NCERT history textbooks, which underwent a drastic makeover during the UPA rule, tell us that Bhagat Singh was a terrorist. One of the many reasons why some eminent historians are demanding that the books be corrected.
That is only one of the hundreds of misleading and objectionable information they give to young students who rely on those books to understand India. A little more exploration, done by Amit Thadani – a doctor by profession, reveals that the ICSE textbooks are no different.
In a series of tweets, Thadani exposes the biased, inaccurate, and even falsified information that ICSE history textbooks teach young students from sixth to eighth grades.
As usual, it begins with Aryan bashing:
A great civilization existed in Indus Valley – before the Aryans invaded and wiped them out, you see. pic.twitter.com/idePvhsoz8
Advertisement— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 29 February 2016
A factual inaccuracy pointed out.
Shudras not allowed to receive education!! Ved Vyas and Valmiki were uneducated fools I guess. pic.twitter.com/NUlfJVvG44
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 29 February 2016
Thadani highlights that there is no mention of Hinduism before the arrival of Gupta Dynasty.
This means that according to ICSE books, Hindus did not exist in India before 319 AD.
…the Gupta period. Samudragupta seems to be the first Hindu ruler. “But” he was tolerant. Exception to the rule! pic.twitter.com/Nttw1vmu5D
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 29 February 2016
Pallavas, Cholas, Cheras were either Vaishnavites or Shaivites. Hindus are mentioned just thrice in the whole book. pic.twitter.com/Q7qcY28lnv
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 29 February 2016
5000 plus years of Dharmic civilization have been wrapped up in 40 pages flat. Entire 300 yr dynasties wound up in a single paragraph.
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 29 February 2016
Thadani points out that Seventh standard books appear to be preaching on Christianity than educate on history.
7th grade ICSE Textbook seems to be doing a fine job of spreading the message of our Lord Jesus Christ. pic.twitter.com/k8Ctp4UIOu
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 8 March 2016
Like NCERT, ICSE too wraps up a 500 period of Indian history before Islamic invasion in two pages.
What was India before the Turkish invasion? Just two pages. But each Mughal Barbarian has his own chapter. pic.twitter.com/jQHI9GGQaL
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 8 March 2016
Truth is that the ‘Arabs’ never ‘invaded’ India. They arrived as merchants on the shores of Kerala.
India was invaded by Turkic-Afghani conquerors. Thadani is right: there was no cultural exchange.
Mahmud of Ghazni was one of the biggest barbarians in history but he has been presented as a ruler who was forced to attack another country so that his own would survive.
Arab invasion of India was a good thing, they gave us cultural exchange. Mahmud plundered as he needed the money! pic.twitter.com/wWaqtEAtaX
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 8 March 2016
Other Islamic rulers of the Delhi Sultanet have been portrayed as benevolent and merciful. They were anything but.
Qutbuddin Aibak the fanatic who destroyed 27 temples to build Qutb Minar was a kind hearted and generous man! pic.twitter.com/t66K3nzOh1
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 8 March 2016
Babur destroyed temples and build mosques on them. It is a fact.
This is my personal favorite. Babur started the trend of religious tolerance 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/5lAKESh7n3
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 8 March 2016
The caste system has been portrayed in the books as if it was the only evil in the then Indian society.
What did Kabir do? He criticized the caste system. pic.twitter.com/sywzeA0L5O
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 8 March 2016
What did Guru Nanak do? He criticized the caste system. pic.twitter.com/DOkEtiqRV1
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 8 March 2016
What did Basava and Ramanuja do? They criticized the caste system pic.twitter.com/otN5ySKG1g
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 8 March 2016
What did Bhakti movement do? It criticized the caste system. pic.twitter.com/2DuXEMoR40
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 8 March 2016
What did Ramananda do? He criticized the caste system. pic.twitter.com/ZvoR1UlnBx
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 8 March 2016
What did Mirabai, Namdev, Tukaram, Ramdev do? They criticized the caste system. pic.twitter.com/k3tnPR2gVM
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 8 March 2016
In one chapter on Hindus of medieval India, no less than eight references to caste system. They’ve hammered it deep, Hinduism means caste.
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 8 March 2016
The entire history of three major powers – Jats, Rajputs and Sikhs – has been written in as many paragraphs.
The Jats get seven lines in half a page. Rajputs get a huge 12. And Punjab started directly with Guru Gobind Singh. pic.twitter.com/Svs5Fcd82c
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 20 March 2016
The Marathas – wrapped up in just over one page. Shivaji gets ONE LINE. Sambhaji – who’s he, just a weak successor! pic.twitter.com/2nDnO413Xe
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 20 March 2016
The collapse of the Mughal empire led to anarchy and chaos 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/Vb6MPb2jMs
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 20 March 2016
Tipu Sultan receives glowing tributes and undue praises in ICSE books.
If Aurangzeb was a saint and Qutbuddin Aibak was a kind, generous man, Tipu was surely secular liberal tolerant!! pic.twitter.com/Cxj1e65jWa
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 20 March 2016
Thugees, a cult that was nothing more than dacoits of contemporary times, have been presented as barbarians crueller than the Islamic State.
Those thugs, the worshippers of Goddess Kali, such as Murdan Khan and Khaleel, killed more than 2 million people!! pic.twitter.com/sHieyI8JXt
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 20 March 2016
And this is how Indian reformers have been belittled.
Indian education? Just some random teachers doing miscellaneous stuff in their house before missionaries stepped in. pic.twitter.com/7QmrixQtlQ
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 20 March 2016
The only reformer who revived Hinduism was, Annie Besant!! Others were, well, see for yourself. pic.twitter.com/ISPSWwlmBO
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 20 March 2016
Revolutionary leaders get cursory mention.
The Revolutionary movement gets wound up in less than a page. Because the real (not) heroes need space, you see. pic.twitter.com/HDBUGRhLmR
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 20 March 2016
There is no dearth of misleading information.
Nehru – Gandhi, who opposed Purna Swarajya till it went out of hand, get credit for it. Learn spin from these guys! pic.twitter.com/h9yQ3VeyIa
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 20 March 2016
And while the entire country is talking about Subhash Chandra Bose, our school students know nothing more about him than this.
Enter Netaji and the Azad Hind Fauj. Exit Netaji and the Azad Hind Fauj. All in a quarter of a page. pic.twitter.com/SXRPY6BlGx
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 20 March 2016
Bose and his army got a quarter page, Shivaji got one single line. But Chacha ji gets his full page eulogy. pic.twitter.com/FGduk4Y6NB
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 20 March 2016
So who is behind the writing of such a hogwash retelling of Indian history?
First page – a tribute to the writer of history, Romila Thapar. She’s a historian, yes. pic.twitter.com/UdrKHv9GWw
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) 29 February 2016
