Now Reading: NCERT Class 9 book says kings got swords from goddesses
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NCERT Class 9 book says kings got swords from goddesses
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The Story in Brief
The NCERT on Tuesday, 29 September released Part 2 of its Class 9 social science textbook, Understanding Society: India and Beyond, which states that several Indian rulers were believed to have received swords from goddesses to resist invasions. The chapter, Resistance and Resilience, names Annamaraja of Bastar receiving a sword from Goddess Manikyadevi (Danteshvari), Kumara Kampana of Vijayanagara using a goddess-given sword against Sultanate forces at Madurai, and Shivaji obtaining a sword from Goddess Tulja Bhavani.
The chapter documents successive invasions of the Indian subcontinent since the seventh century and lists resistance by Rajputs, the Ahom kingdom, Vijayanagara, Marathas, Sikhs and Jats. It also highlights women rulers including Queen Naiki Devi, Rani Abbakka Chowta and Queen Rudrama Devi. National Herald reports the textbook has invited criticism for conflating mythology with fact. NCERT chief Dinesh Saklani said the book aims to cultivate analytical and discursive abilities and encourage critical inquiry.
Update, 2 October 2026: Nagaland Post now reports the same textbook details and adds that the chapter claims Mughal brutality against Sikh gurus 'has few comparisons in history', a fact not mentioned in the earlier reports. The outlet attributes its report to agencies.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Most outlets report the sword traditions as straight news, quoting the textbook and NCERT chief Dinesh Saklani without comment. National Herald is the exception: it frames the references as a 'dumbing down of history' that risks conflating mythology with fact, a critical view absent from the other five sources. Nagaland Post adds a detail the others omit, that the textbook claims Mughal brutality against Sikh gurus 'has few comparisons in history', giving its report a distinct emphasis. The uniform neutral reporting from Deccan Herald, Times of India, Indian Express and India Today confirms the core facts without editorial judgement. The textbook was released six months into the academic session.
Coverage: 6 sources, 1 government-critical, 5 neutral
Sources (6): deccanherald.com (neutral report), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), nationalheraldindia.com (government critical), indianexpress.com (neutral report), indiatoday.in (neutral report), nagalandpost.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 6 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
