NCERT book under fire for 'distorting' 600-year Ahom legacy

Guwahati: Six centuries of rule. Repeated victories against Mughal armies. And now, a Class VIII textbook under fire for getting the Ahoms' story wrong.Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi, a member of Ahom community, said Wednesday the newly revised NCERT history textbook carries "significant inaccuracies" about the dynasty that ruled much of present-day Assam for 600 years.

He urged education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to "immediately correct" the errors.The disputed content in chapter 'Tribes, Nomads and Settled Communities' states Ahoms migrated from Myanmar. Gogoi countered that research places their origins in Mung Mao, a Tai polity in present-day Yunnan, China.He objected to describing the Paik system as "forced labour", calling it a rotational administrative and military service offering land and mobility.

Calling the portrayal of the 1663 Treaty of Ghilajarighat as an Ahom defeat misleading, he said it was a calculated truce preceding the Mughals' expulsion.Omissions - such as Khel administrative system, Rang Ghar, Talatal Ghar and the Ahoms' role in Assamese identity - also undermined the narrative, he said. Gogoi urged the ministry to consult Assam experts to ensure the chapter reflects historical truths with balance & respect. -