History Optional Map Questions Year-wise (1995–2026)

These History Optional Map Questions list every compulsory Paper 1 map question from 2026 back to 1995 – 700 places or hints. Each year gives the complete question as it appeared in the paper, followed by the places or locational hints asked.

2026 – Q1: 20 places [2.5m each]

Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you and write a short note of about 30 words on each of them in your Question-cum-Answer Booklet. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim:

1. Harappan burial site
2. Harappan site with radial town planning
3. Jain cave painting
4. Large Megalithic dolmen complexes
5. Ancient port
6. Ancient capital
7. Meso-Chalcolithic site
8. Group of early medieval temples
9. Ancient capital
10. Megalithic site
11. Neolithic site
12. Terra-cotta ring wells
13. Mauryan fort
14. Ancient Buddhist site
15. Mesolithic site
16. Megalithic burial site
17. Neolithic ash mound site
18. Site with evidence of monastery, Stupa and Shiva temple
19. Chalcolithic and early historic site with five occupational phases
20. Buddhist site

2025 – Q1: 20 places [2.5m each]

Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you and write a short note of about 30 words on each of them in your Question-cum-Answer Booklet. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim:

1. Neolithic site
2. Mesolithic site
3. Paleolithic site
4. Neolithic site with stone artefacts
5. Site of Indus Valley Civilization
6. Early Harappan site with a fire-pit
7. Late Harappan site
8. The Ochre Coloured Pottery (OCP) site
9. Mesolithic site
10. Megalithic site
11. Mahajanapada of South India
12. Site of Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana
13. Major Rock Edict of Asoka
14. Asokan Minor Rock Edict
15. Commercial centre of the Mauryas
16. Saka-Kushan coin hoard
17. An inscription mentioning Ashvamedha Sacrifice
18. Site of Post-Mauryan period burnt brick house
19. Terracotta craft centre of Post-Mauryan period
20. Important port of the Pallava period

2024 – Q1: 20 places [2.5m each]

Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you and write a short note of about 30 words on each of them in your Question-cum-Answer Booklet. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim:

1. Prehistoric site
2. Area of petroglyphs
3. Neolithic site
4. Harappan site
5. Buddhist monastery
6. Chalcolithic site
7. Neo-Chalcolithic site
8. Megalithic site with rock art
9. One of the Mahajanapadas’ capital and associated with Buddha’s miracle
10. Hominid fossil find site
11. Major rock edict of Ashoka
12. Ancient trade centre
13. Stone inscription recording land grants with tax exemptions
14. Shiva temples named after family relationships
15. Place of art-related inscription
16. Place of inscription of three languages
17. Temple site where three styles of temple architecture are found
18. Jain pilgrimage site
19. Shiva temple of Gupta period
20. Megalithic monumental site

2023 – Q1: 20 places [2.5m each]

Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you and write a short note of about 30 words on each of them in your Question-cum-Answer Booklet. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim:

1. Neolithic site
2. Site of Mother and Child Terracotta Figure
3. Hoard of Gupta Coin
4. Site of Botanical remains
5. Harappan site with mud-brick platform
6. Mauryan reservoir site
7. Capital of Maitraka dynasty
8. Dockyard
9. Rock shelter
10. Stone axe factory
11. Satavahana inscription site
12. Minor rock inscription of Asoka
13. Buddhist Stupa
14. Mesolithic site
15. Iron smelting workshop
16. Megalithic site
17. Temple site dedicated to Surya
18. Roman factory site
19. Site of Muvar Koil (Temple of Three)
20. Megalith stone site

2022 – Q1: 20 places [2.5m each]

Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you and write a short note of about 30 words on each of them in your Question-cum-Answer Booklet. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim:

