| History -
Optional of Part B - Main Examination of Civil Services Exam |
Back to Section III
Back to List
PAPER
- I
1.
Sources:
Archaeological
sources:
Exploration,
excavation, epigraphy, numismatics, monuments
Literary
sources:
Indigenous:
Primary and secondary; poetry, scientific literature, literature, literature in
regional languages, religious literature.
Foreign
accounts: Greek, Chinese and Arab writers.
2.
Pre-history and Proto-history:
Geographical
factors; hunting and gathering (paleolithic and mesolithic); Beginning of
agriculture (neolithic and chalcolithic).
3.
Indus Valley Civilization:
Origin,
date, extent, characteristics, decline, survival and significance, art and
architecture.
4.
Megalithic Cultures:
Distribution
of pastoral and farming cultures outside the Indus, Development of community
life, Settlements, Development of agriculture, Crafts, Pottery, and Iron
industry.
5.
Aryans and Vedic Period:
Expansions
of Aryans in India.
Vedic
Period: Religious and philosophic literature; Transformation from Rig Vedic
period to the later Vedic period; Political, social and economical life;
Significance of the Vedic Age; Evolution of Monarchy and Varna system.
6.
Period of Mahajanapadas:
Formation
of States (Mahajanapada) : Republics and monarchies; Rise of urban centres;
Trade routes; Economic growth; Introduction of coinage; Spread of Jainism and
Buddhism; Rise of Magadha and Nandas.
Iranian
and Macedonian invasions and their impact.
7.
Mauryan Empire:
Foundation
of the Mauryan Empire, Chandragupta, Kautilya and Arthashastra; Ashoka; Concept
of Dharma; Edicts; Polity, Administration; Economy; Art,
architecture and sculpture; External contacts; Religion; Spread of
religion; Literature.
Disintegration
of the empire; Sungas and Kanvas.
8
Post - Mauryan Period (Indo-Greeks, Sakas, Kushanas, Western Kshatrapas):
Contact
with outside world; growth of urban centres, economy, coinage, development of
religions, Mahayana, social conditions, art, architecture, culture, literature
and science.
9.
Early State and Society in Eastern India, Deccan and South India:
Kharavela,
The Satavahanas, Tamil States of the Sangam Age; Administration, economy, land
grants, coinage, trade guilds and urban centres; Buddhist centres; Sangam
literature and culture; Art and architecture.
10.
Guptas, Vakatakas and Vardhanas:
Polity
and administration, Economic conditions, Coinage of the Guptas, Land grants,
Decline of urban centres, Indian feudalism, Caste system, Position of women,
Education and educational institutions; Nalanda, Vikramshila and Vallabhi,
Literature, scientific literature, art and architecture.
11.
Regional States during Gupta Era:
The
Kadambas, Pallavas, Chalukyas of Badami; Polity and Administration, Trade
guilds, Literature; growth of Vaishnava and Saiva religions. Tamil Bhakti
movement, Shankaracharya; Vedanta; Institutions of temple and temple
architecture; Palas, Senas, Rashtrakutas, Paramaras, Polity and administration;
Cultural aspects. Arab conquest of Sind; Alberuni, The Chalukyas of Kalyana,
Cholas, Hoysalas, Pandyas; Polity and Administration; local Government; Growth
of art and architecture, religious sects, Institution of temple and Mathas,
Agraharas, education and literature, economy and society.
12.
Themes in Early Indian Cultural History:
Languages
and texts, major stages in the evolution of art and architecture, major
philosophical thinkers and schools, ideas in Science and Mathematics.
13.
Early Medieval India, 750-1200:
-
Polity: Major political developments in Northern India and the Peninsula,
origin and the rise of Rajputs
-
The Cholas: administration, village
economy and society
-
“Indian Feudalism”
-
Agrarian economy and urban settlements
-
Trade and commerce
-
Society: the status of the Brahman and the new social order
-
Condition of women
-
Indian science and technology
14.
Cultural Traditions in India, 750-1200:
-
Philosophy: Skankaracharya and Vedanta, Ramanuja and Vishishtadvaita,
Madhva and Brahma-Mimansa
-
Religion: Forms and features of religion, Tamil devotional cult, growth
of Bhakti, Islam and its arrival in India, Sufism
-
Literature: Literature in Sanskrit, growth of Tamil literature,
literature in the newly developing languages, Kalhan’s Rajtarangini,
Alberuni’s India
-
Art and Architecture: Temple architecture, sculpture, painting
15.
The Thirteenth Century:
-
Establishment of the Delhi Sultanate: The Ghurian invasions – factors
behind Ghurian success
-
Economic, social and cultural consequences
-
Foundation of Delhi Sultanate and early Turkish Sultans
-
Consolidation: The rule of Iltutmish and Balban
16.
The Fourteenth Century:
-
“The Khalji Revolution”
-
Alauddin Khalji: Conquests and territorial expansion, agrarian and
economic measures
-
Muhammad Tughluq: Major projects, agrarian measures, bureaucracy of
Muhammad Tughluq
-
Firuz Tughluq: Agrarian measures, achievements in civil engineering and
public works, decline of the Sultanate, foreign contacts and Ibn Battuta’s
account
17.
