UPSC History Syllabus with Important Topics for IAS 2024

The Union Public Service Commission will conduct the UPSC CSE (IAS) prelims 2024 on June 16, 2024. The candidates are suggested to revise the UPSC Ancient History syllabus and the associated topics to prepare better for the exam. The candidates must prepare the Art and Cuture topics in the light of Ancient History because it help them in correlation of the Macro Societal Structures prevailing during the ancient times.

UPSC Syllabus for History

UPSC History Syllabus: The Union Public Service Commission will conduct the UPSC IAS prelims exam on June 16, 2024. The candidates can check here the most important topics of the UPSC Ancient History syllabus. The candidates are suggested to analyse the previous year's question papers to extract the most important topics of Ancient History. Though the Union Public Service Commission does not ask a good number of questions from the Ancient History section but the candidate should prepare the Ancient History topics because it will help them in answering the questions of the Art an Culture section.

Also Read: UPSC Answer Key 2024 Live Updates

UPSC Syllabus for the History section is not defined in the official prelims syllabus. The ancient History section is important but the number of questions asked in the IAS prelims exam is somewhat not fixed and often very fewer questions have been asked in the exam. The total number of questions varies from 5 to 8. To answer these questions, the candidates are required deep study the Ancient History topics which require enormous time to read and retain for the long term. Moreover, the questions are mainly focused on the broad knowledge of an era and sometimes on the architecture of the temples and other things. NCERT books n Ancient History can give a brief idea of events but it is very difficult to cover all the topics from the NCERT books only.

Some candidates skip the History section during their prelims preparation but it is not a great strategy because History questions will be asked in the main exam also as it is one of the important sections of General Studies Paper-I. The history of India topic includes all the historical events that occurred in India. One of the most important points to note here is that it does not include World History in the prelims exam. NCERT books are very helpful in clearly explaining the topics which need to be covered. But only NCERT books are not sufficient for preparation. IAS Syllabus is the key to unlocking the exam and hence it should be understood in its entirety.

History Syllabus for UPSC Prelims

History for the prelims exam is limited to Indian events only. The candidates need to divide the History of India topic into three sub-topics

1. Ancient History of India
2. Medieval History of India
3. Modern History of India including the Indian National Movement

Ancient History Topics for UPSC IAS Prelims

It includes the civilizations and cultures which evolve in the Indian sub-continent. There is no written evidence of the events, only the remains as found in different excavations. The prehistoric records include the inscriptions, pillars, statues and the likes. Following topics can be included in the Ancient History of India section.

Geographical Extent of Ancient India

Stone Age

• Old Stone Age
• Phases in the Palaeolithic Age
• Late Stone Age
• News Stone Age

Stone –Copper Phase

• Chalcolithic Settlements and Culture
• Importance and Limitation of Chalcolithic Culture
• Copper Age in India

Harappan Civilisation /Indus Valley Civilisation

• Geographical Extent
• Major Cities
• Town Planning and Structures
• Agriculture and Domestication of Animal
• Art and Crafts
• Trade
• Social and Political Organisations
• Religious Practices
• Deities in Indus Valley Civilisation
• Tree and Animal Worship
• Harappan Script
• Pottery – Seals, Images
• Terracotta figures
• Origin, Maturity and Decline of Indus Valley Civilisation

Aryan and the Age of Rig Vedas

• Aryans – their origin and identity
• Tribal Conflict
• Life and Culture
• Family and Social Divisions
• Rig Vedic Gods

Later Vedic Period

• Period
• Printed Grey Ware Culture
• Iron Phase Culture
• Economic and Social Divisions in the Indian Society
• Political and Social Organisation
• Gods, Rituals and Philosophy

Rise of Jainism and Buddhism

• Causes of Origin
• Their founders and other heads
• Caste and Varna system in the age of Buddha
• Religious Doctrines of Jainism and Buddhism
• Geographical Spread, Influence and decline

Mahajanpads

• Names and geographical extent
• Growth and rise of Mahajanpads

Magadh Empire

• Period, leaders, hierarchy
• Causes of rising, growth, success and decline
• Structure of Society, Political structure and governance
• The economic system, trade
• Weights and Measures

Iranian and Macedonian Invasion

Mauryan Empire

• Period, leaders, hierarchy
• Causes of rising, growth, success and decline
• Social Institutions, Political structure and governance
• Significance of Mauryan Empire
• Mauryan Culture

• The economic system, trade

Sakas, Pratiharas, Kushans and other Central Asian Contacts

Age of Satavahanas

• Period, leaders, hierarchy
• Rise, Growth, Political Structure
• Administration, Architecture, Religion, language

Sangam Age

• Three Kingdoms of South – Cheras, Cholas, Pandyas
• Polity and Administration
• Society and Position of Women in Sangam Period
• Religion and Economy
• Decline of Sangam Age
• Art and Literature

Gupta Age

• Period, leaders, hierarchy
• Causes of rise, growth, success and decline
• Social Institutions, Political structure and governance
• Significance of Gupta Age
• Society and Culture, position of women
• Economic system, trade

Harsha and his times

• Harsha Kingdom
• Administration, Political Structure, Rise of Nalanda

Formation of new states in India

• Various Kingdoms which spread alongside during that age

Transformation of Ancient Age

• Social Crisis, origin of land grants,
• Decline of Central Control,
• Changes in the Varna System
• Cultural Development
• Sequence of Social Change
• Religion and formation of Social Classes
• Philosophical system
• Art and literature

Also Read: IAS Prelims Syllabus 

The Ancient history questions specifically ask about Buddhism and its doctrine, the mudra taken by Buddh on various occasions and other details. The candidates need to prepare these topics from NCERT and other important books so that they can answer the questions asking the intrinsic details about the topic.

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Most important topics for IAS 2024