NCERT in the dock for historical errors in Tosking of Ahom dynasty in class 8 book

NCERT is in the midst of mounting criticism from historians and scholars alike for its historical error in depicting Assam's Ahom dynasty in its new Class 8 history book in the chapter 'Tribes, Nomads and Settled Communities'.

 

As much as a 600-year-long dynasty of the Ahoms ruling Assam is a plausible rectification of historical silences, historians verily confirm that the material is beset with historical inaccuracies and oversimplifications.

 

One of the more disputed inaccuracies is that the Ahoms are from today's Myanmar. Elearned analysts believe that this goes against scholarly consensus and historical evidence, which trace their origin to Mung Mao—a culturally famous Tai polity in Dehong County of Yunnan Province, China.

 

Pulitzer Prize winner Arup Kumar Dutta responded: "Mung Mao encircles kingdoms of northwestern China and northern Myanmar. Historically, it was not correct to only name 'Myanmar'. But on the contrary, in the absence of a belief that one has to acknowledge the constraint of squishing 600 years' of history into a brief textbook paragraph, there was room for a more integrated treatment of such a sprawling dynasty.".

 

Among the strongest causes of dissent is the description of the Paik system—a military and administrative labor system—"as forced labor." Experts are hesitant to agree with such a description. Departmental Secretary, History Department, Sibsagar Girls' College Dr Prabin Hazarika stated: "a rotational duty system in which a paik was given land and had chances of promotion by merit. It was far from the exploitative or caste-based systems elsewhere.".

 

In response, Dutta admitted that the Paik system was not slavery but a coercive form of state service in which "two out of three men worked for the state in rotation, and one stayed back to take care of families—especially during war."

 

Writer Nilutpal Gohain also agreed, stating, "The paik system was a system of organized land-based service at the heart of the operation of the Ahom state. To define it as 'forced labour' is a perversion."

 

The book is also said to be oversimplifying explaining how the Bhuiyan landlords—local elites who governed then—their own description as being "pressed down" by the arriving Ahoms.

 

The most glaring error, according to authorities, is that the Ahom-Mughal war during the invasion of Mir Jumla is being referred to as a mere defeat of the Ahoms. The 1663 Ghilajarighat Treaty that was signed under duress is being acceded to in most cases as the strategic move of the Ahoms to regroup and reunite. "It was not a surrender," Dutta added.

 

This was a calculated move by Atan Burhagohain to delay, and the Ahoms later pushed the Mughals out.

 

Having repelled 17 Mughal raids and enjoyed independence for six centuries, the Ahoms have never been in the mainstream of national history writing. Even one page of NCERT books was long overdue, many thought. But now, many believe this long-overdue recognition is being diluted by twisting facts.

 

Gohain further commented that while the inclusion is welcome, "proper and respectful representation is needed, particularly in the presentation of students local histories. The Ahom heritage must be represented in a fashion commensurate with its complexity as well as its relevance."

 

Dutta also protested the omission of such vital aspects of the Ahom heritage: "The textbook does not even refer to the Khel system, their mega structures like Rang Ghar and Talatal Ghar, or how they contributed to the development of a unique Assamese identity. Such omissions water down the actual influence of the dynasty."

 

Previously this year, 2022, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had requested all states to incorporate in the school syllabus the story of Lachit Borphukan, the Ahom general who had defeated the Mughals in the Battle of Saraighat. The present backlash sees increasing demands from Assam and other northeast states for an inclusive and decentralized Indian history.

 

Under critical examination, historians are asking NCERT to rework the chapter in collaboration with local historians so that the Ahoms' legacy is dealt with dignity, restraint, and fact-based authenticity it deserves.