Society, Culture and Economy in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries:
-
Society: composition of rural society, ruling classes, town dwellers,
women, religious classes, caste and slavery under the Sultanate, Bhakti
movement, Sufi movement
-
Culture: Persian literature, literature in the regional languages of
North India, literature in the languages of South India, Sultanate architecture
and new structural forms, painting, evolution of a composite culture
-
Economy: Agricultural production, rise of urban economy and
non-agricultural production, trade and commerce
18.
The Fifteenth and Early Sixteenth Century – Political Developments and
Economy:
-
Rise of Provincial Dynasties: Bengal,
Kashmir (Zainul Abedin), Gujarat, Malwa,
Bahmanids
-
The Vijayanagra Empire
-
Lodis
-
Mughal Empire, First phase: Babur and Humayun
-
The Sur Empire: Sher Shah’s administration
-
Portuguese Colonial enterprise
-
Bhakti and Sufi Movements
19.
The Fifteenth and early Sixteenth Century – Society and Culture:
-
Regional cultural specificities
-
Literary traditions
-
Provincial architecture
-
Society, culture, literature and the arts in Vijayanagara Empire.
20.
Akbar:
-
Conquests and consolidation of the Empire
-
Establishment of Jagir and Mansab systems
-
Rajput policy
-
Evolution of religious and social outlook, theory of Sulh-i-kul and
religious policy
-
Court patronage of art and technology
21.
Mughal Empire in the Seventeenth Century:
-
Major administrative policies of Jahangir, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb
-
The Empire and the Zamindars
-
Religious policies of Jahangir, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb
-
Nature of the Mughal State
-
Late Seventeenth century crisis and the revolts
-
The Ahom Kingdom
-
Shivaji and the early Maratha Kingdom.
22.
Economy and Society in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries:
-
Population, agricultural production, craft production
-
Towns, commerce with Europe through Dutch, English and French companies :
a trade revolution
-
Indian mercantile classes, banking, insurance and credit systems
-
Condition of peasants, condition of women
-
Evolution of the Sikh community and the Khalsa Panth
23.
Culture in the Mughal Empire:
-
Persian histories and other literature
-
Hindi and other religious literature
-
Mughal architecture
-
Mughal painting
-
Provincial architecture and painting
-
Classical music
-
Science and technology
24.
The Eighteenth Century:
-
Factors for the decline of the Mughal Empire
-
The regional principalities: Nizam’s Deccan, Bengal, Awadh
-
Maratha ascendancy under the Peshwas
-
The Maratha fiscal and financial system
-
Emergence of Afghan Power, Battle of Panipat:1761
-
State of politics, culture and economy on the eve of the British conquest
PAPER
- II
1.
European Penetration into India:
The
Early European Settlements; The Portuguese and the Dutch; The English and the
French East India Companies; Their struggle for supremacy; Carnatic Wars;
Bengal -The conflict between the English and the Nawabs of Bengal; Siraj
and the English; The Battle of Plassey; Significance of Plassey.
2.
British Expansion in India:
Bengal
– Mir Jafar and Mir Kasim; The Battle of Buxar; Mysore; The Marathas; The
three Anglo-Maratha Wars; The Punjab.
3.
Early Structure of the British Raj:
The
early administrative structure; From diarchy to direct control; The Regulating
Act (1773); The Pitt’s India Act (1784); The Charter Act (1833); The voice of
free trade and the changing character of British colonial rule; The English
utilitarian and India.
4.
Economic Impact of British Colonial Rule:
(a)
Land revenue settlements in British India; The Permanent Settlement;
Ryotwari Settlement; Mahalwari Settlement; Economic impact of the revenue
arrangements; Commercialization of agriculture; Rise of landless agrarian
labourers; Impoverishment of the rural society.
(b) Dislocation
of traditional trade and commerce; De-industrialisation; Decline of traditional
crafts; Drain of wealth; Economic transformation of India; Railroad and
communication network including telegraph and postal services; Famine and
poverty in the rural interior; European business
enterprise and its limitations.
5.
Social and Cultural Developments:
The
state of indigenous education, its dislocation; Orientalist-Anglicist
controversy, The introduction of western education in India; The rise of press,
literature and public opinion; The rise of modern vernacular literature;
Progress of science; Christian missionary activities in India.
6.
Social and Religious Reform movements in Bengal and Other Areas:
Ram
Mohan Roy, The Brahmo Movement; Devendranath Tagore; Iswarchandra Vidyasagar;
The Young Bengal Movement; Dayanada Saraswati; The social reform movements in
India including Sati, widow remarriage, child marriage etc.; The contribution of
Indian renaissance to the growth of modern India; Islamic revivalism – the
Feraizi and Wahabi Movements.
7.
