logo
Tipu Sultan, Anglo-Mysore wars missing from NCERT's new Class 8 social science book

Tipu Sultan, Anglo-Mysore wars missing from NCERT's new Class 8 social science book

India Today17-07-2025
The newly released NCERT Class 8 Social Science textbook has drawn attention for omitting key historical figures like Tipu Sultan and events such as the Anglo-Mysore wars from its chapter on colonial rule. While the book offers fresh economic and cultural perspectives, critics question the gaps in its portrayal of India's resistance against British expansion.WHAT THE NEW TEXTBOOK COVERSTitled Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), the textbook traces the arrival of Europeans in India starting from the late 1400s, beginning with Vasco da Gama. It highlights events like the Battle of Plassey (1757), the economic exploitation under colonial rule, and the 1857 rebellion, portraying how British colonialism drained India's wealth and disrupted traditional life.advertisementTIPU SULTAN AND MYSORE RESISTANCE LEFT OUTUnlike the previous textbook, the new edition omits Tipu Sultan, Haidar Ali, and the four Anglo-Mysore wars — a key chapter in the resistance to British expansion in southern India. These figures, once highlighted as major opponents of British power, no longer appear in the revised colonial narrative.SELECTIVE FOCUS ON RESISTANCE MOVEMENTS
While Mysore's resistance is missing, the book includes early uprisings like the Sannyasi-Fakir rebellion, Kol Uprising, and Santhal rebellion. A separate chapter on the Marathas mentions the Anglo-Maratha wars and states that the British 'took India from the Marathas more than from the Mughals or any other power.'NCERT'S EXPLANATION FOR THE OMISSIONMichel Danino, chair of the NCERT textbook development group, clarified that the current Class 8 textbook aims to give an overview rather than exhaustive detail. 'We fall back into the old mode of cramming textbooks with dates and wars if we try to include everything,' he said. On whether Tipu Sultan might appear in Part 2, he added, 'Probably not.'One of the key features of the new book is its focus on the economic impact of colonialism. Citing economist Utsa Patnaik, it claims that colonial powers extracted wealth equivalent to $45 trillion (in today's value) from India between 1765 and 1938. It also refutes the common narrative that infrastructure like railways and telegraphs were British "gifts", stating they were largely funded by Indian taxpayers for colonial interests.CULTURAL LOOT UNDER COLONIAL RULEThe textbook includes a new section on how colonial powers looted India's cultural wealth — statues, manuscripts, jewels, and artefacts — much of which ended up in European museums and private collections. It labels this appropriation as 'massive theft' carried out across colonised nations.While the textbook brings in important perspectives on colonial exploitation and cultural theft, its omission of major resistance figures like Tipu Sultan has sparked concern over whether it presents a holistic view of India's colonial past. Critics argue that skipping such chapters of history could dilute students' understanding of India's diverse anti-colonial struggle.- EndsMust Watch
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump's private Scotland visit poses diplomatic test for UK's Starmer
Trump's private Scotland visit poses diplomatic test for UK's Starmer

