History Optional Coverage in Q&A Format
- Comprehensive syllabus coverage
- Live answer writing in classroom
- Extra focus on Historiography
The HOT 500 program is an intensive course designed to help aspirants thoroughly cover the entire History Optional syllabus for UPSC CSE. Through 500+ questions and expert mentorship from Nikhil Sir and Vishal Sir, aspirants will master answer writing, tackle updated historiographical debates, and enhance their chances of scoring high.
>500 Questions, 80 Lectures—Your Complete History Optional Solution!
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Course overview and orientation video for History Optional through 500 questions.
Programme depth
| Lecture 01 | Orientation |
| Lecture 02 | Sultanate : Sources + Turkish Conquest |
| Lecture 03 | Sultanate : Polity + Kingship + Admin - 1 |
| Lecture 04 | Sultanate : Polity + Kingship + Admin - 2 |
| Lecture 05 | Sultanate : Economy + Society |
| Lecture 06 | Sultanate : Culture + Regional History : In India |
| Lecture 07 | Vijayanagar + Bahmani |
| Lecture 08 | Vijayanagar + Bahmani: Cultural Aspects |
| Lecture 09 | Mughals: Sources + Political History |
| Lecture 10 | Mughals: Political Aspects |
| Lecture 11 | Mughals: Economy & Society |
| Lecture 12 | Mughals: Culture Decline + Marathas + Ahoms + Sikhs |
| Sectional Test 3: Medieval India |
| Lecture 13 | Modern India Day-1 |
| Lecture 14 | Modern India Day-2 |
| Lecture 15 | Modern India Day-3 |
| Lecture 16 | Modern India Day-4 |
| Lecture 17 | Modern India Day-5 |
| Lecture 18 | Modern India Day-6 |
| Lecture 19 | Modern India Day-7 |
| Lecture 20 | Modern India Day-8 |
| Lecture 21 | Modern India Day-9 |
| Lecture 22 | Modern India Day-10 |
| Lecture 23 | Modern India Day-11 |
| Lecture 24 | Modern India Day-12 |
| Lecture 25 | Modern India Day-13 |
| Lecture 26 | Modern India Day-14 |
| Lecture 27 | Modern India Day-15 |
| Lecture 28 | Modern India Day-16 |
| Lecture 29 | Modern India Day-17 |
| Lecture 30 | Modern India Day-18 |
| Lecture 31 | Modern India Day-19 |
| Lecture 32 | Modern India Day-20 |
| Lecture 33 | Modern India Day-21 |
| Sectional Test 4: Modern India |
| Lecture 34 | National Integration: Princely States, Linguistic Reorganization, Tribal Policy |
| Lecture 35 | National Development: Planning, Land Reforms, Modernization etc |
| Lecture 36 | Nehruvian Foreign Policy: NAM, India-China relations etc Social Movements: Environmental, Dalit and Women’s movements |
| Sectional Test 6: Post-Independence India |
| Lecture 37 | Enlightenment |
| Lecture 38 | Enlightenment |
| Lecture 39 | American Revolution, American Constitution |
| Lecture 40 | American Civil War, French Revolution (Part 1) |
| Lecture 41 | French Revolution (Part 2), Napoleon |
| Lecture 42 | Industrial Revolution |
| Lecture 43 | British Democratic Politics |
| Lecture 44 | European Politics 1815-1848 |
| Lecture 45 | Italian and German Unification |
| Lecture 46 | Neo Imperialism |
| Lecture 47 | Eastern Question, Bismarckian Foreign Policy, Causes of WW1 |
| Lecture 48 | Total War, Paris Peace, Interwar Society and Economy |
| Lecture 49 | Socialism & Marxism |
| Lecture 50 | Communist Revolutions (Part 1) |
| Lecture 51 | Communist Revolutions (Part 2), Fascist Counter- Revolutions |
| Lecture 52 | Interwar International Relations |
| Lecture 53 | Cold War |
| Lecture 54 | Post Cold War Developments |
| Lecture 55 | Decolonization (Part 1) |
| Lecture 56 | Decolonization (Part 2) |
| Lecture 57 | Third World, NAM, Underdevelopment, Decolonization |
| Sectional Test 5: World History |
| Lecture 58 | Sources of History, PYQs |
| Lecture 59 | Prehistory |
