147. Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India and one of the strongest leaders of the independence movement. Through his leadership, independent India went on to become one of the more industrialized nations. Jawaharlal Nehru was born into a wealthy Kashmiri Brahmin family on the 14th of November, 1989 at Allahabad in North India. He studied at Harrow School in England, for two years before entering Trinity College at the University of Cambridge, where he spent three years earning an honours degree in Natural Science.
He then qualified as a a barrister after two years at the Inner Temple, London. He returned to India in 1912 and practiced law in Allahabad High Court. In 1916 he married Kamala Kaul. Their only child, Indira Priyadarshini, would too, later serve as the Prime Minister of India. Nehru was deeply moved to join politics when on 13th April, 1919, British troops fired at point-blank range into a crowd of 10,000 unarmed Indians who had gathered at Amritsar, Punjab, to celebrate a Hindu festival.
Nehru joined the Non-cooperation movement, which was led by Mahatma Gandhi, in 1920. The campaign of Non-cooperation advocated ‘ahimsa’ and ‘swaraj’, particularly in the economic sphere. In the year 1920, Gandhi refashioned the Congress party from an elite organization into an effective political instrument with widespread grassroots and Nehru supported the reforms. Nehru was arrested by the British and imprisoned for the first time in 1921.
Over the next 24 years, Nehru spent more than nine years in jail, with the longest of his nine detentions lasting for three years. Nehru occupied much of his prison time with writing. His major works include Glimpses of World History (1934), his Autobiography (1936) and The Discovery of India (1946). Nehru became the General Secretary of the Congress party for a period of two years from1923-25. He attained the position again in 1927 for another two years.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
146. Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi or more respectfully known as the Mahatma, the father of the Indian nation was born in the town of Porbander in Gujarat on 2 October 1869. He had his schooling in nearby Rajkot, where his father served as the adviser to the local ruler. At thirteen he was married to Kasturba [or Kasturbai], who was even younger. His father died before Gandhi could finish his schooling. In 1888, Gandhi set sail for England, where he had decided to pursue a degree in law. Gandhi left behind his son and wife.
In London, Gandhi encountered theosophists, vegetarians, and others who were disenchanted not only with industrialism, but also with the legacy of Enlightenment thought. They themselves represented the fringe elements of English society. Gandhi was powerfully attracted to them, as he was to the texts of the major religious traditions. It is in London that he was introduced to the Bhagavad Gita. He was called to the bar in 1891, and even enrolled in the High Court of London; but later that year he left for India. After one year of law practice, Gandhi decided to accept an offer as a legal adviser from an Indian businessman in South Africa, Dada Abdulla.
His stay in South Africa lasted for over twenty years. The Indians who had been living in South Africa were without political rights, and were generally known by the derogatory name of 'coolies'. It is in South Africa that he first coined the term satyagraha when he emerged as a leader of the Indian community in South Africa. Satyagraha signifies his theory and practice of non-violent resistance. Gandhi was to describe himself preeminently as a votary or seeker of satya (truth), which could not be attained other than through ahimsa (non-violence, love) and brahmacharya (celibacy, striving towards God).
Gandhi felt that satyagraha could be used to make the oppressor and the oppressed recognize their common bonding and humanity. In South Africa he used satyagraha in the struggles of the Indians to claim their rights, and their resistance to oppressive legislation and executive measures, such as the imposition of a poll tax on them, or the declaration by the government that all non-Christian marriages were to be construed as invalid.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi or more respectfully known as the Mahatma, the father of the Indian nation was born in the town of Porbander in Gujarat on 2 October 1869. He had his schooling in nearby Rajkot, where his father served as the adviser to the local ruler. At thirteen he was married to Kasturba [or Kasturbai], who was even younger. His father died before Gandhi could finish his schooling. In 1888, Gandhi set sail for England, where he had decided to pursue a degree in law. Gandhi left behind his son and wife.
In London, Gandhi encountered theosophists, vegetarians, and others who were disenchanted not only with industrialism, but also with the legacy of Enlightenment thought. They themselves represented the fringe elements of English society. Gandhi was powerfully attracted to them, as he was to the texts of the major religious traditions. It is in London that he was introduced to the Bhagavad Gita. He was called to the bar in 1891, and even enrolled in the High Court of London; but later that year he left for India. After one year of law practice, Gandhi decided to accept an offer as a legal adviser from an Indian businessman in South Africa, Dada Abdulla.
