History of Ancient India is one of the most important subjects for the UPSC Exam. Indian History for IAS is a very vast subject covering the following areas:
- Ancient Indian History
- Medieval Indian History
- Modern Indian History
The IAS Syllabus covers history in both Prelims and Mains. The History topics are closely related to Heritage and Culture, particularly when studying History for IAS. The following are the important topics to study from Ancient Indian History:
- Prehistoric India
- Historic India
- Indus Valley Civilization
- Vedic India
- Mahajanapadas
- Buddhism and Related Topics
- Mauryan Empire, Administrative Structure, Rulers and Legacy
- Gupta Empire, Rulers and Legacy
- Invasions from Central Asia
- Kingdoms, States and Dynasties of South India, Their Rulers and Legacy
To help ease the path of your IAS preparation, check out the Free NCERT Fundamentals Course– a comprehensive study program to help you cover the NCERTs effectively. Watch the video below to learn more:
Ancient Indian History Notes
The Ancient history of India is an crucial topic for the CSE exam. It is also an interesting topic while being a vast topic as well. The notes and topics in this article will help in candidate in cruising through the Ancient History of India segment with relative ease.
| Prehistoric Age in India | Indus Valley Civilization |
| Indus Valley Civilization Facts | Facts about Rig Veda for UPSC Exam |
| Types of Vedas | Vedic Literature |
| Vedic Civilization: Ancient History for UPSC IAS Exam | Persian and Greek Invasions of Ancient India |
| Rise and Growth of the Magadha Empire | Buddha and His Teachings |
| Buddhist Councils & Buddhist Texts | Jainism |
| Chandragupta Maurya and the Rise of the Mauryan Empire | Mauryan Administration |
| Emperor Ashoka | Ashoka’s Edicts |
| Decline of the Mauryan Empire | Post-Mauryan India – Sunga Dynasty |
| Post-Mauryan India – The Satavahanas | Indo-Greek Rule |
| The Sakas | Kushana Empire |
| Gupta Empire | Legacy and Decline of the Gupta Empire |
| King Harshavardhana | Pallavas – Origins and Rulers |
| Pallavas – Society and Architecture | Chalukya Dynasty |
| Pala Empire | Vakatakas |
| Kanva Dynasty | Post-Mauryan Age – Crafts, Trade & Towns |
| Ancient History South India | Life under Guptas and Vakatakas |
| Central Asian Contacts and their Results | Mauryan Empire |
| Mahajanapadas – Social and Material Life | 16 Mahajanapadas |
| Later Vedic Culture | Harappan Civilisation |
| Jainism | Buddhism |
| Early Medieval India | Indian Cultural Contacts with Asian Countries |
The most important sources of History are NCERT Books. Aspirants should read History from NCERT Books for UPSC to prepare for the IAS Exam. Taking notes is an efficient way to organise your study material for revision. Though taking notes is advisable, UPSC Candidates often find it difficult to find the right topics to focus on or may not have the time or resources at hand to take efficient notes. With this in mind, we at BYJU’S have developed a compilation of NCERT Notes for UPSC. This page compiles most of the important NCERT Notes for Ancient Indian History for UPSC for ease of use by IAS aspirants.
These IAS History study materials cover most of the major History Topics from the Ancient Indian Historical era until the dawn of the middle ages. Candidates should use these notes in conjunction with the NCERT Books to cover the complete UPSC Syllabus for Ancient Indian History.
Studying the Ancient History of India requires a thorough understanding of the chronology of events in Indian History. Based on this foundation, aspirants should build up knowledge on various aspects of history such as economic history, administrative history and cultural impact of historical events apart from political history.
While reading these topics, aspirants can practise past year history prelims and mains questions from the links given below:
- History questions from UPSC Mains GS 1 from 2013 to 2019.
- Ancient History Questions in UPSC Prelims [2013-2020]
More IAS related queries
In UPSC Mains, History is part of General Studies Paper I syllabus. However, there are no direct questions on Ancient History unless they can be linked to Art and Culture. For e.g. the 2017 UPSC Mains GS I paper had a question regarding the decline of the numismatic art in India after the Gupta period.
- India’s Ancient Past by RS Sharma
- Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania
Which NCERT books to read for IAS exam 2023?
NCERT books are a must-read for IAS preparation They are important in both UPSC Prelims and Mains. NCERT books on History, Geography, Economics are particularly important. For easy reference of IAS aspirants, we have compiled a comprehensive list of NCERT books important for IAS exam 2023
Are NCERT books enough for UPSC exam?
NCERT books are an essential part of UPSC exam preparation. However, because of the comprehensive UPSC syllabus, IAS aspirants should also refer to subject-specific books (for e.g. Indian Polity by Laxmikanth) and keep tabs on the current affairs of at least the past 12-15 months.
Is History a good optional choice for UPSC Mains exam?
Yes, History is a popular choice among IAS aspirants because of the subject’s heavy overlap with the General Studies part in both UPSC Prelims and UPSC Mains. However, the syllabus of History is vast and candidates often find it difficult to manage.
Does IAS exam syllabus change?
Yes, refer to the official UPSC notification to see the latest IAS exam syllabus. However, there have been no significant changes in the UPSC syllabus recently but the nature of exam questions has become more dynamic. Candidates can download the previous years’ Topic Wise UPSC Prelims Questions PDF from the linked article to understand the trend of questions.
To apply for the IAS exam 2023, candidates have to successfully fill the two-part online registration form on the UPSC official website. The UPSC 2023 forms will be out in February and the last date to submit the application will be in March.
Read more History of India NCERT Notes for UPSC. These notes are prepared on the important history topics of the UPSC Syllabus. It will help in the quick revision of prelims and GS 1 of UPSC Mains topics.