✍️History UPSC Questions: Year Wise Questions

Read this article to go through the UPSC exam Question Bank for History Prelims.Each year at least 10-15 questions come from the history in prelims. Sometimes, the questions also get repeated in the examination. For your reference, we will include previous year history questions for UPSC Prelims. Without delaying anymore, let’s directly start with the article.

📝 Most Important History UPSC Prelims Questions

These are year-wise Modern Indian History UPSC Questions:

1. In the Government of India Act 1919, the functions of the Provincial Government were divided into “Reserved” and “Transferred” subjects. Which of the following were treated as “Reserved” subjects?

1. Administration of Justice

2. Local Self-Government

3. Land Revenue

4. Police

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 2, 3 and 4

(c) 1, 3 and 4

(d) 1, 2 and 4

2. Consider the following freedom fighters:

1. Barindra Kumar Ghosh

2. Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee

3. Rash Behari Bose

Who of the above was/were actively associated with the Ghadar Party?

(a) 1 and 2

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 3

(d) 3 only

Also Read: How Many Questions in UPSC Prelims?

3. Concerning the proposals of Cripps Mission, consider the following statements:

1. The Constituent Assembly would have members nominated by the Provincial Assemblies as well as the Princely States.

2. Any Province, which is not prepared to accept the new Constitution would have the right to sign a

separate agreement with Britain regarding its future status.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

4. Concerning Indian history, consider the following statements:

1. The Dutch established their factories/warehouses on the east coast on lands granted to them by the Gajapati rulers.

2. Alfonso de Albuquerque captured Goa from the Bijapur Sultanate.

3. The English East India. The company established a factory at Madras on a plot of land leased from a representative of the Vijayanagara Empire.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

💁‍♀️Prelims History UPSC Questions 2020

1. Which of the following phrases defines the nature of the ‘Hundi’ generally referred to in the sources of the post-Harsha period?

(a) An advisory issued by the king to his subordinates

(b) A diary to be maintained for daily accounts

(c) A bill of exchange

(d) An order from the feudal lord to his subordinates

2. Who among the following rulers advised his subjects through this inscription?

“Whosoever praises his religious sect or blames other sects out of excessive devotion to his own sect,

with the view of glorifying his own sect, he rather injures his own sect very severely.”

(a) Ashoka

(b) Samudragupta

(c) Harshavardhana

(a) Krishnadeva Raya

3 Concerning the period of Gupta dynasty in ancient India, the towns Ghantasala, Kadura and

Chaul was well known as

(a) port handling foreign trade

(b) capital of powerful kingdoms

(c) place of exquisite stone art and architecture

(d) important Buddhist pilgrimage centers

💁‍♀️Prelims History UPSC Questions 2019

1. Which one of the following is not a Harappan site?

(a) Chanhudaro

(b) Kot Diji

(c) Sohgaura

(d) Desalpur

2. With reference to forced labor (Vishti) in India during the Gupta period, which one of the following

statements is correct?

(a) It was considered a source of income for the State, a sort of tax paid by the people.

(b) It was totally absent in the Madhya Pradesh and Kathiawar regions of the Gupta Empire.

(c) The forced laborer was entitled to weekly wages.

(d) The eldest son of the laborer was sent as a forced labourer.

Also Read: BA in Ancient History

👨‍🎓 Prelims History UPSC Questions 2018

1. With reference to Indian history, who among the following is a future Buddha, yet to come to save the

world?

(a) Avalokiteshvara

(b) Lokesvara

(c) Maitreya

(d) Padmapani

 📖 Prelims History UPSC Questions 2017

1. With reference to the difference between the culture of Rigvedic Aryans and Indus Valley people,

which of the following statements is/are correct?

(1) Rigvedic Aryans used the coat of mail and helmet in warfare whereas the people of Indus Valley

Civilization did not leave any evidence of using them.

(2) Rigvedic Aryans knew gold, silver and copper whereas Indus Valley people knew only copper and

iron.

(3) Rigvedic Aryans had domesticated the horse whereas there is no evidence of Indus Valley people

having been aware of this animal.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

📌 Prelims History UPSC Questions 2016

1. Which one of the following books of Ancient India has the love story of the son of the founder of the

Sunga Dynasty?

(a) Swapnavasavadatta

(b) Malavikagnimitra

(c) Meghadoota

(d) Ratnavali

2. In the context of the history of India, consider the following pairs:

Term Description

Eripatti Land, revenue from which was set apart for the maintenance of the village tank

Taniyurs Villages donated to a single Brahmin or a group of Brahmins

Ghatikas Colleges generally attached to the temples

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

(a) 1 and 2

(b) 3 only

(c) 2 and 3

(d) 1 and 3

📃 Prelims History UPSC Questions 2015

1. Which of the following kingdoms were associated with the life of the Buddha?

1. Avanti

2. Gandhara

3. Kosala

4. Magadha

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1, 3 and 4

(d) 3 and 4 only

➡️ Prelims History UPSC Questions 2014

1. Which of the following kingdoms were associated with the life of the Buddha?

1. Avanti

2. Gandhara

3. Kosala

4. Magadha

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 2 and 4

(c) 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 3 and 4

💁‍♀️Prelims History UPSC Questions 2013

1. Which of the following characterizes/characterizes the people of the Indus Valley Civilization?

1. They possessed great palaces and temples

2. They worshipped both male and female deities

3. They employed horse-drawn chariots

Select the correct statement/statements using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1, 2 and 3

(d) None of the statements given above is correct

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✍️ Previous Year Mains History UPSC Questions

UPSC mains aspirants, take note! Here are some history questions from previous exams to help you prepare. Practice these to enhance your knowledge and excel in your academic pursuits.

