History is an important subject of civil services examination. As it entails ancient India history, medieval Indian history, modern Indian history and world history, it becomes imperative for aspirants to have the list of history books for IAS Exam preparation.
In this article, we will give an exhaustive list of the best Indian History books for the UPSC IAS Exam. The stages of the IAS Exam are given below:
- UPSC Prelims – objective-type questions
- UPSC Mains – descriptive-essay type questions
- IAS Interview
Explore The Ultimate Guide to IAS Exam Preparation
| Apart from taking assistance from the Indian history books, strengthen your UPSC preparation by solving question papers for prelims and mains examination: |
Check the best books for Indian history segregated as per the exam stage. The list has been divided based on History books for IAS prelims and mains.
Indian History Books
As per the UPSC Syllabus, the History part of the syllabus can be further sub-divided into:
- Ancient Indian History
- Medieval Indian History
- Modern Indian History
- World History (only in UPSC Mains)
List of Indian History Books for IAS Prelims exam:
UPSC History books for the prelims stage of the examination are mentioned in a list below:
| List of Best Books for History UPSC | History Books for UPSC Prelims- Categories |
| A Brief History of Modern India | Modern History |
| NCERT Class XI Modern India- Bipan Chandra | Modern History |
| NCERT Class XI Medieval India – Satish Chandra | Medieval History |
| NCERT Class XI Ancient India | Ancient History |
| NCERT Class XII Theme in Indian History- I | Ancient Indian History |
| NCERT Class XII Theme in Indian History- II | Medieval Indian History |
| NCERT Class XII Theme in Indian History- III | Medieval & Modern Indian History |
| NCERT Class XI an Introduction to Indian Art | Ancient Indian History |
| NCERT Class XI Living Crafts Traditions of India | Indian History |
| NCERT Class XI Crafts Tradition of India | Indian History |
After the IAS Prelims exam, aspirants need to focus on the IAS Mains Exam. In UPSC Mains, apart from Indian History, there is also part of World History included in the syllabus.
List of Indian History Books for IAS Mains exam:
The History portion in UPSC Mains – GS Paper 1 is given in brief below:
| Syllabus | Description |
| Indian Culture | Art Forms, Literature, Architecture from ancient to modern era |
| Modern Indian history | Important personalities, events, problems during the mid of the 18th century till post-Independence |
| The Freedom Struggle | Different phases and main contributors and contributions from various parts of the nation |
| India post-independence | Post-independence consolidation and reorganization inside the country |
| World History | events, colonization, the industrial revolution, world wars, redrawing of national boundaries, decolonization and political philosophies |
Best History Books for IAS Mains exam are as follows:
| List of Indian History Best Books for UPSC | History books for UPSC Mains – Category |
| History of Modern World – Jain and Mathur | World History |
| Mastering Modern World History-Norman Lowe | Modern World History |
| India After Gandhi – Ramchandra Guha | Modern Indian History |
| India’s Struggle for Independence – Bipan Chandra | Modern Indian History |
| History Of Modern India – Bipan Chandra | Modern Indian History |
| Indian Art and Culture – Nitin Singhania | Modern Indian History |
| India’s Ancient Past- RS Sharma | Ancient Indian History |
| The Wonder That Was India – A.L. Basham | Ancient Indian History |
| From Plassey to Partition | Modern Indian History |
Aspirants who choose History as an optional subject in the UPSC 2021Â exam often find the syllabus interesting. The wide availability of study material and its popularity makes History subject relatively easier in the Mains exam.
Best Indian History Books For History Optional
The list of Indian History books for History Optional is given below:
- A New Look at Modern Indian History From 1707 to the Modern Times- Alka Mehta and B L Grover S
- Mastering Modern World History- Norman Lowe (Best book for World History UPSC)
- The Penguin History Of Early India: From The Origins To AD 1300- Romila Thapar
- Age of Revolution 1789-1848- Eric Hobsbawm
- History of Medieval India- Satish Chandra (Medieval history book for UPSC exam)
- History Of Modern India- Bipan Chandra
- India’s Ancient Past- Ram Sharan Sharma
- Modern Indian History- Bipan Chandra
- Age Of Capital: 1848-1875 (History of Civilization)- Eric Hobsbawm
- Age of Capital -E.J. Hobsbawm
- Age of Empires -E.J. Hobsbawm
- Age of Revolution- E.J. Hobsbawm
- Contemporary World History (NCERT) -Arjun Dev –
- Europe Since 1815 -W.C. Craig
- Europe Since 1870 -James Joll.
