Reimagining History Education: Historical Thinking, Critical Pedagogy, and the Development of Democratic Citizenship

History education has undergone a significant transformation in recent decades, moving beyond traditional approaches centred on the memorisation of historical facts toward pedagogies that emphasise inquiry, critical reflection, and democratic engagement. This narrative review examines the interrelationships among historical thinking, critical pedagogy, and citizenship education within contemporary history education research. Drawing upon international scholarship published between 2018 and 2025, alongside selected foundational works, the study synthesises literature related to historical reasoning, inquiry-based learning, democratic citizenship, global citizenship, and critical pedagogical approaches. The review identifies historical thinking as a disciplinary framework that enables learners to evaluate evidence, analyse multiple perspectives, and construct evidence-based interpretations of the past. Critical pedagogy complements these processes by promoting dialogue, reflection, participation, and critical examination of dominant narratives. The findings suggest that while historical inquiry contributes significantly to analytical and interpretive competencies, the development of democratic citizenship requires the deliberate integration of civic dialogue, ethical reflection, and participatory learning experiences. The review further highlights the growing relevance of history education in addressing contemporary challenges such as misinformation, political polarisation, globalisation, and digital media environments. Particular attention is given to the Indian educational context, including the implications of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 for competency-based and inquiry-oriented history teaching. The study proposes a conceptual framework that integrates historical thinking and critical pedagogy as complementary pathways toward citizenship education. It concludes that history education can play a vital role in preparing informed, reflective, and responsible citizens when disciplinary inquiry is effectively connected with democratic learning and civic engagement.