History

History Syllabus for UPSC Main Examination

Paper-I

1. Sources:
 Archaeological sources: Exploration, excavation, epigraphy, numismatics,
monuments
 Literary sources: Indigenous: Primary and secondary; poetry, scientific literature,
literature, literature in regional languages, religious literature.
 Foreign accounts: Greek, Chinese and Arab writers.
2. Pre-history and Proto-history: Geographical factors; hunting and gathering (paleolithic
and mesolithic); Beginning of agriculture (neolithic and chalcolithic).
3. Indus Valley Civilization: Origin, date, extent, characteristics, decline, survival and
significance, art and architecture.
4. Megalithic Cultures: Distribution of pastoral and farming cultures outside the Indus,
Development of community life, Settlements, Development of agriculture, Crafts,
Pottery, and Iron industry.
5. Aryans and Vedic Period:
Expansions of Aryans in India.
Vedic Period: Religious and philosophic literature; Transformation from Rig Vedic period
to the later Vedic period; Political, social and economical life; Significance of the Vedic
Age; Evolution of Monarchy and Varna system.
6. Period of Mahajanapadas: Formation of States (Mahajanapada): Republics and
monarchies; Rise of urban centres; Trade routes; Economic growth; Introduction of
coinage; Spread of Jainism and Buddhism; Rise of Magadha and Nandas.
Iranian and Macedonian invasions and their impact.
7. Mauryan Empire: Foundation of the Mauryan Empire, Chandragupta, Kautilya and
Arthashastra; Ashoka; Concept of Dharma; Edicts; Polity, Administration; Economy; Art,
architecture and sculpture; External contacts; Religion; Spread of religion; Literature.
Disintegration of the empire; Sungas and Kanvas.
8. Post - Mauryan Period (Indo-Greeks, Sakas, Kushanas, Western Kshatrapas): Contact
with outside world; growth of urban centres, economy, coinage, development of
religions, Mahayana, social conditions, art, architecture, culture, literature and science.

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9. Early State and Society in Eastern India, Deccan and South India: Kharavela, The
Satavahanas, Tamil States of the Sangam Age; Administration, economy, land grants,
coinage, trade guilds and urban centres; Buddhist centres; Sangam literature and
culture; Art and architecture.
10. Guptas, Vakatakas and Vardhanas: Polity and administration, Economic conditions,
Coinage of the Guptas, Land grants, Decline of urban centres, Indian feudalism, Caste
system, Position of women, Education and educational institutions; Nalanda,
Vikramshila and Vallabhi, Literature, scientific literature, art and architecture.
11. Regional States during Gupta Era: The Kadambas, Pallavas, Chalukyas of Badami; Polity
and Administration, Trade guilds, Literature; growth of Vaishnava and Saiva religions.
Tamil Bhakti movement, Shankaracharya; Vedanta; Institutions of temple and temple
architecture; Palas, Senas, Rashtrakutas, Paramaras, Polity and administration; Cultural
aspects. Arab conquest of Sind; Alberuni, The Chalukyas of Kalyana, Cholas, Hoysalas,
Pandyas; Polity and Administration; local Government; Growth of art and architecture,
religious sects, Institution of temple and Mathas, Agraharas, education and literature,
economy and society.
12. Themes in Early Indian Cultural History: Languages and texts, major stages in the
evolution of art and architecture, major philosophical thinkers and schools, ideas in
Science and Mathematics.
13. Early Medieval India, 750-1200:
 Polity: Major political developments in Northern India and the Peninsula, origin
and the rise of Rajputs
 The Cholas: administration, village economy and society; “Indian Feudalism”
 Agrarian economy and urban settlements
 Trade and commerce
 Society: the status of the Brahman and the new social order
 Condition of women
 Indian science and technology
14. Cultural Traditions in India, 750-1200:
 Philosophy: Skankaracharya and Vedanta, Ramanuja and Vishishtadvaita,
Madhva and Brahma-Mimansa
 Religion: Forms and features of religion, Tamil devotional cult, growth of Bhakti,
Islam and its arrival in India, Sufism
 Literature: Literature in Sanskrit, growth of Tamil literature, literature in the
newly developing languages, Kalhan’s Rajtarangini, Alberuni’s India
 Art and Architecture: Temple architecture, sculpture, painting