1. Palaeolithic site
2. Mesolithic site with burials
3. Neolithic pit-dwelling
4. Early village settlement
5. Neolithic site
6. Neolithic-Chalcolithic site
7. Harappan UNESCO site
8. Megalithic burial site
9. Place of Second Sangam
10. Earliest Satavahana capital
11. Place of inscribed statue of Ashoka
12. First Gupta hoard of coins
13. Hoard of metal sculptures
14. Ancient port
15. Oldest Jesuit church
16. Centre of Gandhara art
17. Buddhist monastery
18. Place of earliest Vishnu temple
19. Shiva and Buddhist temple complex
20. Earliest Chaitya Griha

2021 – Q1: 20 places [2.5m each]

Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you and write a short note of about 30 words on each of them in your Question-cum-Answer Booklet. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim:

1. Paleolithic site
2. Mesolithic site
3. Neolithic site
4. Neolithic-Chalcolithic site
5. Harappan site
6. Proto-historic and historic site
7. Inscriptional site
8. Jain monastic site
9. Coin hoard
10. Paleolithic site
11. Terracotta site
12. Rock-cut caves
13. Ancient learning centre
14. Political and cultural centre
15. Buddhist site
16. Ancient port
17. Early historic site
18. Ivory hoard
19. Buddhist monastic centre
20. Temple complex

2020 – Q1: 20 places [2.5m each]

Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you and write a short note of about 30 words on each of them in your Question-cum-Answer Booklet. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim:

1. Paleolithic site
2. Paleolithic Factory site
3. Neolithic site
4. Early and Mature Harappan site
5. Chalcolithic site
6. Site of Coin and Seal Moulds
7. Ancient Administration Centre
8. Ancient Political Headquarter
9. Ancient Temple site
10. Pre and Proto Historic site
11. Ancient Capital City
12. Place of Shaiva Temple
13. World Heritage Centre of Temple complex
14. An Inscriptional site
15. Place of Jain Temple
16. Largest Buddhist Monastery
17. Ancient Temple Complex
18. Place of oldest Mosque
19. Temple Complex dedicated to Shiva
20. Ancient Education Centre

2019 – Q1: 20 places [2.5m each]

Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you and write a short note of about 30 words on each of them in your Question-cum-Answer Booklet. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim:

1. Brick temple site
2. Early Harappan site
3. Ancient seaport and trade centre
4. Stone age site
5. Neolithic site
6. Archaeological site
7. Ancient capital city
8. Ancient capital
9. Harappan site
10. Ancient inscriptions site
11. A Rock-cut cave site
12. Ancient capital city
13. Famous temple site
14. Centre of School of art
15. Ancient inscriptional site
16. Ancient education centre
17. Pre-Harappan site
18. Chalcolithic period site
19. Early inscriptional site
20. Ancient petroglyphs site

2018 – Q1: 20 places [2.5m each]

Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you and write a short note of about 30 words on each of them in your Question-cum-Answer Booklet. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim:

1. Megalithic burial site
2. Chalcolithic site
3. Cave paintings
4. Paleolithic site
5. Political and Cultural centre
6. Terracotta centre
7. Harappan site
8. Vaishnava cultural site
9. Painted Grey Ware site
10. Chalcolithic site
11. Early agricultural centre
12. Early Harappan site
13. An ancient temple
14. Political and Cultural centre
15. An ancient sea port
16. Buddhist centre
17. Inscriptional site
18. An ancient capital
19. A Jaina centre
20. An ancient capital

2017 – Q1: 20 places [2.5m each]

Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you and write a short note of about 30 words on each of them in your Question-cum-Answer Booklet. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim:

1. A Prehistoric cave-paintings’ site
2. A Neolithic-Chalcolithic site
3. An Early Harappan site
4. A Harappan site
5. An ancient capital city
6. A Painted grey ware site
7. A Neolithic site
8. A site of Ashokan inscriptions
9. An ancient port and trade centre
10. A Harappan site
11. A Chalcolithic site
12. An ancient capital city
13. A Rock-cut cave site
14. An early fortified city
15. A rock-cut temple site
16. An ancient temple site
17. An ancient capital city
18. An ancient temple site
19. A Palaeolithic site
20. An ancient capital city

