The Discovery of India - Revision history

Svetlanabpd: expanded intro additionally and fixed typos

2026-01-13T11:44:23Z

expanded intro additionally and fixed typos

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:14, 13 January 2026
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			{{Infobox book
	The '''''Discovery of India''''' was written by the Indian Independence leader, [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] (later India's first [[Prime Minister of India\|Prime Minister]]) during his incarceration in 1942–1945 at [[Ahmednagar fort]] in present day Indian state of [[Maharashtra]] by British colonial authorities before the independence of India.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/nehrus-discovery-of-india-remains-a-bestseller-50-years-after-his-death/articleshow/35791589.cms\|title=Nehru's 'Discovery of India' remains a bestseller 50 years after his death \| Mumbai News - Times of India\|website=The Times of India}}</ref> The book was written in 1944 but published in 1946.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/bharat-mata-ki-jai-how-jawaharlal-nehrus-discovery-of-india-offers-a-peek-into-the-soul-of-india-3079802.html\|title=Bharat Mata Ki Jai: How Jawaharlal Nehru's Discovery of India offers a peek into the soul of India-India News , Firstpost\|date=29 October 2016\|website=Firstpost}}</ref>

	~~==Synopsis==~~
	The journey in ''The Discovery of India'' begins from ancient history, leading up to the last years of the [[British Raj]]. Nehru 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 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 provides a broad view of Indian [[History of India\|history]], philosophy and [[Culture of India\|culture]], as viewed from the eyes of an Indian fighting for the independence of his country. He wrote the book during his imprisonment.<ref name="das">{{cite journal\|last=Das\|first=Taraknath\|date=June 1947\|title=India--Past, Present and the Future\|journal=Political Science Quarterly\|volume=62\|issue=2\|pages=295–304\|doi=10.2307/2144210\|jstor=2144210}}{{subscription required}}</ref>

	In ''The Discovery of India'', Nehru argued that India was a historic nation with a right to sovereignty.<ref name="Calhoun2007">{{Cite book\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jQDT443KXdAC&q=discovery+of+india&pg=PA225\|title=Nations Matter: Culture, History and the Cosmopolitan Dream\|last=Calhoun\|first=Craig\|date=2007\|publisher=Routledge\|isbn=9780415411868\|pages=63\|language=en}}</ref> This book also analyses in depth the philosophy of Indian life. It has 10 chapters.

	~~==Other contributors==~~
	~~[[File:Jawaharlal Nehru's room at Ahmednagar fort - 20151226 031536.jpg\|right\|thumb\|Jawaharlal Nehru's room at [[Ahmednagar Fort]] during his incarceration]]~~
	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.

	~~==Edition<ref>The Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru (paperback, thirteenth edition), {{ISBN\|0-19-562359-2}}, Preface</ref> ==~~
	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]].<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/criticism-of-nehru-not-based-on-critical-enquiry-sonia/article5358770.ece\|title=Criticism of Nehru not based on critical enquiry: Sonia\|first=Gaurav Vivek\|last=Bhatnagar\|date=17 November 2013\|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref>{{Infobox book
	\| name = The Discovery of India		\| name = The Discovery of India
	\| image = Jawaharlal Nehru - The Discovery of India.jpg		\| image = Jawaharlal Nehru - The Discovery of India.jpg
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	\| subject = [[Indian history]], [[Indian culture]], [[Politics of India]], [[Religion in India]], [[Indian philosophy]]		\| subject = [[Indian history]], [[Indian culture]], [[Politics of India]], [[Religion in India]], [[Indian philosophy]]
	\| publisher = [[John Day Company\|John Day]] (US)<br>Meridian Books (UK)		\| publisher = [[John Day Company\|John Day]] (US)<br>Meridian Books (UK)
	\| release_date = 14 November 1946; 76 years ago		\| release_date = 14 November 1946; 76 years ago (at [[Signet Press]], [[Kolkata]], [[India]])
	~~<!-- \| dedicated_to = Prisoners of Ahmadnagar Jail -->~~\| media_type = Print ([[Paperback]])		\| media_type = Print ([[Paperback]])
	\| pages = 595		\| pages = 595
	\| isbn = 978-0-19-562359-8		\| isbn = 978-0-19-562359-8
	\| congress = DS436 .N42 1989		\| congress = DS436 .N42 1989
	}}		}}

