UPPSC History Assistant Professor Syllabus, Eligibility – GDC Examination 2025

September 17, 2025

The Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) conducts the Assistant Professor Government Degree College Examination 2025 for the recruitment of lecturers across various subjects. For aspirants applying in History, it is crucial to follow the official syllabus provided by UPPSC. Here’s the detailed and complete syllabus for History, including all ten units exactly as prescribed.

UPPSC History Assistant Professor Syllabus 2025

Unit 1 – Negotiating the Source

  • Archaeological Sources: Epigraphy, Numismatics, Dating of Archaeological Sites.

  • Literary Sources: Indigenous (Religious & Secular), Myths, Legends, Foreign Accounts (Greek, Chinese, Arabic).

  • Prehistoric Background: Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic phases – settlement, distribution, tools, exchange patterns.

  • Indus/Harappa Civilization: Origin, extent, major sites, settlement pattern, craft specialization, religion, polity, decline, internal & external trade, First Urbanization.

  • Vedic & Later Vedic Period: Aryan debates, political & social institutions, state theories, varna & social stratification, iron technology, Megaliths of South India.

  • Mahajanapadas: Monarchical & republican states, economic & social developments, Second Urbanization (6th century BCE), Jainism & Buddhism.

Unit 2 – From State to Empire

  • Rise of Magadha, Alexander’s invasion & impact.

  • Mauryan Empire: polity, society, economy, Asoka’s Dhamma, Mauryan art & architecture, decline & disintegration.

  • Regional Powers: Indo-Greeks, Sungas, Satavahanas, Kushanas, Sakas, Sangam polity & society, Kharavela.

  • Post-Mauryan Art & Architecture: Gandhara, Mathura & Amaravati schools.

  • Trade & commerce (2nd BCE – 3rd CE), trade with Roman world.

  • Gupta-Vakataka Age: polity, society, agrarian economy, temple architecture, Sanskrit literature, science & technology, astronomy, mathematics, medicine, Golden Age.

  • Harsha & his times: administration, religion.

Unit 3 – Early Medieval India

  • Regional Kingdoms: Deccan (Gangas, Kadambas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas, Yadavas), Pallavas, Cheras, Cholas, Pandyas, Maitrakas of Vallabhi, Palas & Senas, Gurjara-Pratiharas, Kalachuris, Gahadavalas, Paramaras.

  • Administration & Kingship: Legitimacy, agrarian economy, land grants, graded rights, water resources, feudalism.

  • Trade & Urbanization: Patterns, ports, routes, guilds, colonization of Southeast Asia.

  • Society: Varna, Jati, position of women, gender relations, tribes & their place in Varna order, untouchability.

  • Education: Agraharas, Mathas, Mahaviharas as centres of learning.

  • Temple architecture, Bhakti movement (Shankara, Madhava, Ramanuja).

Unit 4 – Medieval Indian History

  • Sources: Archaeological, epigraphic, numismatic, chronicles, Persian, Sanskrit & regional literature, daftar khannas, firmans, foreign travellers’ accounts (Alberuni, etc.).

  • Political Developments: Ghaznavids, Ghurids, Delhi Sultanate (Slave, Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, Lodi dynasties), decline.

  • Mughal Empire: Babur to Aurangzeb – expansion, consolidation, decline.

  • Regional Kingdoms: Vijayanagar & Bahmanis, Deccan Sultanates, Eastern Gangas, Gajapatis.

  • Marathas: Shivaji’s Swaraj, expansion under Peshwas, Mughal-Maratha relations, decline of Marathas.

Unit 5 – Administration & Economy (1200–1750 CE)

  • Nature of the Sultanate state (Theocratic & Theocentric).

  • Central, Provincial & Local administration under Delhi Sultanate & Mughals.

  • Sher Shah Suri: Administrative reforms.

  • Mansabdari & Jagirdari Systems.

  • Vijayanagara & Bahmani administration, Maratha Asta Pradhan Mandal.

  • Economy: Agricultural production, irrigation, village economy, loans, industries (cotton textiles, handicrafts), technology, trade & commerce (internal, external, European trade), hundi, insurance, revenue & expenditure, currency system, famines, peasant revolts.

Unit 6 – Society & Culture

  • Social structure: ruling class, ulema, merchants, professionals, artisans.

  • Bhakti & Sufi Movements: Orders, saints, teachings, social impact.

