In recent weeks, a growing chorus of voices from across India has emerged in protest against the alleged historical distortion found in NCERT’s school textbooks particularly the Class 8 history textbook. The controversy gained traction after a viral image of a distorted political map of ancient India in the NCERT curriculum drew sharp criticism from multiple royal families and scholars, notably His Highness Brigadier (Retd.) Bhupesh Singh Hada of Bundi, Maharawal Chaitanya Raj Singh Bhati of Jaisalmer and MLA Nathdwara Shri Vishvaraj Singh Mewar. At the center of the storm is the claim that major historical Kshatriya dynasties such as the Parihars (Pratiharas), Cholas, Pandyas, Guhilots, Rathores, Bhatis, Chauhan s, Parmaras, and others have been systematically erased or minimized in favor of select regional powers, such as the Marathas.This isn’t just about maps it’s about memory, legacy, and the fight to preserve Bharat’s authentic civilizational history.
- Core of the NCERT Controversy
- A Royal Rebuttal: Voices from Rajasthan
- Himanshu Singh’s Mail to NCERT
- Depth of Historical Erasure
- South and East Indian Dynasties Ignored
- Archaeological & Inscriptional Evidence Ignored
- Analysis: Why This Selective History?
- Growing Demands for Rectification
- What Needs to Change?
- Restoring Historical Balance
This isn’t just about maps it’s about memory, legacy, and the fight to preserve Bharat’s authentic civilizational history.
Core of the NCERT Controversy
The controversy stems from what many claim is a deliberate exclusion of prominent dynasties and Kshatriya rulers who shaped the Indian subcontinent over millennia. Specifically:
- Pratihara (Parihar) Empire, which ruled for over 250 years and stopped Arab invasions, is missing or barely mentioned.
- Chola, Chera, Pandya, and Vijayanagara Empires of the South, known for their architecture, trade, and administration, are reduced to passing references.
- Eastern Indian dynasties like the Pala Empire and Gajapati rulers have been underrepresented.
- Glorification of Maratha history, while meritorious, has received disproportionate attention with 22 pages dedicated in one textbook compared to mere paragraphs for 1000 year old dynasties.
The claim is that this imbalanced portrayal distorts the factual narrative of Indian history.
A Royal Rebuttal: Voices from Rajasthan
This issue took center stage when Brigadier Bhupesh Singh Hada, a descendant of the Hada Rajput rulers of Bundi, and Maharawal Chaitanya Raj Singh Bhati, the titular head of Jaisalmer’s royal family, publicly condemned NCERT for what they described as historical misrepresentation.
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They highlighted that Rajput dynasties, who served as bulwarks against invasions for centuries, were being sidelined.
Himanshu Singh’s Mail to NCERT
Parihar Himanshu Singh, founder & Editor in Chief of The News Drill, took the issue a step further. Disturbed by the distortion and marginalization of Kshatriya dynasties, he sent a formal complaint and representation to NCERT demanding an immediate revision and inclusion of omitted dynasties like:
- Parihar (Pratihara) Dynasty
- Chalukyas, Solankis, Gohils, Zalas
- Bais, Bhati, Chauhans, Gaur, and other Kshatriya clans
- Cholas, Pandyas, Cheras, Hoysalas
In an email response received from the NCERT curriculum division, the board claimed that “space limitations and pedagogical simplification” were the reasons for selective inclusion. However, Himanshu rejected this as “a weak excuse that masks a larger pattern of selective glorification.”
Depth of Historical Erasure
Let’s look at some of the great dynasties and rulers omitted or marginally mentioned:
1. Parihar (Pratihara) Dynasty
- Lineage: Descendants of Lakshmana, younger brother of Shri Ram
- Capital: Kannauj
- Notable King: Nagabhata II, Mihir Bhoj
- Role: Defeated Arab forces; protected Indian culture
2. Chola Dynasty
- Region: Tamil Nadu and beyond
- Notable Kings: Rajaraja Chola I, Rajendra Chola I
- Achievements: Maritime trade, grand temples like Brihadeeswarar Temple
3. Paramara Dynasty
Region: Malwa (Ujjain)
King: Bhoja Parmara
Legacy: Patron of art, literature, established Ujjain as a learning hub
4. Pala Empire
Region: Bengal, Bihar
Achievements: Centers of learning like Nalanda and Vikramashila
- Chauhans (Chahamanas) – Prithviraj Chauhan’s dynasty ruled Ajmer, Delhi.
