Motilal Nehru, a dignitary of India’s freedom movement and was the patriarch of what later became modern India's most powerful political dynasty. He was one of the most brilliant lawyers of the pre-independence and was elected as Congress President twice and is famous as the father of India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He was affectionately called as Pandit Motilal Nehru.
He was born on May 6, 1861 in Delhi to a Kashmiri Brahmin family and his parents were Gangadhar and Jeevarani. Unfortunately, his father died before he was born and was brought up by his elder brother Nandalal, who was a junior lawyer in Allahabad. Motilal Nehru became one of the first generation of young Indians to receive 'Western-style' college education. He attended Muir College in Agra, but failed to appear for the final year B. A examinations and then he decided to join legal profession and appeared for law examination. He secured first place in law examination and in the year 1883 he started his practice as a lawyer in Kanpur.
Motilal Nehru later settled in Allahabad and got recognized for himself as one of the best lawyers in the country and as he used to earn well every month, he lived with great splendor and pomp. He bought a large family home in Civil Lines of Allahabad and named it as Anand Bhavan. He often visited Europe and adopted that lifestyle. In the year 1909 he reached the summit of his legal career by gaining the approval to appear in the Privy Council of Great Britain. In the year 1910, he contested the election to the Legislative Assembly of the United Provinces and won it. The arrival of Mahatma Gandhi on Indian political vista transformed him. The Jalianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar in 1919 horrified his faith in British rule and he decided to join the freedom struggle. The British government appointed a Commission to inquire about the Jalianwala Bagh incident, which was boycotted by The Congress. It appointed its own Inquiry Committee, where Motilal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and Chittranjan Das were among its members. Following Mahatma Gandhi's call for Non Cooperation movement motivated him and he gave up legal practice and eschewed his lavish lifestyle. He gave up wearing Western clothes and articles and started wearing khadi.
Motilal Nehru was elected as Congress President in the year 1919 and 1920. In the year1923, he formed the Swaraj party together with Deshbandhu Chittranjan Das. The object of the Swaraj Part was to penetrate into the Legislative Assembly as elected members to oppose the government. Motilal Nehru first became the Secretary and later the President of the party. He became the Leader of the Opposition in the Central Legislative Assembly and raucously opposed and uncovered the decisions of the government.
When the Simon Commission was appointed by the British Government in 1927, Motilal Nehru was asked to draft a constitution for free India. The constitution, drafted by him, projected Dominion status for India. The radical wing of the Congress led by Jawaharlal Nehru, and Subash Chandra Bose opposed Dominion status and favored full freedom. In the year 1930, Motilal Nehru was arrested in the stir of Civil Disobedience Movement. He was released in 1931 owing to his of his waning health and on February 6, 1931 in Lucknow, Motilal Nehru breathed his last.
Birth: May 6 1861
Death: February 6 1931
Achievement: Elected twice as President of Congress ; formed Swaraj Party and was Leader of the Opposition in the Central Legislative Assembly; Drafted the Constitution for India.
He was born on May 6, 1861 in Delhi to a Kashmiri Brahmin family and his parents were Gangadhar and Jeevarani. Unfortunately, his father died before he was born and was brought up by his elder brother Nandalal, who was a junior lawyer in Allahabad. Motilal Nehru became one of the first generation of young Indians to receive 'Western-style' college education. He attended Muir College in Agra, but failed to appear for the final year B. A examinations and then he decided to join legal profession and appeared for law examination. He secured first place in law examination and in the year 1883 he started his practice as a lawyer in Kanpur.
Motilal Nehru later settled in Allahabad and got recognized for himself as one of the best lawyers in the country and as he used to earn well every month, he lived with great splendor and pomp. He bought a large family home in Civil Lines of Allahabad and named it as Anand Bhavan. He often visited Europe and adopted that lifestyle. In the year 1909 he reached the summit of his legal career by gaining the approval to appear in the Privy Council of Great Britain. In the year 1910, he contested the election to the Legislative Assembly of the United Provinces and won it. The arrival of Mahatma Gandhi on Indian political vista transformed him. The Jalianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar in 1919 horrified his faith in British rule and he decided to join the freedom struggle. The British government appointed a Commission to inquire about the Jalianwala Bagh incident, which was boycotted by The Congress. It appointed its own Inquiry Committee, where Motilal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and Chittranjan Das were among its members. Following Mahatma Gandhi's call for Non Cooperation movement motivated him and he gave up legal practice and eschewed his lavish lifestyle. He gave up wearing Western clothes and articles and started wearing khadi.
Motilal Nehru was elected as Congress President in the year 1919 and 1920. In the year1923, he formed the Swaraj party together with Deshbandhu Chittranjan Das. The object of the Swaraj Part was to penetrate into the Legislative Assembly as elected members to oppose the government. Motilal Nehru first became the Secretary and later the President of the party. He became the Leader of the Opposition in the Central Legislative Assembly and raucously opposed and uncovered the decisions of the government.
When the Simon Commission was appointed by the British Government in 1927, Motilal Nehru was asked to draft a constitution for free India. The constitution, drafted by him, projected Dominion status for India. The radical wing of the Congress led by Jawaharlal Nehru, and Subash Chandra Bose opposed Dominion status and favored full freedom. In the year 1930, Motilal Nehru was arrested in the stir of Civil Disobedience Movement. He was released in 1931 owing to his of his waning health and on February 6, 1931 in Lucknow, Motilal Nehru breathed his last.
Birth: May 6 1861
Death: February 6 1931
Achievement: Elected twice as President of Congress ; formed Swaraj Party and was Leader of the Opposition in the Central Legislative Assembly; Drafted the Constitution for India.