in the subcontinent.

(b)   Understand political developments in specific regions.

(c)    Illustrate how anthropological studies, inscriptions and chronicles are used to write history.

(a)    Indicate the major religious ideas and practices that began during this period.

(b)   Understand how Kabir challenged formal religions.

(c)    Illustrate how traditions preserved in texts and oral traditions are used to reconstruct history.

(a) Provide a sense of the development of regional cultural forms, including ‘classical’ forms of dance

and music.

 New Political Formations in the Eighteenth

(a)    An overview of the independent and autonomous states in the subcontinent.

(b)   Case study: Marathas

(b)   Understand how the Marathas expanded their area of control.

(c)    Illustrate how travellers’ accounts and state archives can be used to reconstruct history.

Where, When, How

(a)    An overview of the period.

(b)   Introduction to the new geographical categories.

(c)    An outline of the time frame.

(d)   An introduction to the sources.

The Establishment of Company Power

(a)    Mercantilism and trade-wars.

(b)   Struggle for territory, wars with Indian rulers.

(c)    The growth of colonial army and civilian administration. Regional focus: Tamil Nadu.

Rural Life and Society

(a)    Colonial agrarian policies; their effect on peasants and landlords.

(b)   Growth of commercial crops.

(c)    Peasant revolts: focus on indigo rebellions. Regional focus: Bengal and Bihar. Some comparison with later developments in Punjab.

Colonialism and Tribal Societies

(a)    Changes within tribal economies and societies in the nineteenth century.

(b)   Tribal revolts: focus on Birsa Munda.

Regional focus: Chotanagpur and North-East.

Crafts and Industries

(a)    Decline of handicrafts in the nineteenth century.

(b)   Brief reference to growth of industries in the twentieth century.

Case-studies: textiles.

(a)    Introduce the changing nomenclature of the subcontinent and regions.

(b)   Delineate major developments within the time frame.

(c)    Suggest how the sources of study for this period are different to those of earlier periods.

(a)    Unravel the story of a trading company becoming a political power.

(b)   Show how the consolidation of British power was linked to the formation of colonial armies and administrative structures.

(a)    Provide a broad view of changes within rural society through a focus on two contrasting regions.

(b)   Show the continuities and changes with earlier societies.

(c)    Discuss how growth of new crops often disrupted the rhythms of peasant life and led to revolts.

(a)    Discuss different forms of tribal societies.

(b)   Show how government records can be read against the grain to reconstruct histories of tribal revolts.

(a)    Familiarise students with the processes of de-industrialisation and industrialisation.

(b)   Give an idea of the technologies of weaving and the lives of weavers.

The Revolt of 1857-58

(a)    The rebellion in the army and the spread of the movement.

(b)   The nature of elite and peasant participation. Regional focus: Awadh.

Education and British rule

(a)    The new education system – schools, syllabi, colleges, universities, technical training.

(b)   Changes in the indigenous systems.

(c)    Growth of ‘National education’.

Case-studies: Baroda, Aligarh.

Women and reform

(a)    Debates around sati, widow remarriage, child marriage and age of consent.

(b)   Ideas of different reformers on the position of women and women’s education.

Regional focus: Maharashtra and Bengal.

Challenging the Caste System

(a)    Arguments for caste reform. The ideas of Phule, Veerasalingam, Sri Narayana Guru, Periyar, Gandhi, Ambedkar.

(b)   Consequences and implications of the activities of the reformers.

Region: Maharashtra, Andhra.

Colonialism and Urban Change

(a)    De-urbanisation and emergence of new towns.

(b)   Implications of colonial policies and institutions – municipalities, public works, planning, railway links, police.

Case-study: Delhi.

(a)    Discuss how revolts originate and spread.

(b)   Point to the changes in colonial rule after 1857.

(c)    Illustrate how vernacular and British accounts can be read to understand the rebellion.

(a)    Show how the educational system that is seen as universal and normal today has a history.

(b)   Discuss how the politics of education is linked to questions of power and cultural identity.

(a)    Discuss why so many reformers focused on the women’s question, and how they visualised a change in women’s conditions.

(b)   Outline the history of new laws that affect women’s lives.

(c)    Illustrate how autobiographies, biographies and other literature can be used to reconstruct the histories of women.

(a)    Familiarise students with the biographies and writings of individuals who sought to criticise and reform the caste system.

