When Nehru Acknowledged ‘Error’ About Chhatrapati Shivaji In His Book, And Corrected It

In Maharashtra politics, the controversy over Aurangzeb has now widened to include Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Chhatrapati Shivaji. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has accused India’s first Prime Minister of disrespecting Chhatrapati Shivaji and distorting his legacy in his book Discovery of India.

“Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had written something about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in his book Discovery of India. Will you condemn it? Do you have the courage?” Fadnavis told Opposition leaders amid heated discussions in the assembly after the latter demanded strict action against those who insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj 

“We will truly not tolerate the insult of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. (But) You should condemn Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as well,” he said in the House.

So, what did Nehru say about Shivaji Maharaj in his book?

While spending time in Naini Central Jail from 1930 to 1933, Nehru wrote as many as 196 letters to his daughter, Indira Gandhi, sharing his views on India and world history. Later, after his release, he compiled these letters into a book.

While CM Fadnavis accused India’s first PM of disrespecting the Maratha warrior king in the book, a deeper look into his writings reveals a different picture. 

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What Did Nehru Write, And How Did Maharashtra React? 

In Discovery of India, Pandit Nehru praised Chhatrapati Shivaji and presented him as a hero. The controversial remarks about Shivaji were actually written by Nehru in his book, Glimpses of World History, Volume 1, published in 1934. In the first edition, on pages 501 and 502, in Chapter 91 titled ‘The Sikh and Marathas’, Nehru wrote: “With his enemies he was prepared to adopt any means, good or bad, provided that he gained his end. He killed a general sent against him by Bijapur by treachery.”

He wrote that some of Shivaji’s actions, like the “deceitful killing of Bijapur’s general”, made people respect him less.

Following the book’s publication in 1934, Nehru faced widespread criticism. In 1936, TR Deogirkar, a freedom fighter and Congress leader known as “Mama Sahib”, wrote to the then PM, warning him and sending him articles by Marathi historians about Shivaji.

Nehru wrote back on March 26, 1936, acknowledging that he had become aware of the backlash in the Bombay press regarding his remarks on Shivaji. He admitted that his statements were “incorrect”. He explained that since he had written the book while in jail, he had no reference books or experts to consult, and thus, he relied entirely on his memory and old notes, which turned out to be inaccurate.

“The book, as you know, covers a vast field and I do not presume to have studied in any detail the whole course of human history. I have tried to understand the main forces and have laid stress on them; for minor incidents I had to rely on my memory of what I had read long ago from books mostly written by foreigners,” Nehru wrote to Deogirkar, adding: “I can quite understand friends in Maharashtra resenting what I had written about Shivaji, incorrect as it was, but I wish they had given me a chance to correct myself. Now that this has been done I gladly acknowledge the error and shall correct it when the occasion arises for issuing a new edition.”

Accepting his mistake, Nehru assured that he would remove the controversial section about Shivaji and the Afzal Khan incident from the next edition of his book. He also thanked Deogirkar for sending him Marathi historians’ writings. This letter from Nehru is recorded in Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru, Volume 7, an exclusive copy of which is with ABP News.

He also told Deogirkar in the letter that he could give publicity to it if he so wished.

‘Always Looked Upon Shivaji As A Great Indian’

After this letter, the second edition of Glimpses of World History was published in 1939, with the controversial remarks about Shivaji removed. However, criticism of Nehru’s views on Shivaji continued even during his lifetime. 

In 1957, when Nehru was to unveil a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji in Pratapgarh, Maharashtra, Marathi writer SG Bhave protested against him, citing the controversial passage from the first edition of Glimpses of World History. Bhave accused Nehru of disliking and disrespecting Shivaji. In response, Nehru wrote a detailed letter on November 14, 1957, clarifying that the book had been written 25 years ago, and that his understanding of Shivaji was limited at that time.

Defending himself, Nehru stated that his knowledge of Shivaji was based on foreign historians, who were biased against Shivaji. Referring to the earlier Deogirkar episode, Nehru admitted that he had misunderstood certain aspects of Shivaji’s life but changed his opinion once he gained access to more authentic information. Nehru firmly stated in his letter that it was wrong to claim he did not like Shivaji, asserting that he had always had great admiration for the warrior king.

“I have received your letter of the 12th November, 1957, in which you asked me to search my heart and find out whether there does not lurk in its secret recesses a sort of prejudice against or a dislike for Shivaji and his people. I do not quite know what you mean by his people. I have always looked upon Shivaji as a very great Indian. I can hardly dislike our own people even though I criticize them often,” he wrote to Bhave.

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