UPSC History Optional Map Solution

The map question is Question 1 of Paper I in the UPSC History Optional examination: 20 places marked on an outline map, 2.5 marks each, 50 marks in total, with a note of about 30 words expected on every one. It is compulsory, it is the first thing you will see, and it is the only section of the optional where recall cannot be replaced by reasoning.

It is also the section most aspirants under-prepare. Below are the solved map answers for every year from 2013 to 2025 — each site identified, located, dated and explained, free to read.

Solved map answers, year by year

The map is 50 marks. What about the other 450?

The map answers on this site are free and will stay free. But the map is 50 of the 500 marks in the History Optional. The other 450 are written answers — and that is where most candidates lose the paper.

The History Optional PYQ Master Pack carries a written model answer for every question UPSC has set since 1985, arranged topic-wise.

  • PYQs from 1985 to 2025 — topic-wise, so you revise a theme and see every way it has been asked
  • Model answers, not hints — written to the mark and the word limit, with historians named inside the argument
  • Every map section solved — the same notes you see here, for all years, in one offline file
  • PDF plus online access — any device, permanently, no subscription

₹1,499 (regular ₹2,500). One-time payment, instant access.

See every paper solved

How to write the map answer in the exam hall

The solutions on the year pages above are reference notes, not model answers. In the hall you have roughly 45 minutes for all 20 sites — about two minutes each, including the time it takes to find the number on the map. What follows is the structure that reliably earns the full 2.5 marks.

The five-part note that works every time

  • Locate it — present-day state, and the river or coast it sits on
  • Date it — the period or culture it belongs to (Palaeolithic, Harappan, Satavahana, Mughal)
  • Attribute it — the excavator, the founding dynasty, or the ruler associated with it
  • Evidence it — one distinguishing find, structure or inscription
  • Justify it — one line on why the site matters to the wider historical argument

Four habits that cost marks

  • Writing 60 words on the three sites you know and one line on the rest — the marks are the same for each
  • Naming the site and stopping — identification alone is half the mark
  • Leaving the map question for the end — it is the only section where you cannot think your way to an answer, so bank it first
  • Skipping a site entirely — even a location and a period is worth attempting

Practise on a blank outline map rather than by reading. Mark the 20 sites from memory, write your notes, then check them against this page. Every site you missed becomes a flashcard.

Which site types repeat

Individual sites are rarely repeated. Site categories are repeated almost every year, which is why preparing by category rather than by name is what pays.

CategoryRoughly how often since 2013Typical examples
Harappan settlementsEvery yearRakhigarhi, Dholavira, Kalibangan, Banawali
Palaeolithic / Mesolithic / rock-art sitesAlmost every yearBhimbetka, Attirampakkam, Bagor, Konkan petroglyphs
Chalcolithic and Neolithic culturesMost yearsNavdatoli, Kayatha, Inamgaon, Burzahom, Chirand
Megalithic sitesMost yearsBrahmagiri, Adichanallur, Vangchhia, Mallapadi
Buddhist monastic and stupa sitesMost yearsSanchi, Nagarjunakonda, Moghalmari, Ratnagiri
Mahajanapada capitals and early citiesFrequentShravasti, Rajgir, Kaushambi, Ujjain
Ports and trade centresFrequentArikamedu, Muziris, Bharuch, Tamralipti
Temple and architectural sitesFrequentPattadakal, Aihole, Khajuraho, Dah Parbatiya

Two ways to prepare for the rest of the paper

The map solutions on this site are free and will stay free. If you want the rest of the optional handled the same way, there are two routes, depending on where you are in your preparation.

PYQ Master PackMains Master Kit 2027
Best whenYour notes are done and you now need answer-writingYou are still building the subject from the ground up
What you getModel answers to every question since 1985, topic-wise, map sections included4,500+ pages of notes, complete mapping coverage, 12 months of article access
Covers the map sectionYes — every year solvedYes — site-wise preparation, not just answers
Price₹1,499 (regular ₹2,500)₹1,770 (regular ₹5,000)

Both are one-time purchases with permanent access. Aspirants in their second or third attempt usually take the PYQ Master Pack; first-timers usually start with the Kit.

Get the PYQ Master Pack
See the Mains Master Kit

Frequently asked questions

It is Question 1 of Paper I and carries 50 marks — 20 identifications at 2.5 marks each, with a note of about 30 words per site. It is compulsory, so every candidate attempts it.

About 45 minutes of the three hours, which is roughly two minutes per site including the time spent locating the number on the map. Attempt it first rather than last.

Present-day location with the river or state, the period or culture, the excavator or associated dynasty, one distinguishing find, and one line on why the site matters. Identification alone earns roughly half the mark.

Individual sites rarely repeat, but categories repeat constantly — Harappan settlements, rock-art and Palaeolithic sites, Chalcolithic cultures, megalithic sites, Buddhist monastic centres, Mahajanapada capitals and ports appear in most years. Prepare by category.

No. UPSC supplies the marked map and asks only for identification and a short note in the answer booklet. Locational hints are printed with the question and often narrow an ambiguous site to one candidate.

Yes. Every year from 2013 to 2025 is solved in full on this site at no cost. The paid material covers the written answers for the rest of the paper.

The full question papers

The map question is one part of Paper I. The complete History Optional papers — every question from both papers, with unit-wise analysis and the official PDFs — are here: