The Discovery of India

• ISBN13: 9789372278927
• Binding: Paperback
• Subject: History
• Publisher: Atlantic Publishers & Distributors (P) Ltd
• Publisher Imprint: Peacock Books
• Publication Date: July 28, 2026
• Pages: 595
• Original Price: INR 595.0
• Language: English
• Edition: N/A
• Item Weight: 520 grams
• BISAC Subject(s): Asia / South / General, Modern / 20th Century / General, and Civilization

“Without that passion and urge, there is a gradual oozing out of hope and vitality, a settling down on lower levels of existence, a slow merging into non-existence. We become prisoners of the past, and some part of its immobility sticks to us.”

Written during his imprisonment from 1942 to 1945, The Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru is a profound and eloquent exploration of India's rich cultural heritage, history and philosophical traditions. First published in 1946, this work is a testament to Nehru's blend of personal reflection and scholarly insight, tracing the evolution of India from ancient civilisation to the threshold of independence. With clarity and conviction, he examines the impact of foreign invasions, colonial rule and the enduring resilience of the Indian spirit. More than a historical account, this seminal work is a passionate tribute to India's soul—its people, ideas and enduring quest for unity. A literary and intellectual masterpiece, The Discovery of India remains an essential reading for those seeking to understand the complexities and grandeur of one of the world's oldest living civilisations.

Endorsements

“Nehru writes with the mind of a scientist and the words of a poet, and his vision characterized by unbounded enthusiasm for the future of India is evident in this book.”

—The Medium

Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) was a Russian writer and playwright, widely regarded as one of the greatest masters of the modern short story. Born in Taganrog, Russia, Chekhov studied medicine at Moscow University and supported his family by writing humorous sketches and short pieces for magazines. Though trained as a physician, he continued to write throughout his life, once remarking that medicine was his lawful wife and literature his mistress.

In addition to his short stories, Chekhov made significant contributions to drama, with plays such as The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, and The Cherry Orchard, which remain central to modern theatre. His writing is celebrated for its simplicity, emotional depth and keen observation of human nature. Today, Chekhov’s works continue to influence writers and dramatists worldwide, securing his place as one of the most important figures in world literature.

Noteworthy works by Anton Chekhov:

• The Seagull (1896)
• Uncle Vanya (1899)
• Three Sisters (1901)
• The Cherry Orchard (1904)

