A Sinister Attempt to Distort Indian History
By: Mudassir Ahmad Qasmi
Assistant Editor, Eastern Crescent
This week, a disturbing development emerged in the educational landscape of India. A newly released NCERT Social Science textbook for Grade 8 has included content that presents a deeply biased and distorted portrayal of the Mughal rulers—notably Babur, Akbar, and Aurangzeb. These prominent historical figures have been labeled with terms such as “ruthless killer,” “temple destroyer,” and “tyrannical ruler.” Such depictions are not just academically irresponsible—they reflect a calculated ideological agenda aimed at misinforming the younger generation.
The Mughal Empire was one of the most powerful, organized, and culturally rich periods in the history of the Indian subcontinent. Zahiruddin Babur unified a fragmented land into a single political entity. Jalaluddin Akbar set lasting examples of religious tolerance, administrative reform, and justice. Aurangzeb Alamgir upheld principles of accountability and law that governed vast and diverse populations.
To deny the multifaceted contributions of these rulers, and reduce their complex legacies to caricatures of cruelty, is an intellectual dishonesty that not only insults historical truth but also betrays the ethics of education. Like any leaders, these figures had their flaws, but they must be studied in the full context of their time—not judged solely through the lens of modern political ideology.
History is not merely what is written in textbooks—it is etched into the monuments, languages, cultures, and collective memory of civilizations. The Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Qutub Minar, the development of the Urdu language, Mughal art and architecture, and the co-existence of diverse religious communities across centuries—all stand as enduring evidence of a vibrant, pluralistic society that flourished under Mughal rule.
Importantly, no classical historian, including those from non-Muslim backgrounds, ever described these rulers in the vilifying terms now inserted into schoolbooks. To do so now, centuries later, raises serious concerns about academic integrity and national responsibility.
A mature and just society must approach its history with intellectual honesty and a sense of fairness. Education should empower young minds to think critically, understand multiple perspectives, and respect the diversity of the past. Distorting historical facts for political or ideological gains is a disservice not only to students but to the future of the nation itself.
If we allow such manipulations to persist, we risk severing our youth from their cultural roots and pushing them into an identity crisis built on misinformation. The past, when misunderstood or misrepresented, breeds confusion in the present and chaos in the future.
It is now the responsibility of historians, educators, academic institutions, and policymakers to ensure that history is taught with academic rigor, neutrality, and integrity. Political motives must never be allowed to override scholarly truth. Nations that try to erase or rewrite their past in the name of progress often lose their sense of direction and identity in the process.
Let us not allow our children’s textbooks to become tools of prejudice. Let history remain a mirror of facts, not a canvas for ideology.
