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Jawaharlal Nehru Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 5, 2026 • 3 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth14 November 1889

Age74 Years (at time of death)

BirthplaceAllahabad, United Provinces, British India (Now, Uttar Pradesh, India)

ProfessionBarrister, Writer, Politician

NationalityIndian

Marital statusWidower

SpouseKamala Nehru (1916-1936)

FamilyDaughter - Indira Gandhi; Father - Motilal Nehru; Mother - Swaruprani Thussu; Sisters - Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Krishna Hutheesing

Jawaharlal Nehru Biography

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was a central figure in India’s struggle for independence and the country’s first prime minister. A barrister-turned-statesman, he—

Early life and background
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was born on 14 November 1889 in Allahabad, then part of the United Provinces of British India. He grew up in the family home Anand Bhavan in a privileged environment and received a combination of private tutoring and formal schooling. His education included time at Harrow in England and later at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he took honours in natural science. He was called to the Bar in 1912 and enrolled as an advocate at the Allahabad High Court, though he soon found the practice of law unsatisfying and gravitated toward public life.

Nehru’s upbringing exposed him to both Western and Indian intellectual currents. Early interests in theosophy, and later engagement with Hindu and Buddhist scriptures, shaped his intellectual development. He read widely—history, politics, economics and literature—and cited thinkers and writers of his time as influences on his evolving views.

Career
Nehru formally entered political life in 1912 when he attended his first Indian National Congress session. Over the following decades he became an increasingly prominent leader within the Congress, advocating a more assertive nationalist stance than the moderates. He associated with the Home Rule movement and worked with figures such as Annie Besant, serving as secretary of her Home Rule League.

Through the 1920s and 1930s Nehru became a leading voice in the independence movement. He was imprisoned several times for his role in non-cooperation and civil disobedience campaigns, including a six-month detention in 1930 for participation in the Salt Satyagraha. As Congress president at the Lahore session in 1929, he called for complete independence from British rule and helped set 26 January 1930 as a day to be observed as Independence Day; he also hoisted the tricolour at the Lahore session at midnight on New Year’s Eve 1929.

Nehru worked to internationalize India’s cause, representing India at the Congress of Oppressed Nations in Brussels in 1927. He championed civil rights campaigns abroad as well, supporting Indian efforts against discriminatory practices such as indentured labour in British colonies and backing Mahatma Gandhi’s initiatives in South Africa.

After independence, Nehru became the first Prime Minister of India on 15 August 1947. In the years that followed he undertook programs to shape the newly independent state, including initiating five-year planning in 1951 to guide economic development. He remained the country’s prime minister until his death in 1964.

Public profile
Nehru was popularly known by affectionate epithets such as Chacha Nehru and Panditji. He combined the roles of barrister, writer and politician, and his public persona blended intellectual interests with active political leadership. He received India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1955.

Family and personal life
Nehru married Kamala Nehru in 1916. The couple’s daughter, Indira Gandhi, was born on 19 November 1917 and later became a prominent politician. Kamala Nehru died in the mid-1930s of tuberculosis. Nehru’s parents were Motilal Nehru, a lawyer and political figure, and Swaruprani Thussu. His sisters included Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit and Krishna Hutheesing.

Personal habits and interests reported during his life included reading, writing, swimming and interests in sword fighting; he was described as non-vegetarian and noted to have smoked and consumed alcohol. He stood about 173 cm tall and was of Kashmiri Pandit background; his religion is identified as Hinduism.

Later life and death
Nehru continued to lead India through the first decades of independence. He died in New Delhi on 27 May 1964 at the age of 74 from a heart attack. His legacy includes institutions and memorials that bear his name across the country, reflecting his role in shaping modern India.

Latest updates
Several institutions and public works have been named in his honour, among them universities, hospitals and infrastructure projects that commemorate his contribution to the nation. His writings and speeches, along with his policy initiatives such as five-year planning, remain central to studies of India’s early post-independence history.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Jawaharlal Nehru, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
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Recent Work

Prime Minister of India

Served as the first Prime Minister of independent India and led national planning and development initiatives beginning in 1951.

1947-1964
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Career Highlights

  1. Called for complete independence at the Lahore Session of Congress in 1929 and hoisted the tricolour there.
  2. Represented India at the Congress of Oppressed Nationalities in Brussels in 1927.
  3. Served as India’s first Prime Minister from 15 August 1947 until his death in 1964.
  4. Initiated five-year planning in 1951 to guide India’s post-independence development.
  5. Awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1955.
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Jawaharlal Nehru born?

Jawaharlal Nehru was born on 14 November 1889.

What is Jawaharlal Nehru known for?

Jawaharlal Nehru is known for barrister, Writer, Politician.

What is Jawaharlal Nehru’s marital status?

Jawaharlal Nehru's marital status is listed as Widower.

Who is Jawaharlal Nehru married to?

Jawaharlal Nehru is publicly listed as married to Kamala Nehru (1916-1936).