Top Ancient History Books For UPSC 2023, Check List Here!

Ancient History books for UPSC are important resources to cover the History syllabus for the UPSC IAS exam. In the UPSC prelims and mains exam, questions from Ancient Indian History are asked frequently. The Ancient History Syllabus for UPSC covers some important topics such as Pre History, Pro History, Indus Valley Civilisation, Megalithic culture, Aryans and Vedic Period, Mauryan empire, Themes in Early Indian Cultural History and more. So, it is important to have the Best Ancient History Books for UPSC to cover all these topics in detail. In this article, our History optional coaching experts have listed down the Ancient Indian History Books.

Also, check out Ancient History Books For UPSC in Hindi here.

Best Ancient History Book For UPSC

The Ancient History of India is a vast yet important topic of the UPSC CSE. It holds a good amount of weightage in both the UPSC Prelims Syllabus as well as in the Mains syllabus. In the table below, we have specifically curated a list to help you choose the Best Ancient History Book for UPSC exam.

List Of Best Books for Ancient History For UPSC
Book Name	Author/Publication	Highlights of the Book
Ancient India – Ncert History Textbook for Class XI	Ram Sharan Sharma	One of the best books to read about the significance of ancient India in a fundamental way; useful for scoring History optional questions too.
Ancient and Medieval India For UPSC and State Civil Services Examination	McGraw Hill	It is a combination of storytelling & historical analysis of both Ancient & Medieval history as per the latest UPSC syllabus with key terms, names, and event highlights.
The Wonder That Was India	Arthur Llewellyn Basham	Starting with the Indus Valley civilization and moving on to Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, the book dives into early time periods that shed light on India’s rich cultural heritage, as well as the Aryan invasion theory through extensive historical analysis.
India’s Ancient Past	Ram Sharan Sharma	This book provides a detailed classic study of Prehistoric and Ancient India, best suited for UPSC as well as History UG and PG aspirants.
Indian Art and Culture	Nitin Singhania	It comprises 4 sections, 24 chapters & 5 appendices on the latest UPSC syllabus covering topics like Ancient & Medieval Indian art, paintings, coins, music, and architecture.
The Story Of Civilization Volume-2	NCERT	It’s a concise old NCERT history book for class X, covering entry-level questions for first-hand preparation in UPSC.

Check out the UPSC Mains GS 1 Syllabus for deep insights into Ancient to Medieval History topics.

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Ancient History Book For UPSC PDF

As explained above, Ancient History is an important part of the History subject for the UPSC exam. Having the list of Ancient History Books for UPSC will make things easy for the candidates appearing for the upcoming exam. To help them, we have given the Ancient History Book For UPSC PDF Download link below, Click on the link and keep a copy of the same.

Ancient Indian History Books For UPSC PDF

Also, refer to these history books
World History Books	Medieval History Books	Bipan Chandra History Books

Check out the UPSC Mains Strategy to ace Ancient History questions easily.

We hope that this detailed article on the Best Ancient History Books could help you with complete exam preparation for the ancient history section. Along with these books, you can also refer to the ancient history notes for UPSC. Download the Testbook App now to crack UPSC Civil Services and other administrative-level exams.

Ancient History UPSC Books - FAQs

Which topic is important in Ancient History for UPSC?

Prehistoric India, Indus Valley Civilization, Gupta & Mauryan Empire, Vedic India, Mahajanapadas, Buddhism & Jainism related topics are important from UPSC Ancient History portion.

Which NCERT should I read for Ancient History?

Some of the best Ancient History NCERT books for UPSC are NCERT Class XII -Themes in Indian History, Tamil Nadu History Class 11 textbook, and An Introduction To Indian Art Part 1.

What study materials to refer other than Ancient History Books for UPSC exam?

Apart from these Ancient History books, you must refer to NCERT notes as well as study materials like mock tests, PYQs, important MCQs and practice sets for UPSC Ancient History preparation.

Which is the Best Ancient History Book for UPSC in Hindi?

S Chand’s Prachin Bharat ka Itihas is one of the best Ancient History books for UPSC in Hindi.

Is Ancient History of India important for UPSC Mains?

As per previous UPSC Mains exam analysis, around 4-5 questions are asked from the Ancient History section in UPSC CSE Mains stage which makes it quite essential for preparation.

Which Ancient History books are recommended by toppers for UPSC?

Toppers recommend the NCERT Class XI-XII textbooks for UPSC preparation in initial level. And then for advanced preparation, refer to Ancient India by R.C Majumder, India's Ancient Past by RS Sharma, and Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania.

Which is the Best Ancient History Book for UPSC exam?

NCERT History Textbook for Class XI is considered to be the best Ancient History book for UPSC fundamental preparation.

Is NCERT enough for Ancient History?

Usually, NCERT textbooks of Ancient India, Medieval India, and Art and Culture are enough to cover the Ancient History section. However, you must go through other books mentioned here too for advanced preparation in Prelims and Mains.

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