Early Medieval India — Regional Kingdoms, Arab Invasions & Ghaznavid Raids

What should you study in Early Medieval India?

• Rajput clans & kingdoms — Chahamanas, Paramaras, Chandellas
• Arab conquest of Sind (712 CE) — Muhammad bin Qasim
• Ghaznavid raids — Mahmud of Ghazni (17 raids)
• Pratiharas & Rashtrakutas — political dynamics

How often is Early Medieval India asked in UPSC Prelims?

Asked in 4 of 10 years, including 2 of the last 5. Highlighted years below are the ones it appeared in.

1. 2016: asked
2. 2017: not asked
3. 2018: asked
4. 2019: not asked
5. 2020: not asked
6. 2021: asked
7. 2022: not asked
8. 2023: asked
9. 2024: not asked
10. 2025: not asked

About the Prelims GS Paper I paper

General Studies Paper I is the Prelims paper that decides the cut-off: 100 multiple-choice questions for 200 marks, with negative marking for wrong answers. See all 88 Prelims GS Paper I topics.

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