- Jawaharlal Nehru, photograph by Yousuf Karsh, 1956.
(1889–1964). When India gained its independence in 1947 Jawaharlal Nehru became the new nation's first prime minister. For more than 20 years he had worked with Mahatma Gandhi to free India from British rule. For his efforts he was the idol of the Indian people. He was called Pandit, which means “the wise man.” Early lifeJawaharlal Nehru was born on November 14, 1889, in Allahabad, in the present-day state of Uttar Pradesh, India. His ancestors were from Kashmir and had migrated from their native home in the early 18th century. Nehru was the eldest of four children. His father was a well-known lawyer. A sister, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, later became the first woman president of the United Nations General Assembly. Education and marriageAs a youth, Nehru was educated at home by English governesses and tutors. He was also taught the Hindi and Sanskrit languages by one of his Indian tutors. In 1905 he went to England, where he studied natural science and law. In 1912 he returned to India and practiced law in Allahabad. In March 1916, Nehru married Kamala Kaul. Their only child, Indira Priyadarshini, was born in 1917. She would later (under her married name of Indira Gandhi) also serve as prime minister of India. Political lifeNehru met Gandhi in 1916 at the annual convention of the Indian National Congress party. At the time, India was ruled by Great Britain. Gandhi was the leader of the Indian freedom movement and headed the Indian National Congress. Nehru soon gained great interest in Gandhi's campaign for India's independence. He joined the Congress party, and in 1929 Gandhi appointed Nehru president of the party. Between 1921 and 1945 Nehru was jailed nine times for his political activity. While in prison, he wrote several books. During one prison term he wrote his autobiography, Toward Freedom (1936). Between prison terms he traveled throughout India winning support for Gandhi's program of nonviolent resistance to British rule. In 1947 the British finally agreed to give up rule of India. Because of tensions between Hindus and Muslims, the region was divided into two separate independent states—India and Pakistan. Most of the people in India are Hindus wgile most Pakistanis are Muslim. As prime minister, Nehru worked to make India a state that would be understanding of all religions. He was also deeply concerned with carrying India forward into the modern age of scientific discovery and technological development. In addition, he aroused in the Indian people a concern for the poor and the outcast. One of the noteworthy achievements during his term as prime minister was the reform of the ancient Hindu civil code. This allowed Hindu widows to enjoy equality with men in matters of inheritance and property. Nehru remained prime minister until his death on May 27, 1964, in New Delhi. |