Introduction and Syllabus Overview

History is a crucial component of RBSE Class 10 Social Science, contributing 20 marks out of the total 80 marks in the written examination. A thorough understanding of all 5 chapters is essential for achieving excellent results in Board Exam 2026.

Exam Pattern

Chapter-wise Weightage

Chapter 1: Rise of Nationalism in Europe

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Chapter Overview

This chapter traces the rise of nationalism in 19th century Europe. Starting from the French Revolution of 1789, it explains how nationalist sentiments transformed the map of Europe and led to the creation of new nation-states like Germany and Italy.

Key Concepts

1. French Revolution (1789)

The French Revolution is considered the first clear expression of nationalism. It introduced concepts like la patrie (the fatherland) and le citoyen (the citizen), establishing that the nation belongs to its people.

Major Changes:

• End of monarchy and establishment of republic
• New tricolour flag adopted
• Estates General renamed as National Assembly
• French declared as the national language
• Uniform system of laws, weights, and measures introduced
• Internal customs duties abolished

2. Napoleonic Code (1804)

Napoleon Bonaparte introduced the Civil Code of 1804 (also known as the Napoleonic Code), which became a model for many countries.

Key Features:

• Equality before law for all citizens
• Right to property guaranteed
• Abolition of birth-based privileges
• End of feudal system
• Uniform taxation system
• Standardized weights and measures

3. Congress of Vienna (1815)

After Napoleon's defeat, the Congress of Vienna was convened in 1815, chaired by Austrian Chancellor Metternich.

Objectives:

• Restore monarchies overthrown by Napoleon
• Return France to its pre-1789 boundaries
• Create a balance of power in Europe
• Prevent future French aggression

Decisions:

• Bourbon dynasty restored in France
• Kingdom of Netherlands created (included Belgium)
• Prussia given important territories on western frontiers
• Austria given control of northern Italy
• Russia given part of Poland

4. Unification of Germany (1871)

Otto von Bismarck, the Chief Minister of Prussia, unified Germany through his famous "Blood and Iron" policy.

Three Wars of Unification:

Key Date: On 18 January 1871, Kaiser William I of Prussia was proclaimed the German Emperor at the Palace of Versailles in France.

5. Unification of Italy (1861)

The unification of Italy was achieved through the efforts of three remarkable leaders:

6. National Allegories

Nations were often personified through female figures called allegories:

• Marianne (France): Symbol of the French Republic - represented liberty, justice, and the republic. Her images were placed on coins, stamps, and public buildings.
• Germania (Germany): Symbol of the German nation - wore a crown of oak leaves, held a sword, and represented heroism and strength.

Important Dates - Chapter 1

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Chapter 2: Nationalism in India

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Chapter Overview

This chapter narrates the story of the Indian Independence Movement - from the various movements led by Mahatma Gandhi to the achievement of independence in 1947. It covers the Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement, and Quit India Movement in detail.

Key Events

1. The Concept of Satyagraha

Satyagraha (truth + firmness = insistence on truth) was Mahatma Gandhi's method of non-violent resistance against injustice.

Gandhi's Early Satyagrahas in India:

2. Rowlatt Act (1919)

In March 1919, the British government passed the Rowlatt Act, which Indians called the "Black Act".

Provisions:

• Detention without trial for up to 2 years
• No right to appeal
• No legal representation
• Arrest without warrant

Response: On 6 April 1919, Gandhi called for a nationwide hartal (strike) against the Act.

3. Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (13 April 1919)

On 13 April 1919, the day of Baisakhi, a large crowd gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar. General Reginald Dyer ordered his troops to open fire on the unarmed gathering without any warning.

Key Facts:

• The garden had only one narrow entrance, which was blocked by troops
• Firing continued for about 10 minutes
• Hundreds of innocent people were killed
• Many jumped into a well to escape the bullets

Aftermath:

• Rabindranath Tagore renounced his Knighthood in protest
• Nationwide outrage against British rule
• Strengthened the resolve for independence

4. Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22)

In August 1920, Gandhi launched the Non-Cooperation Movement, the first mass movement against British rule.

Programme of Boycott:

• Surrender of government titles and honours
• Boycott of government schools and colleges
• Boycott of law courts
• Boycott of foreign cloth (public bonfires)
• Boycott of elections to legislative councils

Constructive Programme:

• Promotion of Khadi and Swadeshi goods
• Establishment of national schools and colleges
• Spinning of Charkha (spinning wheel)
• Hindu-Muslim unity
• Removal of untouchability

5. Chauri Chaura Incident (February 1922)

On 5 February 1922, at Chauri Chaura village in Gorakhpur (UP), a violent mob set fire to a police station, killing 22 policemen.

Gandhi's Response: Deeply disturbed by the violence, Gandhi immediately withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement, believing that Indians were not yet ready for non-violent struggle.

6. Salt March / Dandi March (1930)

The Salt March is one of the most iconic events in Indian freedom struggle.

Background:

• December 1929: Lahore Congress demanded Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence)
• 26 January 1930: First Independence Day celebrated across India

Why Salt?