- Rathores – Ruled Marwar and established the kingdom of Jodhpur.
- Tomaras – Early rulers of Delhi.
- Bais, Sengar, Bhati, Gautam, Jadaun, Dikhit, Badgujar, Khichi, Bisen – These Kshatriya clans ruled vast parts of UP, MP, Bihar, and Rajasthan.
- Gahadvalas – Controlled Varanasi and Kannauj, great patrons of art.
South and East Indian Dynasties Ignored
Vijayanagara Empire
- Rulers like Krishnadevaraya built an empire of stability and architecture.
- Hampi remains one of the greatest archaeological wonders.
Eastern Kingdoms
Ahoms in Assam, Tripuri kings in Tripura, and Odisha’s Gajapati rulers played vital roles in preserving regional culture.
Yet, all of these are either oversimplified or omitted entirely from NCERT narratives.
Archaeological & Inscriptional Evidence Ignored
Inscriptions of Mihir Bhoj found from Rajasthan to Uttar Pradesh.
Brihadeeswarar Temple, Hampi ruins, and Nalanda University stand as monumental testaments to the ignored empires.
Chandela dynasty temples of Bundelkhand.
- Kailash Temple, Ellora (Rashtrakuta)
- Sun Temple, Modhera (Solanki)
- Martand Sun Temple (Karkota dynasty)
- Rani ki Vav (Solanki)
- Konark Sun Temple (Eastern Ganga Dynasty)
- Vijayanagara’s Hampi complex
- Chittorgarh Fort (Mewar)
- Ranthambore, Jodhpur, Bundi Forts
- Ujjain’s Vikramaditya & Bhoja legacy
Analysis: Why This Selective History?
1. Political Bias and Narrative Framing
The textbooks appear to be catering to a pan-Indian narrative shaped by selective identity politics. Previously, Mughal rulers were excessively glorified. Now, Marathas are receiving similar treatment, sidelining regional diversity.
2. Erasure of Warrior Identity
Kshatriya rulers, their resistance to invasions (from Ghaznavid to Ghurid to Mughals), their contributions to temple architecture, administration, literature, are not only ignored but deliberately underrepresented.
3. Undermining Decentralized Legacy
India was historically never a single kingdom nation but a union of powerful regional states. Highlighting only one or two pan Indian empires dilutes the federal, diverse, and decentralised nature of Indian polity.
4. Language and Regional Politics?
The term “Marathi Imposition” has trended on social media. This comes amidst perceptions that Marathi rulers are being promoted disproportionately as part of a cultural assertion at the cost of Rajput, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannauj-based dynasties.
Growing Demands for Rectification
Historians have started drafting white papers urging balanced historical treatment.
Former royals, cultural activists, and educational think tanks are forming forums to audit NCERT content.
A demand for a History Reform Commission is gaining traction.
What Needs to Change?
NCERT must issue a transparent review of historical content and consult archaeologists, non-Marxist historians, and regional history scholars.
Equal representation must be given to all dynasties in proportion to their historical duration, contributions, and geographic span.
Architectural, cultural, military, and administrative contributions of overlooked dynasties must be taught.
History must teach India’s plurality, not reduce it to 2–3 empires.
Student choice and optional regional history modules could be introduced.
Restoring Historical Balance
History isn’t just about the past it shapes our future.
The demand is clear:
Give every Indian student the complete, nuanced, and proportionate picture of Bharat’s history.
Because truth cannot be rewritten only recovered.
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This NCERT map glorifies the Maratha Empire while ignoring the complex reality of regional powers and diverse resistance across India.”
“NCERT’s portrayal often oversimplifies history — projecting centralized power where multiple political forces coexisted.”
