Actor R Madhavan recently raised concerns over the way Indian history is taught in schools, claiming that significant parts of the country’s ancient past, particularly the contributions of southern kingdoms, are often overlooked.
The actor, who recently appeared in Karan Singh Tyagi’s film Kesari Chapter 2, alongside Akshay Kumar, said he might “get into trouble” for expressing his views, but felt compelled to speak out.
“I might get into trouble for saying this, but I’ll still say it. When I studied history in school, there were eight chapters on the Mughals, two on the Harappa and Mohenjo-daro civilizations, four on British rule and the freedom struggle and just one chapter on the southern kingdoms – the Cholas, Pandyas, Pallavas, and Cheras,” he said, adding that the Chola Empire was 2,400 years old, in contrast to the Mughals and British, who ruled for a combined 800 years.
“They were pioneers of sea travel and naval power. They had spice routes that extended to Rome. Where’s that part of our history? Where’s the mention of us building temples all the way to Angkor Wat with our mighty naval forces? Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism spread to China. People in Korea speak half Tamil because that’s how far our language has reached. And we encapsulated all of this in just one chapter,” he added.
Madhavan also questioned why Tamil, which he described as the “oldest language in the world,” is not more widely acknowledged or celebrated. “Whose narrative is this? Who decided the syllabus? Tamil is the oldest language in the world, but nobody knows about it. The scientific knowledge hidden in our culture is being mocked right now,” he said.
His remarks come as the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) faces criticism for revising several history chapters in school textbooks.
The new Class 7 history syllabus has removed large sections about the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal empire, along with references to social movements and the caste system.
New additions focus on recent government schemes like Make in India and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and religious pilgrimages such as the Char Dham Yatra.
Madhavan also commented on colonial-era narratives, criticising how the Jallianwala Bagh massacre is portrayed in textbooks. “The Britishers’ version of history apparently teaches us that ‘humne Jallianwala Bagh mein badmaashi kiye honge’ (we must have done something wrong at Jallianwala Bagh),” he said.
Kesari Chapter 2 is a fictionalised account of events following the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and is based on the book The Case That Shook the Empire.