Business Standard

time41 minutes ago

  • Business Standard

Trump's private Scotland visit poses diplomatic test for UK's Starmer

By Alex Wickham, Ellen Milligan and Freya Jones Donald Trump arrived in Scotland on Friday evening for a private five-day visit of his mother's ancestral home, taking in two golf resorts he owns. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer knows full well that when it comes to this US president, little is ever really private. Trump's first trip to Britain since his reelection will see him travel to his estates at Turnberry on Scotland's picturesque west coast and Menie in Aberdeenshire. It comes only weeks before he crosses the Atlantic again on an official state visit to meet King Charles III in September. For Starmer, who will meet Trump in Scotland, it's not without its risks. The two leaders have struck up an unlikely partnership this year, with Trump repeatedly commenting on their positive working relationship in spite of the premier's left-wing politics: 'for some reason, we get along,' he said alongside Starmer at the Group of Seven summit in Canada last month. That relationship saw the UK land a relatively favorable deal on some US tariff measures compared to other nations, while the president has also moved slightly closer to London's view of the Russia-Ukraine war in recent weeks. 'I like your prime minister, who's slightly more liberal than I am, as you've probably heard, but he's a good man,' Trump told reporters upon arriving in Scotland on Friday. 'He got a trade deal done, and you know, they've been working on this deal for 12 years. He got it done. It's a good deal. It's a good deal for the UK.' British officials are hoping they can navigate a series of potential pitfalls over the coming days to keep that delicate relationship intact. 'It's a difficult tightrope for Starmer to walk,' said Michael Martins, former political and economic specialist at the US Embassy in London and associate fellow at British Foreign Policy Group. 'No opportunity with President Trump comes without risk.' Trump heads overseas at a moment when he is under siege from many of his own political allies at home over his administration's handling of documents related to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. He's also waging a two-front fight with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over interest rates and renovation of the central bank's headquarters, as well as with international trading partners ahead of his Aug. 1 tariff deadline. It is awkward for Starmer, a politician who prides himself on being a stickler for the rules and was elected to office last year on a promise to restore propriety to British politics, that he will take part in a visit that will publicize two of Trump's golf courses. For Trump, the visit is one of the starkest examples yet of his mixing of personal business with official duties. He's expected to attend the inauguration of a new course at his Aberdeen property, according to UK media reports. 'We're going to have, I believe, dinner at Turnberry with the prime minister,' Trump told reporters before departing the US. 'Then we're going to go to the oil capital of Europe, which is Aberdeen, and we're going to have lunches there. We're going to have a good time.' The White House has not said specifically if Trump will play golf. Adding to potential pitfalls for Starmer is Trump's desire to see Turnberry host the Open championship, the world's oldest major golf tournament. That should in theory be a decision that is free from political interference, and yet British government officials have been quietly trying to make it happen, only to so far be rebuffed by the championship's organizers, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke anonymously about closed-door conversations. 'I think they'll do that,' Trump said when asked about bringing the Open to Turnberry. In Scotland, Trump dismissed concerns that the remote course would need to see significant infrastructure improvements to help with the large crowds certain to flock to the event. He noted the course had already been wired for television broadcasts and batted away questions about roads and train stations with a curt: 'I don't know what you can do.' 'All I can tell you is that it would be the best place anywhere in your country to have — there's no place like it,' Trump said. Official government readouts of conversations between Trump and Starmer often cite the leaders discussing world affairs, but in reality they are often more meandering, as the president opines about various personal interests and pet peeves, British officials said. They include Trump's dislike of wind farms off the coast of his golf courses. 'You fly over and you see these windmills all over the place, ruining your beautiful fields and valleys and killing your birds,' Trump said. 'And if they're stuck in the ocean, ruining your oceans — stop the windmills.' He also described Aberdeen, where he's expected to inaugurate a new golf course, as 'the oil capital of Europe.' Of more immediate concern to the UK is its ongoing effort to persuade the Trump administration to modify the domestic-production requirements that are holding up a trade agreement to lower US tariffs on British steel. Trump said earlier this month he would 'refine' the deal he struck with Starmer earlier this year. The prime minister isn't quite so confident, downplaying the prospects of a breakthrough in an interview with Bloomberg on Thursday. Asked if there was wiggle room on steel, Trump told reporters: 'not a lot, because if I do it for one, I have to do it for all.' That aside, Starmer's aides are nervously awaiting other more typical dangers such as the possibility of anti-Trump protests in a country where the president has little popular support. When he visited London during his first term in 2018, an unflattering blimp depicting Trump as a giant baby was famously flown over the capital. UK officials might prefer to take a safety-first approach and limit media access but are alive to the reality that Trump could easily choose to hold court with reporters without warning. For Starmer, who is not a golfer, perhaps the worst outcome of all would be the president challenging him to a round in front of the cameras. If such a nightmare scenario arose, the premier would likely politely suggest a game of five-a-side football instead, and try to convince Trump to don the shirt of the Arsenal team he follows, a person familiar with Starmer's thinking said.

