General Awareness » Jawaharlal Nehru Biography: Early Life, Family, Education and Political Journey

Jawaharlal Nehru Biography: Early Life, Family, Education and Political Journey

In India, Jawaharlal Nehru’s birthdate is observed as Children’s Day. He was born in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, on November 14, 1889. In the fight for Indian independence, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru played a key role. He served as India’s first prime minister after independence. He introduced idealistic socialist socioeconomic measures. Furthermore, he wrote a lot, producing works like “The Discovery of India” and “Glimpses of the World History.” Indira Gandhi, India’s first female prime minister, is the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru. He founded a parliamentary system of governance and is renowned for his neutralist or non-aligned foreign policy views. He took part in the fight for Indian independence and served as a key figurehead throughout the 1930s and 1940s.

Jawaharlal Nehru Biography

Criteria

Details

Born on

14 November 1889

Died on

27 May 1964

Place of Death

New Delhi

Cause of Death

Heart attack

Place of Birth

Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

Father’s Name

Motilal Nehru

Mother’s Name

Swarup Rani Nehru

Spouse

Kamala Nehru

Children

Indira Gandhi

Education

Trinity College, Cambridge; Harrow School, London; Inns of Court School of Law, London

Occupation

Barrister, Writer, and Politician

Political party

Indian National Congress

Political Ideology

Socialism,  Nationalism, Democracy

Award

Bharat Ratna

Publications/Works

The Discovery of India, Jawaharlal Nehru’s Autobiography, Glimpses of World History, Letters from a Father to his Daughter, etc.

Memorial

Shantivan, New Delhi

 

Jawaharlal Nehru Family, Early Life and Education

  • The family of Jawaharlal Nehru was a Kashmiri Brahman. He was also one of Mahatma Gandhi’s well-known friends. 
  • Motilal Nehru, his father, was a well-known lawyer and an advocate for Indian independence. Out of Motilal Nehru’s four children, two of which were girls, Pandit Nehru was the eldest. 
  • Up to the age of 14, he received private tuition at home to finish his early schooling. He moved to England to attend Harrow School at the age of fifteen. 
  • Two years later, he attended Trinity College in Cambridge and graduated with honours in the natural sciences. He had finished his barrister studies at the Inner Temple in London.
  • He lived in England for seven years, but he always felt quite lost and like he was partly in India and partly in England.  
  • He returned to India sometime around 1912. He was involved in the struggles of all countries under foreign rule. He was married to Kamala Kaul in 1916 and moved to Delhi. Indira Priyadarshini, called Indira Gandhi, was born in 1917.

Jawaharlal Nehru's Political Journey

  • In 1912, he participated in the Bankipore Congress as a delegate.
  • He first met Mahatma Gandhi in 1916 and was greatly influenced by him.
  • He arranged the first Kisan March in the region of Pratapgarh in 1920.
  • He was locked up twice as a result of the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–22).
  • He had participated in the Congress of Oppressed Nationalities in Belgium, as a representative of the Indian National Congress.
  • He was there in Moscow for the October Socialist Revolution’s 10th-anniversary celebrations in 1927.
  • He was lathi-charged in Lucknow in 1928 during the Simon Commission.
  • On 29th August 1928, he attended the All-Party Congress and signed the Nehru Report, which bears his father’s name, Shri Motilal Nehru.
  • He established the “Independence for India League” in 1928 and served as its General Secretary.
  • In 1929, he was chosen to lead the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress. The entire agenda for the country’s independence was only adopted at this session.
  • Between 1930 and 1935, he was often imprisoned as a result of his involvement in the Salt Satyagraha and other activities started by Congress.
  • He finished writing his “Autobiography” at Almora Prison on February 14, 1935.
  • He visited his unwell wife in Switzerland after being released from prison.
  • On 31st October 1940, to oppose India’s forced entry into the war, he was once again taken into custody.
  • He was let out of prison in December 1941.
  • On 7th August 1942, in Bombay, during the meeting of the “All India Congress Committee,” Nehru proposed the decision to “Quit India.”
  • On August 8, 1942, he and other leaders were arrested and transported to Ahmednagar Fort. His last and longest imprisonment occurred during this one.
  • After being freed from prison in January 1945, he organised a legal defence for INA officials and members accused of treason.
  • He was chosen as the President of the Congress for the 4th time in July 1946, and he did so again for 3 more terms from 1951 to 1954.
  • He succeeded as India’s first Prime Minister as a result. He was the first prime minister to raise the flag and deliver the well-known speech “Tryst with Destiny” from the Lal Quilla’s ramparts (Red Fort).

Jawaharlal Nehru Major works after becoming the Prime Minister of India

  • He imparted contemporary values and philosophy.
  • He focused on a liberal, secular attitude.
  • He concentrated on India’s fundamental unity.
  • By adopting the first five-year plans in 1951, he promoted democratic socialism and encouraged India’s industrialization.
  • By fostering higher learning, it helped in the growth of science and technology.
  • Initiated several social changes as well, such as free lunches for Indian children, free public education, legal rights for women, such as the right to inherit property and laws banning caste-based discrimination, the freedom to divorce their spouses etc.

Jawaharlal Nehru Legacy

  • He supported socialism, democracy, liberalism, and pluralism. His birthday is observed as Children’s Day in India because of his great compassion for kids. 
  • He helped and opened the door for India’s educational system by conceptualizing the country’s top institutions, such as the Institute of Medical Sciences, the Indian Institute of Technology, India’s first space programme, and others.
  • In reality, Jawaharlal Nehru’s renowned book, Discovery of India, served as the inspiration for Shyam Benegal’s television series “Bharat Ek Khoj.” Jawaharlal Nehru had a significant role in both Ketan Mehta’s film “Sardar” and Richard Attenborough’s movie “Gandhi.”

Jawaharlal Nehru Death

  • He passed away on May 27, 1964, after a heart attack. 
  • He was buried at Delhi’s Shantivan cemetery next to the Yamuna River.
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1. What did Jawaharlal Nehru do that made him renowned throughout history?

Answer: The British Raj came to an end when Jawaharlal Nehru helped lead India to independence. He tried to establis...Read full

2. What was Jawaharlal Nehru's slogan?

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3. What are the two key Jawaharlal Nehru writings?

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4. How did Jawaharlal Nehru get his education?

Answer: Jawaharlal Nehru was raised mostly in the West. He was mostly educated at home in India as a youngster by a ...Read full

5. What were the achievements of Jawaharlal Nehru?

Answer: Jawaharlal Nehru had a significant role in both the independence struggle and the Indian National Congress. ...Read full