NCERT drops Tipu Sultan; Mughals branded brutal: Fresh class 8 textbook sparks saffronisation row

In a move that has reignited concerns over historical revisionism, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has released a new Class 8 Social Science textbook that erases Tipu Sultan, Haider Ali, and the four Anglo–Mysore Wars, while portraying Muslim rulers in a sharply negative light and glorifying Hindu powers.

The textbook, titled Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), conspicuously omits the fierce Mysorean resistance to British colonialism—led by Tipu Sultan, famously known as the "Tiger of Mysore"—from its account of India’s colonial past. No mention is made of the Anglo-Mysore Wars, which played a crucial role in the 18th-century power struggle between Indian states and the British East India Company.

Instead, the narrative elevates uprisings like the Sannyasi–Fakir rebellion and the Anglo–Maratha Wars, with the text claiming that “the British took India more from the Marathas than from the Mughals or any other power.” Critics say such selective emphasis attempts to marginalize Muslim rulers' contributions and resistance.

Further controversy arises from the book's depictions of Mughal emperors as violent invaders, especially in a dedicated “Note on Some Darker Periods in History.” Babur is described as a “brutal and ruthless conqueror who slaughtered entire populations,” while Akbar’s rule is framed as a “blend of brutality and tolerance.” Aurangzeb is characterized mainly by his demolition of temples and gurdwaras—a reduction many historians deem politically motivated.

NCERT’s textbook development committee chair, Michel Danino, defended the changes, saying the goal was to avoid rote memorization and keep the curriculum concise. He confirmed that Tipu Sultan and related events will likely remain absent in Part 2 of the series as well. “If we include every war, we go back to cramming,” Danino told India Today.

Yet, many academics and civil society voices see this as part of a broader trend under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which is being used to recast Indian history through an ideologically Hindu nationalist lens. Tipu Sultan, who fought valiantly against British forces using advanced military tactics like iron-cased rockets, now risks being erased from mainstream memory.