Akbar Brutal But Tolerant, Babur Ruthless: New NCERT Textbook’s Description of Mughal Era

India

-Prakash KL

Updated: Thursday, July 17, 2025, 7:47 [IST]

The
NCERT
social
science
textbook
for
Class
VIII,
titled
‘Exploring
Society:
India
and
Beyond’,
highlights
alleged
“religious
intolerance
and
brutality” during
the
Mughal
era.
It
describes
Akbar’s
rule
as
a
mix
of
“brutality”
and
“tolerance”,
labels
Babur
as
a
“ruthless
conqueror”,
and
portrays
Aurangzeb
as
a
“military
ruler”
who
reinstated
taxes
on
non-Muslims.

Babur,
the
first
Mughal
emperor,
is
depicted
in
the
textbook
as
both
cultured
and
intellectually
curious
in
his
autobiography.
However,
it
also
notes
his
reputation
for
being
“brutal
and
ruthless”.
The
book
states,
“Babur
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.”

Historical
Context
in
Education

The
updated
Class
8
social
science
textbook
combines
history,
geography,
civics,
and
economics
into
one
resource
for
the
first
half
of
the
academic
year.
A
second
part
will
be
released
later.
Previously
covered
in
Class
VII,
topics
on
the
Delhi
Sultanate
have
now
been
shifted
to
Class
VIII
following
recommendations
from
the
National
Curriculum
Framework
for
School
Education
(NCFSE)-2023.

A
note
titled
“Darker
Periods
in
History” accompanies
these
chapters.
It
states
that
no
one
today
should
be
held
accountable
for
past
events.
The
section
on
the
Delhi
Sultanate
mentions
attacks
on
sacred
images
in
Buddhist,
Jain,
and
Hindu
temples
driven
by
both
plunder
and
iconoclasm.

Scientific
Heritage
Highlighted

The
Class
VIII
science
textbook
‘Curiosity’
showcases
India’s
scientific
heritage
from
ancient
discoveries
to
modern
concepts.
It
integrates
traditional
knowledge
with
contemporary
scientific
education
to
foster
curiosity,
environmental
awareness,
ethical
values,
and
critical
thinking
among
students.

In
its
foreword,
NCERT
mentions
that
the
textbook
aims
to
promote
scientific
temper
and
rational
thinking
through
real-life
connections
and
value-based
education.
The
228-page
book
includes
sections
like
‘Probe
and
Ponder’
and
‘Be
a
Scientist’
to
encourage
scientific
inquiry
among
students.

Ancient
Practices
Meet
Modern
Science

A
section
titled
‘Our
Scientific
Heritage’
discusses
India’s
traditional
variolation
method
against
smallpox
long
before
modern
vaccines.
It
links
ancient
practices
to
current
advancements
by
highlighting
Indian
vaccine
companies’ contributions
during
the
Covid-19
pandemic.

The
chapter
‘Particulate
Nature
of
Matter’
credits
Acharya
Kanad
with
introducing
the
concept
of
Parmanu
(atom).
Another
chapter
discusses
ancient
texts
mentioning
alloys
used
for
medicinal
purposes.
The
book
also
covers
ISRO
missions
like
Chandrayaan
1-3
for
lunar
studies,
Aditya
L1
for
solar
research,
and
Mangalyaan
for
Mars
exploration.

Incorporating
Inspirational
Stories

The
updated
English
textbook
includes
a
chapter
on
Major
Somnath
Sharma,
India’s
first
Param
Vir
Chakra
awardee
recognized
for
bravery
at
the
Battle
of
Budgam.
Stories
about
Verghese
Kurien
and
Bibha
Chowdhuri
are
also
featured.

The
Class
5
English
textbook
‘Santoor’
encourages
students
to
explore
various
vocations
through
illustrations
showing
diverse
professions
like
a
woman
pilot
alongside
a
male
chef.
An
illustration
of
a
woman
panchayat
head
is
included
in
a
chapter
about
panchayats.