2016 – Q1: 20 places [2.5m each]

Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you and write a short note of about 30 words on each of them in your Question-cum-Answer Booklet. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim:

1. A Mesolithic site
2. A Neolithic site
3. A Megalithic-Chalcolithic site
4. A Neolithic site
5. A Neolithic site
6. A Megalithic site
7. A site known for Buddhist remains
8. A Harappan site
9. A Harappan site
10. A Harappan site
11. A Neolithic site
12. A Harappan site
13. A capital city
14. A rock-cut cave site
15. A late Harappan site
16. An educational centre
17. A terra-cotta art centre
18. A seaport
19. A capital city
20. A capital city

2015 – Q1: 20 places [2.5m each]

Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you (on page 4) and write a short note of about 30 words on each of them in your Question-cum-Answer Booklet. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim:

1. A Neolithic site
2. A Neolithic site
3. A Harappan site
4. A Megalithic site
5. A Harappan site
6. A painted-Grey-ware site
7. An inscriptional site
8. An important ancient city
9. An ancient port
10. A site of ancient cave-paintings
11. A Buddhist site
12. An educational centre
13. Brahmadeya village
14. An ancient capital
15. An ancient capital
16. A temple site
17. An ancient capital
18. An ancient sea-port
19. An archaeological temple site
20. A Harappan site

2014 – Q1: 20 places [2.5m each]

Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you and write a short note of about 30 words on each of them in your Question-cum-Answer Booklet. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim:

1. An ancient capital
2. A Palaeolithic site
3. A cultural centre
4. An ancient capital
5. A Palaeolithic site
6. A historical site
7. A Harappan site
8. An ancient capital
9. A political and cultural centre
10. A Megalithic site
11. A Mesolithic site
12. A Chalcolithic site
13. A prehistoric site
14. A political and cultural centre
15. An ancient capital
16. A lost port
17. Rock-cave art centre
18. An ancient capital
19. A political and cultural centre
20. An ancient town

2013 – Q1: 20 places [2.5m each]

Identify the following places marked on the outline map in the Question-cum-Answer Booklet supplied to you and write short notes of about 30 words on each of them in the space provided in the Booklet. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim:

1. A Palaeolithic and Mesolithic site
2. A Mesolithic site
3. An important halting place
4. A Pre-Harappan site
5. An important Harappan site
6. Site of important fossils
7. A Sea-port
8. A Palaeolithic site
9. A Neolithic, Megalithic and Chalcolithic site
10. A Harappan site
11. A Palaeolithic site
12. A Neolithic site
13. A Chalcolithic site
14. A Chalcolithic site
15. A site of Buddhist Monastery
16. Painted Grey Ware site
17. Site related to a famous Indian Philosopher
18. Historical Rock-cut caves
19. Famous Fort
20. Capital of famous Kingdom

2012 – Q1: 20 places [3m each]

Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you and write short notes of about 40 words on each of them in your answer book. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim:

1. A prehistoric site
2. A chalcolithic site
3. A religious centre
4. A prehistoric site
5. An art centre
6. A prehistoric site
7. An art centre
8. A port
9. A capital town
10. A prehistoric site
11. A post Mauryan town
12. An art centre
13. A prehistoric site
14. A chalcolithic site
15. A chalcolithic site
16. A chalcolithic site
17. A prehistoric site
18. An art centre
19. A chalcolithic site
20. A chalcolithic site

2011 – Q1: 20 places [3m each]

Mark the following places on the map supplied to you and write short descriptive notes on them:

1. Chirand
2. Kargil
3. Basohli
4. Lalitgiri
5. Manda
6. Penukonda
7. Samugarh
8. Vilinam
9. Sigiria
10. Vikramasila
11. Mukhalingam
12. Halebid
13. Sanghol
14. Kumbharia
15. Sirpur
16. Pangudaria
17. Amarkantak
18. Kibbanhalli
19. Jorwe
20. Badaun.

