Removing Mughals from textbooks is nonsense, history must be continuous: Historian Romila Thapar
While famous historian Romila Thapar said that history is a continuous process and cannot be taught in parts, she termed the practice of completely omitting dynasties like the Mughals from textbooks as “nonsense”.
Speaking online at the ongoing ninth edition of the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) on Saturday, January 25, 2026, Thapar touched on various topics, from the rise of popular history on social media to the importance of feminist history and the central role of education in questioning existing knowledge.
“For example, things about history being removed from the curriculum or things where we are told we don’t need to study them are nonsense. History is a continuous process. It is an evolution of people and cultures, ways of behaving and ways of thinking,” Ms. Thapar said.
The famous historian, who has authored more than 25 academic books, said in the session “Women Making History: Three Generations”, “It is not possible to disrupt this continuity by saying, ‘Okay, we are throwing away this dynasty, we are throwing away the Mughals, we are throwing away this.’ It fragments history and does not mean anything.”
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has reportedly revised the Class 7 Social Science textbook for the academic year 2025-26, removing chapters on the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughals.
There is also now a focus on sacred places among ancient Indian dynasties such as the Mauryas, Shungas and Satavahanas, as well as cultural traditions and religious traditions.
The 94-year-old historian also expressed concern about the growing influence of “popular history” on social media, saying it often blurs the lines between informed science and opinion. He earnestly encouraged people to rely on the testimony of professional historians when seeking accurate explanations of past events.
“There is now a difference between popular history and what professional historians write, and it is important to pay attention to this difference and understand what this entails. When quoting a historical statement, care should be taken whether it comes from professional historiography or from a statement spread on social media,” Ms. Thapar explained.
Reflecting on her own journey as a historian, Ms. Thapar admitted that although she has not consciously written history from a woman’s perspective throughout her career, she has consistently tried to incorporate feminist insights wherever possible.
More importantly, she emphasized that women must assert their autonomy and demand respect in professional fields, adding that while it is important to write feminist history, what is equally vital is to “act like a feminist” by advocating independence, critical thinking, and intellectual freedom.
Ms. Thapar concluded: “I think an autonomous woman is vital. So my stance on that was: Yes, we have to write feminist history, that’s for sure, but if I’m not writing feminist history, at least I’m acting like a feminist. I’m propagating that an autonomous woman is an absolutely essential component of any society.”
The four-day literary extravaganza features over 400 speakers, including Nobel laureates Abdulrazak Gurnah and Abhijit Banerjee, astronaut Sunita Williams, writer Kiran Desai, essayist Pico Iyer, Jnanpith winner Pratibha Ray, sports icons Rohan Bopanna and Ben Johnson, and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales. KLF 2026, which is currently being held for the ninth time, will end on Sunday, January 25, 2026.
It was published – 25 January 2026 11:01 IST
