UPSC IAS Syllabus 2022: Modern History Topics for Prelims Exam

UPSC IAS prelims 2022 exam is just around the corner and the candidates are searching for the important topics to study for the History of India topic as given in the UPSC IAS syllabus. Check here all the important topics for Modern History and the Indian National Movement.

UPSC IAS syllabus for the prelims exam does not provide a complete list of topics expected to be asked in the exam. It provides the name of the sections from where the questions can be asked. After analysing the UPSC previous year question papers, the candidates can get the most important areas to study. The candidates must prepare the whole syllabus first and then go for the important topics because UPSC can ask any topic in the question paper. The candidates should be ready for any questions from anywhere. This is the reason that all experts suggest preparing the topics from all the aspects which can be important for the exam. UPSC Syllabus for the IAS prelims exam is separately mentioned in the official Civil Service Exam Notification 2022.

The IAS Prelims exam is the first and the most important stage because in case a candidate is filtered out at the prelims stage itself, he or she won’t be allowed to appear in the main exam. The IAS prelims syllabus is one of the most important components of the IAS preparation because the IAS prelims exam is the screening stage and most of the candidates are filtered out at this stage only. So it is very important to prepare dedicatedly for this stage in the last two months of the exam.

UPSC preparation though required an integrated coverage of the syllabus but it is advisable to concentrate on IAS prelims preparation in the last two months so that every little fact can be revised and current affairs can be covered comprehensively. The History of India and the Indian National Movement is mentioned in the official UPSC notification. The syllabus, as mentioned in the official notification, requires elaboration so that the candidates can understand the level of preparation required for the IAS prelims exam.

UPSC specifically separated the Indian National Movement from the History of India and hence we can say it is on an equal footing with the rest of the part. The number of questions asked from the Indian National Movement is approximately 10 to 12 in numbers. The number of questions from the History of India section is approximately 5 to 8. The total number of questions is 14 to 18. The candidates should see the previous year question papers of IAS prelims so that they can see the question breakup of each subject.

Indian National Movement topic is one of the most important topics for the IAS exam because it is equally important for the main exam. The candidates should combine the Modern History of India and Indian National Movement because later is the subpart of the former.

Modern History and Indian National Movement Topics

The candidates should start their preparation by reading, understanding and internalising the NCERT book on Modern History. This will help them to understand the event timeline. There are questions in the IAS prelims exam asking about the chronology of historical events. The candidates can answer these types of questions if they study NCERT books. The detailed topics of Modern History and Indian National Movement are given below.

Mughal Empire

• Later Mughal and the Nobility around Crown
• Camps in the Mughal Courts
• Sayyid brothers and their role in Mughal Politics
• Rise of new states
• Rise of Nizams in Deccan
• Avadh Region and its rulers
• Ruhelas and Bungash Pathans
• Bengal
• The Rajputs, Jats and Marathas
• Foreign invasion from North West
• Nadir Shah’s invasion
• Ahmad Shah Abdali invasion
• Causes and fall of Mughal Empire

Social and Economic conditions in Eighteenth Century

• Rulers across the nation–Peshwas
• Balaji Vishwanath and his estimations
• Bajirao-I 1720-40
• Estimate of Bajirao-I
• Balaji Bajirao 1740-1761
• The third battle of Panipat and its political significance
• Causes of Maratha defeat

Peshwas and Maratha Administration

• Raja of Satara
• The Peshwas
• Central administration
• Provincial and district administration
• Village administration
• Town administration
• Judicial Administration
• Revenue Administration
• Maratha Military System
• Employment of Foreigners

Beginning of European Settlement in India

• Advent of French
• Advent of Portuguese
• Advent of British
• Advent of Spanish Powers
• Internal Organisation of Company
• Government and Company’s Factories in India

Anglo-French Struggle in South India

• First Carnatic War
• Second Carnatic War
• Third Carnatic War
• Causes For the failure of French

Career and Achievements of Dupleix

• Dupleix as an administrator
• Dupleix as a diplomat
• Dupleix as a leader
• Recall of Dupleix
• Political Ideas of Dupleix
• Dupleix place in History

