logotype

History Optional DAMP 3.0 (2022-23) Daily Answer Writing & Mentorship Program

Join Telegram channel for updates: t.me/nikhilhistoryoptional

Course Fee

New Students ₹9,500 + 18% GST Existing Students ₹7,500 + 18% GST

Key Features

Schedule

Other Details

Note

  • Comprehensive Thematic coverage of the entire syllabus in 2 months
  • 4 Questions Daily (2 Questions will be evaluated & discussion videos will be provided)
    (Other 2 are for self-practice)
  • Evaluation within 24 hours
  • Daily detailed thematic discussion video
  • 6 Tests (4 Sectional Tests & 2 Comprehensive Test)
  • Personalised handholding through regular zoom sessions
Schedule detailing: Complete Micro-Syllabus – Download
Week 1 – Ancient India
15 DecMondayArchaeological sources: Exploration, excavation, epigraphy, numismatics, monuments, Literary sources: Indigenous: Primary and secondary; poetry, scientific; literature, literature, literature in regional; languages, religious literature foreign accounts: Greek, Chinese and Arab writers
26 DecTuesdayPre-history and Proto history: Geographical factors, Hunting and gathering (paleolithic and mesolithic), Beginning of agriculture (neolithic and chalcolithic), Indus Valley Civilization: Origin, date, extent, characteristics, decline, survival and significance, art and architecture
37 DecWednesdayIndus Valley Civilization: Origin, date, extent, characteristics, decline, survival and significance, art and architecture Megalithic Cultures: Distribution of pastoral and farming cultures outside the Indus, Development of community life, Settlements, Development of agriculture, Crafts, Pottery, Iron industry
48 DecThursdayAryans and Vedic Period: 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
59 DecFridayPeriod of Mahajanapadas: Formation of States (Mahajanapada) : Republics and monarchies, Rise of urban centres, Trade routes, Economic growth, Introduction of coinage, Spread of Jainism and Buddhism, Rise of Magadha and Nanda, Iranian and Macedonian invasions and their impact
10 DecSaturday
11 DecSunday
Week 2 – Ancient India
612 DecMondayMauryan Empire: 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
713 DecTuesdayPost – Mauryan Period (Indo-Greeks, Sakas, Kushanas, Western Kshatrapas): Contact with outside world, Growth of urban centres, economy, coinage, Development of religions, Mahayana, Social conditions, Art, architecture, culture, literature, and science

Early State and Society in Eastern India, Deccan, and South India: Kharavela, The Satavahanas, Tamil States of the Sangam Age, Sangam literature and culture

814 DecWednesdayEarly State and Society in Eastern India, Deccan, and South India: Administration, economy, land grants, coinage, trade guilds and urban centres; Buddhist centres, Art and architecture

Guptas, Vakatakas and Vardhanas: Polity and administration, Economic conditions, Coinage of the Guptas, Land grants, Decline of urban centres, Indian feudalism, Caste system, Position of women

915 DecThursdayGuptas, Vakatakas and Vardhanas: Education and educational institutions; Nalanda, Vikramshilaa and Vallabhi, Literature, scientific literature, art, and architecture

Regional States during Gupta Era: 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

1016 DecFridayRegional States during Gupta Era: 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.

Themes in Early Indian Cultural History: Languages and texts, Major stages in the evolution of art and architecture, Major philosophical thinkers and schools, Ideas in Science and Mathematics

17DecSaturday
18DecSundaySectional Test 1: Ancient India
Week 3 – Medieval India
1119 DecMonday13. Early Medieval India, 750-1200: Polity: Major political developments in Northern India and the peninsula, origin and the rise of Rajputs. The Cholas: administration, village economy and society

“Indian Feudalism”: Agrarian economy and urban settlements. Trade and commerce. Society: the status of the Brahman and the new social order. Condition of women. Indian science and technology.

1220 DecTuesday14. Cultural Traditions in India, 750-1200:

Philosophy: Skankaracharya and Vedanta, Ramanuja and Vishishtadvaita, Madhva and Brahma-Mimansa. Religion: Forms and features of religion, Tamil devotional cult, growth of Bhakti, Islam and its arrival in India, Sufism. Literature: Literature in Sanskrit, growth of Tamil literature, literature in the newly developing languages, Kalhan’s Rajtarangini, Alberuni’s India. Art and Architecture: Temple architecture, sculpture, painting.

1321 DecWednesday15. The Thirteenth Century:

Establishment of the Delhi Sultanate: The Ghurian invasions – factors behind Ghurian success. Economic, Social and cultural consequences. Foundation of Delhi Sultanate and early Turkish Sultans. Consolidation: The rule of Iltutmish and Balban.


16. The Fourteenth Century:


“The Khalji Revolution”. Alauddin Khalji: Conquests and territorial expansion, agrarian and economic measure.

