Mahima Kumari, who is married to Vishvaraj Singh, met Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Delhi Wednesday. Mahima Kumari later said in an X post that the two leaders “had a detailed discussion on the serious issue related to the incorrect depiction of history by NCERT”. Pradhan, she added, assured her of seriously considering the matter, followed by necessary actions. The NCERT has now set up a panel of experts to review the textbook, particularly the map.
Earlier, Mahima Kumari slammed the NCERT book for undermining the Rajput dynasty and giving prominence to the Maratha dynasty only. Condemning the NCERT for distorting facts, Kumari said in an X post, “First misrepresented as under British, now as under Marathas—who is going to educate the educationists in NCERT?! Are they capable of presenting the factual history of India—seriously doubt it.”
Her husband, Vishvaraj Singh, said the history of the Rajput dynasty was far larger than that of the Maratha dynasty, and the NCERT’s distortion of a map undermined the valour and contributions of the dynasties in Rajasthan.
Speaking to ThePrint, Vishvaraj Singh said, “Rajasthan was never a part of the Maratha dynasty. They may have tried but had no success. Rajputana’s history is much larger than that of the Marathas. The efforts to portray not only a larger Maratha kingdom but also the Marathas themselves as having more valour were intended to undermine the contributions of the dynasties to Rajasthan. The NCERT is making one blunder after another—first, they put the Rajasthan dynasty under the British Empire, and now, they have included us under the Marathas. There is a need to educate the NCERT educationists themselves.”
The map, which has sparked the controversy, is provided as a reference to a line in the book—”The Maratha brought large parts of India under their control….” On the map, the saffron colour, which represents the Maratha Empire, extends into Rajasthan. However, the text on the map does not mention Rajasthan or any of its Rajput states. The next paragraph reads, “In northward expansion, the Maratha briefly controlled the area of Lahore, Attock, and even Peshawar (in modern-day Pakistan).”
Michel Danino, head of NCERT committee behind drafting of new social science textbooks, had earlier said that the map was based on previously published maps in the public domain, and developed with expert consultation.
He had also conceded that while the Class 7 textbook includes a disclaimer about the approximate nature of historical borders, this caveat was mistakenly omitted from the Class 8 textbook—something he said should have been included to avoid misinterpretation.
‘Where’s the credibility of NCERT?’
Jaisalmer dynasty descendant Chaitanya Raj Singh condemned the map in an X post, claiming that the map wrongly showed Jaisalmer as part of the Maratha Empire. He called the map “historically misleading, factually baseless, and deeply objectionable”.
Jaisalmer, founded in 1178 CE by Rawal Jaisal of the Bhati clan, had no documented “Maratha control, taxation, or invasion” history, according to his post. Chaitanya Raj Singh said that the Mughals had failed to conquer Jaisalmer, which remained an independent princely state for centuries, before merging into the Indian Republic after Independence, yet went ignored.
About the book, his post said, “Such unverified and historically unsubstantiated information not only raises questions about the credibility of institutions like NCERT but also hurts our glorious history and public sentiments. This issue is not merely a textbook error but appears to be an attempt to tarnish the sacrifices, sovereignty, and valorous saga of our ancestors.”
Before Chaitanya, Mahima, and Vishvaraj, Brigadier Bhupesh Singh of the erstwhile Bundi state also objected to the map, writing on X, “Which is this imaginary empire that ruled Rajputana? We were never under the Marathas—do not hurt our pride with fabricated stories. Torturing and looting your people is not called an empire … Please stop this fakery, do not brainwash our children.”
Bhanwar Jitendra Singh, the Congress politician and descendant of the erstwhile Alwar dynasty, also criticised the NCERT for presenting “historically inaccurate and misleading facts” with regional and political agendas.
“Surprisingly, this map shows the entire Rajasthan under Maratha dominance, which never happened,” Bhanwar Jitendra Singh posted on X. “Maratha history has always been in textbooks, but this map depicting the entire Rajasthan under Maratha control is additional in the new edition—July 2025 … It is a historical fact that in the 18th century, the princely states of Rajasthan—whether Marwar, Mewar, Bikaner, Jaipur, Bharatpur, Jaisalmer, Alwar, or others—were capable of maintaining their independence and autonomy.”
In the 18th century, the two states renowned for their independent governance, military strength, and cultural identity were the Rajput princely states of Rajasthan and Bharatpur, where the Jat kings ruled, Bhanwar Jitendra Singh further said. He added that those rulers continuously struggled to maintain their autonomy against the Mughals, Marathas, and later the British.
