The newly released Part 2 of the NCERT Class 9 Social Science textbook describes the Mughal state’s treatment of the Sikh Gurus as something with few comparisons in history. The book names Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh in particular, and says the actions were rooted in the Mughals’ rigid religious and discriminatory practices, going beyond political motives.
The passage appears in the chapter “Resistance and Resilience (1000-1700 CE).” It says the Gurus’ courage and sacrifice for their faith became central to Sikhism, and that their martyrdoms convinced Sikhs that persecution had to be met with firm resistance.
How the book tells the story
According to the textbook, the Mughal state began interfering more in the Gurus’ affairs from the start of the 17th century, as their social and cultural influence grew.
It says Emperor Jahangir ordered the execution of Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Guru, on the grounds that he had backed Jahangir’s rebellious son Khusrau Mirza.
The book calls the martyrdom a significant turning point that gradually changed the community’s organisational and political direction. It also notes that Jahangir held the sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind, at Gwalior Fort, where Sikhs came in large numbers to pay respects from outside.
On Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru, the book says Aurangzeb ordered his execution in 1675 and calls it a turning point in Indian history. It then links these events to the rise of organised resistance, saying such pressure could only be met through collective organisation and, when needed, armed resistance.
The chapter also covers Guru Hargobind’s founding of the Akal Takht as a seat of worldly authority, and the idea of miri-piri, which joins spiritual and temporal power.
Jat uprisings included for the first time
The chapter adds the resistance of Jat farmers in the Ganga-Yamuna Doab, which the textbook covers in detail for the first time. It says the Jats carried a heavy tax burden and faced exploitation under the Mughals, and that this, along with Aurangzeb’s religious policies, fed growing anger.
The Jats rose in 1669 under Gokul Jat, and Mughal forces took several months to put the revolt down. They rebelled again in 1686 under the zamindars of Sinsini and Sogar, while Aurangzeb was tied up in the Deccan. The book says the Mughals sent several armies and both sides suffered heavy losses, that they gained the upper hand by 1691, and that Jat resistance continued.
A wider look at resistance
The Sikh and Jat accounts sit within a larger section on resistance to successive rulers between 1000 and 1700 CE. It also covers the Hindu Shahi rulers, Chandellas, Solankis and Chauhans against Turkic invaders, Maharana Pratap’s fight against the Mughals, and the Ahom victory at Saraighat.
It also mentions figures such as Queen Naiki Devi, Rani Abbakka Chowta and Rudrama Devi.
The revised book has reached students months after the academic session began. Its delayed release led parents to raise concerns and protest on social media over the lack of the new books.
