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 In February, a Bollywood film called “Chhaava” (“Lion Cub”) debuted in India amid massive fanfare. In the film, actor Vicky Kaushal plays Sambhaji, a Hindu leader who took on Mughal ruler Aurangzeb in the 17th century. Aurangzeb is portrayed as a sadist who chains and tortures the valiant hero, whose fingernails and tongue are pulled out and who eventually (spoiler alert!) dies. Mughal soldiers also burn a shepherdess alive. Indian news channels showed viewers emerging from the theater sobbing, exclaiming that they were unaware of the gory history of the Mughals in India.


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Ironically, the film was released on Valentine’s Day, when many couples pose in front of the Taj Mahal, a symbol of love constructed by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial to his favorite wife. Several other architectural wonders of the Mughal empire, which reigned in South Asia from the 16th to the 19th centuries, are among India’s most-visited tourist sites. Over the past five years, according to one report, India generated 548 crores, or about $64 million, in tourism revenue through the Mughal monuments.


But these beloved places went unmentioned in the onslaught of acrimony that followed the release of “Chhaava.” On social media, Hindu nationalists expressed outrage over the treatment of Hindu leaders by Islamic invaders more than three centuries ago. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the film, prompting several states to make the movie tax-free. The chief minister of the northern state of Uttarakhand announced he was renaming cities and roads named after Muslims and Mughals. And the chief minister of Maharashtra state asked that Aurangzeb’s tomb, which is under archaeological protection, be removed. In the city of Nagpur, mobs demanding the removal of the tomb attacked homes and set vehicles on fire, killing a 38-year-old Muslim man during the rampage.


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The unrest following the release of the movie is one more example of how the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) uses ancient history to incite hatred against India’s Muslim minority. Mughal rule in India has long been used as a dog whistle by the Hindu nationalist party, which refers to the country’s more than 200 million Muslims as the “children of Mughals.”


Mughal era is famed for its cultural achievements, including not only architecture but also gardens, literature, poetry and painting. Persian was the court language, and, for most of the time, its rulers practiced religious tolerance. Aurangzeb, though, who ruled from 1658 to 1707, enforced sharia law and alienated non-Muslims.


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While foreign dignitaries visiting India, from Vladimir Putin to Queen Elizabeth II, are always taken to visit the Taj Mahal, some BJP politicians have complained that the landmark is not representative of Indian culture. Recently, one politician announced proudly that copies of the Hindu scripture — the Bhagavad Gita — was now being given to visitors instead of Taj Mahal replicas.


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It was not always thus. In the past, Indian films celebrated the Hindu-Muslim unity that defeated British rule in India. The 1982 film “Gandhi,” about the leader who brought down the Raj with support from Muslims as well as Hindus, won eight Academy Awards, including for best picture. “Lagaan,” released in 2001, showed Indians of all religions and castes joining to defeat British colonial rule. In 2008, “Jodhaa Akbar” depicted the love affair between Mughal Emperor Akbar, who fostered communal amity between Hindus and Muslims, and a Hindu princess. It was a huge success.


However, since Modi came to power in 2014, Bollywood has made the Mughals the enemy. Even Muslim leaders long recognized as heroes have been caught in the historical crossfire. Tipu Sultan, the “Tiger of Mysore,” used to be celebrated for fiercely protecting his state from British invasion in the 18th century. Today, BJP leaders want to strip him of all honors.


India’s regression into hate politics regarding centuries-old rulers is also impacting a new generation. After a recent school screening of “Chhaava,” students angry over the “Muslim invasion” chanted in favor of the film’s Hindu heroes. One leading news site, Scroll, interviewed eight teachers in four cities who warned that children are being fed historical narratives with no basis in reality. “In most Indian schools,” the report pointed out, “medieval history is taught during the middle school years, to children between the ages of 10 and 14. This period is a core focus for Hindutva [Hindu nationalist] supporters, given the fact that large parts of the subcontinent were ruled by Muslim kings and emperors at this time. In recent years, Bollywood filmmakers have selectively dipped into this period of history to churn out films in sync with Hindutva talking points.”


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The talking points celebrate Hindu rulers as symbols of indigenous resistance against foreign invasions. Kings who resisted Mughal expansion are elevated as heroes, and their actions framed as part of a noble struggle for the preservation of Hindu culture and sovereignty. The Mughals, despite their long rule and notable contributions to India, are portrayed as foreign conquerors.


This rewriting of history serves a political agenda, one that distorts the complexity of India’s multicultural heritage. It not only inflames divisions but also diverts attention from the urgent issues facing modern India. As the United States announced 26 percent tariffs (now suspended) against Indian goods last week, India’s Parliament was passing a controversial bill that dilutes the power Muslims have over donated property that houses mosques, Muslim schools, graveyards and orphanages. The focus on centuries-old grievances, rather than present-day realities, is a tactic designed to mobilize political support while keeping the country divided.

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