Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): History - UPSC PDF Download

“History is one of the most logical subjects in the UPSC syllabus, only if you approach it in the right way." - Gaurav Agarwal – AIR 1 – 2015.

• Every year, thousands of aspirants like you aspire to become civil servants and all of them have certain doubts during their UPSC preparation journey.
• Over the years of interaction with these candidates, we realized that the questions are almost the same, so we’ve tried to answer most of them in this document.

Q. How important is history from the prelims & mains perspective?

Ans. 

• Indian History and culture are considered as significant part of both the Civil Services Preliminary Exam and the Main Examination. A substantial segment of the total questions asked in General Studies Paper I for the IAS exam come from Indian History that blended with culture.  We can use the trend (graph) here.
• In the preliminary exam, All these sections are completely covered in the History syllabus, if one chooses it as an optional subject. In the Main examination, paper-I of GS covers approximately 75-100 marks of Art & Culture, Modern India & Contemporary world that are part of History optional syllabus.

Q. Should I opt for history as the optional subject? 

Ans. 

• The choice of an optional subject depends on your inclination and aptitude. If you are one curious to understand the past and want to analyze how our past shaped the present and how it could have been different, then history is your subject.
• Like other optional subjects, History is also a scoring paper, one can score 270-280 marks easily and even 300 plus marks are also common.
• Mapping section of the history optional is highly scoring and command over it can give you the upper edge.
• UPSC Syllabus for History Optional  connects ancient India, with contemporary incidents, for example as it connects urbanization of Indus Valley Civilization and Magadhan empire to today’s smart city concepts.
• It is a very important subject in the UPSC Civil service exam because history is included in the IAS prelims exam and the IAS mains general studies papers as well.
• Here, you can optimise time by preparing for optional and GS papers.
• It is by and large a static subject. So, if you cover this subject once, it will not change in the next two-three years.
• Although the syllabus of history appears vast but by observing previous year’s questions we can conclude that its focal area is very small i.e. there is no need to read large volumes of the book.
• A student of any background may opt History as an optional subject. There is no requirement that those having a background in History should opt this optional. The main requirement for this optional subject is scientific temper to grasp the subject.

Q. What is the weightage of each type of history?

Ans. On average 15-20% weightage is given to History. 

• Out of 100 questions, approximately 16-18 questions are from History (Art & Culture, Ancient India, Medieval India & Modern India).
• From the previous year papers analysis, we have observed that more weightage is given to ‘Modern History’. So to make the maximum benefit for the time invested, ‘prioritize’ in this order- Modern, Ancient and Medieval History. You can check out Previous Year Questions here - Previous Year Questions: Modern History, Previous Year Questions: Ancient History, Previous Year Questions: Medieval History, Previous Year Questions: Art & Culture 
• In the preliminary exam, All these sections are completely covered in the History syllabus, if one chooses it as an optional subject. In the Main examination, paper-I of GS covers approximately 75-100 marks of Art & Culture, Modern India & Contemporary world that are part of History optional syllabus.

Q. Does history help in writing essays during mains? 

Ans. Writing about the historical perspective of things gives depth to your arguments. Here, history preparation can help. There is ample study material available for this subject.

Q. Do I need to remember the facts in history? 

Ans. You do need to remember a few dates and names in history. You don’t need to mug up the facts as most of the dates and names which are important will be at your fingertips after multiple readings.

Q. Is World History part of Prelims?

Ans. No, it is only a part of the Mains examination.

Q. What is the difference between ancient, medieval & modern history?

Ans.

Ancient India

• The Ancient History begins from the initial period to the mid of 8th Century AD.

Medieval India

• Medieval History starts from the mid of 8th Century to the beginning of 18th Century AD. 

Modern India

• Modern Indian history talks about the period of the emergence of a foreign power in India till freedom struggle. The bulk of the questions comes from Modern Indian history for both prelims and mains examination.

Q. Which are the most important books to study history? 

Ans.

Reference books for Indian History

(For Ancient Indian History)

• Class XII Ancient India (NEW) NCERT i.e. Themes in Indian History Part I
• Class XII Ancient India( Old) NCERT  i.e. India’s Ancient Past – R.S. Sharma 

(For Medieval Indian History)

• Class XII Medieval INDIA (new) NCERT i.e Themes in Indian History Part II
• Class XII Medieval India (Old) NCERT i.e. History of Medieval India – Satish Chandra 

(For Modern Indian History)

• Class XII Modern Indian History i.e. Themes in Indian History Part III
• Class XII Modern India by Bipan Chandra (You can find all these Old & New NCERTs in this EduRev course Must Read (Old & New) NCERTs for IAS Preparation)

Advanced Books:

• India’s Struggle for Independence – Bipan Chandra.
• From Plassey to Partition - Sekhar Bandhopadhyay
• A Brief History of Modern India – Spectrum (History)

Q. How should I start my preparation for History? 

Ans. 

• The first step in starting any subject is to go through the UPSC syllabus for that subject, this will help you in analyzing the trend i.e. how the questions are being asked by the UPSC.
• Start with the OLD NCERTs (Ancient -> Medieval -> Modern) in this EduRev course: Must Read (Old & New) NCERTs for IAS Preparation, this will develop a good reading habit and a basic understanding of the subject.  It is easy to understand as it is like a story. 
• There are no big formulas or concepts to follow. After doing that, shift to Advanced books(in the case of Modern History).
• You can mark/underline the important points in the first reading and take notes accordingly. It varies from person to person.

Q. How can I improve my answer writing skills for history in the UPSC exam?

Ans: 

To improve your answer writing skills for history in the UPSC exam, consider the following tips:

• Understand the demand of the question and structure your answer accordingly.
• Start with an introduction that provides a brief context to the topic.
• Use headings and subheadings to organize your answer and make it more readable.
• Include relevant facts, examples, and dates to support your arguments.
• Write in a clear and concise manner, avoiding unnecessary jargon.
• Practice time management to ensure that you complete your answers within the allocated time.
• Revise your answers to correct any grammatical or spelling errors.
• Seek feedback from mentors, teachers, or fellow aspirants to identify areas of improvement.

Q. Is it important to study world history for the UPSC exam?

Ans: 

Yes, studying world history is important for the UPSC exam. Questions related to world history are often asked in the General Studies paper of the UPSC exam. It is essential to have a good understanding of major events, revolutions, and important personalities in world history. Topics such as the French Revolution, Industrial Revolution, World Wars, Cold War, and decolonization movements are frequently covered. Additionally, understanding world history helps in gaining a broader perspective and analyzing the global impact of various historical events.