A sharp reaction has emerged from Nagpur after the NCERT removed the map depicting the territorial expansion of the Maratha Empire from a Class VIII history textbook. The deleted map had illustrated the vast reach of Maratha rule at its peak in 1759 — stretching from Attak to Katak — and was considered a powerful visual representation of the empire’s historical influence.
The issue gained momentum in the city after Mudhoji Raje Bhonsle of Nagpur, a descendant of the Bhonsle royal family, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, seeking immediate intervention. Bhonsle termed the deletion a serious concern and questioned the reasoning behind removing a key historical reference connected closely with Nagpur’s own royal legacy. He has also written to education authorities demanding restoration of the map in future editions.
Nagpur has deep historical ties to the Maratha Empire through the Bhonsle dynasty, which ruled the region and played a significant role in expanding Maratha power across central and eastern India. Local historians and citizens have argued that removing the map weakens the contextual understanding of the city’s historical importance.
While NCERT has not yet issued a detailed explanation for the revision, the development has sparked strong discussions in Nagpur, with calls for greater transparency in how national textbooks handle historically significant material closely linked to the region’s identity.
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