• Salt was essential for everyone - rich and poor alike
• British had monopoly over salt production
• Salt tax affected the poorest of the poor
• Breaking salt law was a powerful symbolic act

On 6 April 1930, Gandhi picked up a handful of salt from the seashore, symbolically breaking the salt law and launching the Civil Disobedience Movement.

7. Gandhi-Irwin Pact (5 March 1931)

An agreement was signed between Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Irwin (Viceroy of India).

Government Agreed To:

• Release all political prisoners
• Allow salt production in coastal areas
• Return confiscated properties

Gandhi Agreed To:

• Suspend Civil Disobedience Movement
• Participate in Second Round Table Conference

8. Quit India Movement (8 August 1942)

On 8 August 1942, at the AICC meeting at Gowalia Tank Maidan (now August Kranti Maidan) in Bombay, Gandhi launched the Quit India Movement.

Slogan: "Do or Die"

Key Features:

• Most aggressive mass movement
• Demanded immediate British withdrawal
• All Congress leaders arrested overnight
• Gandhi imprisoned at Aga Khan Palace, Pune
• Movement continued without central leadership
• Underground radio stations operated
• Parallel governments formed in some areas

Important Dates - Chapter 2

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Chapter 3: The Making of a Global World

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Chapter Overview

This chapter explains how different parts of the world became interconnected through trade, labour migration, and capital flows. From the ancient Silk Routes to the Great Depression and the Bretton Woods System, it traces the historical journey of globalization.

Key Concepts

1. Three Flows of Global Trade

Economists identify three types of movement in international trade:

2. Silk Routes

The Silk Routes were ancient trade networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa.

Key Points:

• Named after Chinese silk, which was highly valued in the West
• Existed from before the Christian era
• Multiple routes existed - over land and sea
• Traded goods: silk, spices, pottery, precious metals, textiles
• Also facilitated spread of religions (Buddhism, Christianity, Islam)
• Exchange of ideas, technologies, and cultures

3. Columbian Exchange (1492)

When Christopher Columbus reached the Americas in 1492, it initiated a massive exchange between the Old World (Europe, Africa, Asia) and the New World (Americas).

From Americas to the World:

• Potatoes, tomatoes, maize (corn), chillies
• Tobacco, cocoa (chocolate), rubber
• Gold and silver

From the World to Americas:

• Wheat, horses, sheep, cattle
• Diseases (smallpox, measles)

Impact: European diseases killed millions of Native Americans who had no immunity, sometimes wiping out entire communities.

4. Indentured Labour Migration

Indentured labour was a system where workers signed contracts to work for a fixed period (usually 5 years) in distant lands.

Where Indian Workers Went:

• Caribbean islands (Trinidad, Guyana, Surinam)
• Mauritius, Fiji, Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
• Malaya (Malaysia)

Conditions:

• Workers were called 'girmitiyas' (from 'agreement')
• Worked mainly on sugar, cotton, and tea plantations
• Harsh working conditions, low wages
• Often faced deception and abuse

5. The Great Depression (1929-1935)

The Great Depression was the worst economic crisis in modern history.

Causes:

• Post-war agricultural overproduction in USA
• Stock market speculation
• October 1929: Wall Street Stock Market Crash
• Bank failures due to bad loans
• Decline in consumer spending

Effects on USA:

• Factories closed, production fell drastically
• Unemployment reached 25% (1 in 4 workers jobless)
• Thousands of banks failed
• Farmers destroyed crops to maintain prices

Global Impact:

• International trade declined by 60%
• Affected all countries connected to the global economy
• Rise of extreme political movements (Nazism in Germany)

Impact on India:

• Prices of agricultural goods fell sharply
• Farmers unable to repay debts
• Rural India severely affected
• Peasant indebtedness increased
• India continued exporting gold to Britain

6. Bretton Woods System (1944)

After World War II, in July 1944, representatives of 44 countries met at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire (USA) to establish a new post-war economic order.

Institutions Created:

Key Features:

• Fixed Exchange Rate System: National currencies pegged to the US dollar
• US dollar pegged to gold at $35 per ounce
• USA emerged as the dominant economic power

End of System: The system collapsed in the early 1970s when the USA unlinked the dollar from gold.

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Chapter 4: The Age of Industrialisation

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Chapter Overview

This chapter tells the story of the Industrial Revolution - how it began in Britain and transformed methods of production forever. It also discusses the development of Indian industries and the decline of Indian handicrafts due to British policies.

Key Concepts

1. Proto-Industrialisation

Proto-industrialisation refers to the phase before factory production when goods were manufactured in decentralised units, mainly in the countryside.

Features:

• Production based in rural homes
• Merchants supplied raw materials and collected finished goods
• Family-based production
• Close link between agriculture and manufacturing

2. Key Inventions of Industrial Revolution

3. Life of Workers

Working Conditions in Factories:

• 12-16 hour work days
• Dangerous machinery with no safety measures
• No job security
• Child labour was common
• Women and children paid lower wages
• Unhealthy and cramped living conditions

Jobbers: Middlemen who recruited workers for factories. They often exploited workers by charging commissions and controlling their lives.

