Books have been a very powerful medium to share one’s thoughts and opinions. They don’t just tell stories but shape our beliefs, value system, and therefore the way we look at things and the world around us. We rely on books to know about our history, traditions, etc. But what if this history that we know of today is just the partial truth, or some parts of history are removed or changed in books?? Recently, the removal of the Mughal Empire from Indian textbooks has sparked some matters of debate and raised some serious questions.

Let’s take a step back to understand when and how books came into being.

The Journey of Books: From Leaves to the Printing Press

Millions of years ago, during the period of the Stone Age, cavemen used to draw inside the cave to communicate. It was also a way of storytelling to let the future generations know how they used to function. After that, they evolved a bit more, and their intelligence grew as well, and then they started using palm leaves to write. All the ancient scriptures and manuscripts were written on such leaves. Everything changed in the 15th century when a man named Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in Europe. Now, instead of copying books by hand, they could be printed quickly and shared with many people. This was a total game changer. The books, which were handwritten, could only be read by kings and priests, were now available for everyone to read. All thanks to the printing press! Once the common public had access to the books and scriptures, they started building their own opinions instead of blindly trusting people. It was one of the first times in history when books truly started to change the world.

Books that Changed Society

In India, social reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy used books to speak out against unfair practices like sati. Later, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar used his powerful writing in his book, Annihilation of Caste, to fight against caste-based discrimination. Due to his effort, we now have some seats reserved for the backward classes. When people can read and write, they can also think critically, raise questions, and demand change. That’s the real power of books.

Books: A Tool of Control

While books have the power to empower and enlighten us, they also have the power to control us. In Nazi Germany, books by Jewish and non-German authors were burned in public to erase and supress certain ideas which were very intellectual and hence seen as a threat by Nazism. In colonial India, British-written textbooks have often praised the British and ignored the Indian heroes. Governments have always known that if you control what people read, you can control how they think.

This happens till date but instead of burning the books, parts of it are simply edited out or rewritten quietly. This way they are tampering with the facts and leaving us with partial truth.

What is the role of textbooks??

School textbooks are often the first place where children learn about the world. They tell us who our national heroes are, what our culture is, and what events shaped our country. So, the content in these books really matters.

In India, most school students rely on NCERT textbooks. If something is removed from these books, like the Mughal Empire, students might grow up not knowing about that entire part of history. That’s why people are debating whether such changes are right or wrong. While some people believe that it is the right thing to do, many are against it. Supporters feel that it’s the right thing to do, as they feel we should focus more on Indian kings and the lesser-known dynasties. We, being Indian, know so little about things like Chandragupta Maurya becoming a Jain Monk or Rani Durgavati being a Guerrilla Warfare Expert. We have only studied the Mughal Dynasty in detail as of now, not knowing even the names of our unsung Indian heroes. People against this syllabus change believe that we’re trying to erase a very important part of India’s history. The Mughal Empire was one of the longest and most powerful dynasties in India. It gave us beautiful architecture like the Taj Mahal, rich art and music, and also left a deep mark on Indian culture and administration.

Who gets to write history?

Should it be the government, historians, or us, i.e, the people? Ideally, history should include all sides of the story, both good as well as bad. But sometimes, when new governments come to power, they change textbooks to reflect their own beliefs. They may remove or add content depending on what they want the next generation to believe in. This doesn’t mean we can’t update or question history. We should! But it should be done fairly, based on research and not just politics or blind beliefs.

Our Role as Readers and Citizens

We can’t leave it to others to decide what we read, learn, and adapt. Everyone including parents, teachers, and students, has a very important role to play. So what exactly can we do?

1. Teachers can help students think critically about what they read without being biased.
2. Parents should encourage their kids to read books outside of their school syllabus.
3. Students should explore different authors and viewpoints.
4. Speak up when we see important parts of history being erased and express our opinions respectfully.

History isn’t just about our past, it affects our future too!

Books have helped us build the world we live in today. They’ve been with us in revolutions, in freedom struggles, and in building societies. But they’ve also been used to hide or twist the truth. The removal of the Mughal Empire from textbooks is just one example of how easily history can be changed. If we’re not careful, we might end up with a version of the past that’s only half true. As readers, learners, and citizens, we need to protect the power of books and the honesty of our history. Not everything in the past was perfect, but we must remember all of it, not just the parts that are convenient. Henceforth, let’s be mindful of what we read!

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