NCERT’s Class 8 History textbook sparks debate with unflinching account of Mughal ‘brutality’

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has released a new Class 8 Social Science textbook that offers a stark retelling of India’s medieval past, describing episodes of Mughal-era brutality, religious intolerance, and mass killings — while explicitly cautioning readers against holding contemporary individuals accountable for historical atrocities.

In a departure from earlier editions, the new book — titled "Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1)" — introduces students to the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals, and the Marathas with a notably unsparing lens on violence and destruction. It includes a “Note on Some Darker Periods in History,” emphasizing the need to study past horrors dispassionately to foster healing and prevent future repetition.

Among the most striking descriptions:

• Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, is called a "brutal and ruthless conqueror", said to have "slaughtered entire populations, enslaved women and children, and erected towers of skulls."
• Akbar, often praised for his religious tolerance, is portrayed with duality — credited with tolerance, but also held responsible for ordering the massacre of “some 30,000 civilians” after the siege of Chittorgarh.
• Aurangzeb is shown as both politically shrewd and religiously intolerant, with references to temple destructions across Banaras, Mathura, Somnath, and Sikh and Jain places of worship.

The chapter, titled “Reshaping India’s Political Map,” also highlights the violent campaigns of Delhi Sultanate rulers, including Alauddin Khilji’s general Malik Kafur, who attacked sacred Hindu centers in the South. The Sultanate period is described as one marked by instability, iconoclasm, and destruction of learning centers.

Further, the book revises the interpretation of ‘jiziya’, a tax levied on non-Muslims by some rulers. Unlike earlier editions that presented it as a routine levy, the new version frames it as a “source of public humiliation” and a coercive force behind religious conversions.

While some scholars have lauded the NCERT’s move as an honest reckoning with uncomfortable truths, others have raised concerns over the selective tone and potential for communal misinterpretation. Anticipating such reactions, the book includes a disclaimer stating that “no one should be held responsible today for events of the past.”

Bridging Pain With Perspective

NCERT defended its new approach, saying the revisions are in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023, aiming to present history in a way that is evidence-based yet emotionally mature.

“Understanding the historical origin of cruel violence, abusive misrule, or misplaced ambitions of power is the best way to heal the past and build a future where, hopefully, they will have no place,” the textbook notes.

The historical chapter transitions into a portrayal of the Marathas, particularly Shivaji, who is described as a “master strategist and true visionary.” The book emphasizes his role in rebuilding desecrated temples and promoting cultural unity while maintaining respect for other religions.

A Shift in Pedagogy

This is the first time Class 8 students are being introduced to the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal period, which were earlier part of Class 7 curriculum. The NCERT has consolidated the previously separate history, geography, and civics books into one volume — a part of its overhaul of school textbooks across grades.

Officials assert that comparisons with older textbooks are “fruitless” due to the comprehensive redesign. “The historical account does not sanitize facts. It is balanced and entirely evidence-based,” the NCERT said in a statement.

As India continues to debate how its past should be taught, the new textbook marks a bold — and controversial — shift in historical pedagogy, one that grapples with complex legacies while cautioning students against present-day judgments rooted in centuries-old conflicts.