In the recent past, Maharashtra education board has reduced the Mughal emperor’s reign to just three lines. The board has revised history textbooks for classes VII and IX, removing almost all traces of the rule of the Mughals and the monuments they built, instead of focusing on the Maratha Empire founded by Shivaji. Shivaji who was in the earlier textbook referred to as ‘people’s king,’ will now be mentioned as ‘an ideal ruler.’ Shivaji’s role in medieval history, and that of his family and the Maratha generals, have been expanded upon.
The new edition for class VII history book has also seen the elimination of Muslim rulers in the country before the Mughal period, including Razia Sultana and Muhammad bin Tughlaq. There is also no trace of the rupaya – first introduced as currency by the Afghan invaders. The revised textbook for class IX, on the other hand, includes the Bofors scam and the Emergency of 1975-1977.
Bapusaheb Shinde, a member of the history subject committees for old and revised textbooks, claimed that the need to revise the syllabus was felt in order to update history with modern events. Modern history needs to be incorporated.”
The revision of the syllabus was discussed at a meeting held by the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini, a think-tank promoted by the RSS with Maharashtra education minister Vinod Tawde last year.