Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
📖

Jawaharlal Nehru

society Maturity 11-13 religion death dying war conflict politics Next article →

This article covers sensitive topics: religion, death_dying, war_conflict, politics. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

Jawaharlal Nehru was a very important leader in India.

Jawaharlal Nehru and his family in 1918
Jawaharlal Nehru and his family in 1918

He helped lead the movement for India to become its own nation. He was also a writer who wrote many famous books. People around the world have read his work. Nehru was a statesman, which means he was a skilled leader. He also believed in secularism, which means all religions are treated equally. He worked hard to make India a modern country.

Jawaharlal Nehru, circa 1925
Jawaharlal Nehru, circa 1925

Nehru's life changed as he grew up. He was born in 1889 in Allahabad, India. His father, Motilal Nehru, was a famous and wealthy lawyer. Jawaharlal went to school in England at Harrow School. Later, he went to Trinity College in Cambridge. He studied natural science and then studied law. He became a barrister, which is a type of lawyer.

Nehru at Harrow
Nehru at Harrow

After his studies, he returned to India to practice law. However, he soon found himself more interested in politics than in law.

Nehru joined the Indian National Congress to fight for freedom.

Gandhi and Nehru 1942
Gandhi and Nehru 1942

He worked closely with a leader named Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi saw Nehru as his political heir. In 1929, Nehru became the president of the Congress. He called for complete independence from the British Raj. The British Raj was the name for British rule in India. Because he fought for freedom, Nehru spent many years in prison. He was held in jail eight different times between 1921 and 1945.

Gandhi and Nehru 1942
Gandhi and Nehru 1942

India finally gained independence on 15 August 1947.

Lord Mountbatten swears in Jawaharlal Nehru as the first Prime Minister of free India on Aug 15, 1947
Lord Mountbatten swears in Jawaharlal Nehru as the first Prime Minister of free India on Aug 15, 1947

Nehru gave a famous speech called "Tryst with Destiny." He became the first prime minister of India. He led the country for 16 years. In 1950, India became a republic. Nehru remained the prime minister during this big change. He helped build many new things for the nation. He encouraged the use of science and new technology.

Jawaharlal Nehru at Bhakra, 1953
Jawaharlal Nehru at Bhakra, 1953

Nehru also helped India talk to other countries. During the Cold War, there were two main groups of nations. Nehru led the Non-Aligned Movement to stay neutral. This meant India did not join either of those two groups. He was a very busy leader who loved many things. He even enjoyed playing with tiger cubs at his home.

Jawaharlal Nehru with tiger cubs
Jawaharlal Nehru with tiger cubs

Nehru died in 1964 while he was still in office. Today, people in India celebrate his birthday as Children's Day. His life helped shape the India we know today.

386 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (43)
File:Anand Bhawan, Allahabad.jpg
Anand Bhawan, Allahabad.jpg
File:Jawaharlal Nehru with his mother Swarup Rani and father Motilal Nehru, 1894.jpg
Jawaharlal Nehru with his mother Swarup...
File:Nehru at Harrow.png
Nehru at Harrow.png
File:Nehru barrister.png
Nehru barrister.png
File:Kamala and Jawaharlal Nehru 1916.jpg
Kamala and Jawaharlal Nehru 1916.jpg
File:Jawaharlal Nehru and his family in 1918.jpg
Jawaharlal Nehru and his family in 1918.jpg
File:Jawaharlal Nehru, circa 1925.jpg
Jawaharlal Nehru, circa 1925.jpg
File:Jawaharlal Nehru and Motilal Nehru in 1929.jpg
Jawaharlal Nehru and Motilal Nehru in 1929.jpg
File:Gandhi Nehru 1929.jpg
Gandhi Nehru 1929.jpg
File:Jawaharlal Nehru at Karachi on return from Lausanne with Kamala Nehru’s ashes.jpg
Jawaharlal Nehru at Karachi on return...
File:Jawaharlal Nehru with Rabindranath Tagore,1936.jpg
Jawaharlal Nehru with Rabindranath Tagore,1936.jpg
File:Jawaharlal Nehru in a procession at Peshawar,North West Frontier Province, 14 October 1937.jpg
Jawaharlal Nehru in a procession at...

+ 31 more

More to explore

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.