UGC NET 2025 History Syllabus: Download Latest Topics in English & Hindi PDF

The UGC releases the UGC NET History syllabus along with the release of the UGC NET notification 2025. The UGC NET History Paper 2 syllabus comprises ten units- Negotiating the resources, From state to empire, the Emergence of the Regional Kingdoms, Source of Medieval Indian history, etc. The detailed UGC NET history syllabus and the UGC NET history syllabus PDF have been provided in the article below.

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UGC NET History Syllabus 2025: Important Topics

UGC has divided the Indian History subject into these ten following topics:

• Negotiating the Sources
• From State to Empire
• The Emergence of Regional Kingdoms
• Source of Medieval Indian History
• Administration & Economy
• Society and Culture
• Sources of Modern Indian History
• Colonial Economy
• Rise of Indian Nationalism
• Historical Method, Research, Methodology, and Historiography

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UGC NET History Topic-wise Syllabus 2025

While preparing for the UGC NET 2025, candidates should have detailed knowledge regarding their subject. So, here we have mentioned the UGC NET topic-wise syllabus in the table below.

Topic Name	Important Units
Unit 1: Negotiating the Sources	Archaeological sources
	Indus/Harappa Civilization
	Expansion of State system
	Vedic and later Vedic periods
	Pastoralism and Food Production
Unit 2: From State to Empire	Dissolution of Empire and Emergence of Regional Powers
	Salankayanas and Visnukundins in Andhradesa
	Harsha and his Times
	Gupta Vakataka age
	From State to Empire
Unit 3: The Emergence of Regional Kingdoms	Kingdoms in Deccan, South India, Eastern India, Western India, North India
	Characteristics of Early Medieval India
	Trade and urbanization
	Growth of Brahminical religions
	Debates of state formation in Early Medieval India
Unit 4: Source of Medieval Indian History	Rise of the Marathas & the foundation of Swaraj by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
	Source of Medieval Indian History
	The Vijayanagara and the Bahmanis
	Foundation of the Mughal Empire
	Later Mughals and Disintegration of the Mughal Empire
Unit 5: Administration & Economy	Administration & Economy
	Sher Shah’s Administrative Reforms
	Administrative System in the Deccan
	Frontier Policies under Delhi Sultanate and Mughals
	Inter-State Relations during the Sultanate and the Mughals
Unit 6: Society and Culture	The Saints of the Medieval Period
	The Sufis
	The Sikh Movement
	Bhakti Movement
	Development of Education, Fine Arts
Unit 7: Sources of Modern Indian History	Sources of Modern Indian History
	Rise of British Power
	Establishment and Expansion of British Dominion in India
	British Relations with the Principal Indian States
	Revolt of 1857
Unit 8: Colonial Economy	Colonial Economy
	Expansion and Commercialization of Agriculture
	British Industrial Policy
	Modernization of Indian Languages and Literary Forms
	Indian Society in Transition
Unit 9: Rise of Indian Nationalism	Swadeshi and Swaraj
	Birth of the Indian National Congress
	B.R. Ambedkar
	Gandhian Mass Movements
	India after Independence
Unit 10: Historical Method, Research, Methodology, and Historiography	Scope and Importance, Objectivity and Bias in History
	Recent Trends in Indian History
	Beginnings of Historical Writings – Greek, Roman, and Church
	Renaissance and its Impact on History Writing
	Post–Modernism in History

UGC NET History Syllabus in Hindi

Candidates who are preparing for the UGC NET History exam in Hindi can check the UGC NET History syllabus in Hindi. The detailed syllabus is given below:

