Interesting Facts about Jawaharlal Nehru

This article is all about Biography of Jawaharlal Nehru, Personal life facts of Jawaharlal Nehru, his role during Independence struggle and facts about role as Prime Minister of India and shaping the modern India. The life of Jawaharlal Nehru can be divided into three parts – i) childhood, education and travel to Cambridge and London for higher education, ii) Life during independence struggle, iii) Post independence life and role as first Prime Minister of India.

Quick Basic Facts about Jawaharlal Nehru

Date of Birth – 14 Nov 1889
Place of Birth – Allahabad
Parents – Motilal Nehru and Swaroop Rani
Wife – Kamla Kaul
Only Daughter – Indira Gandhi
Date of accession to Prime Ministership – 15 Aug 1947
Constituency – Phulpur, Allahabad
Date of Death – 27 May 1964
Place of crematorium – Shanti Van, near Raj Ghat, Daryaganj, Delhi

Childhood, Early Life and Personal Facts about Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru was born in 1989 in Allahabad with the second wife Swarooprani Thussu of his father Motilal Nehru. Motilal’s first wife died during delivering baby.
Both of his parents Motilal and Swarooprani belonged to Kashmiri Pandit community. Motilal Nehru was a famous barrister (advocate) and served two times as President of Indian National Congress.
Jawaharlal Nehru was elder than his two more siblings both of whom were girls. The name of her elder sibling (sister) was Vijay Lakshmi Pandit and second sister was Krishna Hutheesing.
While Nehru’s elder sister Vijaya Lakshmi became the first female President of United Nations General Assembly, the other sister Krishna became famous writer.

interesting facts about Jawaharlal Nehru — Anand Bhavan of Allahabad

Jawaharlal Nehru spent his childhood days and grew up in Anand Bhavan. The earlier name of Anand Bhavan was Swaraj Bhavan which was constructed by his father Motilal Nehru in year 1930. It was later converted to a Museum and Nehru Planetarium by Indira Gandhi in year 1970.
His birth day of 14th Nov is celebrated as Children’s Day every year.
Jawaharlal Nehru was also called as Pandit Nehru because he belonged to Kashmiri Pandit community.
Among children he was affectionately called as Chacha Nehru.

Education and career related Facts about Jawaharlal Nehru

He went to Trinity College, Cambridge in 1907 and graduated with Hons. degree in 1910.
After leaving Cambridge in 1910 he went to London to get higher studies in Law and came back to India in 1912.
After returning to India from England in 1912, he enrolled himself as Advocate in Allahabad High Court but since he had not too much interest in that profession his inclination started towards Congress and Freedom Struggle.
Jawaharlal Nehru ascended to the post of Congress President in 1929 and played pivotal role in national independence struggle lead by congress since then.
His wife Kamla Nehru died of Tuberculosis in Switzerland in year 1936.
The book “Discovery of India” was written by him during his imprisonment time of 1942 to 1946 in Ahmednagar for his participation in Quit India Movement.

