Classic mistake in Raj school books?

The Rajasthan government might have backed protests against alleged “historical inaccuracies” in Bollywood film Padmavati but its own textbook and tourism department contain similar narratives about a legendary Hindu queen, Hindustan Times has found.

The Class 12 history textbook of the Rajasthan state board says one of the reasons Delhi’s Muslim emperor Alauddin Khilji attacked Chittor was to obtain Padmini, the Rajput queen who legend says chose to kill herself rather than be captured. The book further goes to say that Khilji was mesmerised by Padmini’s beauty after he saw her reflection in a mirror, and that the queen was the daughter of Gandharvsen, king of Sri Lanka.

The protesters dispute all three points.

These facts are contained in chapter 4 of the history textbook, named ‘Mughal Akraman: Prakar Aur Prabhav’ (Mughal invasion: Form and impact) that bases the story of Chittor king Rawal Rattan Singh, his oneyear reign between 1302 and 1303, and his wife Padmini on Malik Mohammed Jayasi’s description of her in Padmavat, a 16th century verse that forms the foundation of the troubled film Padmavati.

Moreover, the book mentions poet such as Surajmal Mishran and modern historians, who don’t think Padmini was a real historical character.

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