576 Words Essay on Jawaharlal Nehru (personal and family life)

If Mahatma Gandhi is the father of the Nation, Jawahar Lai Nehru is the architect of modern India. He was one of the leaders who led India to freedom. He shaped India's destiny during his seventeen years when he was the Prime Minister.
He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His father, Pt Moti Lai Nehru, was one of the leading lawyers of India. He was born in Allahabad in 1889 on 14 the November. He was sent to England at the age of 15 for his higher studies.
There he joined the Public School at Harrow. Then he went to Cambridge University where he took his degree in 1910. Then he joined law. He was called to bar in 1912. He came to India and started his practice at Allahabad High Court. He was married to Smt Kamla Devi at the age of 24.
Those were the days when Gandhiji had returned from South Africa. Drawn by the magic of Gandhiji Jawaher Lai Nehru jumped into politics. He gave up his practice and joined the Non co-operation movement started by Gandhiji. He went to jail many times and became a fearless soldier of the freedom struggle. He was determined to bring freedom for his countrymen and for this he struggled hard against the British Rule.
He bore punishment happily. Prison life could not crush his spirit. He acted as Congress President in four different years before India got independence. When India became free, he was elected the first Prime Minister of India.
As the Prime Minister of a newly Independent country, he discharged his duties very well. India made great progress under his guidance. He started five years plans and fought against hunger, poverty and unemployment, which was the major problems, our country was suffering from. Once Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of free India, had said, "the country is marching forward on the road of progress under the leadership of Panditji".
This show how efficient and dedicated was Pt. Nehru. Actually, it was he who shaped the destiny of our country. He solved some difficult problem of the country as well as the world.
Pt. Nehru was a true lover of peace. Hence he didn't join any of the two super blocs-one belonged to USA and the other belonged to USSR. Instead he followed the policy of Non- alignment, which shows his great insight and political understanding. He laid down five principles of Panchsheel' for peaceful co-existence after China attacked India in 1962.
This attack had a bad effect upon his health because he never expected that China would prove treacherours. He had heart attack on 27th of May, 1964 and passed away from this world. His death shocked the whole world.
Apart from being a top-ranked statesman Pt. Nehru was a good writer too. His 'My Autobiography', The Discovery of India', and " The Glimpses of World History' have got wide name as fame. He loved children to the core of his heart. Children too loved him with same instinct and called him 'Chacha Nehru'. As a mark of his love for children, his birthday is celebrated as The Children's Day' every year with great enthusiasm throughout the country.
Pt. Nehru is not among us but his high ideals and principles based on humanity is still alive. It is out first and foremost duty to follow the path shown by him. That will be the greatest tribute to him.

Biography of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel - a Great Freedom Fighter

