The Discovery of India
The Discovery of India was written by the Indian freedom fighter Jawaharlal Nehru (later India's first 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.[1] The book was written in 1944 but published in 1946.[2]
Author
English, Hindi
John Day (US)
Meridian Books (UK)
14 November 1946; 76 years ago (at Signet Press, Kolkata, India)
India
Print (Paperback)
595
DS436 .N42 1989
Synopsis[edit]
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, philosophy, and culture as viewed from the eyes of an Indian fighting for the independence of his country. He wrote the book during his imprisonment.[3]
The book was first published from Signet Press at Calcutta (now Kolkata), India on 16 November 1946.
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.[5]
[6]
Adaptations[edit]
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.[7] A modified version of this book is taught as a Hindi supplement[8] in 8th grade.