NCERT releases new Class 9 Social Science textbook, details Mughal brutality against Sikhs, Jats
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NCERT releases new Class 9 Social Science textbook, details Mughal brutality against Sikhs, Jats
A new NCERT Class 9 Social Science textbook describes the Mughal state’s persecution of Sikh Gurus as having “few comparisons in history”, linking it to rigid religious and discriminatory practices. It also details Sikh resistance and Jat uprisings against Mughal rule.
National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has released new Class 9 Social Science textbook and it details Mughal state’s persecution of Sikh Gurus. The book is titled “Understanding Society: India and Beyond, Social Science Textbook for Grade 9, Part 2." The book was announced by NCERT in a press statement dated September 28. The council said the textbook will be available for purchase from September 29. The revised Class IX Social Science textbook has reached students months after the academic session began. Its delayed release had triggered concerns and protests from parents on social media over the non-availability of the new books while the academic session was already underway.
The textbook, in its chapter Resistance and Resilience (1000–1700 CE), said that the “valour and sacrifice” of the Sikh Gurus “for the cause of the faith” became defining features of Sikhism, while their martyrdom strengthened the conviction among Sikhs that persecution had to be met with “firm resistance and resilience.” The book says the Mughal state began increasingly intervening in the affairs of the Sikh Gurus from the beginning of the 17th century as their socio-cultural influence grew. According to the textbook, Mughal emperor Jahangir ordered the execution of Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru, on the pretext of his alleged support to Jahangir’s rebellious son, Khusrau Mirza. It describes his martyrdom as a “significant turning point” in Sikh history.
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It has also stated that the brutality of the Mughal state against Sikh Gurus, particularly Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh, has few comparisons in history and was deeply rooted in the “rigid religious and discriminatory practices.” The chapter also records resistance by the Hindu Shahi rulers, Chandellas, Solankis and Chauhans against Turkic invaders, Maharana Pratap’s resistance to the Mughals, the Ahom victory at the Battle of Saraighat and the resistance of rulers such as Queen Naiki Devi, Rani Abbakka Chowta and Rudrama Devi.
"The valour and sacrifice of the Gurus for the cause of the faith became the defining features of Sikhism. Beyond political motivations, the act was also deeply rooted in the rigid religious and discriminatory practices of the Mughals,” it added.
The textbook also records the detention of Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh Guru, by Jahangir in Gwalior Fort, noting that Sikhs visited the fort in large numbers and paid their respects to the Guru from outside. On Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, the book says: “In 1675 Aurangzeb ordered the execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru. The martyrdom proved a turning point in Indian history.” The textbook then links the martyrdoms to the emergence of organised resistance.
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Alongside the Sikh resistance, the textbook for the first time also details the resistance of Jat farmers of the Ganga-Yamuna Doab against the Mughal Empire, documenting two major uprisings in the 17th century. The book stated that the Jats faced heavy taxation and exploitation under Mughal rule and that these economic hardships, coupled with Aurangzeb’s religious policies, led to growing resentment.
“During the 17th century, the Jats, a farming community from Ganga-Yamuna Doab were burdened with heavy taxes and exploitation by Mughals. These economic hardships combined with Aurangzeb’s religious policies led to growing resentment amongst the Jats,” the textbook says.In 1669, the Jats rebelled under the leadership of Gokul Jat, with Mughal forces struggling for several months to suppress the uprising. The community rebelled again in 1686, this time under the zamindars of Sinsini and Sogar, while Aurangzeb was engaged in prolonged military campaigns in the Deccan.
