Here’s a curated list of History Optional material for UPSC — covering books, notes, PYQs, and online resources so you don’t waste time hunting for the right study content.
The History Optional for the UPSC Civil Services Mains Examination covers a vast syllabus. To prepare effectively, aspirants need a combination of books, notes, online resources, and practice materials.
Here’s a breakdown of the key study materials for History Optional:
History Optional Base Material – NCERTs
NCERTs: Start with NCERT textbooks (Old and New) for a strong base, especially the Old NCERTs are preferred for chronological details and language development.
- Ancient History – Ancient India by R.S. Sharma (Old NCERT)
- Medieval History – Medieval India Vol I & II by Satish Chandra (Old NCERT)
- Modern India – Modern India by Bipan Chandra (Old NCERT)
- World History basics – Contemporary World History for Class XII (Arjun Dev).
Other Important Reads for a foundational understanding:
- The Wonder That Was India by A.L. Basham for Ancient India.
- From Plassey to Partition and After A History of Modern India by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay.
History Optional Standard Reference Books
Ancient Indian History
- Ancient Indian History – History Optional Notes by LotusArise
- A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: from the Stone Age to the 12th Century by Upinder Singh
- Ancient India (NCERT) – Prof. R.S. Sharma
- History of Early India – Romila Thapar
Medieval Indian History
- Medieval Indian History – History Optional Notes by LotusArise
- 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
- Ashoka & Decline of the Maurya – Romila Thapar
Modern Indian History
- Modern Indian History – History Optional Notes by LotusArise
- Post-Independence Indian History – History Optional Notes by LotusArise
- 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
- India After Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha.
World History
- World History – History Optional Notes by LotusArise
- A History of the Modern World: An Outline by Ranjan Chakrabarti / History of the World – Arjun Dev
- Mastering Modern World History (Palgrave Master Series) by Norman Lowe
Map for History Optional
History Optional Notes and Coaching Materials
- Online Resources: Platforms like LotusArise and Levelup IAS provide topic-wise notes, and downloadable notes. Other valuable resources include online lectures and materials from Vision IAS, Vajiram, and Drishti IAS.
- Handwritten Notes: Notes from coaching institutions like Baliyan Sir or Manikant Singh are popular and available online or in print.
- Coaching Materials: Structured notes and comprehensive coverage can be found in materials from coaching centers like LotusArise, Vision IAS or Vajiram & Ravi (Yellow Books).
History Optional Practice and revision material
- Previous Year Question Papers (PYQs): Essential for understanding the exam pattern. Solve topic-wise papers and download PDFs from platforms like LotusArise IAS.
- Topic-wise Solved Papers: Resources such as Diksah Publication provide solved papers for answer writing practice.
- Test Series: Joining a test series, can help evaluate preparation and improve answer writing.
- Historical Atlases: Important for map-based questions. LotusArise IAS has a dedicated mapping book, and Vision IAS also provides a mapping document is available from Vision IAS.
- Flashcards: Useful for memorizing key information.
Important Tips for Effective Preparation:
- Familiarize yourself with the syllabus.
- Start with NCERTs.
- Create concise notes.
- Connect historical events with current affairs.
- Practice answer writing regularly.
- Practice map-based questions.
- Utilize online resources.