Essays

Jawaharlal Nehru was born on November 14, 1889 in Allahabad, central India. His father Motilal Nehru was a prominent advocate and early leader of the Indian independence movement.

He returned from education in England at Harrow School and Cambridge University to practise law before following his father into politics.

In 1919 joined the Indian National Congress, the principal nationalist organization of India, led by Mohandas K. Gandhi.

Nehru soon became a leader of the nationalist movement; between 1921 and 1945 he was imprisoned nine times by the British administration for his activities on behalf of Indian independence.

He served as president of the Congress party from 1929 to 1931, a position he subsequently held six times.

In 1942 Nehru replaced Gandhi as the recognized leader of the National Congress party. Four years later, the British invited him to form an interim government.

During the following year Nehru tried preventing the partition of India. He was unsuccessful, and a separate Muslim state known as Pakistan was founded.

In August 1947, following the final withdrawal of the British and the establishment of India as a self- governing dominion, Nehru was elected prime minister.

He continued in that post when India became a republic in 1950 and was returned to office repeatedly until his death on May 27, 1964, in New Delhi.