Akbar, Babur, Aurangzeb face historical scrutiny in NCERT's class 8 textbook
The chapter Reshaping India's Political Map spans the rise and fall of the Delhi Sultanate, resistance from local powers, the Vijayanagara Empire, the Mughal era, and the emergence of the Marathas and the Sikhs.On Alauddin Khilji's general Malik Kafur, it mentions attacks on Hindu centres like Madurai, Srirangam, and Chidambaram.It notes that temple destruction during this period was not just for wealth but often driven by iconoclasm. The controversial tax jiziya is described as a source of public humiliation and a reason some subjects may have converted to Islam.Babur, the first Mughal emperor, is described as a conqueror who destroyed entire populations, built 'towers of skulls', and enslaved civilians, despite also being noted for his intellect and curiosity.Akbar's reign is called a mix of brutality and tolerance.The book refers to his order to massacre 30,000 people at Chittorgarh and destroy temples, even as it acknowledges his later inclusive policies.Aurangzeb, meanwhile, is portrayed as demolishing temples and gurdwaras, though it also mentions arguments that his actions were politically driven.NEW CURRICULUM PROMOTES CONTEXTUAL UNDERSTANDINGThe book includes a cautionary note stating that no present-day community or individual should be held accountable for these historical events. NCERT says the intention is to offer students an honest, evidence-based understanding of history.Shivaji and the Marathas are presented in contrast, as leaders who rebuilt temples and respected other religions. Shivaji is called a master strategist and a devout Hindu.NCERT has said the revised textbooks follow the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023.With this release, Class 8 now gets a single integrated book instead of three separate ones for history, political science, and geography. Part 2 of the textbook will be released later this year.- Ends
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
26 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Migrant exodus sparks political storm in Gurugram
A police verification drive targeting undocumented immigrants in Gurugram has led to the departure of hundreds of Bengali-speaking migrant families and triggered a political controversy, with opposition leaders accusing the Haryana government of communal bias. A migrant worker settlement in South City 2, in Gurugram Sector 47 near Park Hospital, on Friday. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo) The drive, aimed at identifying undocumented immigrants, has reportedly led to 300–400 families leaving shanty settlements, particularly around South City 2, amid fears of detention and harassment. 'Even those with Aadhaar and voter cards are being detained. Police arrive without warning and take people away. Some were even beaten,' a migrant resident claimed, requesting not to be named. 'We didn't come here to break the law—we came to work hard and feed our families,' said Imran Ali, a 32-year-old construction worker from Murshidabad, who left Gurugram last week and is now staying with a cousin in Delhi's Seelampur. 'Police came to our settlement late at night. Even though I showed my Aadhaar card, they said it needed to be verified in Bengal. My wife got scared, packed our things, and we left that same night. I lost my job, and we are now surviving on whatever little savings I had. I don't know when we will go back—or if we even can.' Congress MLA Aftab Ahmed, a senior Meo community leader, alleged the drive is 'unfairly singling out Muslim residents' and 'damaging Gurugram's secular fabric and global image.' He said even individuals with valid documents have been detained and forced to leave. 'This campaign… has turned into a tool for communal victimisation,' Ahmed said, adding he has raised the issue with the state DGP and Gurugram Commissioner of Police, who assured him 'no legitimate Indian citizen will be harassed.' Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini defended the campaign, declaring, 'There is no place for Bangladeshi infiltrators in Haryana; they are being removed as swiftly as possible.' He added, 'No compromise against India's unity, sovereignty, and Constitution is acceptable... the nation's interest will always be paramount.' In response, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee slammed the drive, calling it 'linguistic terror' and alleging that Bengali-speaking workers are being deported without proper checks. 'I have been increasingly receiving reports of detentions and atrocities… West Bengal Police is receiving requests from Haryana Police for identity verification,' she said, citing Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports accusing BJP-ruled states of systematic deportations. HRW reports that this has been happening systematically in the BJP-ruled States of Assam, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Delhi, following a directive by the Ministry of Home, Government of India. Shame!! Now, even international human rights organisations have started taking note of the linguistic terrorism unleashed in India. This must stop at once!!' the CM has been attacking the BJP-led Centre, saying that the detention of hundreds of Bengali speaking migrant workers across BJP-governed states was 'a language war and linguistic terrorism' waged on Bengal and its people. TMC MP Samirul Islam backed Banerjee, accusing BJP-led states of 'hiding data on Bengali-speaking migrants' and turning 'national security into a tool of discrimination.' 'No illegal immigrant will be allowed to stay in Haryana. The verification drive is being conducted strictly within the legal framework to ensure the safety and security of all citizens,' said Arvind Saini, media in-charge of BJP Haryana. 'The Congress is raising baseless concerns because their traditional vote bank is being affected. This is not about religion or language—it's about national interest and lawful residency.' Senior Congress leader Pankaj Dawar said many of these families have been in Gurugram for over two decades as domestic workers and labourers. 'They consider Gurugram their home. But now, their lives have been thrown into chaos,' he said. Haryana Police, however, denied any communal angle. 'The process is based on intelligence inputs and legal procedure,' said Gurugram police spokesperson Sandeep Kumar. 'We are ensuring that no Indian citizen is harassed.' As the controversy deepens, the verification campaign has become a flashpoint in the larger political discourse around migration, minority rights, and state power, according to opposing political leaders. 'The situation is not just a local law enforcement issue anymore,' Ahmed said. 'It's a test of how inclusive and just we remain as a society.'
