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UPSC History optional syllabus

Both papers of the UPSC History optional. Here it is in 24 topics and 115 subtopics you can study and tick off one at a time.

Papers
two, both in Mains
Marks
250 each, 500 in all
Time
3 hours each

Contents

Paper I

  1. Sources of Indian History
  2. Pre-history and Proto-history
  3. Indus Valley Civilization
  4. Megalithic Cultures and Vedic Age
  5. Mahajanapadas and Rise of Magadha
  6. Mauryan Empire
  7. Post-Mauryan India
  8. Gupta Empire and Post-Gupta Period
  9. Early Medieval India — Regional Kingdoms
  10. Delhi Sultanate
  11. Vijayanagara and Bahmani Kingdoms
  12. Mughal Empire
  13. 18th Century India
  14. World History

Paper II

  1. European Penetration and British Conquest of India
  2. British Economic Policies and Their Impact
  3. Social and Religious Reform Movements (19th Century)
  4. Indian Response to British Rule
  5. Indian National Movement — Foundation of Congress
  6. Gandhian Era and Mass Nationalism
  7. Constitutional Developments and Communalism
  8. Making of the Indian Constitution
  9. Post-Independence Consolidation
  10. India's Foreign Policy since Independence

Paper I

Sources of Indian History

  1. Archaeological Sources — Exploration, Excavation, Epigraphy, Numismatics
  2. Literary Sources — Indigenous and Foreign Accounts
  3. Historical Sense in Ancient India; Interpretation and Historiography

Pre-history and Proto-history

  1. Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic Cultures
  2. Chalcolithic Cultures and Beginnings of Agriculture
  3. Distribution and Significance of Prehistoric Sites in India

Indus Valley Civilization

  1. Origin, Extent and Chronology of the Harappan Civilization
  2. Town Planning, Architecture and Material Culture
  3. Economy, Trade, Crafts and Script
  4. Religion, Society and Art
  5. Decline and Late Harappan Cultures

Megalithic Cultures and Vedic Age

  1. Megalithic Cultures — Distribution and Characteristics
  2. Aryan Debate — Origins and Migration
  3. Early Vedic Period — Polity, Economy and Society
  4. Later Vedic Period — State Formation and Varna System
  5. Vedic Literature, Religion and Philosophy

Mahajanapadas and Rise of Magadha

  1. Sixteen Mahajanapadas and Forms of Government
  2. Rise of Magadha — Haryankas, Shishunagas and Nandas
  3. Second Urbanisation, Coinage and Trade
  4. Rise of Jainism and Buddhism
  5. Iranian and Macedonian Invasions

Mauryan Empire

  1. Chandragupta Maurya and Chanakya; Foundation of the Empire
  2. Ashoka — Dhamma, Edicts and Policy
  3. Mauryan Administration, Economy and Society
  4. Mauryan Art and Architecture
  5. Decline of the Mauryan Empire

Post-Mauryan India

  1. Central Asian Contacts
  2. Sangam Age

Gupta Empire and Post-Gupta Period

  1. Rise of the Guptas; Samudragupta and Chandragupta II
  2. Gupta Administration, Land Grants and Agrarian Economy
  3. Society — Varna, Caste, Position of Women
  4. Science, Literature, Art and Architecture
  5. Vakatakas, Vardhanas and Harshavardhana
  6. Decline of the Guptas and the Hun Invasions

Early Medieval India — Regional Kingdoms

  1. Tripartite Struggle — Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas
  2. Cholas — Administration, Local Self-Government and Maritime Trade
  3. Rajput Kingdoms and Feudalism Debate
  4. Temple Architecture and Regional Cultural Traditions
  5. Arab and Turkish Invasions

Delhi Sultanate

  1. Foundation of the Delhi Sultanate; Slave Dynasty
  2. Khaljis — Alauddin's Market and Agrarian Reforms
  3. Tughlaqs — Administrative Experiments of Muhammad bin Tughlaq
  4. Sayyids, Lodis and the Decline of the Sultanate
  5. Iqta System, Nobility and Economy
  6. Art, Architecture and the Sufi and Bhakti Movements

Vijayanagara and Bahmani Kingdoms

  1. Foundation and Expansion of Vijayanagara; Krishnadevaraya
  2. Vijayanagara Administration, Nayankara System and Economy
  3. Bahmani Kingdom and the Deccan Sultanates
  4. Battle of Talikota and Decline
  5. Art, Architecture and Literature of the Deccan

