NCERT’s Fresh Take on Mughal Rulers
NCERT's new Class 8 Social Science textbook describes Babur as a "brutal and ruthless conqueror, slaughtering entire populations of cities", Akbar's reign as a “blend of brutality and tolerance”, and Aurangzeb who destroyed temples and gurdwaras, highlighting out many instances of "religious intolerance"
New Delhi, July 16, KNT: The revised NCERT Class 8 Social Science textbook, set to be introduced from the 2025–2026 academic year, offers a markedly altered portrayal of the Mughal emperors, combining accounts of military conquest, religious policies, cultural achievements, and brutality, in what officials describe as an effort to present a more nuanced and dispassionate view of India’s medieval past.
The textbook’s chapter “Reshaping India’s Political Map” covers Indian history from the 13th to the 17th century, including the Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara Empire, the Mughals, Sikh resistance, and more. It begins with Babur, whom it identifies as a “Turkic Mongol ruler and military strategist” who used gunpowder and field artillery to defeat Ibrahim Lodi in 1526, ending the Delhi Sultanate.
It also highlights the role of Hemu, a Hindu general who briefly ruled Delhi as Hemchandra Vikramaditya before being captured and beheaded after the Second Battle of Panipat.
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However, it is the portrayal of Akbar and Aurangzeb that marks a significant shift in tone.
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Akbar is described as a ruler whose reign was a “blend of brutality and tolerance, shaped by ambition and strategy.” The book recounts the siege of Chittorgarh in 1568, during which 30,000 civilians were massacred and surviving women and children enslaved. It cites Akbar’s own words from a victory dispatch:
“We have succeeded in occupying a number of forts and towns belonging to the infidels… With the help of our bloodthirsty sword… we have destroyed temples… all over Hindustan.”
Yet, the textbook also outlines his progressive reforms, including the abolition of jizya, promotion of sulh-i-kul (peace with all), and establishment of a translation bureau that rendered Hindu epics into Persian. His spiritual transformation is captured in a quote by biographer Abul Fazl, where Akbar reflects on the futility of religious persecution.
His successors Jahangir and Shah Jahan are portrayed primarily through their contributions to art and architecture, with the Taj Mahal serving as Shah Jahan’s cultural legacy. However, the book details the bloody succession war that followed his illness, highlighting Aurangzeb’s rise to power through fratricide and imprisonment of his own father.
Aurangzeb is depicted as the most expansionist yet deeply orthodox Mughal ruler. The textbook outlines how he banned music and dance, reimposed jizya and pilgrimage taxes, and ordered temple destructions in Banaras, Mathura, and Somnath. It records persecution of Jain, Sikh, Sufi, and Parsi communities, and frames his rule as one where religion deeply influenced state policy and conflict.
Responding to questions over its candid tone, NCERT defended the content:
“While those happenings cannot be erased or denied, it would be wrong to hold anyone today responsible for them… Understanding the historical origin of cruel violence… is the best way to heal the past.”
The preface to the chapter emphasizes that while history can seem harsh, the intent is not to glorify or vilify, but to equip students to critically analyse the causes and consequences of historical developments.
“It is important to study those darker developments dispassionately… The past continues to live with us and shapes the present,” it reads.
The revision represents a pedagogical shift—away from simplified narratives to a more complex portrayal of historical figures—aimed at encouraging critical thought and historical literacy among students.
[KNT]