विषय का नाम	महत्वपूर्ण इकाइयाँ
इकाई 1: सूत्रों पर बातचीत	पुरातात्विक स्रोत
	सिंधु/हड़प्पा सभ्यता
	राज्य व्यवस्था का विस्तार
	वैदिक और उत्तर वैदिक काल
	पशुचारण और खाद्य उत्पादन
इकाई 2: राज्य से साम्राज्य तक	साम्राज्य का विघटन और क्षेत्रीय शक्तियों का उदय
	आंध्रदेश में सलंकायन और विष्णुकुंडिन
	हर्ष और उसका समय
	गुप्त वाकाटक युग
	राज्य से साम्राज्य तक
इकाई 3: क्षेत्रीय राज्यों का उद्भव	दक्कन, दक्षिण भारत, पूर्वी भारत, पश्चिमी भारत, उत्तर भारत में राज्य
	प्रारंभिक मध्यकालीन भारत की विशेषताएँ
	व्यापार और शहरीकरण
	ब्राह्मणवादी धर्मों का विकास
	प्रारंभिक मध्यकालीन भारत में राज्य गठन पर बहस
यूनिट 4: मध्यकालीन भारतीय इतिहास का स्रोत	मराठों का उदय और छत्रपति शिवाजी महाराज द्वारा स्वराज की स्थापना
	मध्यकालीन भारतीय इतिहास का स्रोत
	विजयनगर और बहमनी
	मुग़ल साम्राज्य की स्थापना
	बाद के मुगल और मुगल साम्राज्य का विघटन
यूनिट 5: प्रशासन और अर्थव्यवस्था	प्रशासन एवं अर्थव्यवस्था
	शेरशाह के प्रशासनिक सुधार
	दक्कन में प्रशासनिक व्यवस्था
	दिल्ली सल्तनत और मुगलों के अधीन सीमांत नीतियाँ
	सल्तनत और मुगलों के दौरान अंतर-राज्य संबंध
इकाई 6: समाज और संस्कृति	मध्यकाल के संत
	सूफ़ी
	सिख आंदोलन
	भक्ति आंदोलन
	शिक्षा, ललित कला का विकास
यूनिट 7: आधुनिक भारतीय इतिहास के स्रोत	आधुनिक भारतीय इतिहास के स्रोत
	ब्रिटिश शक्ति का उदय
	भारत में ब्रिटिश प्रभुत्व की स्थापना एवं विस्तार
	प्रमुख भारतीय राज्यों के साथ ब्रिटिश संबंध
	1857 का विद्रोह
इकाई 8: औपनिवेशिक अर्थव्यवस्था	औपनिवेशिक अर्थव्यवस्था
	कृषि का विस्तार एवं व्यावसायीकरण
	ब्रिटिश औद्योगिक नीति
	भारतीय भाषाओं एवं साहित्यिक विधाओं का आधुनिकीकरण
	परिवर्तन में भारतीय समाज
यूनिट 9: भारतीय राष्ट्रवाद का उदय	स्वदेशी और स्वराज
	भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस का जन्म
	बीआर अंबेडकर
	गांधीवादी जन आंदोलन
	आज़ादी के बाद का भारत
यूनिट 10: ऐतिहासिक पद्धति, अनुसंधान, पद्धति और इतिहासलेखन	इतिहास में दायरा और महत्व, निष्पक्षता और पूर्वाग्रह
	भारतीय इतिहास में नवीनतम रुझान
	ऐतिहासिक लेखन की शुरुआत - ग्रीक, रोमन और चर्च
	पुनर्जागरण और इतिहास लेखन पर इसका प्रभाव
	इतिहास में उत्तर-आधुनिकतावाद

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UGC NET History Syllabus in Detail 2025

Candidates can check below UGC NET 2025 History Syllabus topics wise in detail.

1. Negotiating the Sources:

• Archaeological sources: Exploration, Excavation, Epigraphy and Numismatics; Dating of Archaeological Sites; Literary Sources: Indigenous Literature: Primary and Secondary: problem of dating Religious and Secular Literature, Myths, Legends, etc. Foreign Accounts: Greek, Chinese and Arabic.
• Pastoralism and Food production: Neolithic and Chalcolithic Phase: Settlement, distribution, tools and patterns of exchange.
• Indus/Harappa Civilization: Origin, extent, major sites, settlement pattern, craft specialization, religion, society and polity, Decline of Indus Civilization, Internal and external trade, First urbanization in India.
• Vedic and later Vedic periods; Aryan debates, Political and Social Institutions, State Structure and Theories of State; Emergence of Varnas and Social Stratification, Religious and Philosophical Ideas. Introduction of Iron Technology, Megaliths of South India.
• Expansion of State system: Mahajanapadas, Monarchical and Republican States, Economic and Social Developments and Emergence of Second Urbanization in 6th century BCE; Emergence of heterodox sects-Jainism, Buddhism and Ajivikas.

