The Discovery of India

The Discovery of India
First US edition
Author Jawaharlal Nehru
Country India
Language English
Subject Indian history, Indian culture, Politics of India, Religion in India, Indian philosophy
Publisher John Day (US)
Meridian Books (UK)
Publication date
 1946
Media type Print (Paperback)
Pages 595
ISBN 978-0-19-562359-8
LC Class DS436 .N42 1989

The Discovery of India was written by India's first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru during his imprisonment in 1942–46 at Ahmednagar fort in Maharashtra, India by British during the rule of East India Company. The Discovery of India is an honour paid to the rich cultural heritage of India, its history and its philosophy as seen through the eyes of a patriot fighting for the independence of his country. The book is widely considered one of the finest modern works on Indian history. book written in 1944 but published in 1946 as per ground sources

Synopsis

The journey in The Discovery of India begins from ancient history, leading up to the last years of the British Raj. He uses his knowledge of the Upanishads, Vedas, and textbooks on ancient history to introduce to the reader the development of India from the Indus Valley Civilization, through the changes in socio-political old scene scenario every foreign invader brought, to the present day conditions.

Nehru was jailed for his participation in the Quit India movement along with other Indian leaders, and he used this time to write down his thoughts and knowledge about India's history. The book is widely regarded as a classic in India since its first publication in 1946, and provides a broad view of Indian history, philosophy and culture, as viewed from the eyes of a liberal Indian fighting for the independence of his country.[1]

In The Discovery of India, Nehru argued that India was a historic nation with a right to sovereignty.[2] This book also analyses in depth the philosophy of Indian life.

Other Contributors

Nehru attributes some of the content of the book to his fellow prisoners at Ahmednagar jail. He gives special mention to four of them namely, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Govind Ballabh Pant, Narendra Deva and Asaf Ali. All his fellow prisoners (eleven of them) were political prisoners from various parts of the country, having deep knowledge about the various aspects of India which the book discusses. They also participated in proofreading Nehru's work and providing him with creative suggestions.[3]

Edition

The book is presently published by the 'Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund' and the copyright for the book is held by his grand daughter-in-law Sonia Gandhi.

  • The Discovery of India by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, ISBN 0-670-05801-7
  • The Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru (paperback, thirteenth edition), ISBN 0-19-562359-2

Adaptations

The book became the basis of the 53-episode Indian television series Bharat Ek Khoj (1988), directed by Shyam Benegal, first broadcast in 1988 on state-run Doordarshan channel.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Das, Taraknath (June 1947). "India--Past, Present and the Future". Political Science Quarterly. 62 (2): 295–304. doi:10.2307/2144210. JSTOR 2144210.
  2. ↑ Calhoun, Craig, Nations Matter: Culture, History and the Cosmopolitan Dream, Routledge, p. 63.
  3. ↑ The Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru (paperback, thirteenth edition), ISBN 0-19-562359-2, Preface
  4. ↑ "What makes Shyam special..." The Hindu. Jan 17, 2003. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
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