The National Council of Educational Research and Training’s (NCERT) new Class 8 Social Science textbook, which introduces students to the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughals, depicted the era with “many instances of religious intolerance,” describing Babur as a “brutal and ruthless conqueror,” Akbar’s reign as a “blend of brutality and tolerance,” and Aurangzeb as one who “destroyed temples and gurdwaras”, The Indian Express reported.
Part 1 of the Class 8 Social Science textbook, “Exploring Society: India and Beyond,” was released this week for use in the current academic session. Among the newly revised NCERT books, this is the first to introduce students to the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire.
The textbook introduces a revised portrayal of Indian history from the 13th to the 17th century in a chapter titled “Reshaping India’s Political Map.” It includes the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals, the Vijayanagara Empire, and the rise of the Sikhs, marking a notable departure from previous editions in tone and content.
The NCERT justified these inclusions through a section titled “Note on Some Darker Periods in History,” which aims to provide historical context.
One chapter also features a cautionary note reminding readers that “no one should be held responsible today for events of the past,” underscoring the educational intent rather than assigning blame.
“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,” reads the note.
The textbook describes the Sultanate period as one marked by “political instability and military campaigns that saw villages and cities being plundered and temples and seats of learning destroyed.” It includes “numerous attacks on sacred or revered images in Buddhist, Jain and Hindu temples, such destruction was motivated not just by plunder but also by iconoclasm.”
It highlights that Alauddin Khilji’s general, Malik Kafur, “attacked a number of Hindu centres such as Srirangam, Madurai, Chidambaram, and possibly Rameswaram.”
On the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, the book notes, “While politics played a part in his decisions, his farmans (edicts) make his personal religious motive clear too.” It states that “he ordered governors of provinces to demolish schools and temples, and destroyed temples at Banaras, Mathura, Somnath, and Jain temples and Sikh gurdwaras.”
Referring to “jizya,” the tax levied on non-Muslim subjects, the book describes it as “a source of public humiliation and formed a financial and social incentive for subjects to convert to Islam,” which differs significantly from earlier NCERT descriptions.
Regarding Babur, the book notes that while “his autobiography points to him as being cultured and intellectually curious,” he was also “a brutal and ruthless conqueror, slaughtering entire populations of cities, enslaving women and children, and taking pride in erecting ‘towers of skulls’ made from the slaughtered people of plundered cities.”
The book also portrays Akbar’s reign as “a blend of brutality and tolerance.”
It describes the Chittorgarh massacre and quotes his message of victory, “We have succeeded in occupying a number of forts and towns belonging to the infidels and have established Islam there. With the help of our bloodthirsty sword, we have erased the signs of infidelity from their minds and have destroyed temples in those places and also all over Hindustan.”
It further notes that despite Akbar’s later tolerance for different faiths, “non-Muslims were kept in a minority in the higher echelons of the administration.”
These portrayals are notably different from those in the previous Class 7 textbook, where references to brutality and religious destruction were minimal or absent.
The chapter also explores the administrative structures under the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire. It highlights the vibrant economic activity during the 13th to 17th centuries and notes that this period was followed by economic strain in the late 1600s.
The book acknowledges that “Indian society showed adaptability and resilience in rebuilding towns, cities, temples, and other aspects of the economy.”
Following this chapter is one on the Marathas, which describes Shivaji as a “master strategist and a true visionary.” It praises the Marathas for having “contributed substantially to India’s cultural developments.”
The textbook portrays Shivaji as a devout Hindu who respected other religions while upholding his own, adding that he took efforts to rebuild desecrated temples. In contrast, the earlier textbook had primarily focused on Shivaji’s role in laying the foundations of a strong Maratha state and his administrative achievements.
When asked by The Indian Express about the portrayal of temple attacks and the “brutality” of certain Mughal rulers in the new textbook, the NCERT defended the decision by stating that “the events… (and many more) did happen and left their mark on Indian history.” It explained that their inclusion is supported by the rationale outlined in the “Note on Some Darker Periods in History.”
The Council asserted that the account “does not sanitise history” but remains “balanced and entirely evidence-based.”
It further noted that, alongside this contextual note, a cautionary message has been added in one of the chapters, clarifying that “no one should be held responsible today for events of the past.” According to the NCERT, the intention is to offer “an honest approach to history with a view to drawing from it important lessons for a better future.”
The NCERT further clarified that the new textbooks are designed in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.
Emphasising the comprehensive shift, it stated that the books are “based not only on a wholly new approach but also on a new syllabus, a new design and new pedagogical tools,” asserting, “any comparison with the old syllabus and textbooks is therefore fruitless.”
Speaking to The Hindu, Michel Danino, Head of NCERT’s Curricular Area Group for Social Science, said, “Akbar himself admits he was brutal in his younger days. We are not demonising Akbar or Aurangzeb, but we have to show these rulers had their limitations and committed cruel deeds.”
He explained that Indian history cannot be “sanitised” and portrayed as a continuous, harmonious progression, emphasising that “There were indeed bright periods, but also darker chapters marked by suffering. That is why we have included a note on these darker periods of history, along with a clear disclaimer that no one today should be held responsible for what happened in the past.”
Previously, Class 8 Social Science was taught through three separate textbooks, covering history, social and political life, and geography. The newly released Part 1 combines all three themes into a single volume, with Part 2 expected to be released later this year.
The NCERT has been rolling out new school textbooks aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023. Updated books for Classes 1 to 4 and Classes 6 and 7 have already been released, while those for Classes 5 and 8 are now being introduced.
NCERT has faced significant criticism for revising its history textbooks, particularly for removing or reducing content related to the Mughal Empire or and Delhi Sultanate,or misrepresented what critics have labeled as “saffronisation of education.”
Earlier NCERT has revised its Class 7 history textbooks by removing references to the Mughals and the Delhi Sultanate, and introducing content on dynasties reflecting the “Indian ethos,” along with references to the Maha Kumbh and Union government initiatives.
A chapter titled “Kings and Chronicles: The Mughal Courts,” covering Mughal-era manuscripts like the Akbar Nama and Badshah Nama, was also removed from Class 12 history textbooks.
Previously, up to 250 historians from institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, and Columbia University condemned the deletions, noting that the process lacked consultation with original textbook authors and disrupted pedagogical unity. They argue that framing history in terms of “Hindu” or “Muslim” eras oversimplifies India’s complex social fabric.
 new Class 8 Social Science textbook, which introduces students to the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughals, depicted the era with “many instances of religious intolerance,” describing Babur as a “brutal and ruthless conqueror,” Akbar’s reign as a “blend of brutality and tolerance,” and Aurangzeb as one who “destroyed temples and gurdwaras”, The Indian Express reported.){kind=link}