For the 2025-26 academic session, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has released revised Class 8 Social Science textbooks, titled 'Exploring Society: Indian and Beyond' for history, alongside resources for geography and civics. These updated books are aligned with the latest CBSE curriculum and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE), aiming to offer students a comprehensive and factual understanding of India’s past under different rulers as well as during the colonial period.
What does the new Class 8 history textbook contain?
The Class-8 syllabus of history has the following chapters:
- Introduction: How, When, and Where
- From Trade to Territory: The Company Establishes Power
- Ruling the Countryside
- Tribals, Dikus, and the Vision of a Golden Age
- When People Rebel (1857 and After)
- Civilising the “Native”, Educating the Nation
- Women, Caste, and Reform
- The Making of the National Movement: 1870s – 1947
In these chapters, the textbook discusses the Mughal reign, the emergence of the British east India Company and social and political improvement. The curriculum aims at developing the critical mind and objective comprehension of the complicated events in history.
Description of Mughals and British in the Revised Text
As opposed to viral headlines, the new NCERT history textbooks don’t use the direct words, and adjectives like, loot, looters or other extreme adjectives to describe Mughal emperors like Babur, Akbar and Aurangzeb. The textbooks however, characteristically mention in a factual manner important events and policies as in the cases of conflict, changing alliances, administrative actions and indications of the religious and societal influences of their reign.
Mughal Rulers: Brutality and Realities of History
This new textbook adopts a critical lens on some of the most important Mughal emperors Babur, Akbar, and Aurangzeb. The textbook presents Babur as a “ruthless conqueror,” highlighting the violence and warfare common in the period of his invasions. It discusses the role of conflict and power in Mughal expansion, while encouraging students to understand the context of the times.
The Reign of Akbar; Brutality and Tolerance
His reign is called a mixture of brutality and tolerance in the chapter about Akbar. It particularly alludes to the notorious ambush of Chittorgarh in 1568 when, as various historical evidence and the textbook reveals, The textbook recounts the siege of Chittorgarh in 1568, describing historical accounts that state Akbar ordered the killing of many inhabitants after his victory. It also notes that later in his reign, Akbar was known for promoting policies of religious tolerance and administrative reforms, reflecting a complex legacy..
The book however also highlights that later in his reign Akbar was influenced more by war and policy of peace and historians too agree on this aspect because there was indeed a shift towards efforts by Akbar on Hindu Muslim divide later in his life.
Aurangzeb: Temple Demolitions and Religious Edicts
The textbook discusses Aurangzeb’s religious policies, including his orders to demolish certain temples and reimpose the jizya tax on non-Muslims. It recognizes historical sources documenting temple destruction and highlights the differences between his reign and those of earlier Mughal rulers regarding religious policy.
According to the book, the temples in Banaras, Mathura, Somnath and even Jain temples and Sikh gurdwaras were destroyed during his reign and the book is keen on mentioning instances of persecution of Sufis and Zoroastrians by the Mughals. History proves that Aurangzeb, too, issued farmans that had the effect of destroying some of the most significant temples, and the policies he followed indicated a sharp departure of any effort to promote religious coexistence as Birbal Akbar had done earlier.
Mantra of Multidisciplinary Learning and Relevance
The curriculum of social science in 2025-26 promotes cross-disciplinary learning, project centered activities, art, and other activities to improve engagement. Chapters about civics make the students get acquainted with the Indian Constitution, Parliament, judiciary, and other significant topics inherent thereto, such as social justice and public facilities, and provide them with a more realistic connection to the situation in the present day.
There is no mention of any directive to portray communities or historical figures in an unduly negative way; instead, the focus is on facts, context, and balanced narratives, accompanied by classroom discussions, activities, and skill development.
NCERT also included a note for all the students asking them to see historical events as history and as per their context, and to engage critically, rather than emotionally, with the past. The textbooks stress that present generations should not be judged by the actions of their ancestors. This basically is to direct students away from the feeling of hatred.
How to Access the New NCERT Books?
These Updated 2025-26 textbooks have been published in both PDF and print format, they can be downloaded through the NCERT website, and can be accessed in bookstores all over India. Solutions and guides that are fully complete on the basis of the new syllabus will be provided to enable the teachers and the students to adjust well to the changes.
This new Class 8 NCERT textbook is one of the first changes in the way the Mughal and colonial legacies of India have become presented to young learners. These NCERT textbooks aim to present Indian history in a balanced way, helping students analyze events critically and understand multiple perspectives. This aligns with the National Education Policy’s (NEP 2020) emphasis on developing analytical skills and an unbiased understanding of history.
