NCERT ‘Twists’ Ahom Legacy: Gogoi Flags Errors, Warns Against Misleading Students

Jorhat MP and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, has written to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, seeking urgent rectification of what he described as “serious historical inaccuracies” in the revised Class 8 NCERT history textbook.

The matter pertains to the chapter “Tribes, Nomads and Settled Communities”, which, for the first time, includes details about Assam’s Ahom dynasty. While welcoming the inclusion, Gogoi alleged that several errors and oversimplifications in the chapter distort the true legacy of the Ahoms, who ruled Assam for over six centuries and repelled repeated Mughal invasions.

In his letter dated August 12, Gogoi flagged key inaccuracies:

• Misrepresentation of Origins: The textbook states the Ahoms migrated from present-day Myanmar, whereas historians trace their roots to Mung Mao, a Tai polity in present-day Yunnan, China.

• Faulty Depiction of the Paik System: It is described as “forced labour,” ignoring its role as a rotational administrative and military service that offered land and career opportunities.

• Distortion of the 1663 Treaty of Ghilajarighat: Presented as an Ahom defeat, Gogoi stressed it was a strategic truce that paved the way for the Mughals’ eventual expulsion.

• Simplification of Political Integration: The narrative that the Ahoms “suppressed” the Bhuiyan landlord class overlooks the nuanced process of assimilation.

• Cultural Omissions: Key contributions such as the Khel administrative system, historic structures like Rang Ghar and Talatal Ghar, and the dynasty’s role in shaping Assamese identity are left out.

“These inaccuracies not only diminish the historical importance of the Ahoms but also risk spreading misconceptions about Assam’s heritage,” Gogoi wrote, urging the Ministry to consult subject experts from Assam and publish corrected versions at the earliest.

The issue had already sparked outrage among Assam’s academic circles, with scholars and historians calling the NCERT’s portrayal “misleading” and “disrespectful” to the state’s rich history. Gogoi’s intervention now places the matter directly before the Union Education Ministry for immediate review.

Also Read: Once a Symbol of Ahom Glory, Now a Cattle Field – Talatal Ghar Cries for Help