UPSC Syllabus: History Prelims and Mains PDF Download

History is a vital component of competitive examinations, particularly in the civil service domain. It is integral to the three phases of the UPSC civil service examination – Prelims, Mains, and Interviews. The relevance of history extends beyond the examination, as it provides essential context for administrative roles. This article will guide you on how to effectively study history for the UPSC exam, equipping you with strategies and insights to master this extensive subject. 

History is included in the General Studies Paper I in the UPSC Mains and General Studies Paper in UPSC CSE Prelims. About 17-22% of questions in Prelims are asked from this subject.

• Approximately 10-15 questions are asked in Prelims General Studies Paper I on History every year. If you are thorough with the dates, places, and events in chronological order it is an easy subject

• The history section of the Prelims Exam GS Paper I Syllabus comprises questions from
  Indian Art & Culture, Ancient, Medieval and Modern Indian History. 
• From the above chart, we can infer that most of the questions every year are from Modern Indian History and arts and culture. In some years, questions from Ancient and Medieval History also become very prominent. Thus, starting your history preparation with Modern Indian History would be best.
• The history syllabus for UPSC must be strategically covered, to ensure you reap maximum benefits from your preparation.

Here's the detailed (topic-wise) syllabus of the subject which will help you in preparing it in a better way. 

History Syllabus for UPSC Prelims and Mains 

Ancient Indian History

• Sources of Ancient History
• Prehistoric Period
• Indus Valley Civilization- Phases, Town Planning, Society, Culture, Religious Practices, etc.
• Pastoral and farming society.
• Vedic society & Vedic texts
• Vedic Society Religion, Varna system, etc.
• State Formation & urbanization (from the Mahajanapadas to the Nandas)
• Buddhism and Jainism
• The Mauryan Empire
• Asoka, his inscriptions, administration, etc.
• Post-Mauryan India (BC 200- AD 300)
• The Satavahanas
• State formation in Peninsular India
• The Sangam Age & Sangam Literature
• Indo-Greeks, Sakas, Parthians, Kushans, Kanishka-Contacts with the outer world.
• Bhagavatism, Saivism, Mahayana Buddhism and Hinayana, Jainism, and Culture and art.
• The Guptas
• Literature Science, Arts, Economy, and Society -Modification in the political organization of the empire.

Medieval Indian History

• Early Medieval India.
• Major dynasties
• Political and Agrarian organizations
• Status of Women & Social Mobility
• Arabs in Sind and the Ghaznavids.
• Cultural trends
• Significance of temples & monastic Institutions
• Sankaracharya, Islam &Sufism.
• Art and Architecture
• Literature and Science
• 13th and 14th Centuries (Ghorian invasions, Delhi Sultanate, Aladdin Khalji, Muhammad Tughlug, Firuz Tughluq, decline of the Delhi Sultanate)
• Development of urbanization and commerce
• Spiritual movement- Hinduism and Islam
• Literature. Architecture, Technological changes
• The 15th and early 16th Century including Vijayanagara Empire
• Monotheistic movements: Kabir; Guru Nanak, and Sikhism; Bhakti.
• Spread of regional literature
• The Mughal Empire
• Economy
  • state of affairs of peasants and artisans
  • escalation in trade
  • trade with Europe
  • social stratification
  • position of women
• Decline of the Mughal Empire
• Maratha power under the Peshwas
• The Afghans
• Regional states
• Rise of the Urdu language

Modern Indian History 

• Socio-economic Condition of People
• European Penetration of India
• British Conquest of India
• British Policies & Their Impact – Economic, Administrative & Socio-cultural
• Socio-cultural Reform Movements
• Uprisings Against British Pre-1857
• Growth of Nationalism in India (1858-1905)
• Revolt of 1857
• Growth of Militant Nationalism & Revolutionary Activities (1905-1918)
• Beginning of Mass Nationalism (1919-1939)
• Towards Freedom & Partition (1939-1947)

Post-independence Consolidation    

• Partition& Reorganisation of States
• Official Language & Related Issues
• Non-Aligned Movement
• Foreign Policy
• Agrarian Reforms, Land Reforms & Industrial Reforms
• Popular Movements
• Communalism & Naxalism
• Indian Women Since Independence
• Emergency: Crisis of Democratic Order
• Other Economic and Social Issues post-independence

World History

• Industrial Revolution, Capitalism, Colonialism & Imperialism
• World War I
• Russian Revolution
• World Between the Two World Wars
• Emergence of the Soviet Union
• Nationalist Movements in Asia & Africa
• World War II
• Post-World War II Effects
• Decolonization
• Redrawal of National Boundaries
• Europe after World War II
• Cold War
• Korean War & Vietnam War
• Cuban Crisis
• Collapse of the Soviet Union

Reference Books and Other Sources for History

• India’s Ancient Past by R. S. Sharma
• India’s Struggle For Independence by Bipan Chandra
• History of Modern India by Bipan Chandra
• Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania
• History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra
• History of Modern India by Spectrum

An Overview of the UPSC Civil Services Prelims and Mains Question Papers

An analysis of previous question papers shows that the questions asked in the Prelims and Mains were moderate to tough in their difficulty level. Frequent questions are about Modern Indian History.

Prelims Examination

In the Prelims, history forms a part of the General Studies Paper I. The questions are objective, multiple-choice type, and cover a broad spectrum of historical topics, including:

• Ancient Indian History: Focuses on Indus Valley Civilization, Vedic period, Mauryan and Gupta Empires, and important historical figures and events.
• Medieval Indian History: Encompasses the Delhi Sultanate, Mughal Empire, regional kingdoms, and cultural developments.
• Modern Indian History: Includes the British colonial period, freedom struggle, significant movements, and key personalities.

Mains Examination

The Mains examination takes a more detailed and analytical approach to history, comprising two optional papers for those who choose history as their optional subject. The areas covered include:

• World History: This includes the study of world events from the 18th century, such as industrialization, world wars, redraw of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism, and their impact on society.
• Indian History: More detailed study of ancient, medieval, and modern periods, with a focus on art and culture, social and economic history, freedom struggle, and post-independence consolidation.

UPSC CSE (IAS) Prelims and Mains: History Preparation Tips

Following are some tips/strategies that students can follow and optimize for UPSC CSE History preparation-

• Start with the NCERTs to build up a solid theoretical foundation in History.
• Go through the previous year's papers to know the important topics, the difficulty level of questions, etc.
• For Arts and Culture, It's best to start with Arts NCERT and Nitin Singhania's book.
• It's best to make short notes for History. It will help students quickly revise the subjects.
• Don't buy too many books or study from too many sources. Instead, it would be best to revise NCERTs and standard books many times.
• In recent years more factual questions have been asked in the history section, so it would be best to focus on factual details.
• Last but not least, don't make wild guesses in the history section. If you can eliminate options, it's good. Otherwise, it's best to leave the question.