Nehru's India: A History in Seven Myths

Nehrus India offers a new interpretation of India's first two decades of independence, challenging the myth of Nehru as the architect of independent India and examining seminal projects and underappreciated individuals.

Format: Hardback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 11 October 2022
Publisher: Princeton University Press

Nehrus India offers a provocative yet nuanced reinterpretation of the history of early independent India. Drawing from extensive research spanning two decades, Taylor Sherman challenges the notion of Jawaharlal Nehru as the sole architect of independent India and the associated ideas, policies, and institutions, including nonalignment, secularism, socialism, democracy, the strong state, and high modernism. She argues that these concepts have lost their explanatory power and have become myths.

Sherman delves into seminal projects and introduces readers to lesser-known personalities and fresh case studies. These include India's engagement with overseas Indians, the significance of Buddhism in secular India, the transformative impact of bicycles, a failed attempt to prohibit alcohol consumption in Bombay, the early history of election campaign finance, and the first state-sponsored art exhibitions. The author also highlights underappreciated individuals, such as Apa Pant, a charismatic diplomat who influenced foreign policy from Kenya to Tibet, and Urmila Eulie Chowdhury, a rebellious architect who played a role in the construction of Chandigarh.

By tracing and critiquing developments during this formative period in Indian history, Nehrus India provides a fresh and definitive exploration of the nation's early postcolonial era. It challenges prevailing narratives and offers a deeper understanding of the complex and multifaceted forces that shaped India's early years of independence.

Weight: 614g
Dimension: 164 x 242 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691222585