NCERT social science book includes information of maratha and sikh regimes!

(NCERT – National Council of Educational Research and Training)

New Delhi– While the Class VIII social science textbook of NCERT covers the history of mughal brutality, information about Maratha and Sikh kings has also been included in detail.  The 8th standard book, ‘Exploring Society – India and Beyond’, had stories related to Sikh and Maratha history before too; but now detailed chapters have been included in it.  These new books will be included in the curriculum from the academic session 2025-26.

These new books include lessons on the Gajapati rulers of Odisha Narasimhadeva, Rani Abakka, and Martanda Varma of Travancore.

Chapters have been added to the book on the spiritual journey of Guru Nanak and the military resistance of Guru Gobind Singh. It explains how the foundation of khalsa panth was laid. Details of the execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur have also been added. It also describes how the Sikh Empire stood firm against British rule till the middle of the 19th century.

22 pages for the history of the Marathas !

Till now, there was only one and a half pages about Marathas in Class VIII books. The course now adds a long history of 22 pages. These include the rise of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the 17th century, his coronation on Raigad, his guerrilla style, Shivaji Maharaj’s military strategy, administration and emphasis on Swarajya. Apart from Shivaji Maharaj, the stories of his descendants Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Rajaram, Shahuji, Tarabai, as well as Bajirao Peshwa the first, Mahadji Shinde and Nana Phadnis have also been included. Earlier, 4 lines were given pertaining Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.