			'''''The Discovery of India''''' is a book written by the Indian freedom fighter [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] (later India's first [[Prime Minister of India\|Prime Minister]]) during his imprisonment from 1942 to 1945 at [[Ahmednagar Fort]] in the present-day state of [[Maharashtra]] by British colonial authorities, prior to India's independence.<ref>{{Cite news\|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/nehrus-discovery-of-india-remains-a-bestseller-50-years-after-his-death/articleshow/35791589.cms\|title=Nehru's 'Discovery of India' remains a bestseller 50 years after his death \| Mumbai News - Times of India\|website=The Times of India\|date=30 May 2014}}</ref> The book was first published in India in 1946, and it remains a bestseller to this day.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/bharat-mata-ki-jai-how-jawaharlal-nehrus-discovery-of-india-offers-a-peek-into-the-soul-of-india-3079802.html\|title=Bharat Mata Ki Jai: How Jawaharlal Nehru's Discovery of India offers a peek into the soul of India\|date=29 October 2016\|website=Firstpost}}</ref>

			==Synopsis==
			''The Discovery of India'' traces the journey of India from ancient history to the final years of the [[British Raj]]. Nehru draws on his knowledge of the [[Upanishads]], [[Vedas]], and textbooks on ancient history to present the development of India, beginning with the [[Indus 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 the [[Quit 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 Indian [[History of India\|history]], philosophy, and [[Culture of India\|culture]] from the perspective of an Indian striving for independence.<ref name="das">{{cite journal\|last=Das\|first=Taraknath\|date=June 1947\|title=India--Past, Present and the Future\|journal=Political Science Quarterly\|volume=62\|issue=2\|pages=295–304\|doi=10.2307/2144210\|jstor=2144210}}{{subscription required}}</ref>

			==Other contributors==
			[[File:Jawaharlal Nehru's room at Ahmednagar fort - 20151226 031536.jpg\|right\|thumb\|Jawaharlal Nehru's room at [[Ahmednagar Fort]] during his incarceration]]
			Nehru acknowledges that some content was influenced by his fellow prisoners at Ahmednagar Fort. He gives special mention to [[Maulana Abul Kalam Azad]], [[Govind Ballabh Pant]], [[Narendra Deva]], and [[Asaf 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.

			==Edition==
			The book was first published by [[Signet Press]] in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India, in March 1946. It is currently published by the [[Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund]], with copyright held by his granddaughter-in-law [[Sonia Gandhi]].<ref>{{Cite news\|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/criticism-of-nehru-not-based-on-critical-enquiry-sonia/article5358770.ece\|title=Criticism of Nehru not based on critical enquiry: Sonia\|first=Gaurav Vivek\|last=Bhatnagar\|newspaper=The Hindu\|date=17 November 2013}}</ref>

	* ''The Discovery of India'' by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, {{ISBN\|0-670-05801-7}}		* ''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}}		* ''The Discovery of India'' by Jawaharlal Nehru (paperback, thirteenth edition), {{ISBN\|0-19-562359-2}}<ref>The Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru (paperback, thirteenth edition), {{ISBN\|0-19-562359-2}}, Preface</ref><ref>{{cite web \|last1=Bharat Ki Khoj \|first1=NCERT Class 8 \|title=NCERT Bharat Ki Khoj \|url=https://ncert.nic.in/textbook.php?hhbk1=0-9 \|website=NCERT \|access-date=12 March 2024}}</ref>

	==Adaptations==		==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.<ref>{{cite news \|title=What makes Shyam special... \|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2003/01/17/stories/2003011700990100.htm \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030627193719/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2003/01/17/stories/2003011700990100.htm \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=27 June 2003 \|date=17 January 2003 \|newspaper=[[The Hindu]] \|access-date=6 June 2013}}</ref>		The book served as the basis for the 53-episode Indian television series ''[[Bharat Ek Khoj]]'' (1988), directed by [[Shyam Benegal]] and first broadcast on the state-run [[Doordarshan]] channel.<ref>{{cite news \|title=What makes Shyam special... \|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2003/01/17/stories/2003011700990100.htm \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030627193719/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2003/01/17/stories/2003011700990100.htm \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=27 June 2003 \|date=17 January 2003 \|newspaper=[[The Hindu]] \|access-date=6 June 2013}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web \|url=https://ncert.nic.in/textbook.php?hhbk1=0-9 \|title=NCERT Bharat Ki Khoj \|website=NCERT \|access-date=12 March 2024}}</ref>

