Topic Wise Analysis
As discussed in the post regarding subject wise weightage in UPSC Prelims, around 8-10 questions are asked on the topic of Ancient History and Art & Culture in UPSC Prelims.
The graph given below further illustrates the composition of various topics in ancient history. As you can notice, all the sections of ancient history & art and culture, are somewhat equally important.
| Ancient History and Art & Culture | No. of Questions (2013-2022) | No. of Questions (1995-2022) | % Weightage (2013-2022) | % Weightage (1995-2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A) Ancient History - Political and Social | 17 | 56 | 21% | 25% |
| B) Architecture in Ancient India | 17 | 44 | 21% | 20% |
| C) Literature in Ancient India | 6 | 24 | 7% | 11% |
| D) Religion and Philosophy in Ancient India | 18 | 38 | 22% | 17% |
| E) Art and Craft in India | 11 | 32 | 13% | 14% |
| F) Indian Culture and Heritage | 13 | 31 | 16% | 14% |
| Total | 82 | 225 | 100% | 100% |
A) Ancient History – Political & Social Life
This is the most important part of ancient history. Not just because a maximum number of questions have been asked from this section, but the study of all other topics in ancient history is based on this one.
A very good understanding of the timeline of ancient history is most essential here. Further, the important rulers, battles, important terms in regard to political and social life etc. form the part of syllabus.
B) Architecture in Ancient India
This topic consists of Architectural sites, caves, rock edicts, temples, inscriptions, ancient paintings, sculptures, pillars etc. from ancient India
C) Literature in Ancient India
Important literature, languages and scripts, classification of literature, important scholars and writers, translations etc. from ancient India
D) Religion and Philosophy in Ancient India
Vedic religion (Hinduism) and associated philosophies, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam and other heterodox sects from ancient India, religious texts, principles, and proponents of religion.
E) Art & Craft
It covers art and craft from ancient to contemporary times. It includes art, craft, paintings, music, dance, theatre, puppetry, circus, cinema, martial arts and UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.
F) Indian Culture and Heritage
Indian culture, cultural institutions, Indian cultural heritage, national symbols, languages, awards, and scientific achievements of ancient Indians. Various tribes and communities, festivals etc.
Topic Wise Previous Year Questions
1A) Ancient History – Political and Social Life (Prelims PYQs)
1B) Ancient History – Architecture (Prelims PYQs)
1C) Ancient History – Literature (Prelims PYQs)
1D) Ancient History – Religion and Philosophy (Prelims PYQs)
1E) Art and Craft (Prelims PYQs)
1F) Indian Culture and Heritage (Prelims PYQs)
We’re in the process of posting all the questions from 1995-2023. The tentative date of completion is 16 Dec 2023. We highly recommend purchasing our UPSC Prelims PYQ Book (2024 Edition) to access all questions in a single PDF.
UPSC Prelims PYQ Book (2024 Edition)
- Last 29 year questions (1995-2023)
- All answers according to UPSC Official Answer Key
- Subject-wise distribution of questions
- Topic-wise classification of each subject PYQs
- Graphs and tables to illustrate subject and topic-wise weightage
- More than 3200 questions across all subjects
- At a price that is affordable for all