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15. The Thirteenth Century:
 Establishment of the Delhi Sultanate: The Ghurian invasions – factors behind
Ghurian success
 Economic, social and cultural consequences
 Foundation of Delhi Sultanate and early Turkish Sultans
 Consolidation: The rule of Iltutmish and Balban
16. The Fourteenth Century:
 “The Khalji Revolution”
 Alauddin Khalji: Conquests and territorial expansion, agrarian and economic
measures
 Muhammad Tughluq: Major projects, agrarian measures, bureaucracy of
Muhammad Tughluq
 Firuz Tughluq: Agrarian measures, achievements in civil engineering and public
works, decline of the Sultanate, foreign contacts and Ibn Battuta’s account
17. Society, Culture and Economy in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries:
 Society: composition of rural society, ruling classes, town dwellers, women,
religious classes, caste and slavery under the Sultanate, Bhakti movement, Sufi
movement
 Culture: Persian literature, literature in the regional languages of North India,
literature in the languages of South India, Sultanate architecture and new
structural forms, painting, evolution of a composite culture
 Economy: Agricultural production, rise of urban economy and non-agricultural
production, trade and commerce
18. The Fifteenth and Early Sixteenth Century:
 Political Developments and Economy: Rise of Provincial Dynasties: Bengal,
Kashmir (Zainul Abedin), Gujarat, Malwa, Bahmanids
 The Vijayanagra Empire
 Lodis
 Mughal Empire, First phase: Babur and Humayun
 The Sur Empire: Sher Shah’s administration
 Portuguese Colonial enterprise,Bhakti and Sufi Movements
19. The Fifteenth and early Sixteenth Century - Society and Culture:
 Regional cultural specificities
 Literary traditions
 Provincial architecture

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  Society, culture, literature and the arts in Vijayanagara Empire.
20. Akbar:
 Conquests and consolidation of the Empire
 Establishment of Jagir and Mansab systems
 Rajput policy
 Evolution of religious and social outlook, theory of Sulh-i-kul and religious policy
 Court patronage of art and technology
21. Mughal Empire in the Seventeenth Century:
 Major administrative policies of Jahangir, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb
 The Empire and the Zamindars
 Religious policies of Jahangir, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb
 Nature of the Mughal State
 Late Seventeenth century crisis and the revolts
 The Ahom Kingdom
 Shivaji and the early Maratha Kingdom.
22. Economy and Society in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries:
 Population, agricultural production, craft production
 Towns, commerce with Europe through Dutch, English and French companies : a
trade revolution
 Indian mercantile classes, banking, insurance and credit systems
 Condition of peasants, condition of women
 Evolution of the Sikh community and the Khalsa Panth
23. Culture in the Mughal Empire:
 Persian histories and other literature
 Hindi and other religious literature
 Mughal architecture
 Mughal painting
 Provincial architecture and painting
 Classical music
 Science and technology
24. The Eighteenth Century:
 Factors for the decline of the Mughal Empire
 The regional principalities: Nizam’s Deccan, Bengal, Awadh
 Maratha ascendancy under the Peshwas
 The Maratha fiscal and financial system

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  Emergence of Afghan Power, Battle of Panipat: 1761
 State of politics, culture and economy on the eve of the British conquest

Paper-II

1. European Penetration into India: The Early European Settlements; The Portuguese and
the Dutch; The English and the French East India Companies; Their struggle for
supremacy; Carnatic Wars; Bengal -The conflict between the English and the Nawabs of
Bengal; Siraj and the English; The Battle of Plassey; Significance of Plassey.
2. British Expansion in India: Bengal – Mir Jafar and Mir Kasim; The Battle of Buxar;
Mysore; The Marathas; The three Anglo-Maratha Wars; The Punjab.
3. Early Structure of the British Raj: The early administrative structure; From diarchy to
direct control; The Regulating Act (1773); The Pitt’s India Act (1784); The Charter Act
(1833); The voice of free trade and the changing character of British colonial rule; The
English utilitarian and India.
4. Economic Impact of British Colonial Rule:
a) Land revenue settlements in British India; The Permanent Settlement; Ryotwari
Settlement; Mahalwari Settlement; Economic impact of the revenue;
arrangements; Commercialization of agriculture; Rise of landless agrarian
labourers; Impoverishment of the rural society
b) Dislocation of traditional trade and commerce; De-industrialisation; Decline of
traditional crafts; Drain of wealth; Economic transformation of India; Railroad
and communication network including telegraph and postal services; Famine and
poverty in the rural interior; European business enterprise and its limitations.
5. Social and Cultural Developments: The state of indigenous education, its dislocation;
Orientalist - Anglicist controversy, The introduction of western education in India; The
rise of press, literature and public opinion; The rise of modern vernacular literature;
Progress of science; Christian missionary activities in India.
6. Social and Religious Reform movements in Bengal and Other Areas: Ram Mohan Roy,
The Brahmo Movement; Devendranath Tagore; Iswarchandra Vidyasagar; The Young
Bengal Movement; Dayanada Saraswati; The social reform movements in India including
Sati, widow remarriage, child marriage etc.; The contribution of Indian renaissance to
the growth of modern India; Islamic revivalism – the Feraizi and Wahabi Movements.
7. Indian Response to British Rule: Peasant movements and tribal uprisings in the 18th
and 19th centuries including the Rangpur Dhing (1783), the Kol Rebellion (1832), the
Mopla Rebellion in Malabar (1841-1920), the Santal Hul (1855), Indigo Rebellion (1859-
60), Deccan Uprising (1875) and the Munda Ulgulan (1899- 1900); The Great Revolt of