1422 DecThursday16. The Fourteenth Century:

Muhammad Tughluq: Major projects, agrarian measures, bureaucracy of Muhammad Tughluq. Firuz Tugluq: Agrarian measures, achievements in civil engineering and public works, decline of the Sultanate, foreign contacts, and Ibn Battuta’s account.


17. Society, Culture and Economy in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries:


Society: composition of rural society, ruling classes, town dwellers, women, religious classes, caste and slavery under the Sultanate, Bhakti movement, Sufi movement. Culture: Persian literature, literature in the regional languages of North India, literaute in the languages of South India, Sultanate architecture and new structural forms, painting, evolution of a composite culture. Economy: Agricultural Production, rise of urban economy and non-agricultural production, trade, and commerce.

1523 DecFriday18.The Fifteenth and Early Sixteenth Century-Political Developments and Economy: Rise of Provincial Dynasties: Bengal, Kashmir (Zainul Abedin), Gujarat. Malwa, Bahmanids. The Vijayanagara Empire. Lodis. Mughal Empire, first phase: Babur, Humayun. The Sur Empire: Sher Shah’s administration. Portuguese colonial enterprise, Bhakti and Sufi Movements.
24DecSaturday
25DecSunday
Week 4 – Medieval India
1626 DecMondayThe Fifteenth and Early Sixteenth Century- Society and culture:

Regional cultures specificities. Literary traditions. Provincial architectural. Society, culture, literature, and the arts in Vijayanagara Empire.


Akbar: Conquests and consolidation of empire. Establishment of jagir and mansab systems. Rajput policy.

1727 DecTuesdayAkbar: Evolution of religious and social outlook. Theory of Sulh-i-kul and religious policy. Court patronage of art and technology.

Mughal Empire in the Seventeenth Century: Major administrative policies of Jahangir, Shahjahan, and Aurangzeb. The Empire and the Zamindars. Religious policies of Jahangir, Shahjahan, and Aurangzeb.

1828 DecWednesdayMughal Empire in the Seventeenth Century:

Nature of the Mughal State. Late Seventeenth Century crisis and the revolts. The Ahom kingdom. Shivaji and the early Maratha Kingdom


Economy and society, in the 16th and 17th Centuries:  Population Agricultural and craft production. Towns, commerce with Europe through Dutch, English and French companies: a trade revolution.

1929 DecThursdayEconomy and society, in the 16th and 17th Centuries:

Indian mercantile classes. Banking, insurance, and credit systems. Conditions of peasants, Condition of Women. Evolution of the Sikh community and the Khalsa Panth.


Culture during Mughal Empire:


Persian histories and other literature. Hindi and religious literatures. Mughal architecture. Mughal painting. Provincial architecture and painting. Classical music. Science and technology.

2030 DecFridayThe Eighteenth Century:

Factors for the decline of the Mughal Empire. The regional principalities: Nizam’s Deccan, Bengal, Awadh. Maratha ascendancy under the Peshwas. The Maratha fiscal and financial system. Emergence of Afghan power Battle of Panipat, 1761. State of, political, cultural, and economic, on eve of the British conquest.

31DecSaturday
1 JanSundaySectional Test 2: Medieval India
Week 5 – Modern India
212 JanMondayEuropean Penetration into India:

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.


British Expansion in India:


Bengal-Mir Jafar and Mir Kasim; The Battle of Buxar; Mysore; The Marathas; The three Anglo-Maratha Wars; The Punjab.

223 JanTuesdayEarly Structure of the British Raj:

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.


Economic Impact of British Colonial Rule:


(a) Land revenue settlements in British India; The Permanent Settlement; Ryotwari Settlement; Mahalwari Settlement; Economic impact of the revenue arrangements; Commercialization of agriculture; Rise of landless agrarian labourers; Impoverishment of the rural society.

234 JanWednesdayEconomic Impact of British Colonial Rule:

(b) Dislocation of traditional trade and commerce; De-industrialisation; Decline of traditional crafts; Drain of wealth; Economic transformation of India; Railroad and communication network including telegraph and postal services; Famine and poverty in the rural interior; European business enterprise and its limitations.


Social and Cultural Developments:


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.

245 JanThursdaySocial and Religious Reform Movements in Bengal and Other Areas: 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.

Indian Response to British Rule: 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)

256 JanFridayIndian Response to British Rule:

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.


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.

7 JanSaturday
8 JanSunday
Week 6 – Modern India
269 JanMondayRise of Gandhi; Character of Gandhian nationalism; Gandhi’s popular appeal; Rowlett 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;
2710 JanTuesdayNationalism 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.

Constitutional Developments in the Colonial India between 1858 and 1935.

2811 JanWednesdayOther strands in the National Movement: 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.

Politics of Separatism; the Muslim League; the Hindu Mahasabha; Communalism and the politics of partition; Transfer of power; Independence.

2912 JanThursdayConsolidation 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.

Caste and Ethnicity after 1947; Backward Castes and Tribes in post-colonial electoral politics; Dalit movements.

