NCERT has removed the honorific “Great” from references to Akbar and Tipu Sultan in Assam history textbooks, a change publicly supported by Assam CM Shri. Himanta Biswa Sarma. The update, positioned as a style and historiography adjustment, aims to promote neutral language in Indian textbooks and to align historical instruction with academic standards that privilege evidence over valorizing epithets.
In historiography, evaluative labels can shape student perception before evidence is examined. By withdrawing such descriptors, NCERT reinforces a focus on primary sources, scholarly debate, and contextual analysiscore principles of historical accuracy and the Indian education system’s competency-based learning goals. This approach invites learners to assess figures like Akbar and Tipu Sultan through documented policies, alliances, conflicts, and cultural impacts rather than through inherited praise or blame.
The policy shift also reflects ongoing curriculum reform that encourages a broader and more balanced view of India’s past, including the Mughal Empire, regional polities, and diverse intellectual and cultural traditions. Within this landscape, unity across dharmic traditionsHinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhismremains a guiding educational value. Presenting contentious eras with careful language supports social cohesion while preserving rigorous inquiry.
For many who recall earlier school lessons, honorifics often framed historical figures as unquestionably admirable or otherwise. Removing such terms can help students cultivate critical thinking: to compare multiple sources, weigh contemporaneous accounts, and differentiate between statecraft, warfare, and cultural patronage. In practical classroom terms, this strengthens source analysis, historiographical literacy, and respectful discussion.
Political responses have been immediate; CM Shri. Himanta Biswa Sarma’s endorsement signals state-level acceptance of a neutral language standard. For educators and policymakers, the priority remains academic rigor free from partisanship. A neutral register does not diminish scholarly attention to Akbar’s administrative reforms or Tipu Sultan’s military and technological strategies; rather, it frames both legacies for evaluation through evidence, chronology, and contested interpretations.
Consistency will be essential. If neutrality is the benchmark, style guides should clarify that evaluative epithetspositive or negativebe applied sparingly, if at all, and only with clear historiographic justification. Transparent criteria, clear learning outcomes, and representative citations can help ensure that textbook revision is methodical rather than selective.
In practice, teachers may complement this revision with timelines, maps, and multi-source readers that place the Mughal period, the Marathas, and regional kingdoms in comparative perspective. Structured classroom dialogues can promote interfaith understanding and unity across dharmic traditions by foregrounding shared cultural inheritances, creative exchange, and ethical reflection, without erasing the realities of conflict or complexity.
Ultimately, NCERT’s change in Assam history textbooks marks a move toward neutral descriptors that foster critical engagement with India’s past. By encouraging students to evaluate claims and counterclaims responsibly, the update contributes to a more inclusive and analytically robust learning environmentone that honors pluralism, supports civic harmony, and strengthens historical understanding.
Inspired by this post on Hindu Jagruti Samiti.
