 First US edition | |
| Author | Jawaharlal Nehru |
|---|---|
| Language | English, Hindi |
| Subject | Indian history,Indian culture,Politics of India,Religion in India,Indian philosophy |
| Publisher | John Day (US) Meridian Books (UK) |
Publication date | 14 November 1946; 76 years ago (atSignet Press,Kolkata,India) |
| Publication place | India |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 595 |
| ISBN | 978-0-19-562359-8 |
| LC Class | DS436 .N42 1989 |
The Discovery of India is a book written by the Indian freedom fighterJawaharlal Nehru (later India's firstPrime Minister) during his imprisonment from 1942 to 1945 atAhmednagar Fort in the present-day state ofMaharashtra by British colonial authorities, prior to India's independence.[1] The book was first published in India in 1946, and it remains a bestseller to this day.[2]
The Discovery of India traces the journey of India from ancient history to the final years of theBritish Raj. Nehru draws on his knowledge of theUpanishads,Vedas, and textbooks on ancient history to present the development of India, beginning with theIndus Valley civilization and continuing through socio-political transformations introduced by successive foreign invaders, culminating in the contemporary period of his time. Imprisoned for his role in theQuit India Movement alongside other Indian leaders, Nehru used this period to document his reflections and understanding of India's past. The book provides a broad overview of Indianhistory, philosophy, andculture from the perspective of an Indian striving for independence.[3]
Nehru acknowledges that some content was influenced by his fellow prisoners at Ahmednagar Fort. He gives special mention toMaulana Abul Kalam Azad,Govind Ballabh Pant,Narendra Deva, andAsaf Ali. All eleven of his fellow prisoners were political detainees from across India with deep knowledge of the subjects discussed in the book. They also assisted in proofreading Nehru's work and offered creative suggestions.
The book was first published bySignet Press in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India, in March 1946. It is currently published by theJawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund, with copyright held by his granddaughter-in-lawSonia Gandhi.[4]
The book served as the basis for the 53-episode Indian television seriesBharat Ek Khoj (1988), directed byShyam Benegal and first broadcast on the state-runDoordarshan channel.[7] A modified version of the book is taught as a Hindi supplementary text in the 8th grade in some Indian schools as part of the CBSE NCERT curriculum.[8]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)