2. From State to Empire:

• Rise of Magadha, Greek invasion under Alexander and its effects, Mauryan expansion, Mauryan polity, society, economy, Asoka’s Dhamma and its Nature, Decline and Disintegration of the Mauryan Empire, Mauyan art and architecture, Asokan edicts: language and script.
• Dissolution of Empire and Emergence of Regional Powers: Indo-Greeks, Sungas, Satavahanas, Kushanas and Saka-Ksatrapas, Sangam literature, polity and
  society in South India as reflected in Sangam literature. Trade and commerce from 2nd century BCE to 3rd century CE, Trade with the Roman World, Emergence of Mahayana Buddhism, Kharavela and Jainism, Post-Mauryan art and Architecture. Gandhara, Mathura and Amaravati schools.
• Gupta Vakataka age: Polity and Society, Agrarian Economy, Land Grants, Land Revenue and Land Rights, Gupta Coins, Beginning of Temple Architecture, Emergence of Puranic Hinduism, Development of Sanskrit Language and Literature. Developments in Science Technology, Astronomy, Mathematics and Medicine.
• Harsha and his Times: Administration and Religion.
• Salankayanas and Visnukundins in Andhradesa.

3. Emergence of Regional Kingdoms:

• Kingdoms in Deccan: Gangas, Kadmabas, Western and Eastern Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Hoysalas and Yadavas.
• Kingdoms in South India: Pallavas, Ceras, Colas and Pandyas,
• Kingdoms in Eastern India: Palas and Senas of Bengal, Varmans of Kamarupa, Bhaumakaras and Somavamsis of Odisha.
• Kingdoms in Western India: Maitrakas of Vallabhi and Chalukyas of Gujarat.
• Kingdoms in North India: Gurjara-Pratiharas, Kalacuri-Chedis, Gahadavalas and Paramaras.
• Characteristics of Early Medieval India: Administration and Political Structure Legitimation of Kingship.
• Agrarian economy: land grants, changing production relations; graded land rights and peasantry, water resources, taxation system, coins and currency system
• Trade and urbanization: patterns of trade, and urban settlements, ports and trade routes, merchandise and exchange, trade guilds; trade and colonization in southeast Asia.
• Growth of Brahminical religions: Vaisnavism and Saivism; Temples; Patronage and Regional Ramification; Temple Architecture and Regional Styles. Dana, Tirtha and Bhakti, Tamil Bhakti movement - Shankara, Madhava and Ramanujacharya.
• Society: Varna, Jati and Proliferation of Castes, Position of women; Gender, marriage and property relations; Women in public life. Tribes as peasants and
  their place in Varna order. Untouchability.
• Education and Educational Institutions: Agraharas, Mathas and Mahaviharas as Centres of Education. Growth of Regional Languages.
• Debates of state formation in early medieval India: A) Feudal model; B) Segmentary model; C) Integrative model
• Arab contracts: Suleiman Ghaznavid conquests. Alberuni’s Accounts.

4. Source of Medieval Indian History:

• Archaeological, Epigraphic and Numismatic sources, Material evidences and Monuments; Chronicles; Literary sources – Persian, Sanskrit and Regional languages; Daftar Khannas: Firmans, Bahis / Pothis / Akhbarat; Foreign Travellers’ Accounts – Persian and Arabic.
• Political Developments – The Delhi Sultanate – the Ghorids, the Turks, the Khaljis, the Tughlaqs, theSayyids and the Lodis. Decline of Delhi Sultanate.
• Foundation of the Mughal Empire – Babur, Humayun and the Suris ; Expansion and Consolidation from Akbar to Aurangzeb. Decline of the Mughal Empire.
• Later Mughals and Disintegration of the Mughal Empire.
• The Vijayanagara and the Bahmanis - Deccan Sultanate; Bijapur, Golkonda, Bidar, Berar and Ahmadnagar – Rise, Expansion and Disintegration; Eastern Gangas and Suryavamshi Gajapatis.
• Rise of the Marathas & the foundation of Swaraj by Shivaji ; its expansion under the Peshwas ; Mughal – Maratha relations, Maratha Confederacy, Causes of Decline.