🌏 World History: History UPSC Questions

Below, some previous years’ World History UPSC questions are available for practice:

2019

1. Explain how the foundation of the modern world was laid by the American and French Revolutions.

2016

1. The anti-colonial struggles in West Africa were led by the new elite of Western-educated Africans. Examine.

2015

1. Why did the Industrial Revolution first occur in England? Discuss the quality of life of the people there during industrialization. How does it compare with that in India at present?
2. To what extent can Germany be held responsible for causing the two World Wars? Discuss critically

2014

1. What were the major political, economic and social developments in the world which motivated the anti-colonial struggle in India?
2. What were the events that led to the Suez Crisis in 1956? How did it deal a final blow to Britain’s self-image as a world power?
3. The New Economic Policy – 1921 of Lenin had influenced the policies adopted by India soon after independence. Evaluate.

2013

1. “The Latecomer” Industrial Revolution in Japan involved certain factors that were markedly different from what the West had experienced.
2. Africa was chopped into states artificially created by the accident of European competition. Analyse.
3. American Revolution was an economic revolt against mercantilism. Substantiate.
4. What policy instruments were deployed to contain the great economic depression?

🏳Freedom Struggle: History UPSC Questions

2019

1. Many voices had strengthened and enriched the nationalist movement during the Gandhian phase. Elaborate.

2017

1. Why did the ‘Moderates’ fail to carry conviction with the nation about their proclaimed ideology and political goals by the end of the nineteenth century?
2. The women’s questions arose in modern India as a part of the 19th-century social reform movement. What are the major issues and debates concerning women in that period?

2016

1. Explain how the Uprising of 1857 constitutes an important watershed in the evolution of British policies towards colonial India.
2. Discuss the role of women in the freedom struggle especially during the Gandhian phase.
3. Highlight the differences in the approach of Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi in the struggle for freedom.

2015

1. How different would have been the achievement of Indian independence without Mahatma Gandhi? Discuss.
2. It would have been difficult for the Constituent Assembly to complete its historic task of drafting the Constitution for Independent India in just three years but for the experience gained with the Government of India Act, of 1935. Discuss.

2014

1. The third battle of Panipat was fought in 1761. Why were so many empire-shaking battles fought at Panipat?
2. Examine critically the various facets of economic policies of the British in India from the mid-eighteenth century till independence.
3. In what ways did the naval mutiny prove to be the last nail in the coffin of British colonial aspirations in India?

2013

1. Defying the barriers of age, gender, and religion, the Indian women became the torch bearer during the struggle for freedom in India. Discuss.
2. Several foreigners made India their homeland and participated in various movements. Analyze their role in the Indian struggle for freedom.
3. In many ways, Lord Dalhousie was the founder of modern India. Elaborate.

Also Read: How to Prepare for UPSC 2024 at Home?

📃 Modern History: History UPSC Questions

2019

1. The Revolt of 1857 was the culmination of the recurrent big and small local rebellions that had occurred in the preceding hundred years of British rule.

2018

1. Why indentured labour was taken by the British from India to other colonies? Have they been able to preserve their cultural identity over there?

2017

1. Clarify how mid-eighteenth-century India was beset with the specter of a fragmented polity.

📝 Post-Independence: History UPSC Questions

2019

1. Examine the linkages between the nineteenth century’s “Indian Renaissance” and the emergence of national identity.

2018

1. Throw light on the significance of the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi in the present times.
2. Discuss whether the formation of new states in recent times is beneficial or not for the economy of India.

2017

1. Highlight the importance of the new objectives that were added to the vision of Indian Independence since the twenties of the last century.
2. Distinguish between religiousness/religiosity and communalism in post-independent India giving one example of how the former has been transformed into the latter in independent India.

2013

1. Critically discuss the objectives of the Bhoodan and Gramdan movements initiated by Acharya Vinoba Bhave and their success.
2. Write a critical note on the evolution and significance of the slogan “Jai Jawana Jai Kisan”.
3. Discuss the contribution of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad to pre- and post-independent India.
4. Analyze the circumstances that led to the Tashkent Agreement in 1966. Discuss the highlights of the agreement.
5. Critically examine the compulsions which prompted India to play decisive roles in the emergence of Bangladesh.

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📌 Important UPSC Mains Modern History Topics

Below, you can find a list of UPSC’s main modern history topics that are seen as repetitive in the examination

• Cripps Mission (1942)
• Poona Pact, 1932
• Gandhi-Irwin Pact, 1931
• Simon Commission (1927)
• Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22)
• Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, Rowlatt Act (1919)
• Surat Split of INC, 1907
• Differences between the Moderates and the Extremists
• Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-31)

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