In this post of Important Reference Books For UPSC CSE History Optional we endeavour to provide you with the list of best books for UPSC CSE History Optional.

Most of the UPSC aspirants choose history as an optional because it is easy to start with and is one subject least dependent on coaching for the IAS Exam. Additionally, it helps the aspirants to deal with Prelims as well as the essay. UPSC Exam is conducted in three phases- Prelims, Mains and Interview.

History is a standout subject among the other optional subjects for UPSC IAS Exam. It is a fascinating subject which gives us the data about our past. It is mixed with culture and tradition. It has great importance in IAS Prelims and UPSC Mains exam. Taking history as an optional subject will help the candidates to tackle the questions in Prelims and general studies paper.

Here is the complete book list for History optional subject. This will help your UPSC IAS Mains preparation.

1. Ancient Indian History

Ancient India – Upinder Singh	History of India ( Volume-I) – Romila Thapar
Ancient India (NCERT) -Prof. R.S. Sharma	The Wonder That Was India -A.L. Basham

2. Medieval Indian History

A History of South India -K.A. Nilkantha Sastri	The Agrarian System of Mughal India 1556-1707 -Irfan Habib
Ashoka & Decline of the Maurya -Romila Thapar	The Mughal Empire -J.F. Richards
Indian Feudalism -R.S. Sharma	The Wonder That was India (Volume.2) -S.A.A. Rizvi
Material culture & Social Formation in Ancient India -R.S. Sharma	Urban Dynamics -H.C. Verma
Medieval India (Macmillan) -Satish Chandra	Medieval India (NCERT) -Satish Chandra

3. Modern Indian History

Anatomy of the Raj (PPH) -Suhash Chakravarty	Peasant Movements in India -D.N. Dhanagare
Freedom Struggle (NbT) -Bipan Chandra & others	The Raj Syndrome (Penguins) -Suhash Chakravarty
Gandhi -B.R. Nanda	VAID’s Fundamentals of History Series
Gandhi -Judith Brown	Constitutional History -Pravin Kumar
India’s Struggle for Independence -Bipan Chandra	Freedom Struggle -Pravin Kumar
Modern India (Macmillan) -Sumit Sarkar	Administrative History -Pravin Kumar
Modern India (NCERT) -Bipan Chandra	Social History -Pravin Kumar

4. World history 

Age of Capital -E.J. Hobsbawm	Age of Empires -E.J. Hobsbawm
Age of Revolution- E.J. Hobsbawm	Contemporary World History (NCERT) -Arjun Dev –
Europe Since 1815 -W.C. Craig	Europe Since 1870 -James Joll
Europe Since Napoleon -David Thompson	Industry & Empire -E.J. Hobsbawm
The social basis of Democracy & Dictatorship -B.J. Moore	The story of Civilization, Vol. 2 (NCERT) -Arjun Dev