Presenting the nation's history as quirky stories for children

The Hindu

3 days ago

A few weeks ago, I dropped my son off at his Mock UN seminar and joined a few other mothers from school for a quick breakfast chat. Turns out, we all had the same grouse. How can our 13-year-olds pontificate about world matters when they have no idea about the history of the nation they are representing?
Rachna Malajure, a former advertising professional, was frustrated by the fact that her son will be part of a generation that 'will have no idea about how their country came into being, or how truly unique and noteworthy their country's freedom struggle and history are'. 'Not knowing history will not excuse or protect the children from the consequences of poor decisions as a result. So it is of paramount importance that we do what's necessary to make sure history is remembered objectively,' she says.
As I dig a little deeper, I realise it isn't just us; parents across the country are wondering why schools aren't teaching Indian history. Back in 2023, a LinkedIn post by Harpreet Singh Grover, parenting researcher and founder of the online platform, The Curious Parent, resonated with thousands of parents. He narrated an incident about a friend who approached their child's IB school asking when they would start teaching Maratha history. The answer simply was, 'We don't teach Indian history; it is not a part of the curriculum.'
Was Gandhi a class topper? How did Nehru manage to write so many letters while in jail? Were all Britishers or Mughals bad people? We need to learn from the past rather than only learn about the past.
History is quite literally old news. While international schools skim over parts of Indian history, preferring to focus on the global perspective, Indian-board schools have been in the eye of the storm over their latest NCERT social science textbooks because of the language used to describe the Mughal emperors and the empire.
Has history simply run its course? Not really, says the Indian children's publishing industry. They have sounded the bugle for a new kind of revolution — one that makes reading history cool. From graphic novels to fictionalised stories set against the backdrop of major historical events, children's authors are exploring interesting ways to bring context and nuances that will make Indian history come alive for children.
A tool to shape society
Take, for instance, Ashwitha Jayakumar, who has a background in medieval literature and a special fascination for the Mughals. Her recent work, The Book of Emperors: An Illustrated History of Mughals, traces the journey of the dynasty in India from Babur to Bahadur Shah Zafar. Each chapter focuses on an emperor and highlights their favourite foods and their passion for the arts. We read about an aspect of their lifestyle and a feature of their reign that history textbooks fail to include.
Says Jayakumar, 'History isn't about one narrative or one version of events, but about understanding past events through multiple narratives, written from multiple points of view, by people with many different agendas. All too often, textbooks flatten this multidimensional history into a singular, palatable story, where what's left out and what's included is dictated by politics rather than pedagogical or scholarly considerations. In such an environment, it is more important than ever for non-academic books to present history in all its messy glory, reinforcing for readers of all ages that the past is more interesting, complex and strange than our textbooks would have us believe.'
If schools won't hand our children the full story, then let them pick up a graphic novel on the Indus Valley civilisation or an illustrated book on the Mughals and satiate their curiosity. Because a generation that knows where it comes from will know exactly where it's going.
Mallika Ravikumar is a children's book author with an advanced degree in ancient Indian history. Her book 565: The Dramatic Story of Unifying India is a gripping story of how a team managed to get 565 princely states to agree to join independent India and create the map we know today. She says, 'History is more than a record of the past; it is a tool to shape societal outlook and behaviour. Given its significance, it is important for one to be conscious of not just history, but also historiography — how history is written, interpreted, and understood.'
Changing the narrative
Mala Kumar, author and editor of several history-based books, including Travelling Treasures: 100 Incredible Tales Of How Things Came To India, believes it is important for storytellers to make history fun for children to learn. She says, 'When educators use storytelling to engage children, the facts make sense and history becomes real. History would come alive if they were encouraged to wonder and question. Was Gandhi a class topper? How did Nehru manage to write so many letters while in jail? Were all Britishers or Mughals bad people? We need to learn from the past rather than only learn about the past.'
If our children grow up thinking history is just a dusty subject to be endured for an exam, we've failed them twice — first by not teaching it fully, and then by not making it matter. The new wave of Indian children's literature is a quiet rebellion against that failure, bringing back forgotten voices, complicating easy narratives, and showing young readers that the past isn't just about dates and battles — it's about people, choices, and consequences that still ripple through the world today.
If schools won't hand our children the full story, then let them pick up a graphic novel on the Indus Valley civilisation or an illustrated book on the Mughals and satiate their curiosity. Because a generation that knows where it comes from will know exactly where it's going.
The writer is founder of Mother of Readers, a platform championing Indian children's literature.