(b)   Discuss why the question of caste was central to most projects of social reform.

(a)    Outline the nature of urban development in the 19th and 20th centuries.

(b)   Introduce students to the history of urban spaces through photographs.

(c)    Show how new forms of towns emerged in the

colonial period.

Changes in the Arts: Painting, Literature, architecture

(a)    Impact of new technologies and institutions: art schools, printing press.

(b)   Western academic style and nationalist art.

(c)    Changes in performing arts – music and dance enter the public arena.

(d)   New forms of writing.

(e)    New architecture.

Case-studies: Mumbai, Chennai.

The Nationalist Movement

(a)    Overview of the nationalist movement from the 1870s to the 1940s.

(b)   Diverse trends within the movement and different social groups involved.

(c)    Links with constitutional changes.

Case study: Khilafat to Non Cooperation.

India after Independence

(a)    National and regional developments since 1947.

(b)   Relations with other countries.

(c)    Looking to the future.

(a)    Outline the major development in the sphere of arts.

(b)   Discuss how these changes are linked to the emergence of a new public culture.

(c)    Illustrate how paintings and photographs can be used to understand the cultural history of a period.

(a)    Outline the major developments within the national movement and focuses on a detailed study of one major event.

(b)   Show how contemporary writings and documents can be used to reconstruct the histories of political movements.

(a)    Discuss the successes and failures of the Indian democracy in the last fifty years.

(b)   Illustrate how newspapers and recent writings can be used to understand contemporary history.

Major relief features of the earth.

India in the world: physiographic divisions of India – mountains, plateaus and plains; climate; natural vegetation and wild life; need for their conservation.

To understand major landforms of the earth;

(Periods-10)

To comprehend broad physiographic divisions of India;

To describe the influence of land, climate, vegetation and wildlife on human life;

To appreciate the need for conserving natural vegetation and wild life.                         (Periods-13)

•          Make a chart showing distance of the planets from the sun.

•          Draw a sketch of your school and locate the following:

(i)     the principal’s room

(ii)     your classroom

(iii)     playground

(iv)      library

•          Show the major wildlife sanctuaries of your region on a political map of India.·

•          Arrange for a trip to a wildlife sanctuary or zoo.

Note: Any similar activities may be taken up.

Air – composition, structure of the atmosphere, elements of weather and climate – temperature, pressure, moisture and wind. (One case study related with cyclones to be introduced)

To understand about atmosphere and its elements;

(Periods-10)

(Periods-10)

(Periods-5)

To appreciate the need of transport and communication for development of the community; To be familiar with the new developments making today’s world a global society;                (Periods-7)

To compare life in one’s own surrounding with life of other environmental settings;

To appreciate the cultural differences existing in the world which is an outcome of interaction, between human beings and their environment; (Periods-15)

Project/Activity

•          Collect stories / find out about changes that took place in their areas (identify how things/ surroundings change overnight and why).

•          Discuss the topic “How weather forecast helps us” in your class after assigning the role of a farmer, a hawker, a pilot of an aeroplane, a captain of ship, a fisherman and an engineer of a river dam to different students.

•          Write observations about local area house types, settlements, transport, communication and vegetation.

Note: Any similar activities may be taken up.

Resources: resources and their types – natural and human.

Natural resources: their distribution, utilisation and conservation, land and soil, water, natural vegetation, wildlife, mineral and power resources (world patterns with special reference to India).

Agriculture: types of farming, major crops, food crops, fibres, beverages, agricultural development – two case studies – one from India and the other from a developed country/a farm in the US/ Netherlands/ Australia.

Industries: classification of industries based on size, raw material, ownership; major industries and distribution; infrastructure and development.

Iron and Steel (a comparative study of Jamshedpur and a centre in USA e.g., Detroit).

Textile Industry (Ahmedabad and Osaka). Information Technology (Bangalore and Silicon Valley).

Human Resources – composition, population change, distribution and density.

To know the meaning of resources their variety, location and distribution;                         (Periods-10)

To understand the importance of resources in our life; To appreciate the judicious use of resources for sustainable development;

To develop awareness towards resources conservation and take initiative towards conservation process;

(Periods-14)

Learn about various types of farming and agricultural development in two different regions.   (Periods-15)

To understand important forms of manufacturing industries.                                           (Periods-14)

To understand the role of human resources in development of nation’s economy. (Periods-12)

Project/Activity

•          Observe and report about local agricultural practices, crops grown/manufacturing industries.