His stay in South Africa lasted for over twenty years. The Indians who had been living in South Africa were without political rights, and were generally known by the derogatory name of 'coolies'. It is in South Africa that he first coined the term satyagraha when he emerged as a leader of the Indian community in South Africa. Satyagraha signifies his theory and practice of non-violent resistance. Gandhi was to describe himself preeminently as a votary or seeker of satya (truth), which could not be attained other than through ahimsa (non-violence, love) and brahmacharya (celibacy, striving towards God).
Gandhi felt that satyagraha could be used to make the oppressor and the oppressed recognize their common bonding and humanity. In South Africa he used satyagraha in the struggles of the Indians to claim their rights, and their resistance to oppressive legislation and executive measures, such as the imposition of a poll tax on them, or the declaration by the government that all non-Christian marriages were to be construed as invalid.
145. Chandrasekhar Venkata Raman
Chandrasekhar Venkata Raman, popularly known as C.V.Raman was born in Thiruchinapalli, in Tamil Nadu on November 1888. He was the second child of Chandrasekhar Iyer and Parvathi Ammal. His father was a lecturer in mathematics and physics so that from the first he was immersed in an academic atmosphere. At a very early age, Raman moved to the city of Vishakapatnam, which is in the state of Andhra Pradesh. On May 6, 1907, he married Lokasundari Ammal.
Raman grew up in an atmosphere of music, Sanskrit literature and science. At the age of eleven he finished his secondary school education and two years later moved to the prestigious Presidency College in Madras. In 1904, when he was fifteen, he received B.A with Honors in Physics and English. He gained his M.A degree in 1907 obtaining the highest distinctions. After completing his studies, Raman became an accountant in the finance department of the Indian government. He was elected to the Royal Society of London in 1924.
At the time of Raman’s graduation, there were few opportunities for scientists in India. This forced him to accept a position with the Indian Civil Services as an Assistant Accountant General in Calcutta. Love of science, enthusiasm for work and the curiosity to learn the new things were natural to Raman. He took immense interest in the study of sound. When he was eighteen years of age one of his research papers was published in the ‘Philosophical Magazine’ of England. Later another paper was published in the scientific journal ‘Nature’.
He became Professor of Physics at the University of Calcutta in 1917. He worked there till 1948. And then he became the Director of the Raman Institute of Research at Bangalore which was established and endowed by him. We are delighted by the rainbow. We see it in shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The white ray of the sun includes all these colors. When a beam of sunlight is passed through a glass prism a patch of these color brands are seen. This is called spectrum.
Chandrasekhar Venkata Raman, popularly known as C.V.Raman was born in Thiruchinapalli, in Tamil Nadu on November 1888. He was the second child of Chandrasekhar Iyer and Parvathi Ammal. His father was a lecturer in mathematics and physics so that from the first he was immersed in an academic atmosphere. At a very early age, Raman moved to the city of Vishakapatnam, which is in the state of Andhra Pradesh. On May 6, 1907, he married Lokasundari Ammal.
Raman grew up in an atmosphere of music, Sanskrit literature and science. At the age of eleven he finished his secondary school education and two years later moved to the prestigious Presidency College in Madras. In 1904, when he was fifteen, he received B.A with Honors in Physics and English. He gained his M.A degree in 1907 obtaining the highest distinctions. After completing his studies, Raman became an accountant in the finance department of the Indian government. He was elected to the Royal Society of London in 1924.
At the time of Raman’s graduation, there were few opportunities for scientists in India. This forced him to accept a position with the Indian Civil Services as an Assistant Accountant General in Calcutta. Love of science, enthusiasm for work and the curiosity to learn the new things were natural to Raman. He took immense interest in the study of sound. When he was eighteen years of age one of his research papers was published in the ‘Philosophical Magazine’ of England. Later another paper was published in the scientific journal ‘Nature’.
He became Professor of Physics at the University of Calcutta in 1917. He worked there till 1948. And then he became the Director of the Raman Institute of Research at Bangalore which was established and endowed by him. We are delighted by the rainbow. We see it in shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The white ray of the sun includes all these colors. When a beam of sunlight is passed through a glass prism a patch of these color brands are seen. This is called spectrum.
144. Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi was the first woman ever elected to lead a democracy. She was the Prime Minister from 1966-77 and then again between 1980-84 till her death at the hands of her own bodyguards. A paradox she may seem for during the time that she served India as a Prime Minister, she was known as a dictator as well as one of the most charismatic leaders of India. Indira Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917 and was the only child of Jawaharlal and Kamala Nehru. The active participation of both her parents in India's independence struggle of India from the British, Indira Gandhi was drawn to politics at an early age.
It was as if politics and politicians always surrounded her. By the time she was about twelve years old, she headed what came to be known as the Monkey Brigade. The monkey brigade consisted of children who warned the independence movement leaders of their arrest. Being its leader, she delivered speeches while other children actually warned the people who were going to be arrested. The Congress figured that the British would not suspect children of participating in such involvement.
She was soon sent to England for her studies where she joined the Somerville college, Oxford. She also spent time in Switzerland primarily because her mother needed to be there due to her ill health. But her mother passed away in 1936. In 1938, Indira returned to India and joined the Indian National Congress Party. Soon afterwards in 1942, she married journalist Feroze Gandhi with whom she eventually had two sons-Sanjay and Rajiv Gandhi. Soon after the couple was married, they were sent to prison on charges of subversion by the British.
India won its independence from Britain in 1947. In that same year, Indira's father Jawaharlal Nehru became India's first Prime Minister. Since her mother's death, Indira acted as her father's hostess and confidante and traveled with Nehru. Simultaneously, she was steadily making her way presence felt in the political arena. She began to associate herself with numerous organizations.
Indira Gandhi was the first woman ever elected to lead a democracy. She was the Prime Minister from 1966-77 and then again between 1980-84 till her death at the hands of her own bodyguards. A paradox she may seem for during the time that she served India as a Prime Minister, she was known as a dictator as well as one of the most charismatic leaders of India. Indira Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917 and was the only child of Jawaharlal and Kamala Nehru. The active participation of both her parents in India's independence struggle of India from the British, Indira Gandhi was drawn to politics at an early age.
It was as if politics and politicians always surrounded her. By the time she was about twelve years old, she headed what came to be known as the Monkey Brigade. The monkey brigade consisted of children who warned the independence movement leaders of their arrest. Being its leader, she delivered speeches while other children actually warned the people who were going to be arrested. The Congress figured that the British would not suspect children of participating in such involvement.
She was soon sent to England for her studies where she joined the Somerville college, Oxford. She also spent time in Switzerland primarily because her mother needed to be there due to her ill health. But her mother passed away in 1936. In 1938, Indira returned to India and joined the Indian National Congress Party. Soon afterwards in 1942, she married journalist Feroze Gandhi with whom she eventually had two sons-Sanjay and Rajiv Gandhi. Soon after the couple was married, they were sent to prison on charges of subversion by the British.
India won its independence from Britain in 1947. In that same year, Indira's father Jawaharlal Nehru became India's first Prime Minister. Since her mother's death, Indira acted as her father's hostess and confidante and traveled with Nehru. Simultaneously, she was steadily making her way presence felt in the political arena. She began to associate herself with numerous organizations.
143. Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa was born on August 26, 1910. On August 27, 1910, she was christened Agnes-Gonxha Bojaxhiu. She was the last of three children. She had an elder sister, Aga and an elder brother, Lazar. Her sister and her were actively involved in church activities. They were both a part of the choir and were affectionately known as the 'nightingales' of the church. Her brother received a scholarship to study in Austria and he therefore left home at an early age to study in Austria.
Mother Teresa's parents, Nikola and Dranafile were Albanian and were originally from city of Prizren, which was then a part of Yugoslavia. Her father, Nikhola, moved the family to the town of Skopje, Serbia where he became a merchant and an entrepreneur. Her mother, Dranafile, was a housewife. Both the parents made religion and prayer an important part of their family life. They also encouraged a non-materialistic and generous life style. Her mother occupied herself with taking care of elderly people, alcoholic mothers and orphans. As a child, Mother Teresa often accompanied her mother on these trips.
At about the age of twelve, Mother Teresa realized that she wanted to live her life with the poor and God. She discussed this with a Father she assisted in church and asked him how she could be sure about it. He replied that if the thought of it makes her happy, then it is it. And he added: "the deep inner joy that you feel is the compass that indicates your direction in life". At 18, she decided to be a nun. When she discussed this with her mother, her mother spent a whole day alone in a room and when she came out, she held her daughter's hand in hers and told her: "Put Your hand in His and walk all the way with Him."