5. Administration & Economy:

• Administration under the Sultanate, Nature of State – Theocratic and Theocentric, Central, Provincial and Local Administration, Law of succession.
• Sher Shah’s Administrative Reforms ; Mughal Administration – Central, Provincial and Local : Mansabdari and Jagirdari Systems.
• Administrative System in the Deccan – The Vijayanagara State & Polity, Bahamani Administrative System; Maratha Administration – Asta Pradhan.
• Frontier Policies under Delhi Sultanate and Mughals.
• Inter-State Relations during the Sultanate and the Mughals.
• Agricultural Production and Irrigation System, Village Economy, Peasantry, Grants and Agricultural Loans, Urbanization and Demographic Structure.
• Industries – Cotton Textiles, Handicrafts, Agro-Based industries, Organisation, Factories & Technology.
• Trade and Commerce – State Policies, Internal and External Trade: European Trade, Trade Centres and Ports, Transport and Communication.
• Hundi (Bills of Exchange) and Insurance, State Income and Expenditure, Currency, Mint System; Famines and Peasant Revolts.

6. Society and Culture:

• Social Organisation and Social Structure.
• The Sufis – Their Orders, Beliefs and Practices, the leading Sufi Saints, Social Synchronization.
• Bhakti Movement – Shaivism; Vaishnavism, Shaktism.
• The Saints of the Medieval Period – North and South – their impact on SocioPolitical and Religious Life – Women Saints of Medieval India.
• The Sikh Movement – Guru Nanak Dev: his teachings and practices, Adi Granth; the Khalsa.
• Social Classification: Ruling Class, Major Religious Groups, the Ulemas, the Mercantile and Professional Classes – Rajput Society.
• Rural society – Petty Chieftains, Village Officials, Cultivators and Non-Cultivating Classes, Artisans.
• Position of Women – Zanana System – Devadasi System. Development of Education, Centres of Education and Curriculum, Madarasa Education.
• Fine Arts – Major Schools of Painting – Mughal, Rajasthani, Pahari, Garhwali; Development of Music.
• Art and Architecture, Indo-Islamic Architecture, Mughal Architecture, Regional Styles.
• Indo-Arabic Architecture, Mughal Gardens, Maratha Forts, Shrines and Temples.

7. Sources of Modern Indian History:

• Archieval Materials, Biographies and Memoirs, Newspapers, Oral Evidence, Creative Literature and Painting, Monuments, Coins.
• Rise of British Power: European Traders in India in the 16th to 18th Centuries – Portuguese, Dutch, French and the British. Establishment and Expansion of British Dominion in India.
• British Relations with Principal Indian States – Bengal, Oudh, Hyderabad, Mysore, Carnatic and Punjab.
• Revolt of 1857, Causes, Nature and Impact.
• Administration of the Company and the Crown; Evolution of Central and Provincial Structure under East India Company.
• Paramountcy, Civil Service, Judiciary, Police and the Army under the Company; British Policy and Paramountcy in the Princely States under the Crown.
• Local Self-Government.
• Constitutional Changes, 1909 – 1935.