The British Conquest of India

• Black Hole Theory
• Battle of Plassey and Its Importance
• Deposition of Mir Jafar
• Treaty with Mir Qasim
• Mir Qasim as an Administrator
• Mir Qasim East India Company
• Battle of Buxar and its Political Significance
• Clive Second Governorship of Bengal 1765 to 1767
• Clive settlements with Avadh and Shah Alam-II
• Settlements of Bengal- The dual system
• Clive justification for the dual system
• Ill effects of the dual system
• Clive’s Administrative Reforms
• Estimation of Clive

Warren Hastings 1772-1785

• Administrative Reforms
• Revenue Reforms
• Judicial Reforms
• Commercial Reforms
• The Regulating Act and Conflicts in the Council
• The Trial of Nand Kumar, 1775
• External Relations and Warren Hastings
• Relation with Shah Alam-II
• Relation with Avadh
• The Rohilla War, 1774
• The First Anglo-Maratha War
• The Second Anglo-Mysore War
• The Affairs of Chait Singh and Begum of Avadh
• Estimates of Warren hasting

Administrative Reforms of Cornwallis, 1786-93

• Judicial Reforms
• Police Reforms
• Revenue and Commercial Reforms
• Permanent Settlement of Bengal 1793
• Estimations of Cornwallis

Lord Wellesley 1798-1805

• Subsidiary Alliance System and its advantages to the Company
• Disadvantages of Subsidiary Alliance System to Indian States
• Lord Wellesley and French leadership
• Estimation of Lord Wellesley

Mysore under Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan

• The First Anglo Mysore war 1767-69
• The Second Anglo Mysore War 1780 -84
• The Third Anglo Mysore War 1790-92
• The Fourth Anglo Mysore War 1799
• Administration of Tipu Sultan

Lord Hastings and establishment of British Paramountcy in India

• The Anglo Nepal War, 1814-18
• Lord Hastings and Indian States
• The Pindaris
• Hastings Policy towards the Marathas
• Relation with Rajput States
• Lord Hastings and Mughal Emperors
• Hastings Administrative Reforms
• Estimate of Hastings

Anglo Maratha Struggle for Supremacy

• The First Anglo-Maratha War 1775-82
• The Second Anglo-Maratha War 1803 - 1805
• The Treaty of bassein, 31 December 1802
• The Third Anglo-Maratha war 1817-1818
• Causes for the defeat of Maratha

Modern History and Indian National Movement Topics as given in NCERT

• India after Aurangzeb
• Socio-political condition after Aurangzeb
• Indian States in the 18^th Century
• The British Conquest of India
• The Structure of Governance
• Economic Policies of British Empire (1757-1857)
• Administrative Setup of British government
• Social and Cultural Policy of British Empire
• Social and Cultural Awakening in the first half of 19th Century
• Revolt of 1857
• Reasons of revolt
• Events and their chronology
• Geographical expansion of revolt
• Leaders associated at different region
• Administrative changes after 1858
• India and her Neighbours
• Economic Impact of British Rule
• Growth of New India – The Nationalist Movement 1858- 1905
• Growth of New India – Religious and Social Reforms after 1858
• Nationalist Movement 1905-1918
• Struggle for Swaraj
• Mahatma Gandhi's Era

• Emergence of Gandhi

• Non-Cooperation Movement and Khilafat Aandolan 

• Emergence of Swarajists, Socialist Ideas, Revolutionary Activities and Other New Forces 

• Simon Commission and the Nehru Report 

• Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences 

• Debates on the Future Strategy after Civil Disobedience Movement

• Congress Rule in Provinces

• Cripps Mission
• Puna Pact
• Round Table Conferences

• Nationalist Response in the Wake of World War II

• Quit India Movement, Demand for Pakistan, and the INA 

• Post-War National Scenario

• Independence with Partition

• Popular Uprisings and Revolts against the British
• Governors-General and Viceroys of India: Significant Events in their Rule
• Women Freedom Fighters
• Indian National Congress Annual Sessions
• Socio-Religious Reform Movements(late 18th to mid-20th century)
• 6. Famous Trials of the Nationalist Period
• Caste Movements
• Peasant Movements
• Newspapers and Journals 

The modern History section is one of the important sections and if the candidates can answer correctly these many questions, their probability of selection increase manifolds.