She left Skopje on September 26, 1928 to become a nun. Many of her friends, relatives and neighbors accompanied her to the station and that was the last time she saw her mother. Other girls who were on the same mission joined her along her journey. Agnes and her colleague landed at Rathfarnham, Dublin and they went to the house of the Loreto Sisters.
Mother Teresa was born on August 26, 1910. On August 27, 1910, she was christened Agnes-Gonxha Bojaxhiu. She was the last of three children. She had an elder sister, Aga and an elder brother, Lazar. Her sister and her were actively involved in church activities. They were both a part of the choir and were affectionately known as the 'nightingales' of the church. Her brother received a scholarship to study in Austria and he therefore left home at an early age to study in Austria.
Mother Teresa's parents, Nikola and Dranafile were Albanian and were originally from city of Prizren, which was then a part of Yugoslavia. Her father, Nikhola, moved the family to the town of Skopje, Serbia where he became a merchant and an entrepreneur. Her mother, Dranafile, was a housewife. Both the parents made religion and prayer an important part of their family life. They also encouraged a non-materialistic and generous life style. Her mother occupied herself with taking care of elderly people, alcoholic mothers and orphans. As a child, Mother Teresa often accompanied her mother on these trips.
At about the age of twelve, Mother Teresa realized that she wanted to live her life with the poor and God. She discussed this with a Father she assisted in church and asked him how she could be sure about it. He replied that if the thought of it makes her happy, then it is it. And he added: "the deep inner joy that you feel is the compass that indicates your direction in life". At 18, she decided to be a nun. When she discussed this with her mother, her mother spent a whole day alone in a room and when she came out, she held her daughter's hand in hers and told her: "Put Your hand in His and walk all the way with Him."
She left Skopje on September 26, 1928 to become a nun. Many of her friends, relatives and neighbors accompanied her to the station and that was the last time she saw her mother. Other girls who were on the same mission joined her along her journey. Agnes and her colleague landed at Rathfarnham, Dublin and they went to the house of the Loreto Sisters.
142. Haider ali
Haider Ali was born in 1722 and was the son of Fateh Mohammad, a Punjabi adventurer, who traced his lineage to the family of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.). Haider Ali rose from poverty and came to notice of the ruler of Mysore as a brave soldier. In 1755, he became the Faujdar, or the Military Commander, and Jagirdar of Budikot in Mysore. Though uneducated, Haider Ali displayed robust common sense, courage and determination, taking full advantage of every opportunity that came his way.
Haider Ali copied the army organization and equipment of the English and the French. Charge of the whole army was entrusted to him in 1757 when the Marhattas attacked Mysore and the internal position of the state was in chaos. He rose to the occasion and forced the Marhattas to withdraw. The Maharaja gave him the title of Fateh Bahadur. In 1761, he rose to the position of Chief Minister of Mysore and continued to strengthen his power. By 1766, the Hindu ruler of Mysore was the head merely in name, while Haider Ali assumed unquestioned control. When the Raja died in 1766, Haider Ali became the actual ruler.
Haider Ali discharged his responsibilities with great ability and not only overcame the chaos within the state, but also took advantage of the prevailing anarchy in the south, adding fresh territory to Mysore and greatly extending its area. The Marhattas and the Nizam of Hyderabad, who continued to cause trouble for him, viewed the rise of Mysore with anxiety. His entire reign was almost taken up with military campaigns against the Nizam of Hyderabad, Nawab of Karnatic and the Marhattas who claimed Mysore to be part of their dominion.
Both the Marhattas and the Nizam of Hyderabad on numerous occasions sided with the British in joint attacks on Mysore. In 1767, the British, in alliance with Hyderabad and the Marhattas, took the field against Haider Ali. In the first Mysore War, after some initial reverses, Haider Ali was able to defeat the British. Haider Ali took his army to the outskirts of Madras and dictated peace to the British. According to the peace treaty between Haider Ali and the British, it was arranged that mutual assistance would be provided in case of attack on either side.