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel belongs to the category of heroes that would do honour to any country. While his achievements will be a source of inspiration, his services to the nation will be remembered in the times to come with gratitude.
Sardar Patel was born on 21st October 1875, in Karamsad village in Gujrat district. His father Jhver Bhai Patel was a poor peasant, but was bold and patriotic at the core of his heart. His father fought in the army of Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi against the British Government in the First War of Independence, 1857.
Jhver Bhai Patel had two sons-Vithalbhai Patel and Vallabhbhai Patel. Both the brothers had exceptional grit and brilliance which helped them achieve extraordinary heights in their careers. The elder brother Vithalbhai Patel rose to the presiding officer of the Central Legislative Assembly-the office that he held with great tact and dignity, while the younger brother Vallabhbhai Patel rose to be the Deputy Prime Minister of independent India.
Sardar Patel did his primary education in his village. Later on he went to Nadiad and then to Baroda to continue his education. Even as a school child he showed extraordinary fearlessness and will power. Once he fell ill and had a boil near his eye. The village 'vaid' told another person to touch the boil with burning hot iron to cure it. While the other person was hesitating to do so, Vallabhbhai took the red hot iron in his own hands and put it on the boil in a jiffy to the amazement of the on-lookers.
Vallabhbhai saved money to go to England to pursue his studies in Law but his elder brother insisted to go first. It was only after his brother's return that Vallabhbhai went to England and returned as a full-fledged barrister. Later on his hard work and brilliance brought him great name and success as a barrister.
Attracted by the personality and ideology of Gandhiji, he entered politics in 1918. To begin with he was the Secretary to the political Sub-Committee of Provincial Political Conference, which was convened under Gandhiji's guidance. His work brought him great credit and recognition throughout Gujrat.
In those days 'begar' was prevalent in Gujrat. He mobilized public opinion against it, entered into dialogue with the Commissioner and ultimately succeeded in putting an end to this evil. It was his first achievement in public life. Gradually his faith in Gandhiji's methods of truth and non-violence increased and he felt drawn towards Gandhiji and public life.
Sardar Patel tried the Gandhian technique of non-violence in Khera district where the peasants were being compelled by the government to pay the revenue even if the crops had failed. He took up the cause of the peasants and ultimately succeeded in getting the revenue remitted.
Under his leadership strike was organized in Gujrat along with the rest of the country against the Rowlatt Act. It was so successful that the Government was overawed. During the Non-Co-operation Movement, Sardar Patel not only bade goodbye to his legal practice but also prevented his sons from going to England.
One of the most illustrious feathers in Vallabhbhai's cap was the success of Bardoli Satyagrah. Bardoli was a talluka in Gujrat where the revenue was raised by 30 percent despite crop failure and famine. People of the area approached Vallabhbhai to get their grievances redressed. He personally enquired into the matter and found the Government's demand for increase unjustifiable.
He warned the peasants against the hardships all risks involved in the Satyagrah. When he round that they were prepared for them, he launched the Satyagrah, organized and executed it so well that besides winning success it won him me epithet 'Sardar' from Gandhiji.
Sardar Patel had an exceptional organizational skill and had great hold on the masses. He was in the vanguard of the movements launched for undoing the wrong done to the people and for the liberation of the country.
The Congress honoured him by offering him president ship of the party in 1931. He organized the election campaign in 1937, which brought him great applause. The Congress ministries were formed in seven out of eleven provinces. He was elected the chairman of the Parliamentary Board whose function was to supervise the working of the Ministers.
Being one of the leaders of the Independence movement, he had to suffer imprisonment and other hardships. His active participation in 'Quit India Movement' 1942 landed him in jail for three years. In
1945, he was released from jail and he represented the Congress in the Interim Government. He was elected the Deputy Prime Minister in
1946.
In the cabinet of free India he held the port folios of Home and state. As Home Minister he had a tough time when the Muslim League launched direct action in several provinces. There was communal hatred and lawlessness all around. But it goes to his credit that he handled the situation very tactfully. Then came the partition of the country which brought in its wake multitude of problems, besides that of law and order. It was a giant-size job to which he proved to be efficient.
But the ticklish problem for tackling which he is most remembered is that of Indian native states, which the outgoing British Government had deliberately left in a mess. The rulers of these big and small states had begun to dream of independent sovereignty. He showed great tact and political acumen in solving this problem. Not only was he successful in persuading the states to join the Indian Union but also was successful in replacing the autocratic structure of the states by democratic governments.
Sardar Patel who was called the 'Iron Man' of India would be long remembered by the generations to come. He made a permanent niche in the Indian history by his political genius, statesmanship and practical idealism.