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
26 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Trump calls Thailand-Cambodia truce easy, cites role in India-Pak talks
Following a major fallout after his attempted use of the trade leverage in reaching a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, US President Donald Trump on Sunday (local time) stated that he was optimistic about brokering the peace deal between the Southeast Asian nations, describing the talks as "an easy one," compared to his past claims of resolving the India-Pakistan conflict. Speaking to reporters during his meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Trump reiterated his commitment to using economic pressure to end the ongoing border war between the two Southeast Asian nations. "We're dealing with Thailand, and we do a lot of trade with Thailand and with Cambodia, and yet I'm reading that they're killing each other. You know, they're fighting. They're in a war. And I say this should be an easy one for me because I've settled with India and Pakistan and Serbia and Kosovo were going at it," Trump said. As per Al Jazeera, Cambodia and Thailand, earlier in the day, accused each other of launching artillery attacks, just hours after Trump said both countries had agreed to hash out a ceasefire. The attacks on Sunday came after both sides said they were willing to start talks to end the fighting over their border dispute after Trump spoke to their leaders late on Saturday. Bangkok and Phnom Penh are engaged in a territorial dispute dating back over a century, when colonial-era France first demarcated the border between them, CNN reported. He recounted calling the Prime Minister of Cambodia and the acting Prime Minister of Thailand, asserting, "I said we're not going to make a trade deal unless you settle the war... And I spoke to both of the Prime Ministers, and I think by the time I got off, they wanted to settle now." Trump drew confidence from his mediation efforts, particularly citing the India-Pakistan conflict, which he claimed was "really getting ready to go at it." Trump was referencing the recent India-Pakistan conflict in May, where he had claimed credit several times for brokering a ceasefire between the two nuclear nations, using trade as leverage. The conflict erupted after 26 civilians were killed in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, after which India retaliated through precision strikes under Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). However, according to Indian officials, it was Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) who contacted their Indian counterpart to request an end to hostilities, following which the ceasefire was then agreed upon. "Getting those things settled if I can do it and if I can use trade to do that, it's my honour," he added, reflecting his belief in trade as a diplomatic tool. Four days after the worst fighting in more than a decade broke out between the Southeast Asian neighbours, the death toll stood above 30, including 13 civilians in Thailand and eight in Cambodia. Over 200,000 people have also been evacuated from border areas in the two countries, authorities said, as per Al Jazeera. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
26 minutes ago
- First Post
‘Easy as I settled India-Pak': Trump claims ended Thailand-Cambodia clash using trade pressure
Trump has once again claimed credit for helping end hostilities between India and Pakistan, this time while discussing rising tensions between Thailand and Cambodia. Drawing a comparison, Trump said he used trade pressure to de-escalate both situations read more US President Donald Trump on Sunday once again reiterated his claim of helping broker a ceasefire between India and Pakistan by using trade pressure—this time while drawing a parallel with the ongoing tensions between Thailand and Cambodia. Speaking about Southeast Asia, Trump said the United States maintains strong trade ties with both Thailand and Cambodia. He claimed he personally called the prime ministers of both countries and warned them that no trade deal would move forward unless they de-escalated their conflict. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We do a lot of trade with Thailand and Cambodia. Yet I'm reading that they're killing each other,' Trump said. 'I say this should be an easy one for me because I settled India and Pakistan. I called the Prime Ministers of each (Thailand and Cambodia) and I said, 'We're not going to make a trade deal unless you settle the war.' By the time I got off the phone, I think they want to settle now.' #WATCH | US President Donald Trump says, "We do a lot of trade with Thailand and Cambodia. Yet I'm reading that they're killing each other... I say this should be an easy one for me because I settled India and Pakistan... I called the Prime Ministers of each (Thailand and… — ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2025 He went on to reference the India-Pakistan standoff, saying 'India and Pakistan were really getting ready to go at it. So getting those things settled—and if I can use trade to do that—then it's my honour.' Trump's constant claims of de-escalating the conflict Trump has made similar claims before, crediting himself for de-escalating the India-Pakistan conflict by instructing his administration to cancel all trade deals with both nations. He believes that pressure forced both sides to back down. 'We did some great work—India and Pakistan. That was close to being nuclear. We handled it. We did a lot,' Trump had told reporters earlier at the White House. 'I don't know if any president has done more.' Earlier, Trump also cited a similar approach in other global flashpoints. 'Serbia and Kosovo were going to go at it. I said, 'You go at it, there's no trade with the United States.' That's what happened with India and Pakistan. I told (Treasury Secretary) Scott (Bessent) and (Commerce Secretary) Howard (Lutnick), 'Cancel all deals with India and Pakistan. They're not trading with us while they're at war.'' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, India has consistently rejected Trump's assertions. According to Indian officials, the ceasefire agreement reached on May 10—after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes—was the result of direct military-to-military communication between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both nations. Officials also clarified that the dialogue was initiated at Pakistan's request. In a recent phone conversation with Trump, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated India's long-standing position that all matters with Pakistan are strictly bilateral and that New Delhi does not and will never accept third-party mediation.
