These History Optional Earlier Syllabus PYQs are 11 Paper 2 questions UPSC set between 1995 and 2012 on themes the present syllabus no longer covers, such as the Renaissance, the Reformation and the New Deal.
This page has only the old-syllabus questions. Looking for complete year-wise papers? See History Optional year-wise question papers (1995–2026).
Earlier Syllabus – History Optional PYQs (1995–2012)
1. Critically examine: “The current practice of categorization of ‘Early Modern India’ is based on a shift from the old imperialist periodization of ‘Muslim India’ — ‘British India’ to the more secularist one of ‘Medieval India’ — ‘Modern India’, which puts Indian history in a universalist chronological structure.” [2012/12m/150w/1a]
2. Give reasons for the origin of the Renaissance in Italy. [2007/60m/6]
3. “The Renaissance scholars laid the eggs which Luther, the father of the Reformation, later on hatched.” Discuss. [2006/60m/6]
4. Comment on: The Renaissance was the discovery of the world and of man. [2002/20m/200w/5a]
5. Comment on: “Of all forms assumed by the Protestant Reformation, Calvinism has been the most far-reaching in its scope and the most profound in its influence.” [2000/20m/200w/5a]
6. Comment on: Portugal and Spain, the pioneers in world exploration, were also first in the race to conquer overseas countries. [1999/20m/200w/5a]
Preparing for Prelims too?
Our UPSC Prelims Topic-wise PYQ eBook covers every Prelims question with detailed explanations, so you can see exactly where UPSC asks from.
View the BookDownload Free Sample7. Comment on: One great effect of the geographical discoveries of the 15th century was “the growing belief that America, Asia and Africa were to be used extensively for the benefit of Europeans”. [1998/20m/200w/5a]
8. Comment on: “The Bill of Rights (1688) set the seal on Parliamentary supremacy in England.” [1997/20m/200w/5c]
9. President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal “had the wit to start the political economy in a fresh, more promising direction”. Do you agree? [1997/60m/7]
10. Comment on: “The era of discovery and exploration was but another aspect of the Renaissance interest in the world and man.” [1996/20m/200w/5a]
11. Comment on: “The Renaissance and the Reformation are the two springs of modern history, rival sources of the intellectual and moral freshening of modern life.” [1995/20m/200w/5a]
Summary of Earlier Syllabus PYQs (1995–2012)
| Total questions (1995–2026) | 11 |
| Total marks asked | 332 |
| Questions in last 5 years (2022–2026) | 0 |
| Most recent year asked | 2012 |
| Sub-topics | None – questions are listed in a single sequence |
All 11 questions are from Paper 2 and together carry 332 marks. They are useful for background reading, but are unlikely to be repeated in the present pattern.
Why these questions are listed separately
Some older questions – for example on the Renaissance, the Reformation or the New Deal – fall outside the present History syllabus. The book keeps them for completeness under “Other Questions (Earlier Syllabus)” at the end of Paper 2. Students need not worry about such questions in the current examination.
How to use these PYQs
- Read the syllabus line in the box above alongside the questions and mark which phrases UPSC keeps returning to; those are the areas to prepare first.
- Questions run from the latest year to the oldest, so read the top of each list first for the current pattern, then use older ones for practice of content.
- Use the question code to set the length of your practice answer – marks and word limit tell you how much depth UPSC expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many earlier-syllabus questions are there in History Optional?
There are 11 such questions, asked between 1995 and 2012, all in Paper 2. They cover themes like the Renaissance, the Reformation and the New Deal that are outside the present syllabus.
When was an earlier-syllabus question last asked in History Optional?
Most recently in 2012, with 1 question (2012/12m/150w/1a). Before that, it was asked in 2007.
Where can I find all History Optional PYQs topic-wise?
All units of Paper 1 and Paper 2, the map question and the earlier-syllabus questions are linked from History Optional PYQs Topic-wise (1995–2026).
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