Nehru–Gandhi family

Updated on Dec 24, 2024

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Current region New Delhi, India Traditions Hindu		Place of origin Jammu & Kashmir, India

Ethnicity Mixed (Kashmiri, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali, Parsi, Italian) Members Raj KaulGangadhar NehruNandlal NehruMotilal NehruBrijlal NehruRameshwari NehruJawaharlal NehruVijaya Lakshmi PanditUma NehruKrishna HutheesingIndira GandhiBraj Kumar NehruNayantara SahgalShyam Kumari KhanFeroze GandhiRajiv GandhiSanjay GandhiArun NehruSonia GandhiManeka GandhiRahul GandhiPriyanka VadraVarun GandhiRobert Vadra

The Nehru–Indira Gandhi family is a prominent Indian political dynasty, which primarily consisted of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and her descendants. Their political involvement has traditionally revolved around the Indian National Congress. Members of the family have traditionally led the Congress party and the Republic of India since independence.

The Guardian wrote in 2007 "The Nehru Gandhi brand has no peer in the world — a member of the family has been in charge of India for 40 of the 60 years since independence. The allure of India's first family blends the right to rule of British monarchy with the tragic glamour of America's Kennedy clan."

The Gandhi surname came from Feroze Jehangir Ghandy, who was not related to Mahatma Gandhi. Indira Priyadarshini Nehru (the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru) married Feroze Gandhi in 1942 and adopted his surname.

Earliest record

Raj Kaul (late 1600s to early 1700s) a Kashmiri Pandit, he is the earliest recorded ancestor of the Nehru–Gandhi family. He is believed to have migrated from Kashmir to Delhi in 1716 AD. A Jagir with a house situated on the banks of a canal was granted to Raj Kaul, and, from the fact of this residence, 'Nehru' (from Nahar, a canal) came to be attached to his name. Kaul was the original family name; this changed to Kaul-Nehru; and, in later years, Kaul was dropped out and the family name became only "Nehru".

First generation

Gangadhar Nehru (1827–1861), a direct descendant of Raj Kaul, he was the last Kotwal of Delhi (equivalent to Chief of Police), prior to the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He was the father of freedom fighter Motilal Nehru and grandfather of Jawaharlal Nehru who was the first Prime Minister of India, thus part of the Nehru–Gandhi family.

Second generation

Bansi Dhar Nehru, Gangadhar's eldest son worked in the judicial department of the British Government and, being appointed successively to various places, was partly cut off from the rest of the family.

Nandlal Nehru (1845–1887), older brother of Motilal Nehru. He was the Diwan (Prime Minister) of the princely state of Khetri in Rajputana.

Motilal Nehru (1861–1931), patriarch of Nehru–Gandhi family. He was a lawyer and a prominent leader of the Indian independence movement. He served as the Congress President twice, 1919–1920 and 1928–1929.

Swarup Rani Nehru (1868–1938), wife of Motilal Nehru.

Third generation

Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964), son of Motilal Nehru. He was the first Prime Minister of India and was one of the most prominent leaders of the Indian independence movement. He had succeeded his father as President of the Congress in 1929.

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (1900–1990), eldest daughter of Motilal Nehru. She was an Indian diplomat and politician who later became the President of the United Nations General Assembly.

Kamala Nehru (1899–1936), wife of Jawaharlal Nehru. She was a prominent social reformer and was an active member of the All India Congress Committee.

Krishna Hutheesing (1907–1967), youngest daughter of Motilal Nehru. She became a writer and biographer.

Brijlal Nehru (1884-1964), son of Nandlal Nehru and a nephew of Motilal Nehru. He was the Finance Minister of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir during the rule of Maharaja Hari Singh.

Rameshwari Nehru (1886–1966), wife of Brij Lal Nehru. She was a journalist and social worker who co-founded All India Women's Conference

Ratan Kumar Nehru (1902-1981), civil servant and diplomat

Fourth generation

Indira Priyadarshini Nehru (later Indira Gandhi) (1917–1984), only daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru. She became the first woman Prime Minister of India.

Feroze Gandhi (1912–1960), husband of Indira and the namesake of the dynasty. He was a politician and journalist.

Braj Kumar Nehru (1909–2001), son of Brijlal Nehru. He served as the Indian diplomat and ambassador to the United States and as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He later served as Governor of several Indian states and was an adviser to his cousin Indira Gandhi.

Magdolna Nehru (1908), nicknamed Fori, wife of Braj Kumar Nehru.

Fifth generation

Arun Nehru, (1944-2013), great grand son of Nandlal Nehru. He was a politician and union minister during the 1980s.

Anil Nehru, (b. 1941) son of Braj Kumar Nehru and Shobha (Fori) Nehru (neé Magdolna Friedman). He served as Whole Time Director of Pfizer and completed his education at MIT.

Rajiv Gandhi (1944–1991), eldest son of Indira and Feroze Gandhi. He became the 7th Prime Minister of India after Indira's death.

Sanjay Gandhi (1946–1980), second son of Indira and Feroze Gandhi. He was one of the most trusted lieutenants of his mother during the 1970s and was widely expected to succeed his mother as Prime Minister of India. But met with an untimely death in a plane crash.

Sonia Gandhi (née Maino 1946), widow of Rajiv Gandhi. She was born in Italy and took Indian citizenship, 11 years after marrying Rajiv Gandhi. She is the incumbent President of the Indian National Congress and has served as the Chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance since 2004.

Maneka Gandhi (née Anand 1956), widow of Sanjay Gandhi. She is a noted environmentalist and animal welfare activist. She is a prominent member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. She has served as a cabinet minister in four governments. Currently she serves as the Indian Union Cabinet Minister for Women & Child Development in the BJP led Government.

Subhadra Nehru, wife of Arun Nehru.

Sixth generation

Rahul Gandhi (1970), son of Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. He is the current vice president of the Congress party. He was the Chairman of the Congress coordination panel for 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Priyanka Vadra (née Gandhi, 1972), daughter of Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. Priyanka is married to Robert Vadra, a businessman.

Varun Gandhi (1980), son of Sanjay Gandhi and Maneka Gandhi. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, National Executive and the youngest National Secretary in the history of the party. He is a member of 2014 Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament of India, representing the Sultanpur constituency.

Yamini Gandhi, wife of Varun Gandhi.

Seventh generation

Anusuya Gandhi (2014), daughter of Varun Gandhi and Yamini Gandhi.

References

Nehru–Gandhi family Wikipedia

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