UPHESC Assistant Professor Ancient History Syllabus 2026

UPHESC Assistant Professor Ancient History Syllabus

The written exam has two parts: General Knowledge (30 questions, the same for all subjects) and Ancient History (90 questions). Both syllabi below are the official ones of the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission, Prayagraj.

Part 1: General Knowledge (30 questions, 90 marks)

Compulsory for all disciplines. Download PDF (0.3 MB)

Unit 1: Current Affairs

Major events and current affairs: national and international
Personalities in news
Sports news
Current research in the field of science

Unit 2: Teaching and Research Aptitude

Teaching: nature, objectives, need, methods, evaluation and factors affecting teaching
Research: meaning and methods
Data: source, collection and analysis
Role of UGC in qualitative development in higher education

Unit 3: Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

ICT: meaning, advantages and disadvantages
Basics of internet and e-mailing
General abbreviations and terminology

Unit 4: People and Environment

People and environment interaction
Environmental degradation: causes and solutions
National and international efforts for a better environment
Environmental control

Unit 5: Indian History and Geography

Salient features of Indian culture
Indian National Movement (1857–1950)
Origin of the universe and the solar system
Indian geography (general)

Unit 6: Indian Constitution and Economy

Preamble, Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles
Indian political system: legislature, executive and judiciary
Election Commission and Public Service Commission
Population, poverty, unemployment; planning and development; income tax
Agriculture, industry, trade; money, currency, banking and capital market

Part 2: Ancient History (subject code 31) – 90 questions, 270 marks

The Ancient History paper is at post-graduate (Master's) level. The complete official syllabus is below. Download Ancient History syllabus PDF (0.8 MB)

Unit I: Sources and Prehistory

(i) Archaeological sources : Antiquities, monuments, epigraphy, numismatics (coins and seals/sealings), pottery
(ii) Literary sources : Indigenous—Religious and Secular; Myths and Legends
(iii) Foreign Accounts : Graeco-Roman, Chinese, Arab
(iv) Main Features of Palaeolithic, Mesolithic & Neolithic cultures
(v) Prehistoric Art : Antiquity, significance, distribution
(vi) Megaliths of southern India

Unit II: Introduction to Field Archaeology

(i) Definition, aims, scope, and ethics of archaeology
(ii) History of the development of archaeology
(iii) Relationship of archaeology with social and basic sciences
(iv) Methods of explorations and excavations
(v) Conservation and preservation of archaeological remains and sites
(vi) Chronology and dating methods

Unit III: Harappan/Sarasvati and Vedic Cultures

(i) Harappan culture : Origin, extent, authors, major sites (Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Lothal, Kalibangan, Dholavira, Rakhigarhi), society, economy, religion, polity, art and architecture, decline and devolution
(ii) Vedic culture : Vedic corpus, society, economy, religion and philosophy, political institutions, geography

Unit IV: Expansion of the State System

(i) Emergence of second urbanization in India
(ii) The mahajanapadas
(iii) The republican states and their administration
(iv) Social and economic developments & mobility
(v) Brahmanas & Sramanas; the heterodox sects : Jainism, Buddhism, Ajivikism

Unit V: From State to Empire

(i) The rise of Magadha under the Bimbisarids, the Saisunagas, and the Nandas
(ii) Achaemenians in India
(iii) The Macedonian invasion and its impact
(iv) The Mauryas : Sources (Arthasastra of Kautilya & Asoka's edicts), Chandragupta, Bindusara, Asoka, and his successors
(v) Asoka and Buddhism; the dhamma of Asoka
(vi) Society, economy, and polity under the Mauryas
(vii) Disintegration of the Empire : Sungas, Kanvas, Mahameghavahanas, Indo-Greeks, Saka-Pahlavas, Western Kshatrapas, Kushanas, Satavahanas
(viii) Maurya and post-Maurya art and architecture

Unit VI: The Imperial Guptas, their Contemporaries, and their Successors in Northern India

(i) The Gupta empire : Rise and Fall; society, economy, polity; art and architecture
(ii) The Pushpabhutis, the Varmans of Kamarupa, Sasanka of Gauda
(iii) Maukharis, Later Guptas, Chaulukyas of Gujarat
(iv) The Gurjara-Pratiharas, Palas, Senas, Paramaras, Chandellas, Gahadavalas, Chahamanas
(v) Arabs and Turks in India

Unit VII: Southern India

(i) The Vakatakas
(ii) The Chalukyas of Badami, the Rashtrakutas, the Pallavas, the Cholas, & their cultural contributions
(iii) The Gangas, Kadambas, Kakatiyas, Hoyasalas
(iv) The Yadavas of Devagiri, & the Pandya empires
(v) The First and Second Pandya empires

Unit VIII: Society, Agrarian Economy, Religious Systems, and Science and Technology

(i) Society : Varna, jati; position of women and their property rights; marriage; education; situating tribes in varna hierarchy; untouchability
(ii) Agrarian Economy : Land grants and agraharas; water resources; trade and commerce; trade routes and ports; guild organization; Coinage (general features of coins from the earliest times to the early mediaeval period); feudalism
(iii) Religious Systems : The Five Principal Cults; various temple styles; Bhakti movements (Sankara, Madhva, Ramanuja)
(iv) Tantra in various religious sects
(v) Natha sect
(vi) Science and technology

Unit IX: Polity and Administration

(i) Origin of State
(ii) Kingship
(iii) Council of ministers
(iv) Judicial administration
(v) Fiscal administration
(vi) Inter-state relations and the mandala theory
(vii) Chola administration

Unit X: Research Methodology and Historiography

(i) Importance and scope of history
(ii) Objectivity in history
(iii) Recent trends in history writing & modern historians (V.A. Smith, K.P.Jayaswal, D.D. Kosambi, G.C. Pande, V.S. Pathak)
(iv) Hypothesis in history, and the area of proposed research
(v) Sources : Primary and secondary
(vi) The taking of notes; footnotes/endnotes; references; bibliography
(vii) Research ethics
(viii) Greek, Roman, Chinese, Arab approaches to history writing

How to prepare

Match the official Ancient History syllabus unit by unit with your Master's notes and mark weak units first.
Solve previous UPHESC/UPESSC Assistant Professor Ancient History papers (Advt 51 re-exam of April 2026 is the most recent).
Do not leave GK for the end: Teaching and Research Aptitude and ICT are scoring units of the GK paper.
Practise MCQs under time limits because of negative marking (-1 per wrong answer).

Syllabus PDFs of all 43 subjects are on UPHESC Assistant Professor.