Trump arrives in Scotland for golf and bilateral talks as EU trade deal nears
Trump arrives in Scotland for golf and bilateral talks as EU trade deal nears

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Trump arrives in Scotland for golf and bilateral talks as EU trade deal nears

U.S. President Donald Trump, dogged by questions about his ties to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, arrived in Scotland on Friday for some golf and bilateral talks that could yield a trade deal with the European Union. Trump told reporters upon his arrival that he will visit his two golf properties in Scotland and meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen , whom he called a "highly respected woman." Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Data Science Data Analytics Healthcare healthcare PGDM others Technology Project Management Others MBA Artificial Intelligence Design Thinking Public Policy Leadership Operations Management MCA Digital Marketing Degree Data Science CXO Management Finance Cybersecurity Product Management Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months E&ICT Academy, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati CERT-IITG Prof Cert in DS & BA with GenAI India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK DABS India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 30 Weeks IIM Kozhikode SEPO - IIMK-AI for Senior Executives India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIT Madras CERT-IITM Advanced Cert Prog in AI and ML India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months E&ICT Academy, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati CERT-IITG Postgraduate Cert in AI and ML India Starts on undefined Get Details As hundreds of onlookers cheered his arrival, Trump repeated his earlier comment about a 50-50 chance of securing a deal with the EU, adding it would be his administration's biggest trade agreement thus far, if it came together. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Europe's 30 Most Beautiful Hidden Coastal Towns – Ranked by Travel Lovers Learn More Undo However, he said there were still "sticking points" with Brussels on "maybe 20 different things." Trump said his meeting with Starmer would be more of a celebration of the trade deal already reached than continued work on it, adding, "It's a great deal for both." Before he left Washington, Trump said his administration was working hard on a possible trade deal with the EU, and Brussels was keen to make a deal. Von der Leyen said later she would meet Trump in Scotland on Sunday. Live Events EU diplomats say a deal could result in a 15% tariff on EU goods, mirroring a framework accord with Japan reached this week and half of the 30% Trump is threatening to impose by August 1. Trump has sought to reorder the global economy after imposing a 10% tariff on nearly all trading partners in April and threatening sharply higher rates for many countries to kick in a week from now. Trump says the moves will reduce the U.S. trade deficit and bring in extra revenue, but economists warn the new trade policies could drive up inflation. 'DON'T TALK ABOUT TRUMP' Trump, facing the biggest domestic political crisis of his second term, expressed frustration about ongoing questions about his administration's handling of investigative files related to Epstein's criminal charges and his 2019 death in prison. "You make it a very big thing over something that's not a big thing," Trump told reporters in Scotland, urging them to focus on other prominent Americans with ties to Epstein, including former President Bill Clinton. "Talk about Clinton. Talk about the former president of Harvard. Talk about all of his friends. Talk about the hedge fund guys that were with him all the time. Don't talk about Trump," he said. "What you should be talking about is the fact that we have the greatest six months in the history of a presidency." The Epstein issue has caused a rare breach with some of Trump's most loyal Make America Great Again supporters, and majorities of Americans and Trump's Republicans say they believe the government is hiding details on the case, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. White House officials are hoping the controversy dies down while Trump is abroad, two people familiar with the matter said. DEEPEN TIES Trump will stay at his Turnberry property on Scotland's west coast this weekend, before traveling on Monday to a golf property in Aberdeen, where he will open a second 18-hole course named in honor of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod. MacLeod was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to the U.S. As he left the White House, Trump said he looked forward to meeting both Starmer and Scottish leader John Swinney, who had publicly backed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The trip gives Trump and Starmer a chance to deepen their already warm ties, with key issues on the agenda to include ending Russia's war in Ukraine, British and U.S. sources said. The deteriorating situation in Gaza is also likely to come up. Starmer on Thursday said he would hold an emergency call with France and Germany over what he called the "unspeakable and indefensible" suffering and starvation being reported there, and called on Israel to allow aid to enter the Palestinian enclave. Gaza health authorities say more than 100 people have died from starvation, most in recent weeks. Human rights groups have said mass starvation is spreading even as tons of food and other supplies sit untouched just outside the territory. Since being elected last year, Starmer has prioritized good relations with Trump, stressing the importance of Britain's defense and security alliance with the U.S., while working to clinch the first tariff-reduction deal with the U.S. in May. The framework agreement reaffirmed quotas and tariff rates on British automobiles and eliminated tariffs on the UK's aerospace sector, but left steel tariffs in place. Starmer is expected to press for lower steel tariffs, but sources close to the matter said it was unclear if any breakthrough was possible during Trump's visit. Trump has described Scotland as a "very special place" and made a similar trip there in 2016 during his earlier run for the presidency, but he will not necessarily get a warm welcome. About 70% of Scots have an unfavorable opinion of Trump, while 18% have a favorable opinion, an Ipsos poll in March found. Scottish police are girding for protests on Saturday in both Aberdeen and in Edinburgh, the country's capital. Trump will return to Britain from September 17-19 for a state visit hosted by King Charles. It will make Trump the first world leader in modern times to undertake two state visits to Britain. The late Queen Elizabeth hosted him at Buckingham Palace for a three-day state visit in June 2019.