Facts and Role of Jawaharlal Nehru during Independence Struggle

Jawaharlal Nehru was a great admirer and supporter of Annie Beasant and became the member of Home Rule League founded by Annie Beasant in 1916. This was the start of major turn as against the wish of moderate leaders who at that time didn’t wanted to go for full protest against British rule. The Home Rule league thus for the first time started the matter of self government and Jawaharlal Nehru played a significant role in this movement.
His prestige and stature increased in Home Rule League and he ascended to the post of Secretary in the League.
Nehru came to national limelight during the non co-operation movement of 1920. He organised large scale demonstrations and protests for the campaign of Non Co-operation movement and was even forced to jail as a result of anti-government activities.
Due to sudden upliftment of Non Co-operation movement following the Chauri Chaura incident, the congress party was divided and Motilal Nehru along with C R Das separated their ways from Congress and formed their own separate Swaraj party.
Motilal Nehru wanted his son Jawaharlal to join his own Swaraj Party and leave the congress. But Jawaharlal as against the wish of his father remained loyal to congress and choosed to stay with Gandhi ji.
Jawaharlal Nehru was successful in internationalizing the issue of Independence struggle of India and gained support from different international forums. He worked along with Subhash Chandra Bose, another nationalist who had collected resources and help from various foreign countries.
However Nehru’s friendship with Subhash Chandra didn’t lasted long and they split on disagreement for taking help from the Fascist forces of Hitler and Mussolini.
It was actually Jawaharlal Nehru who was the first to give the idea of Complete National Independence in 1927 and to refrain from all ties that bonds Indians from British Empire including ICS (Indian Civil Services).
On 31st Dec 1929, Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the Indian Flag in Lahore in front of huge public gathering and Congress volunteers. The tricolor flag from this point became popular and reached to common masses and used to be hoisted in gatherings and demonstrations.
After the Lahore session of Congress in 1929, Jawaharlal Nehru raised to the top most position in congress and became the national icon for Independence struggle. His popularity even superseded Mahatma Gandhi after this season. It was clear and apparent that Jawaharlal Nehru was next heir and successor of Mahatma Gandhi in Congress and national politics.
Although Nehru was initially reluctant about adding salt movement (Namak Andolan) to Civil disobidience as proposed by Gandhi ji but soon he realized the importance of salt symbol as the medium to add the common man to this agitation. Nehru was arrested on 14 April 1930 and his arrest gave new momentum to civil disobedience and Salt Satyagrah movement.
When Gandhi ji called for Quit India movement in 1942, second world war was being fought. Nehru ji was reluctant to support for Quit India Movement as he didn’t wanted to antagonize the allied war forces. But eventually he joined the movement and was jailed along with several other congress leaders including Mahatma Gandhi.

Role as Prime Minister and Political Life Facts about Jawaharlal Nehru

Nehru was selected by common consensus to form an interim government to lead India. His new government faced multiple challenges of communal violence, political disorder and the worst, demand for Pakistan by Muhammad Ali Jinnah heading Muslim League.
He took charge of the office of PM on 15 Aug 1947 and gave the famous speech “Tryst with Destiny”.
After the death of Gandhi ji on 30 Jan 1948, Nehru along with support of Sardar Patel consolidated and asserted his power and established Congress as the sole and legitimate authority of Indian Politics.
The first government tenure under Nehru from 1947 to 1951 was called Interim government. General elections were held for the first time in 1951 and congress party under leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru won remarkable victory by capturing 364 of all 489 seats.
After the defeat of India China war of 1962, Nehru sacked the Defense Minister Krishna Menon and sought US military aid from the then US President John F Kennedy although this request was laid down by US after which India’s inclination for weapons etc increased towards USSR.
Due to shocking defeat of 1962 Indo-China war which is also perceived as betrayal of trust by China, his health deteriorated. He eventually succumbed to death on 27 May 1964. Cause of death was never disclosed but generally it is considered to be heart attack.
Jawaharlal Nehru’s residence of Delhi “Teen Murti Bhavan” was turned to “Nehru Memorial Museum and Library”. Five Nehru Planetariums were set in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Allahabad and Pune.
Nehru is called as the Architect of Modern India.

Famous Books written by Jawaharlal Nehru

The Discovery of India
Glimpses of World History
Toward Freedom (his autobiography)
Letter of a Father to his Daughter

Famous Books written on Jawaharlal Nehru

The Legacy of Nehru by K. Natwar Singh
Jawaharlal Nehru : Letters to Chief Ministers by G Parthasarathi
Jawaharlal Nehru : Centenary volume by Sheila Dikshit
Jawaharlal Nehru and the making of Indo-Soviet by Vinod Bhatia
The Nehru by B R Nanda
Nehru 100 Years by Shashi Ahluwalia
Nehru ans resurgent Africa by Hari Sharan Chhabra
Nehru, An anthology for young readers by P. L. Malhotra