UPSC History Syllabus — Every Topic, Listed
History is the largest subject by topic count. Modern India (the freedom struggle) carries the most Prelims weight, with Ancient, Medieval and Art & Culture contributing steady, predictable questions.
Below is the complete History syllabus as UPSCGenie teaches it: 10 topic groups, 65 topics — every one of them a full, source-cited lesson in the app, with practice questions attached.
Ancient India (11 topics)
- Prehistoric cultures (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic)
- Indus Valley Civilisation - town planning, economy, decline
- Vedic Age - early & later Vedic society, polity, religion
- Mahajanapadas & rise of Magadha
- Jainism - tenets, sects, spread
- Buddhism - tenets, councils, schools, spread
- Mauryan Empire - administration, Ashoka, economy
- Post-Mauryan - Sungas, Satavahanas, Indo-Greeks, Kushanas
- Sangam Age - literature, society, polity
- Gupta Empire - administration, golden age, science
- Post-Gupta - Harsha, regional kingdoms
Medieval India (8 topics)
- Early medieval - Rajputs, Cholas administration
- Delhi Sultanate - dynasties, administration, economy
- Bhakti movement - saints, ideas, impact
- Sufi movement - orders, ideas, impact
- Vijayanagara & Bahmani kingdoms
- Mughal Empire - administration, land revenue, culture
- Mughal decline & rise of regional states
- Marathas - Shivaji, administration, confederacy
Modern India - Conquest & Economy (6 topics)
- Advent of Europeans (Portuguese to British)
- British conquest - Bengal (Plassey, Buxar)
- British conquest - Mysore, Marathas, Sikhs, subsidiary alliance & doctrine of lapse
- Land revenue systems - Permanent, Ryotwari, Mahalwari
- Drain of wealth & deindustrialisation
- Administrative, judicial & police changes
Modern India - Reform & Revolt (5 topics)
- Socio-religious reform - Brahmo Samaj & Raja Rammohan Roy
- Socio-religious reform - Arya Samaj, Ramakrishna, Aligarh & others
- Peasant & tribal uprisings before 1857
- Revolt of 1857 - causes, course, consequences
- Aftermath of 1857 & the Crown's assumption of power
Modern India - Nationalism (1885-1919) (7 topics)
- Formation of the Indian National Congress
- Moderate phase - leaders, methods, demands
- Partition of Bengal & Swadeshi movement
- Extremists & the Surat Split
- Revolutionary activities - phase I
- Morley-Minto Reforms 1909
- Home Rule movement & Lucknow Pact
Modern India - Gandhian Era (1919-1939) (8 topics)
- Gandhi's early movements - Champaran, Kheda, Ahmedabad
- Rowlatt Act & Jallianwala Bagh
- Non-Cooperation & Khilafat movement
- Swaraj Party & constructive programme
- Simon Commission & Nehru Report
- Civil Disobedience & Dandi March
- Round Table Conferences & GoI Act 1935
- Revolutionary activities - phase II (Bhagat Singh, HSRA)
Modern India - Towards Freedom (1939-1947) (5 topics)
- Congress ministries & WWII outbreak
- Quit India Movement
- INA & Subhas Chandra Bose
- Post-war struggles, Cabinet Mission & interim government
- Partition & Independence
Constitutional Development (British Era) (3 topics)
- Regulating & Pitt's Acts to Charter Acts
- Government of India Acts 1858, 1909, 1919
- Government of India Act 1935
Art & Culture (9 topics)
- Architecture - temple styles (Nagara, Dravida, Vesara)
- Rock-cut & cave architecture
- Indo-Islamic architecture
- Painting traditions (Ajanta, miniatures, folk)
- Classical dance forms
- Music - Hindustani & Carnatic
- Literature across ages & languages
- Philosophy - six schools & heterodox
- UNESCO heritage, GI tags, festivals & fairs
Post-Independence India (3 topics)
- Integration of princely states
- Reorganisation of states
- Major policies & political developments (1947-2000)
How to cover this subject
Work through the topic groups in the order listed — the sequence builds concepts before applications. After each topic, attempt its previous-year questions; after finishing the subject, take a mock test and let the checkpoint flag weak topics for revision. See the full UPSC syllabus for how this subject fits the overall study plan.
Frequently asked questions
How many topics are in the UPSC History syllabus?
In UPSCGenie's teaching tree, History for Prelims breaks into 65 topics across 10 topic groups: Ancient India, Medieval India, Modern India - Conquest & Economy, Modern India - Reform & Revolt, Modern India - Nationalism (1885-1919), Modern India - Gandhian Era (1919-1939), Modern India - Towards Freedom (1939-1947), Constitutional Development (British Era), Art & Culture, Post-Independence India.
Are there free lessons for the History syllabus?
Yes — every History topic listed on this page has a full, source-cited lesson in UPSCGenie (English and Hindi), with recall questions, and the subject ends with a scored checkpoint.
Is this the official UPSC syllabus for History?
It covers the officially notified syllabus, organised into teachable topics. For the authoritative one-line syllabus text, always refer to the current UPSC notification; this page expands it into the concrete topics the paper actually tests.
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