Onlykashmir.in News Desk
In a significant change to school history education, the NCERT has released the new Class 8 Social Science textbook titled “Exploring Society: India and Beyond” which presents a notably harsher view of the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal rulers.
The textbook, part of the new NCERT curriculum for the ongoing academic session, describes Babur as a “brutal and ruthless conqueror” who massacred civilian populations. It further states that Akbar’s reign was a “blend of brutality and tolerance,” while Aurangzeb is portrayed as one who demolished temples and gurdwaras.
According to the textbook, the Delhi Sultanate period was marked by political instability, military campaigns, and the destruction of temples and villages. It cites “numerous instances of religious intolerance” during these eras.
In a move likely aimed at pre-empting controversy, NCERT has included a cautionary note titled “Note on Some Darker Periods in History”, which clarifies that no individual or group today should be held responsible for historical actions. The note states: “No one should be held responsible today for events of the past.”
These revisions mark a shift in historical narrative by focusing on what the book calls the “brutality” of certain rulers and attacks on religious sites. The new content is intended to help students critically engage with the complexities of India’s past.
The textbook is now in circulation and will be used in schools nationwide under the updated NCERT framework.
