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Prelims GS I

Prelims GS I · 37 questions · 2011–2026

Medieval India: every Prelims question, by topic

UPSC syllabus: “History of India and Indian National Movement.” Below, the topics inside it — most asked first — and how often each came up year by year.

Medieval India in Prelims 2021: 4 questions

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Timed · 30 minutes a set Practise Medieval India as timed tests 1 set of about 25 questions with UPSC's marking — every question on Medieval India since 2011. Start practising

Medieval India in UPSC Prelims at a glance

UPSC has asked 37 questions on Medieval India in GS Paper I from 2011 to 2026 — about 2 a year, the most in 2022 (6). The most-asked topic is Early medieval kingdoms (c. 700–1200) (11 questions).

Counted from UPSC's own papers in the Vault, each question under its main subject · updated 8 Nov 2026.

  1. Early medieval kingdoms (c. 700–1200)11 questions · asked in 7 of 16 years Early medieval kingdoms (c. 700–1200) per year: 2011: 0, 2012: 0, 2013: 0, 2014: 1, 2015: 2, 2016: 0, 2017: 1, 2018: 0, 2019: 0, 2020: 3, 2021: 0, 2022: 1, 2023: 1, 2024: 0, 2025: 2, 2026: 0
  2. Vijayanagara, Bahmani & regional kingdoms7 questions · asked in 6 of 16 years Vijayanagara, Bahmani & regional kingdoms per year: 2011: 0, 2012: 0, 2013: 0, 2014: 0, 2015: 1, 2016: 1, 2017: 0, 2018: 0, 2019: 0, 2020: 0, 2021: 2, 2022: 1, 2023: 1, 2024: 1, 2025: 0, 2026: 0
  3. The Mughals & the Marathas7 questions · asked in 7 of 16 years The Mughals & the Marathas per year: 2011: 0, 2012: 1, 2013: 0, 2014: 1, 2015: 1, 2016: 0, 2017: 0, 2018: 1, 2019: 1, 2020: 0, 2021: 1, 2022: 1, 2023: 0, 2024: 0, 2025: 0, 2026: 0
  4. The Delhi Sultanate6 questions · asked in 4 of 16 years The Delhi Sultanate per year: 2011: 0, 2012: 0, 2013: 0, 2014: 0, 2015: 0, 2016: 2, 2017: 0, 2018: 0, 2019: 1, 2020: 0, 2021: 1, 2022: 2, 2023: 0, 2024: 0, 2025: 0, 2026: 0
  5. Bhakti & Sufi movements6 questions · asked in 6 of 16 years Bhakti & Sufi movements per year: 2011: 0, 2012: 1, 2013: 1, 2014: 1, 2015: 0, 2016: 1, 2017: 0, 2018: 0, 2019: 1, 2020: 0, 2021: 0, 2022: 1, 2023: 0, 2024: 0, 2025: 0, 2026: 0

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The same ground in Mains

These official Mains syllabus lines cover Medieval India. Prelims facts become Mains arguments.

Medieval India PYQs as a PDF — free

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Every Medieval India question from 2011 to 2026, topic-wise, with answers and explanations — 22 pages. Free; sign up once.

Medieval India PYQs: quick answers

How many Medieval India questions has UPSC asked in Prelims from 2011 to 2026?

37 questions in GS Paper I — about 2 a year, the most in 2022 (6). Every one is on this page, under its topic, with UPSC's answer and an explanation.

Which Medieval India topic does UPSC ask most in Prelims?

Early medieval kingdoms (c. 700–1200): 11 questions between 2011 and 2026, asked in 7 of 16 years. The topics are listed above, most asked first, each with its year-by-year trend.

Are the answers UPSC's official answer keys?

From 2016, yes: every answer is from UPSC's final answer key (2016–2025); for 2011–2015, where UPSC published no key online, each answer is worked out from official sources and reviewed independently; for 2026 UPSC has so far published a provisional key, and those answers are labelled. Explanations cite official sources — NCERT and government pages first.

Can I download the Medieval India PYQs as a PDF?

Yes — a print-ready PDF of every Medieval India question with answers and explanations (22 pages, 0.6 MB), free after a one-time sign-up, from the Vault's downloads page.

Counted from UPSC's own papers in the Vault; answers are UPSC's keys.