2010 – Q1: 20 places [3m each]

Mark the following places on the map supplied to you and write short descriptive notes on them:

1. Korkai
2. Eran
3. Birbhanpur
4. Rakhigarhi
5. Sannati
6. Isipattan
7. Dhanyakataka
8. Junnar
9. Edakkal
10. Paithan
11. Pandu Rajar Dhibi
12. Karle
13. Vatapi
14. Porkalam
15. Kalanjar
16. Multan
17. Bairat
18. Chanhudaro
19. Rajim
20. Tripuri.

2009 – Q1: 20 places, any 15 [4m each]

Mark any fifteen of the following places on the map supplied to you and write short descriptive notes on these places marked by you:

1. Koldihwa
2. Kuchai
3. Utnur
4. Patne
5. Semthan
6. Bagasra
7. Balathal
8. Hallur
9. Kandahar
10. Ter
11. Uchh
12. Gyaraspur
13. Uttaramerur
14. Lalkot
15. Sittanavasal
16. Mansura
17. Jaunpur
18. Daojali Hading
19. Machilipatnam
20. Mahisadal.

2008 – Q1: 20 places, any 15 [4m each]

Mark any fifteen of the following places on the map supplied to you and write short descriptive notes on the places marked by you:

1. Burzahom
2. Banawali
3. Ahar
4. Girnar
5. Chandraketugarh
6. Brahmagiri
7. Bayana
8. Gangai Kondacholapuram
9. Tamralipti
10. Muziris
11. Ambari
12. Modhera
13. Devnimori
14. Bhadreshwar
15. Bundi
16. Gingee (Jinjee)
17. Antichak
18. Gaur
19. Sasaram
20. Mahasthamgarh.

2007 – Q1: 20 places, any 15 [4m each]

Mark any fifteen of the following places on the map supplied to you and write short descriptive notes on the places marked:

1. Kot Diji
2. Kalibangan
3. Ahicchatra
4. Bhimbaitka
5. Kanauj
6. Siddapura
7. Udayagiri
8. Kaveripoompattinam
9. Tiruchirapalli
10. Sisupalgarh
11. Anuradhapura
12. Hampi
13. Srirangapatnam
14. Puri
15. Kolhapur
16. Haldighati
17. Golconda
18. Chittagong
19. Chitore
20. Calicut.

2006 – Q1: 20 places, any 15 [4m each]

Mark any fifteen of the following places on the map supplied to you and write short descriptive notes on the places plotted by you on the map:

1. Konark
2. Taxila
3. Talikota
4. Somnath
5. Kalinjar
6. Mandu
7. Murshidabad
8. Nalanda
9. Tanjore
10. Amber
11. Anegondi
12. Chanderi
13. Arikmedu
14. Kalibangan
15. Nagarjunakonda
16. Eran
17. Kausambi
18. Pattadakal
19. Halebid
20. Dvarsamudra.

2005 – Q1: 20 places, any 15 [4m each]

Mark any fifteen of the following places on the map supplied to you and write short descriptive notes on places plotted by you on the map:

1. Mohenjodaro
2. Burzahom
3. Inamgaon
4. Sannathi
5. Kaveripattinam
6. Sisupalgarh
7. Anuradhapura
8. Karnasuvarna
9. Chittagong
10. Chitore
11. Pratishthana
12. Vidisa
13. Hampi
14. Warangal
15. Diu
16. Seringapatam
17. Debal
18. Fatehpur Sikri
19. Bijapur
20. Sasaram.

2004 – Q1: 20 places, any 15 [4m each]

Mark any fifteen of the following places on the map supplied to you and write short descriptive notes on the places plotted by you on the map:

1. Achichhatra
2. Amaravati
3. Bhimbaitka
4. Champa
5. Kalibangan
6. Kanauj
7. Kapilvastu
8. Karle
9. Mahabalipuram
10. Mathura
11. Mehrgarh
12. Paithan
13. Pataliputra
14. Sarnath
15. Siddapura
16. Somnath
17. Tamralipti
18. Taxila
19. Tripuri
20. Udaigiri.

