UPSC HISTORY OPTIONAL SUBJECT

The UPSC optional subject list contains 48 subjects in total, one of which is History. The History syllabus for UPSC focuses on the candidates’ ability to understand the techniques used to study history and their knowledge of chronological events. In the mains stage of IAS Exam, it is part of the General Studies Paper 1 too.

It is one of the most popular optional subjects in the Mains exam. The topics included in this subject are related to archaeology, archaeological sources, historical architecture, culture and heritage. It will be easier for candidates to cover the syllabus of UPSC Mains, once they get familiar with IAS History Optional syllabus of civil services examination.

In this article, we provide you with all the details about for History optional. Candidates can find the UPSC History Optional Syllabus PDF at the end of the article.

Ancient Indian History

• A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: from the Stone Age to the 12th Century by Upinder Singh

Medieval Indian History

• Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals-Delhi Sultanat (1206-1526) - 1 by Satish Chandra
• Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals- Mughal Empire (1526-1748) - 2 by Satish Chandra
• Medieval India : The Study Of A Civlization by Irfan Habib

Modern Indian History

• From Plassey to Partition and After A History of Modern India by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay
• India's Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra
• India since Independence by Bipan Chandra

World History

• A History of the Modern World: An Outline by Ranjan Chakrabarti
• Mastering Modern World History (Palgrave Master Series) by Norman Lowe

Map for History Optional

• Ensemble- History Through Maps

Click here for - History Optional Syllabus

Advantages of History Optional

Overlap with GS

General studies I in the UPSC prelims exam and General Studies Paper I in the UPSC Mains exam has a good amount of history in the respective syllabi.

In GS paper I of the UPSC Mains exam, Indian art and culture, ancient, medieval and modern history, freedom struggle and world history form a good chunk of the syllabus. So, studying history as an optional will help you cover a great deal in the GS papers. Moreover, concepts like industrial revolution, world after the Second World War that you read about in history will help you understand concepts in economy, political science, and international relations also. Adding a historical perspective of things adds weight to your answers in every GS paper.

Essay paper

Studying history helps in the essay paper because you will get a deeper perception about current events. To understand current situation, you should understand the history behind it. Studying about the past helps you comprehend the present better, and also helps you prepare for the future in the light of things learnt, mistakes made and experience gained.

Easy to understand

Another advantage associated with history is that it is easier to understand when compared to some conceptual subjects . Here, there are no big formulas to remember, or difficult and abstract theories to learn. You can read and enjoy history like a story. Also there are some wonderful documentaries and programs on television that talk about historical events and people. Whenever you are down by the tiring preparation, you can unwind by watching them, and also learn something useful for your exam.

Static versus dynamic

History is predominantly a static subject. Although the UPSC adds dynamism to every subject (except hard core science subjects like physics and mathematics), history is unlike polity and public administration where every question can perhaps be looked at from the current affairs angle. And, of course, history doesn’t change. So, it doesn’t require constant updation like international relations or economy.

Ample study material

There is ample study material available for history optional.

History optional disadvantages

Some of the disadvantages of history are:

1. If you are genuinely not interested in history, studying it can be boring and tiresome.
2. It is generally considered that a good writing skill helps to score more marks in this subject.
3. This is a pet peeve associated with history right from school days. You do have to remember facts here. Not all dates and names need to be crammed, but it does add to your score if you can quote correct dates, places and relevant facts.
4. The syllabus is generally considered vast.