| Lecture 60 | Harappan Civilisation |
| Lecture 61 | Vedic Age - 1 |
| Lecture 62 | Vedic Age - 2 |
| Lecture 63 | Vedic Age - 3 + Post Vedic Age - 1 |
| Lecture 64 | Post Vedic Age - 2 |
| Lecture 65 | Post Vedic Age - 3 |
| Lecture 66 | Mauryan Age - 1 |
| Lecture 67 | Mauryan Age - 2 |
| Lecture 68 | Mauryan Age - 3 |
| Lecture 69 | Post Mauryan Age - 1 |
| Lecture 70 | Post Mauryan Age - 2 |
| Lecture 71 | Gupta Age - 1 |
| Lecture 72 | Gupta Age - 2 |
| Lecture 73 | Post Gupta Age |
| Lecture 74 | Themes in Ancient Indian History - 1 |
| Lecture 75 | Themes in Ancient Indian History - 2 |
| Sectional Test 1: Ancient India |
| Lecture 76 | EMA - Political Aspects |
| Lecture 77 | Feudalism Debate |
| Lecture 78 | EMA - Rajputs, Cholas, Al - Biruni |
| Lecture 79 | EMA - Religious Aspects - 1 |
| Lecture 80 | EMA - Religious Aspects - 2 |
| Lecture 81 | EMA - Cultural Aspects |
| Sectional Test 2: Early Medieval |
Archaeological sources:
Exploration, excavation, epigraphy, numismatics, monuments.
Literary sources:
Indigenous: Primary and secondary; poetry, scientific literature, literature, literature in regional languages, religious literature.
Foreign account: Greek, Chinese, and Arab writers.
Geographical factors; hunting and gathering (paleolithic and mesolithic); Beginning of agriculture (neolithic and chalcolithic).
Origin, date, extent, characteristics-decline, survival and significance, art and architecture.
Distribution of pastoral and farming cultures outside the Indus, Development of community life, Settlements, Development of agriculture, Crafts, Pottery, and Iron industry.
Expansions of Aryans in India:
Vedic Period: Religious and philosophic literature; Transformation from Rig Vedic period to the later Vedic period; Political, social, and economical life; Significance of the Vedic Age; Evolution of Monarchy and Varna system.
Formation of States (Mahajanapada): Republics and monarchies; Rise of urban centres; Trade routes; Economic growth; Introduction of coinage; Spread of Jainism and Buddism; Rise of Magadha and Nandas. Iranian and Mecedonian invasions and their impact.
Foundation of the Mauryan Empire, Chandragupta, Kautilya and Arthashastra; Ashoka; Concept of Dharma; Edicts; Polity, Administration, Economy; Art, architecture, and sculpture; External contacts. Religion; Spread of religion; Literature. Disintegration of the empire; sungas and Kanvas.
Contact with outside world; growth of urban centres, economy, coinage, development of religions, Mahayana, social conditions, art, architecture, culture, literature, and science.
Kharavela, The Satavahanas, Tamil States of the Sangam Age; Administration, Economy, land grants, coinage, trade guilds and urban centres; Buddhist centres; Sangam literature and culture; Art and architecture.
Polity and administration, Economic conditions, Coinage of the Guptas, Land grants, Decline of urban centres, Indian feudalism, Caste system, Position of women, Education, and educational institutions; Nalanda, Vikramshila and Vallabhi, Literature, scientific literature, art and architecture.
The Kadambas, Pallavas, Chalukyas of Badami; Polity and Administration, Trade guilds, Literature; growth of Vaishnava and Saiva religions. Tamil Bhakit movement, Shankaracharya; Vedanta; Institutions of temple and temple architecture; Palas, Senas, Rashtrakutas, Paramaras, Polity and administration; Cultural aspects. Arab conquest of Sind; Alberuni, The Chaluky as of Kalyana, Cholas, Hoysalas, Pandyas; Polity and Administration; Local Government; Growth of art and architecture, religious sects, Institution of temple and Mathas, Agraharas, education and literature, economy and society.
