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Best Booklist for Art & Culture for IAS Exam | UPSC Art & Culture Preparation

Last Updated on Nov 29, 2024
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The IAS Examination is renowned for its comprehensive and diverse syllabus, covering a wide range of subjects, including Art & Culture. Although Art & Culture is a component of Indian History, its vastness warrants a dedicated study. Despite not being explicitly mentioned in the Prelims syllabus of the IAS Exam, it is an integral part of the UPSC Mains GS-I, which includes the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature, and Architecture from ancient to modern times. In this article, we will explore the best books for Art & Culture and suggest an effective strategy for preparing for the UPSC Exam.

To assist you in your UPSC preparation, we have compiled a list of relevant books that cover the UPSC Syllabus. These books are:

Best History Books for IAS Preparation Study Tips for Indian Polity from Laxmikant for UPSC
UPSC Mains Booklist for International Relations Environment & Ecology Books for UPSC
Best Books for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude Complete list of NCERT Books for UPSC

UPSC Art & Culture Books for Prelims & Mains

Despite Art & Culture not being separately outlined in the UPSC Prelims syllabus, its components like architecture, visual art, and literature are often featured in the question paper. Here are some examples of such questions asked in previous years:

Year 2019

Q- In the kingdom of which of the following was the construction of ‘Kalyana Mandapam’ a notable feature in temple architecture?

(a) Chalukya

(b) Chandela

(c) Rashtrakuta

(d) Vijayanagara

Once an aspirant studies about the architecture of the Vijayanagar Empire, he/she will come across the term Kalyana Mandapam.

Year 2018

Q – In which of the following relief sculpture inscriptions is ‘Ranyo Ashoka’ (King Ashoka) mentioned along with the stone portrait of Ashoka?

(a) Kanganahalli

(b) Sanchi

(c) Shahbazgarhi

(d) Sohgaura

When aspirants study about the Mauryan Empire and its architecture, they will come across such inscriptions.

Q – Which of the following statements about Mian Tansen is not correct?

(a) Tansen was the title given to him by Emperor Akbar

(b) Tansen composed Dhrupads on Hindu god and goddesses

(c) Tansen composed songs on his patrons

(d) Tansen invented many Ragas

Though this question may not seem to be directly related to art and culture, it is. When an aspirant studies about Performing Arts and its subtopic of classical music, they will learn about Ragas, Dhrupads and Tansen.

Year 2013

What is the difference between Chaityas and Viharas, the two types of Buddhist rock-cut caves?

  1. Vihara is a place of worship, while Chaitya is the dwelling place of the monks
  2. Chaitya is a place of worship, while Vihara is the dwelling place of the monks
  3. Chaitya is the stupa at the far end of the cave, while Vihara is the hall axial to it
  4. There is no material difference between the two

This question pertains to Buddhist architecture, a sub-topic of Architecture mentioned in the syllabus of the UPSC Mains.

Year 2012

Q. What does the ‘Bhumisparsha Mudra’ hand gesture of Lord Buddha symbolize?

(a) Buddha’s calling of the Earth to watch over Mara and to prevent Mara from disturbing his meditation

(b) Buddha’s calling of the Earth to witness his purity and chastity despite the temptations of Mara

(c) Buddha’s reminder to his followers that they all arise from the Earth and finally dissolve into the Earth, and thus this life is transitory

(d) Both the statements (a) and (b) are correct in this context

To answer this question, an aspirant needs to read about the art and literature of Buddhism.

To understand the type of questions asked in the Art & Culture section of the Mains, aspirants can check the Art & Culture Questions in UPSC Mains GS 1 page.

In the UPSC Mains, the GS 1 Paper features more questions from Art & Culture. Aspirants can get a detailed trend analysis of subject-wise questions on our UPSC Mains GS 1 strategy, syllabus and structure page.

The table below lists the key Art & Culture books for UPSC:

Art & Culture Books for IAS Exam
S.No Art & Culture Books & Other Resources
1. NCERT Class 11 – Living Crafts Traditions of India
2. NCERT Class 11 – An Introduction to Indian Art Part-I
3. NCERT Class 12 – Craft Traditions of India
4. Indian Art & Culture By Nitin Singhania
5. NIOS Art & Culture Notes
6. CCRT Books from the Ministry of Culture
7. Friday Review of The Hindu newspaper that covers Art & Culture segment

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How to Prepare for Art & Culture for UPSC?

The study of Art & Culture includes the following topics and subtopics, as mentioned in the table below:

UPSC Art & Culture Topics
Topics Sub-Topics
Salient Art Forms
  • Performing Arts
  • Visual Arts
  • Literary Arts
Literature (Ancient to Modern Times)
  • Literary Sources
  • Vedic Literature
  • Buddhist Literature
  • Jain Literature
  • Sangam Literature
  • Other Literature
Architecture (Ancient to Modern Times)
  • Indus Valley Civilization Architecture
  • Rock Cut Architecture
  • Buddhist Architecture
  • Temple Architecture
  • Modern Architecture

Here are some tips to cover the above-mentioned topics:

  1. Start by referring to previous year question papers to understand the type of questions that are likely to be asked in the exam. You can access topic-wise GS 1 questions for reference.
  2. Segment each topic of History into the following subtopics:
    1. Religion
    2. Architecture
    3. Literature
    4. Miscellaneous. While studying any topic of history from any book, if you come across a fact related to any of the above subtopics, make a note of it under your art and culture notes.
  3. Concentrate on topics such as:
    1. Dance Forms – Background and Details
    2. Puppetry
    3. Schools of Indian Philosophy
    4. Various types of Architecture
    5. Martial Arts, etc.

You can also access important Art & Culture notes for UPSC from the provided link.

Conclusion

Art & Culture is a significant part of Indian History that spans from ancient to modern times. The rich heritage of India is reflected in its art and culture, and thus, it is crucial to understand the evolution of art and culture in India.

Best Art & Culture Books for UPSC Preparation: Download PDF Here

Like Art & Culture, there are other major subjects covered in the GS paper 1 of UPSC Mains. You can check the related articles for GS 1 from the links below:

GS 1 Structure, Strategy and Syllabus Topic-Wise GS 1 Questions for UPSC Mains
History Questions for UPSC Mains Art & Culture Questions for UPSC Mains GS 1
Geography Questions for UPSC Mains Indian Society Questions for UPSC Mains GS 1

More Articles for IAS Preparation

Frequently Asked Questions

Important books include NCERT Class 11 – Living Crafts Traditions of India, NCERT Class 11 – An Introduction to Indian Art Part-I, NCERT Class 12 – Craft Traditions of India, Indian Art & Culture By Nitin Singhania, NIOS Art & Culture Notes, CCRT Books from the Ministry of Culture, and Friday Review of The Hindu newspaper.

Analyse previous year question papers, cover each topic of History in subtopics including Religion, Architecture, Literature, and Miscellaneous. Focus on topics like Dance Forms, Puppetry, Indian Philosophy Schools, Architecture of all types, Martial Arts, etc.

Major topics include Salient Art Forms, Literature (Ancient to Modern Times), and Architecture (Ancient to Modern Times).

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