Ancient History Questions in UPSC Prelims – UPSC Ancient History Questions (PYQ)
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: November 14th, 2023
Ancient History Questions in UPSC Prelims can be tricky to answer as the ancient history segment of the UPSC syllabus is vast. Aspirants need to prepare thoroughly for this section which will aid in answering all the UPSC Ancient History Questions asked in prelims and mains. Candidates preparing for the upcoming Civil Services exam must refer to the Ancient History Previous Year Questions UPSC to get a clear picture of the types of questions asked in the exam.
To make things easier and more feasible for the candidates, we have covered all the UPSC Prelims Ancient History Questions with answers in this article. By analysing the questions from the previous year’s papers from the ancient history section, candidates can determine the difficulty level to devise a strategy to fetch good marks from this portion.
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Ancient History Questions in UPSC Prelims
Aspirants can download the Ancient History Previous Year Questions UPSC prelims 2013-2022 using the links below. Every year 3-6 questions are asked about this subject. Most candidates ignore the UPSC ancient history prelims questions, but if attempted, it might give the aspirants an edge to clear the cutoff.
- Ancient History Questions in UPSC Prelims 2022
- Ancient History UPSC Questions 2021
- Ancient History Prelims Questions 2020
- Ancient History Questions in UPSC Prelims 2019
- Ancient History Previous Year Questions UPSC Prelims 2018
- UPSC Prelims Ancient History Questions 2017
- Ancient India Prelims Questions 2016
- Ancient History PYQ UPSC Prelims 2015
- Ancient History Questions in UPSC Prelims 2014
- Ancient History Previous Year Questions UPSC 2013
Ancient History Previous Year Questions UPSC with Answers
Every year, around 3 to 4 ancient history questions are asked in the UPSC Prelims exam. Below we have provided all the Ancient History Questions in UPSC Prelims 2022 along with answers.
| Medieval History Questions UPSC Prelims | Modern History Previous Year Questions UPSC Prelims |
| Modern History Previous Year Questions of UPSC Mains | History Previous Year Questions UPSC Mains |
UPSC Ancient History Questions asked in Prelims 2022 are as follows:
Question: According to Kautilya’s Arthashastra, which of the following is correct?
- A person could be a slave as a result of judicial punishment.
- If a female slave bore her master a son, she was legally free.
- If a son born to a female slave was fathered by her master, the son was entitled to the legal status of the master’s son.
Which of the statements given above is correct? – 1 and 2 only, 2 and 3 only, 1 and 3 only, 1, 2 and 3
Answer – All statements are correct.
Download the UPSC Prelims 2022 Question Paper PDF to practice the complete paper.
Question: With reference to Indian history, consider the following pairs:
| Historical person | Known as |
| Aryadeva | Jaina scholar |
| Dignaga | Buddhist scholar |
| Nathamuni | Vaishnava scholar |
How many pairs given above are correctly matched? – None of the pairs, Only one pair, Only two pairs, All three pairs
Answer – Only two pairs
Ancient History Questions in UPSC Prelims 2021
Four ancient history UPSC Prelims questions were asked in the 2021 question paper, which are as follows:
The correct answer to the UPSC Ancient History Questions asked in prelims 2021 are as follows –
- a
- b
- b
- b
Topics of UPSC Ancient History Questions
There is a fixed portion of the syllabus from which the Ancient History questions in UPSC Prelims are asked. As mentioned above, around 4 to 6 questions are asked from Ancient History in Prelims exam having a difficulty level of moderate to difficult. The following topics are covered in this section of the exam:
| Topics Covered in Ancient History PYQ UPSC Prelims | |
| Mahajanapadas | Buddhism |
| Mauryan Administration | Indus Valley Civilization |
| Chola Dynasty | Mauryan Empire |
| Major Rock Edicts of Ashoka | Dholavira |
| Types of Vedas | Administration of Delhi Sultanate |
| Slave Dynasty | Chera Dynasty |
Strategy to Prepare for Ancient History Questions in UPSC Prelims
Ancient history is an important part of both the UPSC Prelims Syllabus and the Mains Syllabus. Additionally, those who have opted for history optional subjects need to have in-depth knowledge of ancient history. Every year at least 5-6 questions are asked from this section in the IAS Prelims exam.
Many candidates ignore this section for modern history, but in UPSC Exam every single mark is crucial. Below we have mentioned some tips and tricks that would help you efficiently cover ancient history in the UPSC History Syllabus for both Prelims and Mains.
- Start with basic NCERT Books for UPSC and focus on understanding the events chronologically. Those who don’t have a background in history must start with these basic books. Specific facts mentioned in the NCERTs are the names of officers, kings, etc., which is vital from the UPSC Prelim’ss point of view.
- After completing the basic UPSC Books for history, candidates need to switch to some advanced-level books. Here the aspirants need to read the topics to understand not only what happened when but what are the reasons and effects of the events.
- Note-making is also a crucial part of the UPSC preparation as it helps the candidates during the revision period. Candidates need to note down all the important points while covering the books.
- At last, it comes to reversing what you have learned previously. Make sure you solve the UPSC Previous Year Question Papers and mock tests for better preparation.