Languages and texts, major stages in the evolution of art and architecture, major philosophical thinkers and schools, ideas in Science and Mathematics.
The Early European Settlements; The Portuguese and the Dutch; The English and the French East India Companies; Their struggle for supremacy; Carnatic Wars; Bengal-The conflict between the English and the Nawabs of Bengal; Siraj and the English; The Battle of Plassey; Significance of Plassey.
Bengal-Mir Jafar and Mir Kasim; The Battle of Buxar; Mysore; The Marathas; The three Anglo-Maratha Wars; The Punjab.
The Early administrative structure; From diarchy to direct contol; The Regulating Act (1773); The Pitt’s India Act (1784); The Charter Act (1833); The Voice of free trade and the changing character of British colonial rule; The English utilitarian and India.
The state of indigenous education, its dislocation; Orientalist-Anglicist controversy, The introduction of western education in India; The rise of press, literature, and public opinion; The rise of modern vernacular literature; Progress of Science; Christian missionary activities in India.
Ram Mohan Roy, The Brahmo Movement; Devendranath Tagore; Iswarchandra Vidyasagar; The Young Bengal Movement; Dayanada Saraswati; The social reform movements in India including Sati, widow remarriage, child marriage etc.; The contribution of Indian renaissance to the growth of modern India; Islamic revivalism-the Feraizi and Wahabi Movements.
Peasant movement and tribal uprisings in the 18th and 19th centuries including the Rangpur Dhing (1783), the Kol Rebellion (1832), the Mopla Rebellion in Malabar (1841-1920), the Santal Hul (1855), Indigo Rebellion (1859-60), Deccan Uprising (1875) and the Munda Ulgulan (1899-1900); The Great Revolt of 1857.
— Origin, character, casuses of failure, the consequences; The shift in the character of peasant uprisings in the post-1857 period; the peasant movements of the 1920s and 1930s.
8. Factors leading to the birth of Indian Nationalism; Politics of Association; The Foundation of the Indian National Congress; The Safety-valve thesis relating to the birth of the Congress; Programme and objectives of Early Congress; the social composition of early Congress leadership; the Moderates and Extremists; The Partition of Bengal (1905); The Swadeshi Movement in Bengal; the economic and political aspects of Swadeshi Movement; The beginning of revolutionary extremism in India.
9. Rise of Gandhi; Character of Gandhian nationalism; Gandhi’s popular appeal; Rowlatt Satyagraha; the Khilafat Movement; the Non-cooperation Movement; National politics from the end of the Non-cooperation movement to the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement; the two phases of the Civil Disobedience Movement; Simon Commission; The Nehru Report; the Round Table Conferences; Nationalism and the Peasant Movements; Nationalism and Working class movements; Women and Indian youth and students in Indian politics (1885-1947); the election of 1937 and the formation of ministries; Cripps Mission; the Quit India Movement; the Wavell Plan; The Cabinet Mission.
10. Constitutional Developments in the Colonial India between 1858 and 1935.
The Revolutionaries: Bengal, the Punjab, Maharashtra, U.P. the Madras Presidency, Outside India.
The Left; The Left within the Congress: Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, the Congress Socialist Party; the Communist Party of India, other left parties.
12. Politics of Separatism; the Muslim League; the Hindu Mahasabha; Communalism and the politics of partition; Transfer of power; Independence.
13. Consolidation as a Nation; Nehru’s Foreign Policy; India and her neighbours (1947-1964); The linguistic reorganisation of States (1935-1947); Regionalism and regional inequality; Integration of Princely States; Princes in electoral politics; the Question of National Language.
14. Caste and Ethnicity after 1947; Backward Castes and Tribes in post- colonial electoral politics; Dalit movements.
15. Economic development and political change; Land reforms; the politics of planning and rural reconstruction; Ecology and environmental policy in post- colonial India; Progress of Science.
(i) Factors constraining Development; Latin America, Africa.
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500+ questions, 80 lectures and structured History Optional answer-writing practice.
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