New Delhi. : NCERT has released a new Class 7 Social Science textbook featuring a significantly expanded account of the Ghaznavid invasions, offering students a detailed and contextual understanding of Mahmud of Ghazni’s campaigns in India. The revised textbook, launched on Friday, replaces earlier short references with a six-page narrative enriched with illustrations, historical excerpts, and analytical prompts.
A Deeper Look at Mahmud of Ghazni
Previous editions only mentioned Mahmud’s 17 raids in passing, noting his plunder of wealthy temples. The updated version, under the title “The Ghaznavid Invasions,” now explores his military operations in regions such as Mathura, Kannauj, and the Somnath temple in Gujarat. It also highlights his motivations, including wealth accumulation and the expansion of his interpretation of Islam into non-Muslim territories.
The section additionally notes that the present Somnath temple, rebuilt in 1950, was inaugurated by India’s first President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad — prompting students to reflect on why public donations funded the reconstruction.
A Caution Before Reading
Before introducing this period, the textbook includes a prominent box titled “A Word of Caution,” reminding students that historical narratives often document wars, destruction, and political upheavals more vividly than peace, progress, or cultural developments. This mirrors a similar note in the Class 8 textbook on the Delhi Sultanate.
Violence, Loot, and Religious Objectives
The new content does not downplay the brutality associated with Mahmud’s campaigns. It describes mass killings, the capture of prisoners — including children — and the sale of captives in Central Asian slave markets. Accounts by contemporary chroniclers such as Al-Utbi are cited to show how Mahmud destroyed temples, seized valuables, and constructed mosques in conquered areas to reinforce Islamic authority. Scholar Al-Biruni’s observation about the desecration of the Somnath Shivalinga and its fragments being taken to Ghazni is also included.
Expanded Historical Coverage
The chapter, titled “Turning Tides: 11th and 12th Centuries,” goes beyond Mahmud to discuss Muhammad Ghuri, Qutb-ud-din Aibak, and Bakhtiyar Khilji. Details on Khilji’s devastating campaigns in eastern India — including the destruction of major Buddhist learning centers like Nalanda and Vikramashila — are featured prominently, along with how these events contributed to the decline of Buddhism in the subcontinent. Such information was absent from earlier Class 7 textbooks.
The chapter concludes by emphasizing that large parts of southern and northern India remained outside Turkic control and that local rulers occasionally formed alliances to resist invasions.
Placed Within a Larger Historical Framework
The updated textbook situates these invasions within a broader timeline beginning with 6th–10th century kingdoms such as the Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Pallavas, Cholas, rulers of Kannauj and Kashmir, and earlier foreign incursions like the Hunas and the Arab expedition led by Muhammad bin Qasim.
Aligned With NEP 2020
These changes form part of NCERT’s rollout of new learning materials aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework 2023. Unlike previous years, where students used separate books for history, civics, and geography, the new curriculum merges these into two integrated textbooks for Class 7.
Asked about the expanded content, NCERT Director Dinesh Saklani said the material speaks for itself, reflecting an effort to present students with a balanced, comprehensive view of India’s historical developments.
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