Very Important Virginia textbook Hinduism distortion

Few of my friends says, copy past from pdf is not easy.  Use this if you have difficulties.  But please double check with the pdf.

Go to this form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfT2a_rTU1Qo-B3crXUGw7eaqTayU4KS3ALlcK53DlH-DDeFg/viewform

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Step - 5 Under WHI.4, select B and enter in the following comment in the specific substandard: (copy below text)

I strongly suggest that this standard be rewritten as it is currently factually incorrect. I suggest the standard should read:

WHI.4 The student will apply social science skills to understand the civilizations of Persia, India, and China in terms of chronology, geography, social structures, government, economy, religion, and contributions to later civilizations by:

b)locating India in time and place, including its origins, early development, and the civilizational contributions made.

Step 6 Make sure that all other standards have been checked for no comment and enter this text at the bottom in the general comment box before pressing submit: (copy below text)

Standard WHI.4 is factually incorrect as scholarship on Aryan migrations has shifted significantly over the past decade, particularly with new archaeological evidence suggesting that ancient Indians or “Aryans” never actually migrated from west of the Indus Valley. There is still ongoing and rigorous academic debate amongst historians, archaeologists, and other scholars on the origins of Indian civilization, so while school districts and textbook publishers are increasingly accepting the origins as disputed, they are failing to encourage students to critically explore the issues surrounding the various theories. By not accepting this revision, the state is perpetuating inaccuracies and racist, colonial stereotypes, teaching VA students incorrect content which will leave them ill-prepared for our increasingly diverse state and globalized world.

It can also lead to discrimination and bullying of Hindu students. I would like to also note that while the standard does not mention caste, the curriculum framework refers mentions it as: “The caste system did not fully emerge until later in Indian history, but its roots are in the varnas and the jati system Varnas were idealized in the Vedas to organize society equally by skill. As more occupations developed in ancient India, jatis was used to describe divisions by occupation. Jatis were governed by birth. Over many centuries, both varnas and jatis merged to become known today as a top-down, birth-based caste system.”

There is no mention in the standard to the origin of a system that is rooted in a social hierarchy identified by the Portuguese as “casta.” By including this concept in the curriculum framework, the VDOE is not only digressing from the standards, but also perpetuating a racist colonial theory about people of Indian origin which will misinform students and lead to discrimination and bullying of Hindu students.

This was brought up directly to VDOE staff in 2015 so it is surprising that six years later and after being debunked by multiple reputable historians, scholars, and researchers, we are still having this discussion. I am calling for the  removal of caste from the curriculum frameworks.

Second Form - World History and Geography 1500-Present

click here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdQLKlmr5CadSl8VwDKhQcSVOpp6Nq5o67xY5CaVFtrB098BA/viewform

Step 9 Under WHII.6, select c and enter the following text (copy below text)

I strongly suggest that this standard be rewritten as it currently prevents students from learning the full history of the political and economic conditions in Asia by eliminating the other regional kingdoms and empires that had an important impact on India and other parts of Asia. I suggest the standard should read: WHII.6: The student will apply social science skills to understand the political, cultural, geographic, and economic conditions in Asia from about 1500 A.D. (C.E) to about 1800 A.D. (C.E) by c) describing India, including the period, Mughal Empire, Maratha Empire, Vijayanagara Empire, and the development of other regional kingdoms as well as the coastal trade.

Step 10 Make sure that all other standards have been checked for no comment and enter this text at the bottom in the general comment box before pressing submit: (copy below text)

This standard is inaccurate as a result of major omissions. It prevents students from learning the full history of the political and economic conditions in Asia by eliminating the other significant kingdoms and empires that had an important impact on India and other parts of Asia. By not accepting this revision, the state will further perpetuate colonial stereotypes about Indian history by focusing only on the Mughal Empire and consequently marginalizing the contributions made by other kingdoms and empires. The Mughal Empire traded with both European and Asian states. The empire began to decline after rebellions by Hindu kingdoms and Sikhs, and the rise of the Hindu Maratha Empire in the late 1600s. The Maratha Empire lasted until 1818. Most of southern India remained independent and continued international trade. The Vijayanagara Empire ruled much of southern India from the 14th to 17th century.