Haider Ali was born in 1722 and was the son of Fateh Mohammad, a Punjabi adventurer, who traced his lineage to the family of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.). Haider Ali rose from poverty and came to notice of the ruler of Mysore as a brave soldier. In 1755, he became the Faujdar, or the Military Commander, and Jagirdar of Budikot in Mysore. Though uneducated, Haider Ali displayed robust common sense, courage and determination, taking full advantage of every opportunity that came his way.
Haider Ali copied the army organization and equipment of the English and the French. Charge of the whole army was entrusted to him in 1757 when the Marhattas attacked Mysore and the internal position of the state was in chaos. He rose to the occasion and forced the Marhattas to withdraw. The Maharaja gave him the title of Fateh Bahadur. In 1761, he rose to the position of Chief Minister of Mysore and continued to strengthen his power. By 1766, the Hindu ruler of Mysore was the head merely in name, while Haider Ali assumed unquestioned control. When the Raja died in 1766, Haider Ali became the actual ruler.
Haider Ali discharged his responsibilities with great ability and not only overcame the chaos within the state, but also took advantage of the prevailing anarchy in the south, adding fresh territory to Mysore and greatly extending its area. The Marhattas and the Nizam of Hyderabad, who continued to cause trouble for him, viewed the rise of Mysore with anxiety. His entire reign was almost taken up with military campaigns against the Nizam of Hyderabad, Nawab of Karnatic and the Marhattas who claimed Mysore to be part of their dominion.
Both the Marhattas and the Nizam of Hyderabad on numerous occasions sided with the British in joint attacks on Mysore. In 1767, the British, in alliance with Hyderabad and the Marhattas, took the field against Haider Ali. In the first Mysore War, after some initial reverses, Haider Ali was able to defeat the British. Haider Ali took his army to the outskirts of Madras and dictated peace to the British. According to the peace treaty between Haider Ali and the British, it was arranged that mutual assistance would be provided in case of attack on either side.
141. Shah jehan
Shah Jehan was one of Jehangir's four sons. Born in 1592 in Lahore, his parents named him Khurram. He was smart, intelligent, and ambitious. He proved himself a great military commander and an able provincial governor during his father's lifetime.
Shah Jehan came to the throne after a bloody war of succession.
When Jehangir died, only two of his sons, Shahryar and Shah Jehan were alive. Shahryar, who was also Nur Jehan's son-in-law, was seriously sick at the time. Despite this, Nur Jehan sought vainly to have him ascend to the throne. However, Shah Jehan, with the aid of his father-in-law, was able to seize power. He was the first Mughal to finish off his nearest relatives, including brothers and half-brothers, in order to come to power.
Shah Jehan ruled for three decades. After becoming emperor in 1628, he found no difficulty in successfully ruling over the vast Mughal Empire. He was an ambitious ruler like his grandfather, Akbar. Shah Jehan chose honest people to be his governors and commanders in the army. He warned them to be fair in their dealing with the people. He is known in history as Shahinshah-i-Adil, or the "Just Emperor".
He worked long hours and kept an eye on every detail of administration of the Empire. He made the roads safe for travelers, severely punishing looters and robbers. He developed agriculture and improved trade with foreign countries. The result was that people became rich and the state revenue increased manifold.
Shah Jehan was one of Jehangir's four sons. Born in 1592 in Lahore, his parents named him Khurram. He was smart, intelligent, and ambitious. He proved himself a great military commander and an able provincial governor during his father's lifetime.
Shah Jehan came to the throne after a bloody war of succession.
When Jehangir died, only two of his sons, Shahryar and Shah Jehan were alive. Shahryar, who was also Nur Jehan's son-in-law, was seriously sick at the time. Despite this, Nur Jehan sought vainly to have him ascend to the throne. However, Shah Jehan, with the aid of his father-in-law, was able to seize power. He was the first Mughal to finish off his nearest relatives, including brothers and half-brothers, in order to come to power.
Shah Jehan ruled for three decades. After becoming emperor in 1628, he found no difficulty in successfully ruling over the vast Mughal Empire. He was an ambitious ruler like his grandfather, Akbar. Shah Jehan chose honest people to be his governors and commanders in the army. He warned them to be fair in their dealing with the people. He is known in history as Shahinshah-i-Adil, or the "Just Emperor".
He worked long hours and kept an eye on every detail of administration of the Empire. He made the roads safe for travelers, severely punishing looters and robbers. He developed agriculture and improved trade with foreign countries. The result was that people became rich and the state revenue increased manifold.
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