	==See also==		==See also==
	* ''[[Glimpses of World History]]''		* ''[[Letters from a Father to His Daughter]]'' (1929)
			* ''[[An Autobiography (Nehru)\|An Autobiography]]'' (1936)
			* ''[[Glimpses of World History]]'' (1934)

	==References==		==References==
	{{reflist}}		{{reflist}}

			==External links==
			*[https://archive.org/details/TheDiscoveryOfIndia-Eng-JawaharlalNehru/page/n1 ''The Discovery of India'']. First published by The Signet Press (1946).

			{{Authority control}}

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Discovery Of India}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Discovery Of India}}
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	[[Category:Books by Jawaharlal Nehru]]		[[Category:Books by Jawaharlal Nehru]]
	[[Category:John Day Company books]]		[[Category:John Day Company books]]

	~~==External links==~~
	*[https://archive.org/details/TheDiscoveryOfIndia-Eng-JawaharlalNehru/page/n1 ''The Discovery of India'']. First published by The Signet Press (1946).
	~~{{Jawaharlal Nehru}}~~

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2022-01-07T18:25:17Z

Edition[1]: Fixed date

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
 {{Use Indian English|date=April 2019}}
 The '''''Discovery of India''''' was written by the Indian Independence leader, [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] (later India's first [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]]) during his incarceration in 1942–1945 at [[Ahmednagar fort]] in present day Indian state of [[Maharashtra]] by British colonial authorities before the independence of India.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/nehrus-discovery-of-india-remains-a-bestseller-50-years-after-his-death/articleshow/35791589.cms|title=Nehru's 'Discovery of India' remains a bestseller 50 years after his death &#124; Mumbai News - Times of India|website=The Times of India}}</ref> The book was written in 1944 but published in 1946.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/bharat-mata-ki-jai-how-jawaharlal-nehrus-discovery-of-india-offers-a-peek-into-the-soul-of-india-3079802.html|title=Bharat Mata Ki Jai: How Jawaharlal Nehru's Discovery of India offers a peek into the soul of India-India News , Firstpost|date=29 October 2016|website=Firstpost}}</ref>
@@ Line 30: / Line 14: @@
 ==Other contributors==
 [[File:Jawaharlal Nehru's room at Ahmednagar fort - 20151226 031536.jpg|right|thumb|Jawaharlal Nehru's room at [[Ahmednagar Fort]] during his incarceration]]
-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.<ref>The Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru (paperback, thirteenth edition), {{ISBN|0-19-562359-2}}, Preface</ref>
+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.
-==Edition==
+==Edition<ref>The Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru (paperback, thirteenth edition), {{ISBN|0-19-562359-2}}, Preface</ref>  ==
-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]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/criticism-of-nehru-not-based-on-critical-enquiry-sonia/article5358770.ece|title=Criticism of Nehru not based on critical enquiry: Sonia|first=Gaurav Vivek|last=Bhatnagar|date=17 November 2013|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref>
+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]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/criticism-of-nehru-not-based-on-critical-enquiry-sonia/article5358770.ece|title=Criticism of Nehru not based on critical enquiry: Sonia|first=Gaurav Vivek|last=Bhatnagar|date=17 November 2013|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref>{{Infobox book
 * ''The Discovery of India'' by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, {{ISBN|0-670-05801-7}}

imported>Aspects: Undid revision 1039376472 by APPU (talk) rv back to preferred first edition cover and since the Commons file is tagged for deletion

2021-08-22T19:28:13Z

Undid revision 1039376472 by APPU (talk) rv back to preferred first edition cover and since the Commons file is tagged for deletion