•          Collect information regarding some endangered plants and animal species of India.

•          Visit to an industry/local agricultural farm.

•          Prepare a chart showing difference between life style of farmers in the developed countries and India on basis of pictures collected from magazines, newspapers and the internet.

Note: Any similar activities may be taken up.

UNIT 1: Diversity

In this unit we focus on various aspects of diversity. The first section begins by having the child recognise diversity as a fact of being human and understanding diversity as different ways of doing the same thing. The second section builds on this by having the child interrogate societal prejudices against diversity, recognising that the self can be made up of multiple identities and that the Constitution compels us to respect diversity.

Section 1

•      Diversity as a fact of being human.

•      What diversity adds to our lives.

•      Diversity in India.

Section 2

•      Prejudice and discrimination.

•      Inequality and discrimination.

•      Recognition of multiple identities in oneself.

•      The Constitution and respect for diversity.

UNIT 2: Government

This unit introduces the student to the idea of government. The first section focuses on the need for it, the history of adult franchise, the various types of governments that exist at present. The second section discusses the key elements that influence the functioning of democractic government.

To enable students to:

•      understand and appreciate various forms of diversity in their everyday environments,

•      develop a sensitivity towards pluralism and interdependence,

•      understand how prejudice can lead to discrimination,

•      understand the difference between diversity and inequality,

•      recognise that there are multiple identities within ourselves that we use in different contexts and that these can come into conflict with each other,

•      understand that the Constitution compels us to respect diversity.

To enable students to:

•      gain a sense of why government is required,

•      recognise the need for universal adult franchise,

•      appreciate need to make decisions with collective sanction,

•      understand key elements that influence the functioning of democracy.

Section 1

•      The need for government.

•      Decision-making and participation.

•      The quest for universal adult franchise through examples of the sufferagate movement and the anti- apartheid struggle.

•      Various forms of government and absence of collective sanction.

Section 2

Key elements that influence the functioning of democratic government:

•      Participation and accountability.

•      Resolution of Conflict.

•      Concerns for Equality and Justice.

UNIT 3: Local Government

This unit familiarises the student with both rural and urban local government. It covers the Panchayati Raj, rural administration and urban government and administration. The effort is to have the child draw contrasts and comparisons between the ways in which urban and rural local government function.

Section 1

Panchayati Raj

•      Description of panchayat including electoral process, decision making, implementation of decisions

•      Role of a gram sabha

•      Women and the panchayat

Section 2

Urban Local Government

•      Municipal corporation elections, decision making structures

•      The provision of water and the work of the municipal corporation

•      Citizens protests to get their grievances addressed

To enable children to

•      understand local level of government functioning,

•      understand the workings of the pnchayati raj and appreciate its importance,

•      gain a sense of who performs what role within the local administration,

•      understand how the various levels of administration at the local level are interconnected,

•      understand the intricacies involved in the local administration’s provision of water.

Section 3

Rural Administration

•      Focus on a land dispute and show the role of local police and patwari.

•      On land records and role of patwari.

•      On the new inheritance law.

UNIT 4: Making a Living

This unit focuses on individuals earn a livelihood both in the rural and the urban context. The rural context focuses on various types of farmers and the urban one on various types of occupations people engage in to earn an income. The student should be able to compare and contrast the urban and the rural context. Section 1

Rural Livelihoods

•      Various types of livelihoods prevalent in a village.

•      Different types of farmers: middle farmer, landless labourers and large farmers.

Section 2

Urban Livelihoods

•      Difference between primary, secondary and tertiary occupations.

•      Descriptions of various types of lievelihoods including vegetable vendor, domestic servant, garment worker and bank employee.

•      Differences between self-employed, regular employment and wage employment.

•      The interlinkage between rural and urban lives

through a discussion of migration.

To enable students to:

•      understand conditions that underline and impact life strategies of various groups of people,

•      understand that these conditions and opportunities for making a living are not equally available to all.

•      Key Features

–     The different systems of power that exist in the world today.

–     Significant Elements that continue to make Democracy popular in the contemporary world:

•      Formal Equality.

•      Decision Making mechanisms.

•      Accommodation of differences.

•      Enhancing human dignity.

Section 2

Institutional Representation of Democracy

•      Universal Adult Franchise.

