Motilal Nehru Biography

Motilal Nehru was an Indian lawyer and an important activist in India’s freedom movement. He was also the main patriarch of the most powerful political family of India – the Nehru-Gandhi family. He was the father of the first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru and the grandfather of the first woman Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi. He was also the father of the politician Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit. An important leader of the Indian National Congress, he had also served as its president twice. He was one of the wealthiest and most sought-after lawyers during his time. He was known for his elitist and westernized habits which he had inculcated owing to his multiple visits to Europe. His regular visits to Europe angered his conservative community that asked him to perform a reformation ceremony which he refused blatantly. At the same time, he was considered to be less revolutionary as compared to his son or even Mohandas Gandhi as he abided by British rules most of the time. He handed over the party to his son Jawaharlal Nehru when he started actively participating in its daily activities. He was not much active in the independence movement during the later years of his life due to his ailing health.