NCERT class 9 book drops European revolutions, highlights Indian resistance movements

New Delhi: Several chapters on European revolutions have been removed from the new edition of the Class 9 social science textbook, which instead places greater emphasis on medieval Indian history, regional resistance movements and the impact of foreign invasions, The Hindu reported.

The new textbook, titled Understanding Society: India and Beyond – Part Two, was released on Tuesday, September 29. It replaces chapters on European revolutions, including the French and Russian revolutions, from the previous edition with a detailed examination of Indian sovereignty and resistance.

The textbook states that from the 7th century onwards, the Indian subcontinent experienced successive phases of invasions driven by “territorial expansion and religious motives”.

It says India’s historic wealth was the primary catalyst for these incursions, adding that foreign forces targeted the country because of the surplus agrarian produce generated by the fertile plains sustained by its perennial river systems.

The textbook also refers to “the brutality of the Mughal state” against Sikh Gurus. It cites the execution of Guru Arjan Dev, the detention of his son Guru Hargobind under Mughal emperor Jahangir, and the execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur under Emperor Aurangzeb, The Hindu reported.

It also discusses regional kingdoms and communities that resisted foreign rule and defended their sovereignty. Among the examples cited are the Jats of the Ganga-Yamuna Doab, who rebelled in the Jat Uprising of 1669.

The book attributes the uprising to severe economic exploitation, heavy Mughal taxation and resentment over Aurangzeb’s religious policies.

Other regional resistance movements are covered in a chapter titled “Safeguarding Sovereignty: Resistance, Alliances and Confederacies”.

In recent years, the NCERT, under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government, has faced criticism over changes to school textbooks, with critics alleging that historical events and personalities have been presented through an opinionated lens.

At one point, some NCERT textbooks described Babur as a “brutal and ruthless conqueror, slaughtering entire populations of cities”, while describing Akbar’s reign as a “blend of brutality and tolerance”. The textbooks have also removed references to women rulers such as Nur Jehan and Razia Sultan.