The NCERT textbook revives the debatable theory about Sengol handed down to Nehru

Representative image only. File | Photo credit: ANI

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s claim that the Sengol, a scepter anointed by Hindu religious leaders, marked the handover of power in 1947 when India became independent finds a mention in the newly released Class 9 social science textbook by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

The new textbook “Understanding Society and Beyond – Part 2” states: “The Sengol, a cultural symbol of governance and good governance, was placed in the newly inaugurated Indian Parliament building in 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The tradition of using the Sengol as a sign of just governance began during the rule of the Book of Cholas over a thousand years ago.”

“On the occasion of India’s independence, at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru received Sengol from the Adheenam (ancient Shaivite tradition) saints of Tamil Nadu,” it said.

Ethical responsibility

The Union Ministry of Culture’s website describing the Sengol states: “Once an integral part of the coronation rituals of Tamil monarchs, the Sengol was not merely a ceremonial object but a profound testimony to the ethical responsibility conferred on the ruler. This sacred tradition was ceremonially presented to Jawagol Nehrunal on the eve of India’s independence in 1947. It marked a ‘civilizationally rooted’ transfer of authority from the colonial dominion over a sovereign Indian state.

This theory has been debunked time and time again by experts. For example, historian and biographer C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji), Rajmohan Gandhi had earlier publicly stated during the inauguration of the new Parliament that there was no record or reference to Sengol serving as a formal symbol of “handover of power” in the personal papers, letters or autobiographies of Jawaharlal Nehru or Raja.

Historian Aditya Mukherjee also criticized the 2023 ceremony and the installation of Sengol, saying the event was more of an effort at political self-glorification than a celebration of parliamentary democracy.

The textbook also states that India’s national motto – Satyameva Jayate – is linked to the Mundaka Upanishad, which replaced the British-era “Heavenly Light, Our Guide”.

The textbook also states that the Supreme Court’s post-independence motto Yato Dharmastato Jayah, which translates as “Where there is just duty, there is victory”, is associated with the epic Mahabharata. This is given in the chapter — “Governance and Public Policy” of the new textbook.

The chapter also links Mahatma Gandhi’s reference to the Ram Rajya, an ideal administrative structure based on integrity, transparency, compassion and welfare, with the Ramayana and the 16th-century literary work Ramcharitmanas, calling the two texts “examples of good governance and good collective living”.

“sacred responsibility”

The textbook also states that from the Vedic period to the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, Indian traditions viewed governance as a “sacred responsibility” and not merely a means of exercising power.

The chapter also notes that colonial powers imposed their models of governance on societies previously governed by “local and organic systems” and that many colonial institutions continued after independence.

In another chapter titled “Resistance and Resilience”, the textbook states that many kings and princes are believed to have received swords from goddesses such as Kali, Durga and Bhavani to resist invasions from the 7th century onwards.

“Annamaraja, the ruler of Bastar, is believed to have received his sword from Manikyadevi (Danteshvari), while Kumara Kampana (Vijayanagara) used a sword gifted by the goddess against the forces of the Madurai sultanate. Similarly, Shivaji is also traditionally believed to have received his sword from the goddess Bhavani, the chapter of states.

Published – 30 Sep 2026 20:45 IST