8. Colonial Economy:

• Changing Composition, Volume and Direction of Trade. Expansion and Commercialization of Agriculture, Land Rights, Land Settlements, Rural Indebtedness, Landless Labour, Irrigation and Canal System.
• Decline of Industries – Changing Socio-Economic Conditions of Artisans; De-urbanisation; Economic Drain; World Wars and Economy.
• British Industrial Policy; Major Modern Industries; Nature of Factory Legislation; Labour and Trade Union Movements.
• Monetary Policy, Banking, Currency and Exchange, Railways and Road Transport, Communications – Post & Telegraph.
• Growth of New Urban Centres; New Features of Town Planning and Architecture, Urban Society and Urban Problems.
• Famines, Epidemics and the Government Policy.
• Tribal and Peasant Movements.
• Indian Society in Transition: Contact with Christianity – the Missions and Missionaries; Critique of Indian Social and Economic Practices and Religious Beliefs; Educational and Other Activities.
• The New Education – Government Policy; Levels and Contents; English Language; Development of Science, Technology, Public Health & Medicine – Towads Modernism.
• Indian Renaissance – Socio-Religious Reforms; Emergence of Middle Class; Caste Associations and Caste Mobility.
• Women’s Question – Nationalist Discourse; Women’s Organisations; British Legislation concerning Women, Gender Identity & Constitutional Position.
• The Printing Press – Journalistic Activity and the Public opinion.
• Modernisation of Indian Languages and Literary Forms – Reorientation in Painting, Music and Performing Arts.

9. Rise of Indian Nationalism:

• Social and Economic basis of Nationalism.
• Birth of Indian National Congress; Ideologies and Programmes of the Indian National Congress, 1885-1920: Early Nationalists, Assertive Nationalists and Revolutionaries.
• Swadeshi and Swaraj.
• Gandhian Mass Movements; Subas Chandra Bose and INA; Role of Middle Class in National Movement; Women Participation in National Movement. Left Wing Politics.
• Depressed Class Movement.
• Communal Politics; Muslim League and Genesis of Pakistan.
• Towards Independence and Partition.
• India after Independence: Challenges of Partition; Integration of the Indian Princely States; Kashmir, Hyderabad & Junagarh.
• B.R. Ambedkar – The making of the Indian Constitution, its Features.
• The Structure of Bureaucracy.
• New Education Policy.
• Economic Policies and the Planning process; Development, Displacement and Tribal Issues.
• Linguistic Reorganisation of States; Centre-State Relations.
• Foreign Policy Initiatives – Panchsheel; Dynamics of Indian Politics-Emergency; Liberalisation, Privatisation & Globalisation of Indian Economy.

10. Historical Method, Research, Methodology and Historiography:

• Scope and Importance of History
• Objectivity and Bias in History
• Heuristics Operation, Criticism in History, Synthesis and Presentation
• History and its Auxiliary Sciences
• History a Science, Arts or a Social Science
• Causation and Imagination in History
• Significance of Regional History
• Recent Trends of Indian History
• Research Methodology
• Hypothesis in History
  Area of Proposed Research
• Sources – Data Collection, Primary / Secondary, Original and Transit
• Sources
• Trends in Historical Research
• Recent Indian Historiography
• Selection of Topic in History
• Notes Taking, References, Footnotes and Bibliography
• Thesis and Assignment Writing
• Plagiarism, Intellectual Dishonesty and History Writing
• Beginnings of Historical Writings – Greek, Roman and Church
• Historiography
• Renaissance and its Impact on History Writing
• Negative and Positive Schools of Historical Writing
• Berlin Revolution in History Writing – Von Ranke
• Marxist Philosophy of History – Scientific Materialism
• Cyclical Theory of History – Oswald Spengler
• Challenge and Response Theory – Arnold Joseph Toynbee
• Post – Modernism in History

UGC NET History Syllabus PDF 2025

The University Grants Commission has prescribed the UGC NET History Syllabus on its official website. Candidates can read the UGC NET History Syllabus in detail by clicking on the link provided below. By downloading the syllabus in PDF format, candidates can study the detailed syllabus provided below. From the direct link provided, candidates can also obtain the UGC NET History Syllabus in Hindi in the table below:

UGC NET History Syllabus PDF
UGC NET History Syllabus in English	Click_Here
UGC NET History Syllabus in Hindi	Click_Here