  • Sikh Movement: Guru Nanak, Adi Granth, Khalsa.

  • Status of women – Zanana & Devadasi system.

  • Education – madrasas, curriculum.

  • Fine arts: Mughal, Rajasthani, Pahari, Garhwali painting schools, music development.

  • Indo-Islamic architecture, Mughal gardens, Maratha forts, shrines & temples.

Unit 7 – Sources of Modern Indian History

  • Archival materials, biographies, newspapers, oral evidence, monuments, coins, creative literature.

  • Rise of European trading companies (Portuguese, Dutch, French, British), establishment & expansion of British dominion, relations with Bengal, Oudh, Mysore, Carnatic, Punjab.

  • Revolt of 1857: causes, nature, impact.

  • Constitutional changes (1909–1935), Paramountcy, civil services, judiciary, police, local self-government.

Unit 8 – Economy & Society (1757–1947 CE)

  • Commercialization of agriculture, land rights, rural indebtedness, canal irrigation.

  • Decline of industries, de-industrialization, artisans’ distress.

  • Modern industries, factory legislation, labour & trade union movements.

  • Railways, transport, communication, currency, banking, urbanization, town planning.

  • Famines, epidemics, tribal & peasant movements.

  • Indian society in transition – Christianity, education, social reforms, women’s question, caste mobility, renaissance.

Unit 9 – Indian National Movement & Post-Independence India

  • Rise of nationalism, Indian National Congress (moderates, extremists, revolutionaries).

  • Gandhian Era: Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, Quit India Movement.

  • Subhas Chandra Bose & INA, Left-wing politics, communalism, women participation.

  • Independence & Partition, integration of princely states, constitution making (role of B.R. Ambedkar).

  • Planning, tribal issues, centre-state relations, foreign policy (Panchsheel), emergency, liberalization & globalization.

Unit 10 – Historical Method & Historiography

  • Nature, scope, objectivity & bias in history.

  • Causation, imagination, heuristics, criticism, synthesis, auxiliary sciences.

  • Research methodology: hypothesis, data collection, thesis writing, plagiarism & ethics.

  • Historiography: Greek, Roman, Church, Renaissance, Von Ranke, Marxist, Spengler, Toynbee, Postmodernism.

  • Recent trends: regional history, intellectual honesty, open access publishing.

General Studies (Common for All Subjects)

Apart from the subject syllabus, candidates must prepare for General Studies, which is common for every subject in the UPPSC GDC Assistant Professor Examination.

  • General Science

  • Current Events of National and International Importance

  • History of India (Including Indian National Movement)

  • Indian Polity & Economy

  • Geography – Indian & World

  • Mental Ability & Statistical Analysis
    (Special reference to Uttar Pradesh is expected)

UPPSC History Assistant Professor Eligibility 2025

Option A: Master’s Degree + NET/SET/SLET

A Master’s degree with 55% marks (or equivalent grade) in History or a relevant/allied subject from an Indian University,
OR an equivalent degree from an accredited foreign university.

Additionally, candidates must have cleared the National Eligibility Test (NET) conducted by UGC/CSIR or an equivalent accredited test like SLET/SET.

Candidates with a Ph.D. Degree as per UGC Regulations (2009/2016 & amendments) are exempt from NET/SLET/SET, provided they fulfill the following conditions (for Ph.D. registered before July 11, 2009):

  • Ph.D. awarded in regular mode.

  • Thesis evaluated by at least two external examiners.

  • Open Ph.D. viva voce conducted.

  • At least two research papers published from Ph.D. work (one in a refereed journal).

  • At least two papers presented in UGC/ICSSR/CSIR-sponsored seminars/conferences.

Certification must be provided by the Registrar/Dean (Academic Affairs) of the awarding University.

Note: NET/SLET/SET exemption applies to subjects where these tests are not conducted.

Option B: Ph.D. from Top 500 Foreign Universities

A Ph.D. degree from a foreign university/institution ranked among the top 500 in global rankings by:

    • QS (Quacquarelli Symonds)

    • Times Higher Education (THE)

    • Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) by Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Conclusion

The UPPSC History Assistant Professor syllabus is vast, covering Ancient, Medieval, Modern, and Post-Independence History, along with Historiography and Research Methodology. Aspirants must prepare with a focus on analytical understanding, map work, historical debates, and thematic connections across periods.

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