Childhood
Unit – 1
Q1. Why did Nehru resent the behaviour of Englishmen in general in India?
Answer:
Nehru disliked how Englishmen behaved in India because he often heard his cousins talk about the insults Indians faced. English juries freed Englishmen even after they killed Indians. Train compartments marked “Europeans Only” were kept empty rather than letting Indians sit. Even in open compartments, seats were denied to Indians while Europeans got preference. In parks too, benches were reserved for Englishmen. All this made Nehru feel that the English treated Indians with arrogance and contempt.
Q2. How did he feel about the individual Englishman in India?
Answer:
Although he disliked British rule, Nehru had no hatred towards individual Englishmen. An English governess cared for him, and he saw English friends visiting his father often. He admired the English people personally and had respect for them.
Unit – 2
Q1. How did Nehru’s father spend his evenings in Allahabad?
Answer:
In the evenings, Nehru’s father spent time with his friends at home. He relaxed after work, drank whisky, and laughed loudly. His roaring laughter became famous in Allahabad.
Q2. How does Nehru express his admiration for his father?
Answer:
Nehru deeply admired his father. To him, his father was strong, brave, and clever, above all others. Though his father sometimes had a bad temper, he also had humour and a strong will. As he grew older, his temper cooled down. Nehru hoped to become like him one day.
Unit – 3
Q1. Narrate briefly how Nehru became a victim of his father’s temper. What was the effect of this incident on him?
Answer:
When Nehru was about five or six, he saw two pens on his father’s desk. He wondered if his father could use both at once, so he took one secretly. Later, the family searched for the missing pen. Afraid, Nehru kept quiet. When the pen was found, his father became angry and hit him hard. Nehru felt deep pain and shame. His mother later comforted him with ointments and care.
Q2. What impression of Nehru’s mother do you get from this unit?
Answer:
Nehru’s mother was loving, gentle, and forgiving. She supported everything he did as a child because of her great love for him. Nehru trusted her and told her everything. She was thin, short, and attractive, with very small and beautiful hands and feet. She came from Kashmir.
Unit – 4
Q1. How does Nehru cherish the memory of Mubarak Ali?
Answer:
Mubarak Ali, his father’s Munshi, was one of Nehru’s earliest trustworthy companions. From a rich family, his life was ruined after the 1857 revolt, when the British destroyed his property. Despite this, he stayed calm and patient. He comforted Nehru in troubles and entertained him with stories. He often told tales of the events of 1857–58. Nehru remembered him fondly, though Mubarak passed away before Nehru grew up.
Q2. How did Nehru acquire the knowledge of Indian folklore and mythology during his childhood?
Answer:
As a child, Nehru heard many stories from Hindu mythology and great epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata. His mother and aunt told him these tales. His widowed aunt, who was very knowledgeable in old Indian texts, told endless stories. This way, Nehru developed knowledge of Indian folklore and mythology.
Unit – 5
Q1. How does Nehru recall the religious atmosphere in his home during his childhood?
Answer:
As a boy, Nehru’s ideas of religion were unclear. His father and cousins did not take religion seriously. But there was still a religious atmosphere in the family—women took part in rituals and ceremonies. Sometimes, he went with his mother or aunt to the Ganges for a holy dip and visited temples in Allahabad or Benares.
Q2. How did Nehru’s family observe various festivals when he was a child?
Answer:
Nehru’s family celebrated festivals like Holi, Diwali, Janmashtami, Dussehra, Ram Lila, Rakshabandhan, Bhaiya Duj, and Nauroz with great excitement. During Holi, they sprinkled coloured water, and during Diwali, houses were lit with thousands of lamps. Crowds gathered for Ram Lila and Dussehra processions.
Unit – 6
Q1. How did Nehru enjoy his birthdays during his childhood?
Answer:
Nehru loved his birthdays. On that day, he was very excited. In the morning, he was weighed in a big balance against bags of grain and other goods, which were then given to the poor. He wore new clothes, received gifts, and a party was held in the evening.
Q2. What was his grievance against this occasion?
Answer:
Nehru felt upset that his birthday came only once a year. He enjoyed the attention, gifts, and celebrations so much that he wished they happened more often. As a boy, he even thought of starting a movement for more birthdays. He did not know then that, with age, birthdays might lose their charm.
Unit – 7
Q1. How did Nehru enjoy himself when his family visited relatives living in distant towns to take part in wedding ceremonies?
Answer:
When they went to relatives’ marriages in distant towns, Nehru had great fun. Rules were relaxed, and children could play freely. He joined many boys and girls in mischief and sometimes got scolded by elders. These trips gave him joy and stopped him from feeling lonely.
Q2. How does Nehru view customs of Indian marriages?
Answer:
Nehru was critical of Indian marriage customs. He felt both the rich and poor wasted too much money on them. The ceremonies often lacked taste or artistic sense and seemed meaningless.
Q3. Why is he sympathetic to the poor with regard to their extravagant wedding ceremonies?
Answer:
Nehru still felt sympathy for the poor, even though they spent money wastefully. Their daily lives were hard and boring. Weddings brought them rare moments of happiness, laughter, and relaxation from daily struggles.
Q4. What is Nehru’s observation on the brighter side of wasteful marriage ceremonies?
Answer:
Nehru saw some good in weddings. They helped people meet old friends and distant relatives. In a country as big as India, such gatherings gave families rare chances to come together.
Unit – 8
Q1. How does Nehru focus on the status of Kashmiri women in the society?
Answer:
Nehru recalled that Kashmiri women had a better status than many other women in North India. They lived freely, did not wear veils, and joined men in social life, feasts, and ceremonies. Every Kashmiri’s home welcomed both men and women equally.
Q2. How does he record his adventure with horse-riding during his childhood?
Answer:
At about eight years old, Nehru often went horse-riding with a sawar (horseman). One evening, he fell off his horse, which ran home without him. At that time, his father was hosting a tennis party. Everyone grew worried and rushed to search for him. They found him on the way, safe but shaken, and treated him with great care.