Mughal Empire

  1. Babur, Humayun and the Establishment of Mughal Rule
  2. Akbar — Expansion, Rajput Policy and Religious Outlook
  3. Mansabdari and Jagirdari Systems; Mughal Administration
  4. Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb
  5. Agrarian Relations, Land Revenue and Commerce
  6. Mughal Art, Architecture, Painting and Literature

18th Century India

  1. Decline of Mughals
  2. Rise of Regional Powers

World History

  1. Renaissance
  2. Enlightenment
  3. Industrial Revolution
  4. World Wars

Paper II

European Penetration and British Conquest of India

  1. Arrival of the Portuguese, Dutch, French and English
  2. Anglo-French Rivalry and the Carnatic Wars
  3. Conquest of Bengal — Plassey and Buxar
  4. Anglo-Mysore and Anglo-Maratha Wars
  5. Subsidiary Alliance and Doctrine of Lapse; Annexation of Punjab and Sindh

British Economic Policies and Their Impact

  1. Land Revenue Settlements — Permanent, Ryotwari and Mahalwari
  2. Commercialisation of Agriculture and Rural Indebtedness
  3. De-industrialisation and the Decline of Handicrafts
  4. Drain of Wealth Theory and Nationalist Economic Critique
  5. Railways, Famines and Transformation of the Indian Economy

Social and Religious Reform Movements (19th Century)

  1. Raja Ram Mohan Roy and the Brahmo Samaj
  2. Arya Samaj, Prarthana Samaj and Ramakrishna Movement
  3. Aligarh Movement and Muslim Reform
  4. Reform among Sikhs, Parsis and Other Communities
  5. Caste Movements — Jyotiba Phule, Narayana Guru, Periyar
  6. Women's Question and Social Legislation

Indian Response to British Rule

  1. Early Uprisings — Sanyasi, Kol, Santhal and Other Revolts
  2. Revolt of 1857 — Causes, Course and Consequences
  3. Peasant Movements of the 19th Century
  4. Tribal Movements and Their Suppression
  5. Aftermath of 1857 and Crown Rule

Indian National Movement — Foundation of Congress

  1. Political Associations before the Congress
  2. Foundation of the Indian National Congress, 1885
  3. Moderates — Aims, Methods and Achievements
  4. Rise of Extremism; Swadeshi and Boycott Movement
  5. Partition of Bengal and the Surat Split
  6. Revolutionary Nationalism and the Home Rule Movement

Gandhian Era and Mass Nationalism

  1. Gandhi's Early Career and Champaran, Ahmedabad, Kheda
  2. Rowlatt Act, Jallianwala Bagh and Khilafat
  3. Non-Cooperation Movement and Chauri Chaura
  4. Civil Disobedience, Dandi March and the Round Table Conferences
  5. Quit India Movement and the INA
  6. Revolutionary Activity — Bhagat Singh, HSRA, Chittagong

Constitutional Developments and Communalism

  1. Morley-Minto, Montagu-Chelmsford and the Act of 1935
  2. Growth of Communal Politics and the Two-Nation Theory
  3. Muslim League, Lucknow Pact and the Pakistan Demand
  4. Cripps Mission, Cabinet Mission and the Mountbatten Plan
  5. Partition and Independence

Making of the Indian Constitution

  1. Constituent Assembly — Composition and Working
  2. Objectives Resolution and Fundamental Rights Debate
  3. Federalism, Language and Minority Questions
  4. Ambedkar's Role and the Drafting Committee
  5. Adoption and Salient Features of the Constitution

Post-Independence Consolidation

  1. Integration of Princely States; Role of Sardar Patel
  2. Linguistic Reorganisation of States
  3. Land Reforms, Planning and the Mixed Economy
  4. Nehruvian Era — Institutions and Democratic Consolidation
  5. Emergency, Party Politics and Coalition Era

India's Foreign Policy since Independence

  1. Non-Alignment — Origins, Evolution and Relevance
  2. Relations with Pakistan and China; Wars and Settlements
  3. India and the Cold War; Relations with USA and USSR
  4. Nuclear Policy and Disarmament
  5. Look East and Neighbourhood Policy; India in Global Institutions

This is Mented's breakdown of the official UPSC syllabus into study-sized subtopics. For the syllabus as notified, see the Civil Services Examination notice on upsc.gov.in.

Other optional subjects

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