Indian Response to British Rule:
Peasant
movements and tribal uprisings in the 18th and 19th
centuries including the Rangpur Dhing (1783), the Kol Rebellion (1832), the
Mopla Rebellion in Malabar (1841-1920), the Santal Hul (1855), Indigo Rebellion
(1859-60), Deccan Uprising (1875) and the Munda Ulgulan (1899-1900); The Great
Revolt of 1857 - Origin, character, causes of failure, the consequences; The shift in the character of peasant uprisings in the
post-1857 period; the peasant movements of the 1920s and 1930s.
8.
Factors
leading to the birth of Indian Nationalism; Politics of Association; The
Foundation of the Indian National Congress; The Safety-valve thesis relating to
the birth of the Congress; Programme and objectives of Early Congress; the
social composition of early Congress leadership; the Moderates and Extremists;
The Partition of Bengal (1905); The Swadeshi Movement in Bengal; the economic
and political aspects of Swadeshi Movement; The beginning of revolutionary
extremism in India.
9.
Rise
of Gandhi; Character of Gandhian nationalism; Gandhi’s popular appeal; Rowlatt
Satyagraha; the Khilafat Movement; the Non-cooperation Movement; National
politics from the end of the Non-cooperation movement to the beginning of the
Civil Disobedience movement; the two phases of the Civil Disobedience Movement;
Simon Commission; The Nehru Report; the Round Table Conferences; Nationalism and
the Peasant Movements; Nationalism
and Working class movements; Women and Indian youth and students in Indian
politics (1885-1947); the election of 1937 and the formation of ministries;
Cripps Mission; the Quit India Movement; the Wavell Plan; The Cabinet Mission.
10. Constitutional
Developments in the Colonial India between 1858 and 1935
11. Other
strands in the National Movement
The
Revolutionaries: Bengal, the Punjab, Maharashtra, U.P, the Madras Presidency,
Outside India.
The
Left; The Left within the Congress: Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, the
Congress Socialist Party; the Communist Party of India, other left parties.
12.
Politics
of Separatism; the Muslim League; the Hindu Mahasabha; Communalism and the
politics of partition; Transfer of power; Independence.
13.
Consolidation
as a Nation; Nehru’s Foreign Policy; India and her neighbours (1947-1964); The
linguistic reorganisation of States (1935-1947); Regionalism and regional
inequality; Integration of Princely States; Princes in electoral politics; the
Question of National Language.
14.
Caste
and Ethnicity after 1947; Backward castes and tribes in post-colonial electoral
politics; Dalit movements.
15.
Economic
development and political change; Land reforms; the politics of planning
and rural reconstruction; Ecology and environmental policy in post - colonial
India; Progress of science.
16.
Enlightenment and Modern ideas:
(i)
Major ideas of Enlightenment: Kant, Rousseau
(ii)
Spread of Enlightenment in the colonies
(iii)
Rise of socialist ideas (up to Marx); spread of Marxian Socialism.
17.
Origins of Modern Politics:
(i)
European States System.
(ii)
American Revolution and the Constitution.
(iii)
French revolution and aftermath, 1789-1815.
(iv)
American Civil War with reference to Abraham Lincoln and the abolition of
slavery.
(v)
British Democratic Politics, 1815-1850; Parliamentary Reformers, Free
Traders, Chartists.
18.
Industrialization:
(i) English Industrial Revolution: Causes and Impact on
Society
(ii)
Industrialization in other countries: USA, Germany, Russia, Japan
(iii) Industrialization and
Globalization.
19.
Nation-State System:
(i)
Rise of Nationalism in 19th century
(ii) Nationalism:
state-building in Germany and Italy
(iii) Disintegration of Empires in
the face of the emergence of nationalities across the world.
20.
Imperialism and Colonialism:
(i)
South and South-East Asia
(ii)
Latin America and South Africa
(iii)
Australia
(iv)
Imperialism and free trade: Rise of neo-imperialism.
21.
Revolution and Counter-Revolution:
(i)
19th Century European revolutions
(ii) The Russian Revolution
of 1917-1921
(iii) Fascist
Counter-Revolution, Italy and Germany.
(iv) The Chinese Revolution of 1949
22.
World Wars:
(i) 1st and 2nd World Wars as Total Wars: Societal
implications
(ii) World War I: Causes and
consequences
(iii) World War II: Causes and
consequence
23.
The World after World War II:
(i)
Emergence of two power blocs
(ii) Emergence of Third World and
non-alignment
(iii) UNO and the global disputes.
24.
Liberation from Colonial Rule:
(i) Latin
America-Bolivar
(ii) Arab World-Egypt
(iii) Africa-Apartheid to Democracy
(iv) South-East Asia-Vietnam
25.
Decolonization and
Underdevelopment:
(i) Factors
constraining development: Latin America, Africa
26.
Unification of Europe:
(i)
Post War Foundations: NATO and European Community
(ii) Consolidation and Expansion of
European Community
(iii) European Union.
27.
Disintegration of Soviet Union and
the Rise of the Unipolar World:
(i) Factors leading to
the collapse of Soviet communism and the Soviet Union,
1985-1991
(ii) Political Changes in
Eastern Europe 1989-2001.
(iii) End of the cold war and US
ascendancy in the World as the lone
superpower.