UPSC History Syllabus for CSE Mains 2024

UPSC History Optional Syllabus

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UPSC History Optional Syllabus for 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): 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 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 Rajput’s.
  • 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.

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, 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 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.

UPSC History Syllabus for 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 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:

1. 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.
2. 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. Birth of Indian Nationalism:

• 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. Gandhian Phase of Indian Nationalism:

• 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 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:

1. Major Ideas of Enlightenment : Kant, Rousseau.
2. Spread of Enlightenment in the colonies.

• Rise of socialist ideas (up to Marx); spread of Marxian Socialism.

17. Origins of Modern Politics :

1. European States System.
2. American Revolution and the Constitution.
3. French Revolution and Aftermath, 1789-1815.
4. American Civil War with reference to Abraham Lincoln and the abolition of slavery.
5. British Democratic politics, 1815-1850 : Parliamentary Reformers, Free Traders, Chartists.

18. Industrialization :

1. English Industrial Revolution : Causes and Impact on Society.
2. Industrialization in other countries : USA, Germany, Russia, Japan.
3. Industrialization and Globalization.

19. Nation‐State System :

1. Rise of Nationalism in 19th century.
2. Nationalism : State-building in Germany and Italy.
3. Disintegration of Empires in the face of the emergence of nationalities across the World.

20. Imperialism and Colonialism :

1. South and South-East Asia.
2. Latin America and South Africa.
3. Australia.
4. Imperialism and free trade: Rise of neo-imperialism.

21. Revolution and Counter‐Revolution :

1. 19th Century European revolutions.
2. The Russian Revolution of 1917-1921.
3. Fascist Counter-Revolution, Italy and Germany.
4. The Chinese Revolution of 1949.

22. World Wars :

1. 1st and 2nd World Wars as Total Wars : Societal implications.
2. World War I : Causes and Consequences.
3. World War II : Causes and Consequences.

23. The World after World War II:

1. Emergence of Two power blocs.
2. Emergence of Third World and non-alignment.
3. UNO and the global disputes.

24. Liberation from Colonial Rule :

1. Latin America-Bolivar.
2. Arab World-Egypt.
3. Africa-Apartheid to Democracy.
4. South-East Asia-Vietnam.

25. Decolonization and Underdevelopment :

• Factors constraining Development ; Latin America, Africa.

26. Unification of Europe :

1. Post War Foundations ; NATO and European Community.
2. Consolidation and Expansion of European Community
3. European Union.

27. Disintegration of Soviet Union and the Rise of the Unipolar World :

1. Factors leading to the collapse of Soviet Communism and Soviet Union, 1985-1991.
2. Political Changes in East Europe 1989-2001.
3. End of the Cold War and US Ascendancy in the World as the lone superpower.

 

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