Mughal’s ‘brutality’ against Sikh Gurus part of NCERT textbook
Sanjay Maurya | 30 September 2026 | Hindustan Times
The brutality of the Mughal state against the Sikh Gurus had “few comparisons in history” and was rooted in “rigid religious and discriminatory practices”, according to the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) Class 9 Social Science textbook, part 2, Understanding Society: India and Beyond, released on Tuesday.
The history chapter, “Resistance and Resilience (1000–1700 CE)”, says the “valour and sacrifice” of the Sikh Gurus “for the cause of the faith” became defining features of Sikhism. It says their martyrdom strengthened the community’s conviction that persecution had to be met with “firm resistance and resilience”.
“The brutality of the Mughal state against the Sikh Gurus, particularly Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Tegh Bahadur, and the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, has few comparisons in history,” the textbook says. “The valor and sacrifices of the Gurus for the cause of the faith became the defining features of Sikhism. Beyond political motivations, the act [execution of Sikh Gurus by Mughals] was also deeply rooted in the rigid religious and discriminatory practices of the Mughals,” it adds.