4. Indian Textiles - Before British Rule

India was a world-renowned producer of fine textiles:

Major Centres:

• Surat (Gujarat): Major port for trade with Gulf and Red Sea regions
• Masulipatnam (Andhra): Famous for printed cotton textiles (chintz)
• Dhaka (Bengal): World-famous for fine muslin

Indian Textiles in Global Market:

• Exported to Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa
• Armenian and Persian merchants were key traders
• Indian textiles dominated world markets until the 18th century

5. Decline of Indian Textiles

British Policies:

• Heavy import duties (70-80%) on Indian cloth entering Britain
• No duties on British goods entering India
• East India Company's control over trade
• Raw cotton exported from India to British mills
• Finished cloth imported back to India

Impact:

• Indian textile exports fell from £1.3 million to £100,000
• Weavers became impoverished
• Traditional centres like Dhaka, Surat declined
• Famines due to loss of livelihood

6. Rise of Indian Factories

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Chapter 5: Print Culture and the Modern World

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Chapter Overview

This chapter traces the development of print technology and its social and political impact. Starting from China, it explains how printing reached Europe and transformed society through events like the Protestant Reformation and the French Revolution.

Key Concepts

1. Print in China

Timeline of Printing in China:

• 594 AD: First known printed books using woodblock printing
• 868 AD: Diamond Sutra - the oldest dated printed book in the world
• 1040s: Bi Sheng invented movable type using clay tablets

Features of Early Chinese Printing:

• Woodblock printing - entire page carved on a wooden block
• Civil service examinations created demand for printed materials
• Books on variety of subjects: textbooks, fiction, poetry
• Printing spread to Japan and Korea

2. Gutenberg's Printing Press (1430s)

Johann Gutenberg of Germany invented the modern printing press in the 1430s.

Key Innovations:

• Metal movable type (not clay like in China)
• Oil-based ink (more durable than water-based)
• Wooden hand press (similar to olive press)
• Letters could be rearranged and reused

Gutenberg Bible (1455):

• First major book printed using movable type
• Known as the '42-line Bible' (42 lines per page)
• Approximately 180 copies were printed
• About 50 copies still survive today

3. Print Revolution

Impact of Printing:

• Books became cheaper and more accessible
• Knowledge spread beyond the elite
• New reading public emerged
• Ideas could spread rapidly
• Standardisation of languages

4. Martin Luther and the Reformation (1517)

Martin Luther, a German monk, wrote his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517, criticising the Catholic Church's practices.

Role of Print:

• Luther's writings were printed in thousands
• Spread rapidly across Germany and Europe
• Common people could read his ideas
• Led to the Protestant Reformation
• Split in the Christian Church

Luther declared: "Printing is the ultimate gift of God and the greatest one."

5. Print and the French Revolution

How Print Influenced the Revolution:

• Spread of Enlightenment ideas (Voltaire, Rousseau)
• Criticism of monarchy and aristocracy
• Pamphlets and newspapers created public opinion
• Ideas of liberty, equality, fraternity spread

6. Print in India

7. Vernacular Press Act (1878)

Viceroy Lord Lytton passed the Vernacular Press Act in 1878.

Provisions:

• Government could censor Indian language newspapers
• Printing presses could be confiscated
• Editors could be prosecuted

Discrimination:

• English newspapers were exempt from these restrictions
• Clear bias against Indian language press

Indians called it the 'Gagging Act' because it aimed to silence Indian voices.

Repeal: The Act was repealed in 1881 by Lord Ripon.

Click Here for Chapter 5 Complete Notes, MCQs and Important Questions

Complete Timeline

Memory Tricks

Important Questions for Board Exam

1 Mark Questions (MCQ Type)

1. When did the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre occur? (13 April 1919)
2. Where did the Salt March begin? (Sabarmati Ashram)
3. Who unified Germany? (Otto von Bismarck)
4. When did the Great Depression start? (1929)
5. Who passed the Vernacular Press Act? (Lord Lytton)
6. Who invented the Spinning Jenny? (James Hargreaves)
7. What is the oldest dated printed book? (Diamond Sutra)
8. Who founded Young Italy? (Giuseppe Mazzini)

Short Answer Questions (2-3 Marks)

1. What is Satyagraha? Describe Gandhi's early Satyagrahas in India.
2. Explain the main features of the Napoleonic Code.
3. What were the causes and effects of the Great Depression?
4. What was the Vernacular Press Act? Why was it opposed?
5. Describe the three flows in international trade.

Long Answer Questions (5 Marks)

1. Describe the role of Bismarck in the unification of Germany.
2. Explain the contributions of Mazzini, Cavour, and Garibaldi in the unification of Italy.
3. Describe the Salt March and explain its significance in the freedom struggle.
4. Describe the Non-Cooperation Movement. Why was it withdrawn?
5. What was the Bretton Woods System? Explain its main features.
6. How did print culture affect the French Revolution?

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Additional Resources

Chapter-wise Complete Notes

• Chapter 1: Rise of Nationalism in Europe
• Chapter 2: Nationalism in India
• Chapter 3: The Making of a Global World
• Chapter 4: The Age of Industrialisation
• Chapter 5: Print Culture and the Modern World

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