“Historical evidence indicates limited Maratha influence in Rajasthan—raids only. The question of dominance or expansion does not even arise! Facts turn myths when history is distorted and presented on religious or regional grounds. This mistake by NCERT is an attempt to undermine the bravery, independence, and cultural contributions of the valiant rulers of Rajasthan,” his post read.
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The issue of ‘Maratha dominance’
A key concern among political leaders from Rajasthan’s erstwhile royal families is how the NCERT book portrays the dominance and valour of the Maratha rulers, seemingly surpassing that of North Indian dynasties.
A BJP leader from Rajasthan told ThePrint on the condition of anonymity, “In the book, 22 pages are on the Maratha kingdom, but only two to three pages are on the North Indian dynasties. Neither Rajput architecture nor warfare strategies and historical battles found any place. Is this not a Marathi imposition?”
“Why is one state given so much importance while the North Indian states, which had been on the front lines against invaders, get so little space? Why should future generations not be told about the great North Indian kings?” the leader asked.
Another Rajasthan BJP leader, who also did not want to be named, told ThePrint, “In Rajasthan, since Bhairon Singh Shekhawat’s demise, the current political scene has not been dominated by the Rajput community. The BJP is now looking to consolidate the Maratha constituency more than the Rajputs.”
The leader added that during the Aurangzeb controversy, the Mahayuti alliance, including the BJP, celebrated Maratha valour and several films on Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Maharaj for the same reason—the political and regional consolidation of voters in Maharashtra. “The BJP is much stronger in Rajasthan, so Rajput valour is not celebrated, like the Maratha’s, as of now,” explained the leader.
‘Reshaping India’s political map‘, Chapter 2 in the NCERT book, attempts to tell Rajput history in two pages, with the header, ‘Surge of the Rajputs‘. “Rana Sanga (early 16th century) unified several Rajput clans, won many battles against sultans, ultimately meeting defeat against Babur at the Battle of Khanwa,” the section reads.
Playing up the battles between Rajputs and the Mughals, it adds, “Mewar’s ruler Maharana Pratap refused to accept Mughal suzerainty and became the face of Rajput resistance … A confrontation took place at the Haldighati pass in the Aravallis in 1576, and although the Mughal army had the upper hand, Maharana Pratap escaped and pursued, for years, guerrilla warfare against the Mughals….”
“While some Rajput states eventually allied with the Mughals—through diplomacy and marriage alliances—some, especially Mewar, did not accept Mughal dominance. During Aurangzeb’s reign, several Rajput nobles rebelled, including Durga Das Rathore of Marwar, who fought to protect the independence of Jodhpur. Mughal authority thus remained limited in Rajasthan,” it further reads.
On the other hand, a 22-page-long chapter, ‘The Rise of the Marathas‘, is about only the Maratha rulers. The controversial map is also in this chapter on page 71. Sections like ‘Who are the Marathas?’, ‘Foundations of Maratha power and the rise of Shivaji‘ with details of Shivaji’s surgical strike, ‘The Marathas after Shivaji‘, and ‘Maratha administration‘ provide a wide overview. The chapter also has information on the Maratha military administration, maritime supremacy, judicial system, as well as the contributions of Maratha women, such as Tarabai and Ahilyabai Holkar.
Many historians have written about the Marathas attacking Rajput states, even taxing a few of them, but there were no takeovers. Historian J.N. Sarkar wrote that during the fight over the inheritance of Rajasthan’s Bundi dynasty in 1724, Marathas saw an opportunity and entered Rajasthan, soon collecting taxes from Kota, Dungarpur, Jodhpur, and Amer. However, they never completely controlled those cities.
Considered an authoritative book on the Marathas and their history, ‘The Marathas‘, written by Stewart Gordon, reads, “Bajirao, as early as 1728, led a tribute-collecting expedition North, through western Malwa and into Rajasthan. After Bajirao’s death, Maratha military contingents invaded Rajasthan almost every year. The strategy of Maratha involvement ran a similar course. During the succession fight after the death of Jai Singh of the Jaipur dynasty, the Peshwas mediated and invaded Jaipur and demanded huge tributes.”
“We can trace the increasing claims of Shinde, Holkar and Peshwa in Rajasthan. They sent their army into Rajasthan to collect the arrears of the large promised tribute. A smaller amount was collected at Kotah, Bundi, Jaipur, and Udaipur, but nothing like an administration was in place. As soon as the main forces of the Maratha Army left, the Maratha representatives were thrown out, and no tributes were paid.”
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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