History Optional Syllabus for Civil Service Examination

History is an important part of the UPSC Civil Service Examination. The topics from history optional paper would appear in Prelims examination and UPSC Mains examination. With right strategies for preparing History, you can secure high score in the UPSC History Optional Subject. 

UPSC Syllabus for History Optional

Indian Heritage and Culture, History:

• Indian Culture: 
  • Salient features of Literature, Art Forms, and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
• Modern Indian History: 
  • Significant events, personalities and issues during the middle of the eighteenth century until the present.
• Indian Freedom Struggle: 
  • Stages, important contributors and contributions from different parts of the country.
• Post-independence consolidation and reorganization in the country.
• History of the World: 
  • Events, forms and effect on the society from 18th century like world wars, industrial revolution, colonization, redrawal of national boundaries, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism, etc.

History Books for IAS Mains

Here is the list of important books for history Optionals for the UPSC civil services mains:

• India’s Ancient Past – R.S. Sharma
• Indian Art and Culture – Nitin Singhania
• India’s Struggle For Independence – Bipan Chandra
• History Of Modern India – Bipan Chandra
• Facets of Indian Culture by Spectrum
• India Since Independence by Bipin Chandra
• Mastering Modern World History – Norman Lowe
• Themes of History  (NCERT Textbook of Standard XII)
• NCERT books for History