For Prelims……

ANCIENT INDIA:

1. Wonder that was India - A.L. Bhashem.

2. Ancient India Social and Culture - Luniya

3. Ancient India - an introductory outline - D.N.Jha.

4. An Advanced History of India - R.C. Majumda, H.C. Raychaudhurai, - KalikinkarDatta

5. Ancient India - L.Mukherjee

MEDIVAL INDIA

1. Advanced study in the History of Medival India - Volume I, II, III J.L. Mehta

2. Medival India - Volume I & II Satish Chandra

3. Wonder that was India - Rizzvi

4. Medival India - L. Mukherjee

MODERN INDIA

1. Modern Indian History - Groover & Grooover.

2. A struggle for Independence - Bipin Chandra

3. Freedom Struggle - Bipinchandra

4. Modern India - L. Mukherjee

NCERT ( XI and XII are important )

VIII, IX, X, XI, XII History (click to download)

GUIDE (Any one)

1. Indian History - Krishna Reddy ( I am using this guide)

2. Indian History - Agnihotri

3. Competition Wizard Workbook.

4. IGNOU Material (click to download)

For Mains…….

ANCIENT INDIA

1. NCERT (11th)

2. The Advanced History of India - Majumdar, Raychaudhuri & Datta

3. The wonder that was India - A. L Bashaon

4. Indus Civilization - (a) IGNOU booklet no. 2

5. The rise of civilization of India and Pakistan - Bridget and Raymond Allchin

6. Ancient India in historical outline (Revised and enlarged edition - 98) - D. N. Jha.

7. Mauryan : Ashoka and the decline of mouryan empire - Romila Thapar

8. Indian Feudalism - R.S. Sharma

MEDIEVAL INDIA

1. NCERT (11th)

2. The Advanced History of India - Majumdar, Raychaudhuri & Datta

3. Social life and cultural life of both Delhi Sultanate and Mughal India - J.L. Mehta

4. A history of South India - K. A. Nilakanta Shastri

5. IGNOU material (specially on agriculture and agrarian relations and culture)

MODERN INDIA

1. NCERT (12th)

2. A new look into the modern Indian history - B.L Grover

3. Freedom struggle - Bipin Chandra, Varun Dey and Amlesh Tripathy (NBT)

4. India's struggle for independence - Bipin Chandra

5. Modern India - Sumit Sarkar

6. IGNOU material (specially on freedom struggle)

Note: First read NCERT Books to get a basic overview of the subject then read author books and then sift to Guide/Manual for solving objective question and parallelly also solve topic wise test series, so that your knowledge is sharpened (But remember to do revision on regular basis to remember the facts. I have posted an article of how to remember facts click here ). I am following the same strategy.