2003 – Q1: 20 places, any 15 [4m each]

Mark any fifteen of the following places on the map supplied to you and write short descriptive notes on places plotted by you on the map:

1. Kot Digi
2. Banamali
3. Tiruchirapalli
4. Tamralipti
5. Vaisali
6. Kundagrama
7. Puri
8. Ujjain
9. Badami
10. Guggara
11. Sarnath
12. Amaravati
13. Janguda
14. Kolhapur
15. Nagarjunkonda
16. Calicut
17. Haldighati
18. Golconda
19. Somnath
20. Mathura.

2002 – Q1: 20 places, any 15 [4m each]

Mark any fifteen of the following places on the map supplied to you and write short descriptive notes on the places plotted by you on the map:

1. Ajanta
2. Bodh Gaya
3. Dholavira
4. Dwarka
5. Girnar
6. Hastinapur
7. Kanchipuram
8. Kosambi
9. Madurai
10. Malkhed
11. Mohanjodaro
12. Nalanda
13. Purushpur
14. Ropar
15. Sanchi
16. Sravanbelgola
17. Sravasti
18. Tanjore
19. Thaneswar
20. Varanasi.

2001 – Q1: 20 places, any 15 [4m each]

Mark any fifteen of the following places on the map supplied to you and write short descriptive notes on the places plotted by you on the map:

1. Ajmer
2. Ahmednagar
3. Allahabad
4. Badami
5. Bhubaneshwar
6. Chitrakuta
7. Chittor
8. Chandigarh
9. Dehradun
10. Dhara
11. Elephanta
12. Ellora
13. Guwahati
14. Hyderabad
15. Harappa
16. Indraprastha
17. Jagannathpuri
18. Kalyan
19. Kaveripattanam
20. Lothal.

2000 – Q1: 30 places, any 15 [4m each]

Mark any fifteen of the following places on the map supplied to you and write short descriptive notes on the places marked by you on the map:

1. Aizawl
2. Amritsar
3. Arikamedu
4. Bangalore
5. Bharukachha
6. Bhaja
7. Gangotri
8. Itanagar
9. Jaugada
10. Jhansi
11. Kalsi
12. Kanchivaram
13. Kanheri
14. Kumrahar
15. Konarak
16. Mathura
17. Madurai
18. Nalanda
19. Nasik
20. Palitana
21. Rajagriha
22. Sasan Gir
23. Shrinagar
24. Udayagiri-Khandagiri
25. Uchh
26. Ujjain
27. Valabhi
28. Vidisha
29. Vaishali
30. Vatapi.

1999 – Q1: 30 places, any 15 [4m each]

Mark any 15 of the following on the map supplied to you and write short descriptive notes on the places plotted by you on map:

1. Ambek
2. Kanyakubj
3. Kishkindha
4. Kundalvan
5. Khajuraho
6. Gihlot
7. Gokul
8. Chidambaram
9. Jahazpur
10. Jaisalmer
11. Takshila
12. Dwarka
13. Jalalabad
14. Nalanda
15. Panchwati
16. Pataliputra
17. Fatehpur Sikri
18. Badrinath
19. Behmanabad
20. Balbrahmeshwar
21. Bijapur
22. Burhanpur
23. Bairat
24. Bhadrawati
25. Bheetargaon
26. Warangel
27. Vilaspur
28. Shatrunjai
29. Sripur
30. Kargil.

1998 – Q1: 30 places, any 15 [4m each]

Mark any fifteen of the following places on the map supplied to you and write brief descriptive notes on the places marked by you on the map:

1. Aihole
2. Amaravati
3. Besnagar
4. Bhagawanpura
5. Bhrigukachchha
6. Dholavira
7. Daimabad
8. Girinagara
9. Inamgaon
10. Kalinganagar
11. Kanheri
12. Karle
13. Kausambi
14. Kayatha
15. Kili-Ghul Mohammad
16. Kot Diji
17. Kushinagar
18. Mamallapuram
19. Maski
20. Mehargarh
21. Prayag
22. Pushkalavati
23. Sarnath
24. Srughna
25. Surapara
26. Tekkalakotta
27. Topra
28. Ujjayini
29. Uraiyur
30. Valabhi.

