At the age of 16, young Nehru joined one of the oldest and most revered public schools in England – Harrow. Founded in 1572, this school has a long history of educating the aristocracy, world leaders and Nobel Prize winners. It is one of the most difficult schools to gain admission into.
Nehru stayed at Harrow for two years and was exposed to a gamut of subjects and gained an understanding of the cultural ethos of Britain. He was called ‘Joe’ by his classmates, who found his Indian name too difficult to pronounce! Although he participated in school activities, including sports and debating clubs, he did not distinguish himself in any field.
At Harrow, Nehru was exposed to revolutionary literature which empowered him as a political thinker. He was introduced to G. M. Trevelyan’s trilogy on Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian soldier who played a central role in the rise of Italian nationalism. Nehru began to dream of a similar fight for freedom in India. He spent two years at Harrow before moving on to Trinity College, Cambridge.
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