History -how to prepare -UPSC
Santhosh Kumar Athaluri 
Indian History Books
- 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
| List of History Books | Category |
| 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 |
List of Indian History Books for IAS Mains exam:
The History portion in UPSC Mains – GS Paper 1
| 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 & main contributors and contributions from various parts of the nation |
| India post-independence | Post-independence consolidation & 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 History Books | Category |
| History of Modern World – Jain and Mathur | Modern 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 |
