The brutality of the Mughals against Sikh Gurus has few comparisons in history and was deeply rooted in "rigid religious and discriminatory practices", the new Class 9 social science textbook prepared by the NCERT says. The book titled "Understanding Society India and Beyond-Part 2" was released on Tuesday, six months after the new academic session began. The first part of the textbook was released in June.
The chapter titled "Resistance and Resilience", which has documented successive invasions of the Indian subcontinent since the 7th century, has also described religious traditions in warfare.
"The brutality of the Mughal state against the Sikh Gurus, particularly Guru Arjun Dev, Guru Teg Bahadur, and the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh, has few comparisons in history. The valour and sacrifice of the Gurus for the cause of the faith became a defining feature of Sikhism.
"Beyond political motivations, the act was so deeply rooted in the rigid religious and discriminatory practices of the Mughals. Due to the growing socio-cultural influence of Sikh Gurus, the Mughal state increasingly intervened in their affairs from the beginning of the 17th century," the textbook read.
The chapter states that their martyrdoms reinforced the Sikh community's conviction that persecution must be met with "firm resistance and resilience".
It documents that Mughal emperor Jahangir ordered the execution of Guru Arjan Dev on the pretext of alleged support for his rebellious son Khusrau Mirza, marking a "significant turning point" in Sikh history with a resulting shift in the community's organisational and political focus.
The textbook also mentions the detention of Guru Hargobind by Jahangir at Gwalior Fort, describing how Sikhs paid respects to him in large numbers from outside the fort.
Regarding Guru Tegh Bahadur, the book says, "In 1675, Aurangzeb ordered the execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru. The martyrdom proved a turning point in Indian history."
It links these martyrdoms to the rise of organised resistance, asserting that such persecution and political pressure "could only be countered through collective organisation, and armed resistance as and when required".
The chapter further discusses Guru Hargobind's establishment of the Akal Takht as a seat of temporal authority and the concept of "miri-piri", representing spiritual and worldly authority.
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