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 1857 - Origin, character, causes of failure, the consequences; The shift in the character
of peasant uprisings in the post-1857 period; the peasant movements of the 1920s and
1930s.
8. Factors leading to the birth of Indian Nationalism; Politics of Association; The
Foundation of the Indian National Congress; The Safety-valve thesis relating to the birth
of the Congress; Programme and objectives of Early Congress; the social composition of
early Congress leadership; the Moderates and Extremists; The Partition of Bengal
(1905); The Swadeshi Movement in Bengal; the economic and political aspects of
Swadeshi Movement; The beginning of revolutionary extremism in India.
9. Rise of Gandhi; Character of Gandhian nationalism; Gandhi’s popular appeal; Rowlatt
Satyagraha; the Khilafat Movement; the Non-cooperation Movement; National politics
from the end of the Non-cooperation movement to the beginning of the Civil
Disobedience movement; the two phases of the Civil Disobedience Movement; Simon
Commission; The Nehru Report; the Round Table Conferences; Nationalism and the
Peasant Movements; Nationalism and Working class movements; Women and Indian
youth and students in Indian politics (1885-1947); the election of 1937 and the
formation of ministries; Cripps Mission; the Quit India Movement; the Wavell Plan; The
Cabinet Mission.
10. Constitutional Developments in the Colonial India between 1858 and 1935
11. Other strands in the National Movement The Revolutionaries: Bengal, the Punjab,
Maharashtra, U.P, the Madras Presidency, Outside India. The Left; The Left within the
Congress: Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, the Congress Socialist Party; the
Communist Party of India, other left parties.
12. Politics of Separatism; the Muslim League; the Hindu Mahasabha; Communalism and
the politics of partition; Transfer of power; Independence.
13. Consolidation as a Nation; Nehru’s Foreign Policy; India and her neighbours (1947-
1964); The linguistic reorganisation of States (1935-1947); Regionalism and regional
inequality; Integration of Princely States; Princes in electoral politics; the Question of
National Language.
14. Caste and Ethnicity after 1947; Backward castes and tribes in postcolonial electoral
politics; Dalit movements.
15. Economic development and political change; Land reforms; the politics of planning and
rural reconstruction; Ecology and environmental policy in post - colonial India; Progress
of science.
16. Enlightenment and Modern ideas:
i. Major ideas of Enlightenment: Kant, Rousseau
ii. Spread of Enlightenment in the colonies

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 iii. Rise of socialist ideas (up to Marx); spread of Marxian Socialism
17. Origins of Modern Politics:
i. European States System
ii. American Revolution and the Constitution
iii. French revolution and aftermath, 1789- 1815
iv. American Civil War with reference to Abraham Lincoln and the abolition of
slavery British Democratic Politics, 1815- 1850; Parliamentary Reformers, Free
Traders, Chartists.
18. Industrialization:
i. English Industrial Revolution: Causes and Impact on Society
ii. Industrialization in other countries: USA, Germany, Russia, Japan
iii. Industrialization and Globalization.
19. Nation-State System:
i. Rise of Nationalism in 19th century
ii. Nationalism: state-building in Germany and Italy
iii. Disintegration of Empires in the face of the emergence of nationalities across the
world.
20. Imperialism and Colonialism:
i. South and South-East Asia
ii. Latin America and South Africa
iii. Australia
iv. Imperialism and free trade: Rise of neo-imperialism.
21. Revolution and Counter-Revolution:
i. 19th Century European revolutions,
ii. The Russian Revolution of 1917- 1921,
iii. Fascist Counter-Revolution, Italy and Germany
iv. The Chinese Revolution of 1949
22. World Wars:
i. 1st and 2nd World Wars as Total Wars: Societal implications
ii. World War I: Causes and consequences
iii. World War II: Causes and consequence
23. The World after World War II:
i. Emergence of two power blocs
ii. Emergence of Third World and non-alignment
iii. UNO and the global disputes.

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24. Liberation from Colonial Rule:
i. Latin America-Bolivar
ii. Arab World-Egypt
iii. Africa-Apartheid to Democracy
iv. South-East Asia-Vietnam
25. Decolonization and Underdevelopment:
i. Factors constraining development: Latin America, Africa
26. Unification of Europe:
i. Post War Foundations: NATO and European Community
ii. Consolidation and Expansion of European Community
iii. European Union.
27. Disintegration of Soviet Union and the Rise of the Unipolar World:
i. Factors leading to the collapse of Soviet communism and the Soviet Union, 1985-
1991
ii. Political Changes in Eastern Europe 1989-2001
iii. End of the cold war and US ascendancy in the World as the lone superpower.