New page

{{short description|Book by Jawaharlal Nehru}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2019}}
{{Infobox book
| name = The Discovery of India
| image = Jawaharlal Nehru - The Discovery of India.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = First US edition
| author = [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]
| country = India
| language = English, Hindi
| subject = [[Indian history]], [[Indian culture]], [[Politics of India]], [[Religion in India]], [[Indian philosophy]]
| publisher = [[John Day Company|John Day]] (US)<br>Meridian Books (UK)
| release_date = 14/11/1946
| media_type = Print ([[Paperback]])
| pages = 595
| isbn = 978-0-19-562359-8
| congress = DS436 .N42 1989
}}

The '''''Discovery of India''''' was written by the Indian Independence leader, [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] (later India's first [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]]) during his incarceration in 1942–1945 at [[Ahmednagar fort]] in present day Indian state of [[Maharashtra]] by British colonial authorities before the independence of India.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/nehrus-discovery-of-india-remains-a-bestseller-50-years-after-his-death/articleshow/35791589.cms|title=Nehru's 'Discovery of India' remains a bestseller 50 years after his death | Mumbai News - Times of India|website=The Times of India}}</ref> The book was written in 1944 but published in 1946.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/bharat-mata-ki-jai-how-jawaharlal-nehrus-discovery-of-india-offers-a-peek-into-the-soul-of-india-3079802.html|title=Bharat Mata Ki Jai: How Jawaharlal Nehru's Discovery of India offers a peek into the soul of India-India News , Firstpost|date=29 October 2016|website=Firstpost}}</ref>

==Synopsis==
The journey in ''The Discovery of India'' begins from ancient history, leading up to the last years of the [[British Raj]]. Nehru 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 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 provides a broad view of Indian [[History of India|history]], philosophy and [[Culture of India|culture]], as viewed from the eyes of an Indian fighting for the independence of his country. He wrote the book during his imprisonment.<ref name="das">{{cite journal|last=Das|first=Taraknath|date=June 1947|title=India--Past, Present and the Future|journal=Political Science Quarterly|volume=62|issue=2|pages=295–304|doi=10.2307/2144210|jstor=2144210}}{{subscription required}}</ref>

In ''The Discovery of India'', Nehru argued that India was a historic nation with a right to sovereignty.<ref name="Calhoun2007">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jQDT443KXdAC&q=discovery+of+india&pg=PA225|title=Nations Matter: Culture, History and the Cosmopolitan Dream|last=Calhoun|first=Craig|date=2007|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9780415411868|pages=63|language=en}}</ref> This book also analyses in depth the philosophy of Indian life. It has 10 chapters.

==Other contributors==
[[File:Jawaharlal Nehru's room at Ahmednagar fort - 20151226 031536.jpg|right|thumb|Jawaharlal Nehru's room at [[Ahmednagar Fort]] during his incarceration]]
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.<ref>The Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru (paperback, thirteenth edition), {{ISBN|0-19-562359-2}}, Preface</ref>

==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]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/criticism-of-nehru-not-based-on-critical-enquiry-sonia/article5358770.ece|title=Criticism of Nehru not based on critical enquiry: Sonia|first=Gaurav Vivek|last=Bhatnagar|date=17 November 2013|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref>

* ''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.<ref>{{cite news |title=What makes Shyam special... |url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2003/01/17/stories/2003011700990100.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030627193719/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2003/01/17/stories/2003011700990100.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 June 2003 |date=17 January 2003 |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=6 June 2013}}</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[Glimpses of World History]]''

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Discovery Of India}}
[[Category:Indian literature]]
[[Category:Historiography of India]]
[[Category:1946 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:History books about India]]
[[Category:Indian non-fiction books]]
[[Category:Contemporary Indian philosophy]]
[[Category:Oxford University Press books]]
[[Category:Prison writings]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian books]]
[[Category:Non-fiction books adapted into television shows]]
[[Category:Books by Jawaharlal Nehru]]
[[Category:John Day Company books]]

==External links==
*[https://archive.org/details/TheDiscoveryOfIndia-Eng-JawaharlalNehru/page/n1 ''The Discovery of India'']. First published by The Signet Press (1946).
{{Jawaharlal Nehru}}