Upsc Mains History Syllabus For Civil Services

The UPSC optional subject list contains 48 subjects in total, one of which is History.

Here is the syllabus of history exam-

HISTORY 

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 account: 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 Buddism; Rise of Magadha and Nandas. Iranian and Mecedonian 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) : Government strives to have a workforce which reflects gender balance and women candidates are encouraged to apply. Contact with outside world; growth of urban centres, economy, coinage, development of religions, Mahayana, social conditions, art, architecture, culture, literature and science. 
• 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 Bhakit movement, Shankaracharya; Vedanta; Institutions of temple and temple architecture; Palas, Senas, Rashtrakutas, Paramaras, Polity and administration; Cultural aspects. Arab conquest of Sind; Alberuni, The Chaluky as 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 BrahmaMimansa.
• — 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. 
• 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 measure.  
• — Muhammad Tughluq: Major projects, agrarian measures, bureaucracy of Muhammad Tughluq.   — Firuz Tugluq: 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, literaute 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 Vijayanagara Empire.
• — Lodis. — Mughal Empire, first phase : Babur, 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 cultures specificities.  
• — Literary traditions.
• — Provincial architectural.
• — Society, culture, literature and the  arts in Vijayanagara Empire.
• 20.  Akbar:   
• — Conquests and consolidation of 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 16th and 17th Centuries:  
• — Population Agricultural and craft production.
• — Towns, commerce with Europe through Dutch, English and French companies : a  trade revolution.
• — Indian mercantile classes. Banking, insurance and credit systems.
• — Conditions of peasants, Condition of Women.
• — Evolution of the Sikh community and the Khalsa Panth.
• 23.  Culture during Mughal Empire: 
• — Persian histories and other literature.
• — Hindi and religious literatures. 
• — 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.
• — Emergence of Afghan power Battle of  Panipat, 1761.
• — State of, political, cultural and economic, on 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 Englishand 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 AngloMaratha Wars; The Punjab.
• 3. Early Structure of the British Raj:  The Early administrative structure; From diarchy to direct contol; 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 movement 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 1857 —Origin, character, casuses 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 Noncooperation 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 post-colonial 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.
• (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.  
• (v) 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 Consequences.
• 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.
• 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 Soviet Union, 1985-1991.
• (ii) Political Changes in East Europe 1989-200
• (iii) End of the Cold War and US Ascendancy in the World as the lone superpower.

Note -: please check official syllabus for civil services examination from upsc website or check official Notification.