NCERT’s Bold Rewrite: Mughals Out, Ancient Bharat In — What It Means for India's Future Learners

NCERT’s Bold Rewrite: Mughals Out, Ancient Bharat In — What It Means for India's Future Learners

Aradhya Study Point

NCERT 2025, NEP 2020, Education Reform, Indian History, Mughal Empire, Delhi Sultanate, Ancient India

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“History is not what happened. History is what we teach about what happened.”
And in 2025, that teaching is undergoing a radical transformation.

In a move that’s already sparking national debate, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has officially dropped all chapters related to the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire from the revised Class 7 Social Science textbooks for the academic session 2025–26. This bold curricular shift aligns with the vision of NEP 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023, aiming to reshape how our children understand India—by centering Indian traditions, ancient knowledge systems, and cultural pride.

What’s Been Removed?

• Entire chapters covering the Khaljis, Tughlaqs, Lodis, and the Mughal dynasty—their military conquests, governance, art, and architecture—are now history in more ways than one.
• This isn’t the first cut. These topics were earlier trimmed during the COVID-era rationalization but have now been axed completely in Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1).

What’s New? A Journey Back to Ancient Bharat

Rather than focusing on foreign invasions and Islamic rulers, the new Class 7 history textbook highlights India’s indigenous empires and cultural milestones:

• Magadha, Mauryas, Shungas, and Satavahanas take center stage with detailed accounts of their contributions to polity, economy, science, and society.
• The Gupta Age is portrayed as India’s "Golden Age", with sections on Aryabhata’s astronomy, Sanskrit literature, and urban prosperity.
• Students now learn about Ashoka’s dhamma, Kautilya’s Arthashastra, and how Indian rulers emphasized welfare and strategic governance.

Spiritual and Cultural Renaissance in the Curriculum

• A fresh chapter titled “How the Land Becomes Sacred” explores India’s spiritual geography—from Char Dham, Shakti Peethas, to the Kumbh Mela, which reportedly hosted 660 million pilgrims in 2025.
• The rise of philosophical traditions such as Vedanta, Yoga, and Sankhya is discussed, bringing ancient Indian wisdom into the spotlight.

Modernizing with a Desi Touch

• Textbooks now reference key national initiatives like Make in India, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and even the 2004 Supreme Court ruling on flying the tricolor at home.
• The narrative proudly blends patriotism with policy, aiming to inspire students with modern examples rooted in Indian identity.

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The Debate: Curriculum or Campaign?

Not surprisingly, this has stirred controversy.
Critics label this move as an attempt at "saffronization" of Indian education—accusing NCERT of erasing critical chapters of medieval history to serve a political agenda.
On the other hand, supporters argue this is a long-overdue decolonization of Indian textbooks, asserting that for decades, Indian students were taught a distorted version of history that disproportionately glorified invaders while sidelining India’s civilizational achievements.

NCERT, meanwhile, defends the change as part of its mission to eliminate redundancy and create space for contextual learning based on Indian ethos.

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What’s Coming Next?

So far, this is just Part 1 of the new textbook. Part 2, expected later in 2025, might—or might not—reintroduce Mughal and Sultanate history in a different format. Until then, the focus remains firmly on ancient Bharat, its sages, scientists, and sovereigns.

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Final Thoughts: Are We Rewriting or Reclaiming History?

This is more than a syllabus update—it’s a cultural shift.

Are we finally giving due space to the legacy of our own land, or are we whitewashing a significant part of India’s layered history? That depends on who you ask. But one thing is certain: the classroom is now the new battlefield of ideology, identity, and intellect.

Let’s keep the debate alive, but also ensure our children get a balanced, fact-based, and future-ready education.

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What’s your take on this change? Drop your thoughts in the comments. Let’s talk education, heritage, and what it means to be Indian.

For detailed updates and student-focused resources, stay tuned to Aradhya Study Point.

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