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The UPSC Exam, officially known as the Civil Services Examination (CSE), is a highly competitive nationwide test conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for different posts in the government sector. One of the optional subjects in the UPSC CSE exam is History. Among the other optional subjects for the UPSC IAS Exam, history stands out. It’s an interesting subject that provides information about our history. Tradition and culture are united in it. In the UPSC Mains and IAS Prelims exams, it is very important. Candidates who choose to take history as an elective will be better prepared to answer questions on the general studies examination and preliminary exams.
Many students wonder about how to start preparation and the material to refer to. DON’T WORRY! This blog provides a detailed History Optional Booklist for UPSC along with links to buy. Keep reading!
Table of Contents
List Of Ancient Indian History Books For UPSC📜
Below, you will find a list of the best Ancient Indian History books for UPSC.
| Book List for Ancient History Optional | Direct Amazon Link |
| Ancient India: Upinder Singh | Direct Link |
| History of India (Volume-I) – Romila Thapar | Direct Link |
| Ancient India: Upinder Singh | Direct Link |
| Ancient India (NCERT) -Prof. R.S. Sharma | Direct Link |
List Of Medieval Indian History Books For UPSC📌
Below, you will find a list of the best Medieval Indian History books for UPSC.
| Book List for Medieval Indian History Optional | Direct Amazon Link |
| Ashoka and Decline of the Maurya -V. N. Sarkar | Direct Link |
| Modern South India: A History from the 17th Century to our Times, Rajmohan Gandhi | Direct Link |
| The Agrarian System of Mughal India 1556-1707 by Irfan Habib | – |
| The Mughal Empire, by J.F. Richards | Direct Link |
| Urban Dynamics by H.C. Verma | – |
| Old NCERT History Modern India by Bipin Chandra | Direct Link |
List Of Modern Indian History Books For UPSC📖
Below, you will find a list of the best Modern Indian History books for UPSC.
| Book List for Modern Indian History Optional | Direct Amazon Link |
| Anatomy of the Raj (PPH): Suhash Chakravarty | Direct Link |
| Peasant Movements in India: D.N. Dhanagare | Direct Link |
| Social History: Pravin Kumar | – |
| Administrative History: Pravin Kumar | – |
| Constitutional History: Pravin Kumar | Direct Link |
| The Raj Syndrome (Penguins) -Suhash Chakravarty | Direct Link |
| Freedom Struggle (NbT): Bipan Chandra & others | Direct Link |
| Gandhi: B.R. Nanda | Direct Link |
| The Indian Struggle (1920–1942) Subhas Chandra Bose | Direct Link |
List Of World History Books for UPSC
Below, you will find a list of the best World Indian History books for UPSC.
| Book List for World Indian History Optional | Direct Amazon Link |
| Age of Capital: E.J. Hobsbawm | Direct Link |
| Age of Empires: E.J. Hobsbawm | Direct Link |
| India and Contemporary World II: History | Direct Link |
| Industry and Empire: E.J. Hobsbawm | Direct Link |
| Age of Revolution: E.J. Hobsbawm | Direct Link |
| Europe Since 1815: W.C. Craig | Direct Link |
| Europe Since Napoleon: David Thompson | Direct Link |
| The Social Basis of Democracy & Dictatorship: B.J. Moore | Direct Link |
Related Blogs
FAQs
There are various books that serves the purpose of quality content, some of them are History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra, History Of Modern India by Bipan Chandra, Age of Revolution 1789-1848 by Eric Hobsbawm, Age Of Capital: 1848-1875 (History of Civilization) by Eric Hobsbawm, and more.
It is very important to find a quality study as it will help you to gain all the important information required to clear the examination.
There are various best map books for history optional; however, some of them which serve the purpose best according to major students are Map Entries for History Optional 3ed by Rashid Yasin, Ranjan Singh, History Optional: Modern India and World History, Solved Papers 1979-2022 2ed by Rashid Yasin, and more
This was all about the “History Optional Booklist for UPSC”. For more such informative blogs, check out our UPSC Exams Section, or you can learn more about us by visiting our Indian exams page.