UGC-NET – Paper II: Indian Culture (Code: 50)
Exam Cycle: June 2026
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COURSE OVERVIEW
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Subject Name: Indian Culture
Subject Code: 50
Conducting Body: National Testing Agency (NTA)
Paper Type: Paper-II – Indian Culture
Total Marks: 200
Total Questions: 100 MCQs
Mode: Computer Based Test (CBT)
Duration: 3 Hours (Paper I + II combined)
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COMPLETE LIST OF UNITS
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Unit I: Meaning and concepts of Culture:
Unit II: Sources of the Study of Indian Culture.
Unit III: Pre-historic and Proto-historic Cultures:
Unit IV: Vedic and post-Vedic Period.
Unit V: Mauryan and Post-Mauryan period.
Unit VI: Gupta and Post-Gupta period,
Unit VII: Early Medieval Period.
Unit VIII: Sultanate Period.
Unit IX: Mughal Period.
Unit X: Modern Period.
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UNIT-WISE DETAILED SYLLABUS
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Unit I: Meaning and concepts of Culture:
Topic 1: Meaning and concepts of Culture:
• Traditional and Modern concepts of Culture-Notions of Culture in textual tradition
• anthropological understanding of the term culture
• archaeological understanding of the term culture
• sociological understanding of the term culture
• Elements of Culture
• concept of Indianness and value system
• Relation between culture and civilization
• Historiography and approaches to the study of Indian Culture– Stereotypes
• Objectivity and Bias
• Imperialist
• Nationalist
• Marxist
• Subaltern
• Heritage of India and world’s debt to Indian Culture
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Unit II: Sources of the Study of Indian Culture.
Topic 1: Sources of the Study of Indian Culture.
• Archaeological: cultural remains
• Monuments
• Numismatics
• Epigraphy
• Literary sources and Oral traditions
• Foreign Accounts
• Archival sources
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Unit III: Pre-historic and Proto-historic Cultures:
Topic 1: Pre-historic and Proto-historic Cultures:
• Stone age cultures- palaeolithic
• mesolithic and neolithic
• Protohistoric cultures – chalcolithic horizon
• Harappan Culture- current debates on nomenclature and scripts
• Town planning and architecture
• art
• social
• religious and economic life
• Evolution of India’s main language families
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Unit IV: Vedic and post-Vedic Period.
Topic 1: Vedic and post-Vedic Period.
• Early Vedic and later Vedic ideas and institutions: social
• religious
• economic
• political and scientific
• Post Vedic– Religious Movements and emergence of states
• Shramana traditions- Buddhism
• Jainism
• Ajivikas and other sects
• Education system and centres– Taxila and Kashi
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Unit V: Mauryan and Post-Mauryan period.
Topic 1: Mauryan and Post-Mauryan period.
• Ideas and Institutions: Social
• Religious
• Economic and Political
• Ashoka’s Dhamma
• Scripts- Brahmi and Kharosthi
• Impact of Foreign Invasions
• Art and Architecture
• Literature- Arthasashtra
• Manusmriti
• Natyashastra
• Panchatantra
• Buddhacharit and Saundarananda
• Scientific Achievements- Nagarjuna
• Sushruta and Charaka
• Education System and Centres
• Sangam Age- Society and Culture
• Contacts with outside world
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Unit VI: Gupta and Post-Gupta period,
Topic 1: Gupta and Post-Gupta period,
• Ideas and Institutions: social
• religious
• philosophical
• economic and political
• Scientific Achievements- Mathematics
• Astronomy
• Metallurgy
• Art and Architecture- evolution of Temples
• Paintings of Ajanta and Bagh
• Literature- Kalidasa
• Banabhatta
• Bharavi
• Magha
• Bhavabhuti
• Dandi
• Canonical Texts- Vishnu Dharmottara Purana
• Education system and centres- Nalanda
• Valabhi
• Contacts with outside world
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Unit VII: Early Medieval Period.
Topic 1: Early Medieval Period.
