The Discovery Of India is a book that provides the broad history of India from the perspective of Jawaharlal Nehru, the countrys first Prime Minister and a key figure in the Indian independence movement.


Summary Of The Book

The Discovery Of India was written by Jawaharlal Nehru when he was imprisoned by the British in the Ahmadnagar Prison.He was arrested for taking part in the Quit India movement.To keep himself occupied during his time there,Nehru started writing a book on the vibrant history and culture of his ancient land.


Nehru has encapsulated the history of this vast land right from prehistoric times to the pre independence period.He has covered,in around 600 pages,the Indus Valley civilization,the Vedic period, the different great empires in both the North and South,the Mughals,the arrival of the European powers in India,and the British rule.


Sweeping across topics in its scope,the book discusses the Vedas,Upanishads,the Buddha,and even Mahatma Gandhi,covering every region and notable personality in Indias history.This is an ambitious work that is considered to be a classic in Indian literature.


Nehrus main aim in writing this book was to highlight the rich past of the country and assert Indias right to establish itself as an independent and sovereign nation that did not need any outside guidance to govern itself.


Nehru mentions the help he received from his fellow prisoners.They read his manuscript and made many valuable suggestions. He discussed various aspects of Indian history with them and says that such discussions helped him clarify the ideas expressed in the book.