•      Elections.

•      Political parties.

•      Coalition Governments.

Unit 2: State Government

This unit will focus on the legislative, executive and administrative aspects of state government. It will discuss processes involved in choosing MLAs, passing a bill and discuss how state governments function through taking up one issue. This unit might also contain a section on the nation-state.

Section 1: Its working

•      Main functionaries-broad outline of the role of the Chief minister and the council of ministers

Section 2: Its functioning

Through one example:

land reform/irrigation/education/water/health discuss

•      The nature of the role played by the government – regarding resources and services.

•      Factors involved in distribution of resources/ services.

•      Access of localities and communities to resources/ services.

•      understand democracy as representative government,

•      understand the vision and the values of the Constitution.

To enable students to:

•      gain a sense of the nature of decision-making within State government.

•      understand the domain of power and authority exercised by the state government over people’s lives.

•      gain a critical sense of the politics underlying the provision of services or the distribution of resources.

UNIT 3: Understanding Media

In this unit the various aspects of the role of a media in a democracy will be highlighted. This unit will also include a discussion on advertising as well as on the right to information bill.

Section 1 : Media and Democracy

Media’s role in providing the following:

•      providing information,

•      providing forum for discussion/debate creating public opinion.

Media ethics and accountability.

Relationship between Government and Information A case-study of the popular struggle that brought about the enactment of this legislation.

Section 2 : On Advertising

•      Commercial Advertising and consumerism,

•      Social advertising.

UNIT 4: Unpacking Gender

This unit is to understand the role gender plays in ordering our social and economic lives.

Secton 1 : Social Aspects

Norms, values that determine roles expected from boys and girls in the:

•      family,

•      community,

•      schools,

•      public spaces,

•      understanding Inequality: The role of gender in creating unequal and hierarchical relations in society.

Section 2 : Economic Aspects

•      gender division of labour within family,

•      value placed on women’s work within and outside the home,

•      the invisibilisation of women’s labour.

To enable students to:

•      understand the role of the media in facilitating interaction between the government and citizens,

•      gain a sense that government is accountable to its citizens,

•      understand the link between information and power,

•      gain a critical sense of the impact of media on people’s lives and choices,

•      appreciate the significance of people’s movements in gaining this right.

To enable students to:

•      understand that gender is a social construct and not determined by biological difference,

•      learn to interrogate gender constructions in different social and economic contexts,

•      to link everyday practices with the creation of inequality and question it.

UNIT 5: Markets Around Us

This unit is focussed on discussing various types of markets, how people access these and to examine the workings of an actual market.

Secton 1

•      On retail markets and our everyday needs

•      On role and impact of wholesale markets how are these linked to the above

•      People’s access to markets depends upon many factors such as availability , convenience , credit, quality , price, income cycle etc.

Secton 2

Examine the role of an observable wholesale market such as grain, fruit, or vegetable to understand the chain of activities , the role of intermediaries and its impact on farmer -producers.

To enable students to:

•      understand markets and their relation to everyday life,

•      understand markets and their function to link scattered producers and consumers,

•      gain a sense of inequity in market operations.

Section 1

•      Reasons why parliamentary form chosen in India.

•      Main features of composition of parliament and its role in debating a bill.

•      Accountability of the government to the parliament.

•      Role of President, PM and the Council of Ministers. Case Study : Debate between Nehru and Rajendra Prasad on the real powers of the President.

Section 2

Understand central government through issue of minimum wages or other struggles keeping following in mind:

–   Translation of felt need into law and the critical features of the legislation.

–   Implication of law.

UNIT 3: The Judiciary

This unit focuses on understanding the judiciary through tracing a case from the lower to the higher courts. It also examines the difference between civil and criminal cases and the difference between the police and the courts as well as provides information on an FIR. Section 1

•      The structure and process followed by the judiciary: Trace a case from lower to higher courts.

•      Distinguish between civil and criminal cases.

•      Indicate the rationale of the process

Section 2

Difference between the roles of the police and that of the courts.

•      Role of the Public Prosecutor.

•      On an FIR: filing one, on the illegality of the police not accepting an FIR and the Supreme Court’s

directive on this.

•      understand the ways in which the government and other groups respond to such issues.

To enable students to:

•      understand the main elements of our judicial structure,

•      appreciate the need for the processes followed,

•      understand what an FIR is and how to file one.