Suggested Readings
History

First Order and Most Essential Books

   ANCIENT INDIA

  1. Ancient India (NCERT) - Prof. R.S. Sharma
  2. The Advanced History of India - Majumdar, Raychaudhuri & K. Datta
  3. The wonder that was India     – Vol.I A. L Basham
  4. Ancient India - An Introductory Outline -    D.N. Jha  
  5. Ancient India - V.D.Mahajan
  6. Mauryan: Asoka and the decline of Mauryan Empire - Romila Thapar
  7. Krishna Reddy –Guide.
  8. SYNERGY IAS’S Hand book on History by O.P.Siddharth
  9. SYNERGY IAS’S Class Notes

     MEDIEVAL INDIA

    1.  Medieval India .NCERT
    2. Advanced study in the History of Medieval India - Volume I. J.L.
    Mehta
    3. Medieval India - Volume - II Satish Chandra
    4. Medieval India –V.D.Mahajan
    5. SYNERGY IAS’S Hand book on History by O.P.Siddharth

   MODERN INDIA
1.  Modern India - NCERT

  1. Modern Indian History - Grover & Grover.
  2. India’s struggle for Independence - Bipin Chandra
  3. Modern India  - Sumit Sarkar
  4. Modern India –V.D.Mahajan
  5. The Advanced History of India - Majumdar, Raychaudhuri &K.Datta
  6.  SYNERGY IAS’S Hand book on History  by O.P.Siddharth
  7. India after Independence. Bipin Chandra
  8. IGNOU material (especially on freedom struggle)
  9. SYNERGY IAS’S Hand book on History  by O.P.Siddharth
  10. SYNERGY IAS’S Question Bank on Modern India by O.P.Siddharth

   Second Order Books
   ANCIENT INDIA

  1. The Advanced History of India - Majumdar, Raychaudhuri & Datta
  2. History of India, Vol. I  -  Romila Thapar
  3. A History of South India -   K.A. Nilakanda Sastri
  4. Archaeological perspective. -Alchin

   MEDIEVAL INDIA

  1.  Advanced study in the History of Medieval India - Volume  II, III J.L. Mehta
  2. Medieval India - Volume I- Satish Chandra
  3. Wonder that was India – Rizvi
  4. The Advanced History of India - Majumdar, Raychaudhuri & Datta
  5. Gazetteer of India
MODERN INDIA
  1. The Advanced History of India - Majumdar, Raychaudhuri & Datta
  2. Spectrum .Modern India  hand book
  3. IGNOU –Materials
  4. Gazetteer of India

Third Order and Final Reference Books for All Topics
1. SYNERGY Hand book on History - O.P.Siddharth
2. Agnihotri guide
3. IGNOU Materials
4. Wonder that was India - Rizvi
5. Wizard work book
6. UPSC- Previous Years Questions
7. NCERT books- All books from Std VI to XII
8. The Agrarian System of Mughal India 1556-1707 -   Irfan Habib 
9.  The Wonder That was India (Vol.2)    S.A.A. Rizvi
10. Aspects of Political Ideas and Institutions in Ancient India
R.S. Sharma (only Conclusion)
11. Alberuni’s India - English Version by Chachu
12. Indian Feudalism    R.S. Sharma

WORLD HISTORY (MAIN EXAMINATION)

1. The Story of Civilization, Vol. 2 (NCERT)    Arjun Dev
2.Contemporary World History     (NCERT)    Arjun Dev & others
3. Europe since Napoleon         David Thompson
11. Europe since 1815    W.C. Craig
12.Europe since 1870    James Joll.
4. IGNOU   World History
5. World History K.L.Mukherjee   (Two Books)
6. Modern World History by      Norman Lowe
7. SYNERGYIAS’S Hand Book on World History by O.P.Siddharth

World History:

    1. European History - L. Mukherjee
    2. Europe since Napoleon - David Thompson.
    3. World Civilisation - Vol. II, and starting part of Vol. Ill of Burns and Burns

1. What is History    E.H. Carr
2. Historian's Craft    Marc Block
3. The Past and the present     Lawrence Stone
Having read these books, you can confidently move for Interview.

Ancient India

1. Ancient India (NCERT)     Prof. R.S. Sharma
2. The Wonder That was India     A.L. Basham
3. Ancient India - An Introductory Outline     D.N. Jha
4. History of India, Vol. I    Romila Thapar
5. Aspects of Political Ideas and Institutions in Ancient India
R.S. Sharma (only Conclusion)
6. Material culture & Social Formation in Ancient India     R.S. Sharma
7. Indian Feudalism    R.S. Sharma
8. Ashoka & Decline of the Maurya    Romila Thapar
9. A History of South India    K.A. Nilakanda Sastri
10Ancient India and Indian Archaeology    Archaeological Survey of India

Medieval India

1. Medieval India (NCERT)    Satish Chandra
2. Medieval India (Macmillan)    Satish Chandra
3.The Wonder That was India (Vol.2)    S.A.A. Rizvi
4.The Agrarian System of Mughal India 1556-1707    Irfan Habib   
5.The Mughal Empire    J.F. Richards
6.Urban Dynamics    H.C. Verma
7.The Marathas    Gordon

Modern India

1.Modern India (NCERT)    Bipan Chandra
2.Modern India (Macmillan)    Sumit Sarkar
3.Anatomy of the Raj (PPH)    Suhash Chakravarty
4.The Raj Syndrome (Penguins)    Suhash Chakravarty
5.VAID's Fundamentals of History Series
a.Administrative History     Pravin Kumar
b.Constitutional History     Pravin Kumar
c.Social History    Pravin Kumar
d.Freedom Struggle    Pravin Kumar
6.Peasant Movements in India    D.N. Dhanagare
7.India's Struggle for Independence    Bipan Chandra and others
8.Gandhi    B.R. Nanda
9.Gandhi    Judith Brown
10. Freedom Struggle (NBT)    Bipan Chandra & others

World History

1.The story of Civilization, Vol. 2 (NCERT)    Arjun Dev
2.Contemporary World History (NCERT)    Arjun Dev & others
3.The Mainstream of Civilization    Strayer, Gatzke & Harbison
4.Western Civilizations    Burns & others
5.Industry & Empire    E.J. Hobsbawm
6.Age of Revolution    E.J. Hobsbawm
7.Age of Capital    E.J. Hobsbawm
8.Age of Empires    E.J. Hobsbawm
9.Social basis of Democracy & Dictatorship    B.J. Moore
10.Europe Since Napoleon    David Thompson
11.Europe Since 1815    W.C. Craig
12.Europe Since 1870    James Joll.