3013 JanFridayEconomic development and political change; Land reforms; the politics of planning and rural reconstruction; Ecology and environmental policy in post-colonial India; Progress of Science.

Ecology and environmental policy in post-colonial India; Progress of Science.

14JanSaturday
15JanSundaySectional Test 3: Modern India
Week 7 – World History
3116 JanMondayEnlightenment and Modern ideas: (i) Major Ideas of Enlightenment: Kant, Rousseau. (ii) Spread of Enlightenment in the colonies. (iii) Rise of socialist ideas (up to Marx); spread of Marxian Socialism.
3217 JanTuesdayOrigins of Modern Politics: (i) European States System. (ii) American Revolution and the Constitution. (iv) American Civil War with reference to Abraham Lincoln and the abolition of slavery. (iii) French Revolution and Aftermath, 1789-1815. (v) British Democratic politics, 1815-1850: Parliamentary Reformers, Free Traders, Chartists.
3318 JanWednesdayIndustrialization: (i) English Industrial Revolution: Causes and Impact on Society. (ii) Industrialization in other countries: USA, Germany, Russia, Japan. (iii) Industrialization and Globalization.

Nation-State System: (i) Rise of Nationalism in 19th century.  (ii) Nationalism: State-building in Germany and Italy.  (iii) Disintegration of Empires in the face of the emergence of nationalities across the World.

3419 JanThursdayImperialism and Colonialism: (i) South and South-East Asia. (ii) Latin America and South Africa. (iii) Australia.  (iv) Imperialism and free trade: Rise of neo-imperialism.
3520 JanFridayRevolution and Counter-Revolution: (i) 19th Century European revolutions. (ii) The Russian Revolution of 1917-1921. (iii) Fascist Counter-Revolution, Italy, and Germany. (iv) The Chinese Revolution of 1949.
21 JanSaturday
22 JanSunday
Week 8 – World History
3623 JanMondayWorld Wars: (i) 1st and 2nd World Wars as Total Wars: Societal implications. (ii) World War I: Causes and Consequences. (iii) World War II: Causes and Consequences.
3724 JanTuesdayThe World after World War II: (i) Emergence of Two power blocs. (ii) Emergence of Third World and non-alignment. (iii) UNO and the global disputes.
3825 JanWednesdayLiberation from Colonial Rule: (i) Latin America-Bolivar. (ii) Arab World-Egypt. (iii) Africa-Apartheid to Democracy. (iv) South-East Asia-Vietnam.
3926 JanThursdayDecolonization and Underdevelopment: (i) Factors constraining Development; Latin America, Africa.

Unification of Europe: (i) Post War Foundations; NATO and European Community. (ii) Consolidation and Expansion of European Community (iii) European Union.

4027 JanFridayDisintegration of Soviet Union and the Rise of the Unipolar World: (i) Factors leading to the collapse of Soviet Communism and Soviet Union, 1985-1991. (ii) Political Changes in East Europe 1989-2001. (iii) End of the Cold War and US Ascendancy in the World as the lone superpower.
28 JanSaturday
29 JanSundaySectional Test 4: World History

Structure of the Program:

  • Question will be released at 12.00 pm (Afternoon)
  • Answer can be uploaded till 12:00 pm (Next Day Afternoon)
  • Answer Discussion video will be released at 12:00 pm (Next Day Afternoon)
  • 5 Days a week

Why should you join this?

  • To hone answer writing skills
  • Guided revision of the complete optional in two months
  • Content enrichment through historiographical debates
  • To tune preparation to UPSC Mains requirement
Comprehensive Tests (Exact dates to be announced later)
  • Paper I – Ancient and Medieval India
  • Paper II – Modern India and World History
  • All our lectures are under the license of copyright protection, under the Copyright Act 1957 (the Act), supported by the Copyright Rules 1958 (the Rules), International Copyright Order, 1999 and Copyright Act in 2012. So copying our videos, illegal piracy, downloads, sharing, distribution etc. are strictly not allowed. We will take strict legal action against people doing so.
  • We have embedded tracking of video usage with the location, IP and we collect data on the video usage to check if there are any suspicious downloads of video happening with some third-party software. In such cases, the culprits will not be given any warning from our end; instead, strict legal action will be enforced.
  • Sharing of the user’s login and password is strictly prohibited. If any student is found doing so, his account would be suspended, and we will file a legal case of data theft and piracy against the student. Please do not share logins with your friends; else you will be in deep trouble.
  • There is access limit for each student – based on the course validity (date mentioned in the course features) and the total duration for which a student can watch any particular video (three times of the length of the video). Under no circumstance requests to extend the validity or increase the view duration will be entertained.
  • You may be mandatorily required to register the device from which you will be permitted to access the student portal to consume the online services. LevelUP IAS withholds the right to keep the number of devices registered limited.
  • Students are advised to have minimum internet speed of 2 Mbps for smooth experience. For mobile, videos run efficiently on 4G networks.