Optional
Urdu Literature
UPSC Civil Services Mains, optional subject
Syllabus
Paper I
Answer must be written in Urdu
Section A — Development of Urdu Language
- Development of Indo-Aryan
- Old Indo-Aryan
- Middle Indo-Aryan
- New Indo-Aryan.
- Western Hindi and its dialects Brij Bhasha Khadi Boli, Haryanavi, Kannauji, Bundeli—Theories about the origin of Urdu language.
- Dakhani Urdu—origin and development, its significant linguistic features.
- Social and Cultural roots of Urdu language— and its distinctive features.
- Script, Phonology, Morphology, Vocabulary.
Section B
- Genres and their development :
- Poetry: Ghazal, Masnavi, Qasida, Marsia, Rubai Jadid Nazm.
- Prose : Novel, Short Story, Dastan, Drama, Inshaiya, Khutoot, Biography.
- Significant features of : (i) Deccani, Delhi and Lucknow schools, (ii) Sir Syed movement, Romantic movement, Progressive movement, Modernism.
- Literary Criticism and its development with reference to Hali, Shibli, Kaleemuddin Ahmad, Ehtisham Hussain, Ale-Ahmad Suroor.
- Essay writing (covering literary and imaginativetopics).
Paper II
Answer must be written in Urdu
- This paper will require first hand reading of the texts prescribed and will be designed to test the candidate's critical ability.
Section A
- Mir AmmanBagho-Babar
- GhalibIntikhab-e-Khutoot-e Ghalib
- Mohd. Husain AzadNairang-e-Khayal
- Prem ChandGodan
- Rajendra Singh BediApne Dukh Mujhe Dedo
- Abul Kalam AzadGhubar-e-Khatir
Section B
- MirIntikhab-e-Kalam-e-Mir (Ed. Abdul Haq.)
- Mir HasanSahrul Bayan
- GhalibDiwan-e-Ghalib
- IqbalBal-e-Jibrail
- FiraqGul-e-Naghma
- FaizDast-e-Saba
- AkhtrulimanBint-e-Lamhat
Syllabus as published by UPSC in the Civil Services Examination 2026 notification.