History Notes for UPSC – Indian History Notes for UPSC PDF
By Balaji
Updated on: May 8th, 2023
History Notes for UPSC would play a vital role to cover the Indian history sections in both Prelims, Mains and Optional exams. History is very vast and consists of Ancient History, Medieval History, Modern Indian History, and also the Art & Culture of India. Candidates need the History Notes for UPSC to have effective and efficient preparation for the upcoming IAS exam. Additionally, the candidates who have opted for the History optional must go through the Indian History Notes for UPSC to fetch good marks on the optional papers.
Each year, a large number of questions are asked about Indian History as well as the Art & Culture of India. To help aspirants in their journey to clear IAS Exam, we have compiled important Indian History Notes for UPSC PDF. The History Notes for UPSC have been made with the help of various sources like NCERT History books, and standard books, and also topics covered are in line with the UPSC Previous Year Question Papers. Additionally, we have covered the Medieval, Modern, and World history notes for UPSC.
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History Notes for UPSC
Aspiring civil servants are required to have a thorough knowledge of Indian history and world history, as it forms an essential part of the UPSC syllabus. History Notes for UPSC provide a comprehensive understanding of the country’s past, covering a range of topics from ancient and medieval India to the modern era. The Ancient History UPSC Notes covers the events related to ancient civilization, whereas Modern History UPSC Notes includes the history after 1850.
On the other hand, the world history notes for UPSC include topics like world wars, the industrial revolution, unification of Germany and Italy. These notes provide candidates with an insight into the significant events, personalities, and social and cultural transformations that have shaped India’s history. In this way, history notes for UPSC are an indispensable tool for candidates seeking to crack the UPSC exam and join the civil services.
History Notes for UPSC – Ancient India
Ancient Indian history deals with ancient civilizations, and it explains the true nature of the past and also the nature of the obstacles that hinder India’s progress as a nation. This section is covered in the UPSC Prelims Syllabus, Mains syllabus, and History optional syllabus. Below we have provided a link to download the Ancient Indian History Notes for UPSC.
- Indus Valley Civilization (IVC)
- Vedic Period
- Early Vedic Period and Later Vedic Period
- Buddhism
- Jainism
- Mahajanapadas
- Mauryan Period
- Kushan Empire
- Indo-Greek Rule
- Gupta Empire
Medieval History Notes for UPSC
The Medival Indian history is an important part of the UPSC History Optional Syllabus, and it is also included in the UPSC Prelims. Candidates must check out the Medieval Indian History Notes and start their preparation for the upcoming UPSC exams. We have provided the link to download the Medieval History of India PDF for UPSC below.
- Chalukya Dynasty
- Pallava Dynasty
- Sangam Age
- The Rajput States
- Vijaynagar Empire
- Bahmani Kingdoms
- Delhi Sultanate
- Administration of Delhi Sultanate
- Art & Architecture of Delhi Sultanate
- Babur Mughal Empire
- Bhakti and Sufi Movement
Modern History Notes for UPSC
Modern Indian history is considered the history of India after 1850. A major topic in modern Indian history was British Rule in India. The Modern Indian History Notes cover the core points of that period, and it would definitely help the candidates to cover the Modern Indian section in the UPSC Syllabus.
- Advent of Europeans in India
- Peasant Movements in India: Civil Uprising
- Revolt of 1857
- Governor-General and Viceroy of India
- Land Revenue System
- Indian National Movement
- Newspapers and Journals during British India
- Mountbatten Plan
- Education during the British Period
- Revolutionary Movements During British Period
- Development of Press during the British Period
- Women Participation In Indian Freedom Struggle
- Women Freedom Fighters
- Post-Independence Consolidation of India
How to make History Notes for UPSC?
Indian History is all about the history behind Indian culture, art, a tale of wars and peace, literature, society, and so much more. To prepare Indian History Notes for UPSC, you don’t just have to mug up the events and dates, but also you need to go in-depth to see what led to those situations. Candidates can check the UPSC Previous Year Question Paper to see what types of questions are coming from Indian history. Let’s see how you can prepare the best Indian History Notes from books.
- Indian history includes ancient, modern, medieval, and art & culture. You need to follow different books and make separate notes for these sections.
- While covering the book note down the core points, but make sure you don’t end up writing the whole book. The main purpose of the notes is to help you out during the revision period as it is not ideal to go through the whole book at the last moment.
- Ensure to note down the main events, and dates and keep revising them every day. The Indian history section for UPSC is vast and you need to memorize so much in a limited period of time so that’s why regular revision of the Indian History Notes for UPSC is important.
Books to Prepare Indian History Notes for UPSC
To make the Indian History Notes for UPSC candidates must have their hands on the selected UPSC Indian history books. As we have mentioned above it is not feasible or wise to go through the Indian history books again and again during the revision. That’s why you must note down the important points that would come in quite handy during the revision process. Below we have compiled a list of all the highly recommended Indian History Books for UPSC.
- India After Independence: Bipan Chandra
- India’s Ancient Past by RS Sharma
- History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra
- History of Modern India by Bipan Chandra
- The Wonder That Was India: AL Basham
- India After Gandhi: Ramachandra Guha
- Ancient and Medieval India: Poonam Dalal Dahiya