Drishti IAS Prelims Practice Series – History and Art & Culture | 6th Edition | 1950+ Practice Questions with Detailed Explanations

Drishti Publications presents the 6th Edition of Prelims Practice Series – History and Art & Culture, designed for aspirants preparing for IAS, PCS, CAPF, CDS, NDA and other competitive examinations. The book offers extensive practice through 1950+ questions with detailed explanations and covers Ancient History, Medieval History, Modern History, Art & Culture and miscellaneous topics in a structured, exam-oriented format.

Key Highlights:

• 1950+ practice questions with detailed explanations for intensive Prelims preparation.
• Covers Ancient, Medieval and Modern Indian History along with a dedicated section on Art & Culture.
• Includes previous years’ and practice questions relevant to IAS, PCS, CAPF, CDS, NDA and other competitive examinations.
• Updated question coverage includes recent examination questions such as UPSC CSE Prelims 2026, CDS 2026, NDA 2026, CAPF and other examinations.
• Detailed explanations help aspirants understand the factual as well as conceptual basis behind the correct answer.
• Chapter-wise arrangement supports systematic practice, revision and identification of weak areas.
• Useful for strengthening question-solving ability across factual, statement-based, matching, chronological and analytical question formats.

About this Book:

The Prelims Practice Series – History and Art & Culture, 6th Edition is the first part of the 7-book Prelims Practice Series and provides extensive question-based preparation for History and Culture. The book is structured into major sections covering Ancient History, Medieval History, Modern History, Art & Culture and Miscellaneous topics, enabling aspirants to practise the syllabus in a systematic manner.

The Ancient History section includes topics such as Historical Sources of Ancient India, Prehistoric Period, Indus Valley Civilization, Vedic Age, Mahajanapadas, Mauryan and Post-Mauryan periods, Sangam Age, Gupta Age and Post-Gupta developments.

The Medieval History section covers Early Medieval Empires, the Age of Conflicts, Delhi Sultanate, Mughal Empire, Rise of Marathas, Vijayanagar and Bahmani Kingdoms. Modern History includes the advent of Europeans, consolidation of British power, socio-religious reform movements, Revolt of 1857, Indian National Movement, Gandhi, revolutionary activities, freedom struggle, constitutional developments and related themes.

The Art & Culture section provides dedicated practice on Indian Architecture, Sculptures, Paintings, Crafts and Coinage, Dances, Music, Martial Arts, Language and Literature, Religion and Philosophy, Bhakti and Sufi Movements, Fairs, Festivals and Calendars.

Major Areas Covered:

• Historical Sources of Ancient India
• Prehistoric Period
• Indus Valley Civilization
• Vedic Age
• Mahajanapadas
• Rise of Magadha & Mauryan Empire
• Post-Mauryan, Sangam & Gupta Periods
• Early Medieval Empires
• Delhi Sultanate
• Mughal Empire & Rise of Marathas
• Vijayanagar & Bahmani Kingdoms
• Advent of Europeans
• British Expansion & Administrative Policies
• Socio-Religious Reform Movements
• Revolt of 1857
• Indian National Movement
• Gandhian Era & Revolutionary Extremism
• Freedom Struggle & Constitutional Developments
• Indian Architecture & Sculpture
• Indian Paintings & Crafts
• Indian Dance & Music
• Language & Literature
• Religion & Philosophy
• Bhakti & Sufi Movements
• Fairs, Festivals & Calendars
• Miscellaneous History & Culture Topics

This book is suitable for aspirants seeking a comprehensive, question-focused and explanation-based practice resource for History and Art & Culture for UPSC Prelims and other competitive examinations.