UGC NET Syllabus for History Paper II: Concepts, Ideas, and Term

The candidates preparing for the UGC NET history must be aware of some ideas, concepts, and terms to make their UGC NET history exam preparation easy. The candidates can check these terms, and ideas related to the UGC NET history exam in the table below:

UGC NET History Paper 2 Concepts, Terms, and Ideas
Bharatvarsha	Khilafat	Sabha and Samiti	Sulah-i-kul
Varnasrama	Turkan-i-Chahlghani	Vedanta	Watan
Purusharthas	Baluta	Rina	Taquavi
Samskaras	Iqta	Yajna	Jaziya
Ganarajya	Zakat	Janapada	Madad-i-maash
Doctrine of Karma	Amaram	Dandaniti / Arthasastra / Saptanga	Raya-Rekho
Dharmavijaya	Jangama / Dasa	Stupa / Chaitya/ Vihara	Madarasa / Maqtab
Nagara / Dravida / Vesara	Chauth / Sardeshmukhi	Bodhisattva / Tirthankara	Sarai
Alvars / Nayanars	Polygars	Sreni	Jagir / Shariyat
Bhumi-chidra-vidhana-nyaya	Dastur	Kara-bhoga-bhaga	Mansab (Rank)
Vishti	Deshmukh	Stridhana	Nadu / Ur
Memorial Stones	Ulema	Agraharas	Firman
Ain-i-Dashsalah	Satyagraha	Pargana	Swadeshi
Shahna-i-Mandi	Revivalism	Mahalwari	Communalism
Hind Swaraj	Orientalism	Mercantilism	Oriental Despotism
Economic Nationalism	De-Industrialisation	Indian Renaissance	Subsidiary Alliance
Economic Drain	Evangelicalism	Colonialism	Bhudan
Paramountcy	Panchsheel	Dyarchy	Mixed Economy
Federalism	Socialism	Utilitarianism	Hindu Code Bil
Filtration Theory	Historical Methods	Forward Policy	Plagiarism
Doctrine of Lapse	Ethics and Morality in History Writing	–	–

UGC NET History Syllabus 2025: Preparation Tips

It is critical to have a complete proof strategy ahead of the test to enhance your chances of passing with flying colours. The following are some UGC NET History Preparation Tips:

• Always check the syllabus and exam pattern of the subject before preparing for it
• The revision will help you double-check your test preparation and avoid confusion during the exam
• Preparing handwritten notes based on your comprehension can help you readily revise the themes and essential aspects at any time. At the last minute, handwritten notes can save time on preparations by removing the need to search for topics in books
• Don't forget to practice the previous year's question papers and mock test
• It is not enough to cover everything to qualify as a well-prepared subject

Best Books for UGC NET History Syllabus

Candidates can refer to the Best Books for UGC NET History Preparation provided by the experts in the table below.

Topic Name	Book Name	Author/Publisher's Name
Ancient India	A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century	Upender Singh
	India's Ancient Past.	R.S Sharma
Medieval India	Medieval India Vol 1 and Vol 2.	Satish Chandra
	Interpreting Medieval India: Early medieval, Delhi Sultanate, and regions (circa 750-1550)	Vipul Singh
Modern India	Plassey to Partition	Shekar Bandophadyay
	India's Struggle for Independence	Bina Chandra
	A Modern India History	B.L Grover

UGC NET History Exam Pattern

The UGC NET exam pattern 2025 contains two papers that candidates need to complete in a duration of three hours. Both Papers 1 and 2 contain objective-type questions and it is mandatory for candidates to attempt questions from both papers. The UGC NET history exam does not follow the negative marking scheme. No marks are penalised for incorrect or unanswered questions.

UGC NET Paper	Number of Questions	Total Marks
UGC NET Paper 1	50	100
UGC NET Paper 2	100	200
Total	150	300

• Candidates need to complete the UGC NET paper in a combined duration of 3 hours (180 minutes) without any break.
• All the questions in Paper 1 and Paper 2 are compulsory.
• Each question carries two marks.
• There is no negative marking for incorrect responses.

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