- Europe Since Napoleon -David Thompson
- Industry & Empire -E.J. Hobsbawm
- The social basis of Democracy & Dictatorship -B.J. Moore
- The Mainstream of Civilization -Strayer, Gatzke & Harbison
- The story of Civilization, Vol. 2 (NCERT) -Arjun Dev
In UPSC Mains, aspirants can also choose History as one of the optional subjects. History is a popular choice among aspirants because of the significant overlap with the General Studies Syllabus.
Syllabus for History Optional
| Paper-I Syllabus | Paper-II Syllabus |
| Archaeological sources | European diffusion into India |
| Indus Valley Civilization | British extension in India |
| Pre-history and Proto-history | Â Early composition of the British Raj |
| Megalithic Cultures | Â Economic Impact of British Colonial Rule |
| Vedic Period and Aryans | Cultural and Social Developments |
| Mahajanapadas Period | Religious and Social Reform movements in Bengal |
| Spread of Jainism and Buddhism | Indian reaction to British Rule |
| Mauryan Empire | Birth of Indian Nationalism |
| Post – Mauryan Period-Indo-Greeks, Kushanas, Sakas and Western Kshatrapas | Gandhian nationalism |
| Early Society in Eastern India and South India | Constitutional Developments in the Colonial India |
| Guptas, Vardhanas and Vakatakas | Politics of Separatism |
| Themes in Early Indian Cultural History | Consolidation as a Nation |
| Early Medieval India, 750-1200 | Political change and Economic development |
| Cultural Traditions in India, Literature, Art and Architecture and Temple architecture, painting and sculpture | Modern ideas and Enlightenment |
| The 13th Century and 14th Century | Origins of Modern Politics |
| Foundation of Delhi Sultanate and Turkish Sultans | Industrialization |
| Society, Culture and Economy in the 13th and 14th Centuries | Nation-State System |
| The 15th and early 16th Century | Colonialism and Imperialism |
| The 15th and early 16th Century – Society and Culture | Revolution and Counter-Revolution |
| Mughal Empire in the 17th Century | |
| Economy and Society in the 16th and 17th Centuries | |
| Culture in the Mughal Empire | |
| The 18th Century |
Candidates can check the History optional syllabus in detail in the linked article.
The UPSC Syllabus is comprehensive but it can be divided into few core areas, such as:
- History
- Polity
- Geography
- Economy
- Current Affairs
IAS Toppers recommend starting their preparation with NCERT books. For the complete list of all UPSC books, aspirants can check the linked article.
Apart from the UPSC history book list, get the NCERT notes on History below:
- NCERT Ancient India History Notes for UPSC
- NCERT Medieval India History Notes for UPSC
- NCERT Modern India History Notes for UPSC
Frequently Asked Questions on Best History Books for UPSC
Q 1. Is NCERT enough for UPSC history?
Q 2. Which book is better for UPSC history?
Q 3. Which are the best modern history books for UPSC?
Ans. A few of the best books for modern history UPSC preparation are as follows:
- NCERT Class XI Modern India – Bipan Chandra
- History of Modern World – Jain and Mathur
- History of Modern India – Bipan Chandra
- A New Look at Modern Indian History From 1707 to the Modern Times- Alka Mehta and B L Grover S
The best book for modern history UPSC will be helpful for both, prelims and mains examination, and also for the IAS Mains optional preparation.
Q 4. Name the best Ancient History Books for UPSC.
Ans. Given below are a few of the best books for ancient history for UPSC preparation:
- India’s Ancient Past- Ram Sharan Sharma
- NCERT Class XI Ancient India
- NCERT Class XI an Introduction to Indian Art
Q 5. Which are the best books for Medieval History for UPSC preparation?
Ans. The books for medieval history for UPSC preparation as given below:
- History of Medieval India- Satish Chandra [NCERT]
- Medieval India (Macmillan) Satish Chandra
- Advanced Study in the History of Medival India by J.L.Mehta
For more details on the UPSC Preparation, you can check below:
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