How should I prepare Ancient and Medieval Indian History for UPSC Mains?

Shift your focus from political history to Art, Culture, and Architecture.
For Ancient history, prioritize Buddhism, Jainism, and temple evolution.
In Medieval, analyze Bhakti-Sufi movements and Indo-Islamic architecture.
Use NCERT Fine Arts and Poonam Dalal Dahiya to build analytical depth.
In Mains answers, use hand-drawn maps and specific historical examples to substantiate your arguments regarding socio-economic changes.