1997 – Q5: 30 places, any 15 [4m each]

Mark any fifteen of the following places on the map supplied to you and write brief historical notes on the places marked by you on the map:

1. Amarkot
2. Asirgarh
3. Aurangabad
4. Belur
5. Burhanpur
6. Chanderi
7. Chandernagar
8. Golkunda
9. Hansi
10. Janjira
11. Jaunpur
12. Junagarh
13. Kanchi
14. Kandahar
15. Kannauj
16. Kara
17. Kaveripattinam
18. Konark
19. Multan
20. Murshidabad
21. Nagpur
22. Nasik
23. Puri
24. Rajahmundry
25. Ratnagiri
26. Satara
27. Talikota
28. Tiruchirapalli
29. Vatapi
30. Vengi.

1996 – Q5: 30 places, any 15 [4m each]

Mark any fifteen of the following places on the map supplied to you and write brief notes on the places marked on the map:

1. Ajmer
2. Attock
3. Benares
4. Bhatner
5. Champaner
6. Cutch
7. Daulatabad
8. Delhi
9. Devagiri
10. Diu
11. Ellichpur
12. Ellora
13. Ghazni
14. Ghor
15. Gwalior
16. Hampi
17. Hissar
18. Jodhpur
19. Kabul
20. Katni
21. Khyber Pass
22. Lahore
23. Peshawar
24. Rameshwaram
25. Ranthambore
26. Sialkot
27. Thaneswar
28. Thatta
29. Uttaramerur
30. Warangal.

1995 – Q5: 30 places, any 15 [4m each]

Mark any 15 of the following places on the map supplied to you and write short notes (about fifty words each) on the answer book on only the places marked on the map:

1. Ahmadnagar
2. Anhilawara
3. Badgara
4. Balasore
5. Bayana
6. Bidar
7. Chinsura
8. Chittor
9. Daman
10. Dharma
11. Dipalpur
12. Gangaikondacholapuram
13. Gaur
14. Ghargaon
15. Kamatapura
16. Katehar
17. Kishangarh
18. Lakhnawati
19. Madurai
20. Mandu
21. Navsari
22. Orchha
23. Pandharpur
24. Panipat
25. Patan
26. Qamarnagar
27. Raichur
28. Sirohi
29. Somnath
30. Tirhut.

Summary of History Optional Map Questions (1995–2026)

Years covered	32 (1995–2026)
Places / locational hints asked	700
Places per question	30 (1995–2000); 20 (2001–2026)
Marks per place	4 (1995–2009); 3 (2010–2012); 2.5 (2013–2026)
Format	Names given (1995–2011); locational hints only (2012–2026)

Until 2011 candidates were given the names of places to mark; since 2012 UPSC marks the spots on the map and gives only a hint such as “Neolithic site”. Since 2013 the question carries 50 marks (20 places × 2.5 marks).

Also see the A–Z index of map places with frequencies.

Where the map question stands in Ancient India

The map question accounted for about 26% of all marks asked in Paper 1, Section A over 2013–2026 and 27% in 2022–2026 – more than any single Ancient India unit.

How to use these History Optional map questions

• Mark every place from the 1995–2011 lists on a blank map of India and note its period and significance in one line.
• For the hint-based years (2012 onwards), practise identifying a site from its description and location, as the exam now demands.
• Revise the most repeated places in the A–Z index first; many sites recur across years under different descriptions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Next: History Optional Map Places Index A–Z (1995–2026) »

Back to: History Optional PYQs Topic-wise (1995–2026) | Also see: History Optional year-wise question papers (1995–2026)