• Preface
Chapter 1: Ahmadnagar Fort
• Twenty Months
• Famine
• The War for Democracy
• Time in Prison: The Urge to Action
• The Past in its Relation to the Present
• Life’s Philosophy
• The Burden of the Past
Chapter 2: Badenweiler, Lausanne
• Kamala
• Our Marriage and After
• The Problem of Human Relationships
• Christmas 1935
• Death
• Mussolini Return
Chapter 3: The Quest
• The Panorama of India’s Past
• Nationalism and Internationalism
• India’s Strength and Weakness
• The Search for India
• ‘Bharat Mata’
• The Variety and Unity of India
• Travelling through India
• General Elections
• The Culture of the Masses
• Two Lives
Chapter 4: The Discovery of India
• The Indus Valley Civilization
• The Coming of the Aryans
• What is Hinduism?
• The Earliest Records, Scripture and Mythology
• The Vedas
• The Acceptance and the Negation of Life
• Synthesis and Adjustment. The Beginnings of the Caste System
• The Continuity of Indian Culture
• The Upanishads
• The Advantages and Disadvantages of an Individualistic Philosophy
• Materialism
• The Epics. History, Tradition, and Myth
• The Mahabharata
• The Bhagavad Gita
• Life and Work in Ancient India
• Mahavira and Buddha: Caste
• Chandragupta and Chanakya. The Maurya Empire Established
• The Organization of the State
• Buddha’s Teaching
• The Buddha Story
• Ashoka
Chapter 5: Through the Ages
• Nationalism and Imperialism Under the Guptas
• South India
• Peaceful Development and Methods of Warfare
• India’s Urge to Freedom
• Progress Versus Security
• India and Iran
• India and Greece
• The Old Indian Theatre
• Vitality and Persistence of Sanskrit
• Buddhist Philosophy
• Effect of Buddhism on Hinduism
• How did Hinduism Absorb Buddhism in India?
• The Indian Philosophical Approach
• The Six Systems of Philosophy
• India and China
• Indian Colonies and Culture in South-East Asia
• The Influence of Indian Art Abroad
• Old Indian Art
• India’s Foreign Trade
• Mathematics in Ancient India
• Growth and Decay
Chapter 6: New Problems
• The Arabs and Mongols
• The Flowering of Arab Culture and Contacts with India
• Mahmud of Ghazni and the Afghans
• The Indo-Afghans. South India. Vijayanagar. Babar Sea Power
• Synthesis and Growth of Mixed Culture Purdah. Kabir. Guru Nanak. Amir Khusrau
• The Indian Social Structure. Importance of the Group
• Village Self-Government. The Shukra Nitisara
• The Theory and Practice of Caste. The Joint Family
• Babar and Akbar: The Process of Indianization
• The Contrast between Asia and Europe in Mechanical Advance and Creative Energy
• Development of a Common Culture
• Aurangzeb puts the Clock Back Growth of Hindu Nationalism. Shivaji
• The Marathas and the British Struggle for Supremacy. Triumph of the British
• The Backwardness of India and the Superiority of the English in Organization and Technique
• Ranjit Singh and Jai Singh
• The Economic Background of India: the Two Englands
Chapter 7: The Last Phase (1) Consolidation of British Rule and Rise of Nationalist Movement
• The Ideology of Empire. The New Caste
• The Plunder of Bengal helps the Industrial Revolution in England
• The Destruction of India’s Industry and the Decay of Her Agriculture
• India Becomes for the First Time a Political and Economic Appendage of Another Country
• The Growth of the Indian States System
• Contradictions of British Rule in India Ram Mohan Roy. The Press Sir William Jones. English Education in Bengal
• The Great Revolt of 1857. Racialism
• The Techniques of British Rule: Balance and Counterpoise
• Growth of Industry: Provincial Differences
• Reform and Other Movements among Hindus and Muslims
• Kemal Pasha. Nationalism in Asia. Iqbal
• Heavy Industry Begins. Tilak and Gokhale. Separate Electorates
Chapter 8: The Last Phase (2) Nationalism Versus Imperialism
• Helplessness of the Middle Classes. Gandhi Comes
• The Congress Becomes a Dynamic Organization under Gandhi’s Leadership
• Congress Governments in the Provinces
• Indian Dynamism versus British Conservatism in India
• The Question of Minorities. The Muslim League: Mr. M. A. Jinnah
• The National Planning Committee
• The Congress and Industry: Big Industry versus Cottage Industry
• Government Checks Industrial Growth. War Production is Diversion from Normal Production
Chapter 9: The Last Phase (3) World War II
• The Congress Develops a Foreign Policy
• The Congress Approach to War
• Reaction to War
• Another Congress Offer and its Rejection by the British Government. Mr. Winston Churchill
• Individual Civil Disobedience
• After Pearl Harbour. Gandhi and Non-Violence
• Tension
• Sir Stafford Cripps comes to India
• Frustration
• The Challenge: Quit India Resolution
Chapter 10: Ahmadnagar Fort Again
• The Chain of Happening
• The Two Backgrounds: Indian and British
• Mass Upheavals and their Suppression
• Reactions Abroad
• Reactions in India
• India’s Sickness: Famine
• India’s Dynamic Capacity
• India’s Growth Arrested
• Religion, Philosophy, and Science
• The Importance of the National Idea. Changes Necessary in India
• India: Partition or Strong National State or Centre of Supra-National State?
• Realism and Geopolitics. World Conquest or World Association. The U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R.
• Freedom and Empire
• The Problem of Population. Falling Birth rates and National Decay
• The Modern Approach to an Old Problem
• Epilogue
Postscript
• Allahabad 29th December 1945
• Index