Originally Posted by umarabbas

First of all! Bravo on choosing Indo Pakistan. It is a scoring subject if prepared thoroughly. Plus it helps in Pakistan Affairs. Above all, it tells you about your history and gives an insight into the problems that we face today as a nation.

For Paper 1: go through the past papers. the trend is very clear. There are 3 distinct options with you:
-Arabs, Sufis, Arts and architecture
-The Delhi Sultanate, Ghaznavi and Ghori
-the Mughals

If you do any 2 of the above mentioned groups, you will be able to pass the exams with distinction. My choice was Group 1 and Group 2

Since I prepared Group 1 and Group 2, the best and most comprehensive book was:
-The Delhi Sultanate by V.D Mahajan. It starts from MBQ and ends at the end of the Delhi Sultanate.
-Also has solid stuff about Sufism, and other religious movements of the time.
-Arts and Architecture, Crafts, Science etc everything is discussed
-The beauty of the book is that it quotes many many authors (like Ishwari Prasad etc). So one book has many views
-Gives a personal estimate of each ruler from the point of view of different writers (this is often a straight question asked in the exam)

For Paper 2: It requires very thorough research and study since no 2 books provide any thing new. You have to come across an authentic and somewhat different book to prepare this paper.

The different sections for this paper are:

-1857 to 1905
-1905 to 1947
-1947 to date

once again, if you do any 2 thoroughly you can skip one section altogether. For example, I prepared the first 2 and in the third one I did only general preparation (like energy crisis, terrorism and I skipped democracy and stuff)

Topics in the First Group can be highlighted as:
-Hindu and Muslim revivalist Movements (both militant and educational) with their aims and objectives and legacies
-Early Hindu-Muslim disputes of the Era
-Muslim problems after the fall of the Mughal Empire and causes of the downfall
-Causes of 1857 Revolution

Topics in the 2nd Group are:
- Hindu Muslim divide (Partition of Bengal etc)
-Constitutional and Political history
-Efforts for Hindu Muslim unity and the causes for failures
-Road to Pakistan


I suggest that you start from the 1st group. Build a conceptual understanding and then slowly advance through time till 1947. Go into even minute details (for example: Viceroy or Governor General, Secretary of State for India etc.) this will enable you to forfeit ratta and score good marks.

I followed this strategy in 2012 and my score was 139.