Donald Trump lands in Scotland for talks with UK PM Starmer, EU chief von der Leyen-- and a round of golf
Donald Trump lands in Scotland for talks with UK PM Starmer, EU chief von der Leyen-- and a round of golf

Mint

time2 hours ago

  • Mint

Donald Trump lands in Scotland for talks with UK PM Starmer, EU chief von der Leyen-- and a round of golf

Braving the cold winds and overlooking the stormy steel-grey waters of the North Sea, the stunning sand dunes along Scotland's northeastern coast remain one of Donald Trump's most cherished places. As reported by AP, during his 2023 civil fraud trial in New York, Trump spoke fondly of his property in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, saying, 'At some point, maybe in my very old age, I'll go there and do the most beautiful thing you've ever seen.' Trump arrived in Scotland on Friday as preparations wrap up for the August 13 opening of a new golf course that will carry his name. The motorcade with President Donald Trump arrives at the golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, Friday, July 25, 2025.(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Trump is expected to remain in Scotland until Tuesday and has scheduled trade discussions with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during his visit. According to a report by AP, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers described Trump's visit to Scotland as a 'working trip,' emphasising the president's pride in his golf empire. 'He has built the best and most beautiful world-class golf courses anywhere in the world,' she said, 'which is why they continue to be used for prestigious tournaments and by the most elite players in the sport.' However, Trump's existing golf course in Aberdeenshire has faced a bumpy history, nearly as rough as the surrounding cliffs. The course has struggled financially and was found by Scottish environmental authorities to have caused partial destruction to protected sand dunes. Additionally, Trump's company lost a legal battle attempting to block a nearby wind farm, claiming it would ruin the view for golfers. The court ordered the company to pay the Scottish government's legal fees. Trump is in Scotland for bilateral talks that could yield a trade deal with the European Union. Trump told reporters upon his arrival that he will visit his two golf properties in Scotland and meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whom he called a 'highly respected woman.' Trump further said it 'would be the biggest deal of them all if we make it'. According to a report by The Guardian, when asked about a trade deal with the EU, he said, 'I would say that we have a 50/50 chance, maybe less than that … I would have said we had a 25% chance with Japan, and they kept coming back and we made a deal.' Although Trump didn't directly connect trade talks to other issues on Friday, he indicated plans to address migration concerns. Since returning to office, Trump has enforced tough anti-immigration policies, including a large-scale deportation campaign targeting undocumented individuals and tightening legal pathways for entering the U.S. (With inputs from agencies)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store