UPSC Assamese Literature Optional Syllabus 2026

[Answers must be written in Assamese]

Language

History of the origin and development of the Assamese Language —its position amongthe Indo-Aryan language—periods in its history.

Development of Assamese prose.

Vowels and consonants of the Assamese Language—Rules of phonetic changes with stress on Assamese coming down from Old Indo-Aryan.

Assamese vocabulary—and its sources.

Morphology of the language—conjugation—enclitic definitives and pleonastic suffixes.

Dilectical divergences—the Standard colloquial and the Kamrupi dialect in particular.

Assamese script—its evolution through the ages till 19th century A.D.

Literary Criticism and Literary History

Principles of literary criticism up to New criticism.

Different literary genres.

Development of literary forms in Assamese.

Development of literary criticism in Assamese.

Periods of the literary history of Assam from the earliest beginnings, i.e. from the period of the charyyageeta with their socio-cultural background : the proto Assamese Pre-Sankaradeva— Sankaradeva—Post-Sankaradeva—Modern period (from the coming of the Britishers)—Post- Independence period. Special emphasis is to be given on the Vaisnavite period, the gonaki and the post-independence periods.

This paper will require first-hand reading of the texts prescribed and will be designed to test the candidate’s critical ability. [Answers must be written in Assamese]

Râmâyana (Ayodhyâ Kânda —by Madhava Kandali only) Pârijât-Harana —by Sankaradeva. Râsakrîdâ —by Sankaradeva (From Kirtana Ghosa) Bârgeet —by Madhavadeva. Râjasûya —by Madhavadeva. Kathâ-Bhâgavata(Books I and II) —by Baikurthanath Bhattacharyya. Gurucarit-Kathâ (Sankaradeva’s Part only) —ed. by Maheswar Neog.

Mor Jeevan Soñwaran —by Lakshminath Bezbaroa.

Kripâbar BorbaruârKakatar Topola —by Lakshminath Bezbaroa. Pratimâ —by Chandra KumarAgarwalla. Gâonburhâ —by Padmanath GohainBarua. Manomatî —by Rajanikanta Bordoloi. Purani Asamîyâ Sâhitya —by Banikanta Kakati. Kârengar Ligirî —by Jyotiprasad Agarwalla

Jeevanar Bâtat —by Bina Barva(BirinchiKumar Barua) Mrityunjoy —by Birendrakumar Bhattacharyya Samrât —by Navakanta Barua