• Legacies of Classical ideas and emergence of new trends: Society- Proliferation of castes
• outcastes
• Vishti
• Slavery
• Position of women
• Polity- feudalism
• Economy- de-urbanization and agrarian system
• Religion: Vedic-Puranic
• Shramana tradition
• Tantra
• Bhakti movements
• Philosophical thoughts- Shaddarshana
• Philosophers- Shankara
• Ramanuja
• Pilgrimmage tradition
• Art and Architecture- Nagara
• Dravida
• Bhumija
• Vesara
• Education system and centres- Vikramashila
• Nalanda etc
• Scientific achievements- Mathematics
• Astronomy
• Literature- Kalhana’s Rajatarangini and Al-Birunis’ Kitab-ul Hind
• Contacts with Islam
• Canonical texts- Samarangana-sutradhara
• Manasara
• Bhuvanapradeepa
• Sadhanamala
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Unit VIII: Sultanate Period.
Topic 1: Sultanate Period.
• Delhi Sultanate – Ideas and Institutions: Political- Iqta
• impact of the new ruling class on society
• Economic- market reforms
• growth of new urban centres
• percolation of Islam in rural areas
• resistance and acceptance
• Extent of slavery
• Religion- Acharya traditions
• Bhakti tradition
• Kabir and Ravidas
• emergence of Sufism – Chishti and Suhrawardy
• Art and Architecture- emergence of Sultanate school of architecture and paintings
• regional styles
• Religious and secular structures
• Literature – Sanskrit
• Persian
• Regional languages and emergence of Hindawi
• Amir Khusrau
• Chandabardai
• Education system
• Vijay Nagar Empire: Ideas and Institutions – political – Nayankara
• Art and Architecture
• Literature
• Educational institutions
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Unit IX: Mughal Period.
Topic 1: Mughal Period.
• Ideas and Institutions: Polity – Mansab and Jagir
• Watan Jagir
• Economy – Zamindari and Zabt
• Society – Aristocracy
• emergence of middle classes
• labourers
• Slaves
• Position of Women
• Religion and Philosophy – growth of Vaishnava Bhakti
• Panthiesm and Sufi traditions
• Sulh-i kul
• Naqshabandis
• Gurunanaka
• Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
• Meerabai
• Narayanabhatta
• Raghunandana
• Literature-development in Sanskrit
• Persian and vernacular languages-Tulasidasa
• Suradasa
• Abdur Rahim Khan-i-chanan
• Abdul Fazi
• Faizi
• Badauri
• Banarasidas (Ardhakathanaka)
• Translation of religious texts by Akbar and Dara-Shukoh
• Art and Architecture–Emergence of Mughal Schools
• Temples of Vrindavan– Gobinda Deva and Keshava Das Temple
• Four Quarter Gardens
• Introduction of new education curriculum from Akbar’s period onwards Dars-i-nizami
• Religious syncretism in coinage
• miniatures and structures
• Science and Technology. – Introduction of mechanical devices
• pindrum gearing and astrolabe
• Sawai Jai Singh’s observatories
• Arrival of Europeans and their impact – Portuguese
• Spanish
• Dutch
• English
• French
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Unit X: Modern Period.
Topic 1: Modern Period.
• Emergence of successor states and cultural developments: Awadh
• Hyderabad
• Mysore
• Marathas and Rajputana
• Impact of Western ideas and Indian responses: European studies of India
• William Jones and Asiatic Society
• Fort William College
• influence of Christian missionaries
• Emergence and Development of New Education System
• Indian Cultural Renaissance
• Socio-Religious reform movements: Reformists- Brahama Samaja
• Aligarh Movement
• Ramakrishna Mission and Theosophical Society
• Revivalist- Wahabi and Arya Samaj Movement
• Dalit Movements
• Sikh reform movements
• Administrative Measures: legislation on women
• education and social evils
• Literature: emergence of Shahr Ashob
• Urdu– Mirza Ghalib
• Allama Iqbal
• Hindi- Bhartendu Harishchand
• Prem Chand
• Bengali-Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
• Rabindranath Tagore
• Qazi Nazrul Islam
• Science and Technology: emergence of modern science and technology
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EXAMINATION STRUCTURE
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Paper-II: Subject Specific Examination
- Total Questions: 100
- Total Marks: 200
- Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
- Negative Marking: No
- Duration: 3 Hours (Combined with Paper I)
- Mode: Computer Based Test (CBT)
Additional Notes (if any):
- [No additional notes verbatim in source]
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SYLLABUS SUMMARY
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Total Units: 10
Total Topics: 10
Subject: Indian Culture
Subject Code: 50
Exam Category: UGC-NET Paper-II
Source: Official NTA/UGC Syllabus
Status: “As per latest official syllabus”
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