Biography of Shivaji - a Great Maratha Leader

Shivaji belongs to that rare category of ambitious heroes which inspires the coming generations for all times to come. Shivaji not only carved out for himself a kingdom in Marathaland and liberated the Maratha nation but also secured for himself a permanent niche in history. Shivaji was born on 10th April, 1627. The name of his father was Shivaji and mother's Jijabai.
The legend goes that once Shivaji had a dream in which he was offered a mango. On sharing this with his wife, he would have a son, who would be an incarnation of the god Shiva. Eventually when the child was born, he was named after the saint Shah Sharif, Shivaji's mother was a pious and devout Hindu lady, who had tremendous faith in God. She also loved calling her son 'Shivaji'.
As was the want of aristocracy those days, Shivaji got another wife. As Jijabai was a self-respecting lady, she shifted from Shivner, the birthplace of Shivaji, to Poona. She took impeccable care in bringing up and educating the child. The task of Shivaji's education was entrusted to Dada Kondevji, an experienced and dedicated Brahmin teacher.
Right from his childhood, Shivaji was freedom loving. His mother and his teacher had groomed him well and taught him martial exercises. They told him stories of heroes, which instilled in his mind courage and love for adventure.
Not much fond of formal education, he loved having mock fights with his friends. He was exceptionally bold and fearless. Once when was a child, his father took him to Bijapur court. Not only did he not wash himself for purity after returning from there. In fact he started dreaming about a kingdom of his own when he was only thirteen years old.
He was hardly twenty years old when he ventured his first military operation. Accompanied by his three childhood friends and some soldiers he attacked the famous 'Toran' fort falling in the Bijapur Kingdom. The fort was conquered without much difficulty. He got a sizeable booty. He also became very popular amongst the Maratha young men, who flocked to join his service. It encouraged him in the attainment of his mission.
The news of Shivaji's military exploits reached Bijapur Court, where his father Shahji was in employment. The nawab of Bijipur wrote a letter to Shivaji and also forced Shivaji to write one to his son. In reply Shivaji wanted that the territory conquered by him should be given to him. Only then he could present himself at the court, the reply made the Nawab all the more angry.
At this the Nawab put Shivaji in a very narrow, dark and cingy cell with a small aperture for fresh air, which he threatened to close if Shivaji did not submit. Shivaji thought of a plan. He immediately wrote a letter to Shah Jahan, the Moghul Emperor requesting him to get Shivaji liberated. The Emperor was already eager to find an excuse to interfere in Bijapur. The Emperor issued the required order at once. It was a remark-able diplomatic feat which won him applause and built his self-confidence further.
One of the most interesting incidents of his military career was his duel with Afzal Khan. Shivaji was an eyesore to the Nawab of Bijapur. He sent a human giant Afzal Khan with a large number of picked soldiers to subdue Shivaji and bring him as captive to the court; Afzal Kahn entered Shivaji's territory from the south. He demolished temples on his way and got the idols thrown into the river.
It is said that he also got an iron cage to put Shivaji in. Afzal Khan wanted to kill him by deception. So he sent a conciliatory message to him. Shivaji managed to get a clue to what was in Afzal Khan's mind. He planned to pay him in the same coin. Both agreed to meet along with two security men each only. When both of them met each other, Afzal Khan tried to strangulate him by pressing his neck under his arm and hitting him with his dagger. But Shivaji outwitted him. He had already protected himself against such attack.
He also concealed a dagger in his sleeve and fitted steel points to his left hand. Shivaji, unable to free his neck from Afzal Khan's powerful grip, drove with his right hand his dagger into the Khan's back and tore open his belly with the steel points in his left hand. The Khan's army beaten and slain fled in confusion. It yielded Shivaji a considerable booty in the form of trained animals and cash.
Another important military operation of Shivaji involved an attack on Shayista Khan, who was a maternal uncle of the Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb asked the Khan to teach Shivaji a lesson and annex his territory to the Moghul Empire. Raja Jaswant Singh also accompanied the Khan in this campaign. Shayista Khan was camping in the Poona Fort with the regal luxury. Shivaji and his 400 picked soldiers entered the city disguised as a marriage party. The sudden attack surprised the Khan, who fled in panic but not without losing his thumb in the skirmish.
After hearing about Shayista Khan's defeat Aurangzeb flew into a rage. He sent a huge army under the command of two veterans- Raja Jaswant Singh and Diler Khan, who launched a massive attack on Shivaji's territory. Eventually Shivaji sent a message of peace to Jaswant Sngh. Shivaji also agreed to go to the Moghul Court. But he felt insulted at the court and he made bold to express it.
At this he was detained. Shivaji once against outwitted his captors and secured his liberation. He pretended to be ill and after some days asked for permission to distribute sweets on his recovery. The permission was granted. The baskets of sweets and fruits used to come in and go out of the prison. One day he came out of it in one of the baskets. He journeyed back disguised as a Sadhu. The Maratha hero was back in his territory.
Now Shivaji thought fit to have him crowned. So the coronation ceremony was arranged at his capital Rajgarh with great pomp and show. He was given a sacred thread and anointed as per the tradition of the ancient Kshatriya Kings. He was weighed against coins which were distributed among the poor. His dream along with that of his mother had been realized. His mother died about two weeks after the coronation ceremony.
The great Maratha hero fell ill and developed a swelling at the knee joint, which did not respond to medical care. At last he did on April 3, 1680.
Probably, the most fitting assessment of Shivaji has been done by Orme in his 'Historical Fragments'. He says, "In personal activity he (Shivaji) exceeded all generals for whom there is record. He met every emergency of peril, however sudden or extreme, with instant discernment, and unshaken fortitude; the ablest of his officers acquiesced in the imminent superiority of his genius and the boast of the soldier was to have seen Shivaji charging sword in hand."

Biography of Indira Gandhi - Third Prime Minister of India

Indira Gandhi was one of the most extraordinary women India has produced. She was acknowledged throughout the world not only as the head of Government of India but also a world ranking statesman. She had a charismatic personality and had tremendous sway over the people of India. She was one of the most powerful prime ministers in a democratic set up.
Priyadarshni-for that was her childhood name given to her by her father-was born in Anand Bhawan in Allahabad on 19th November, 1917. She inherited brilliance, courage and resolution from her ancestors. Her grandfather Moti Lai Nehru was a very famous and successful lawyer of his times, who later on left his lucrative legal practice and became a national public figure.
Her father, Jawahar Lai Nehru was a great freedom fighter who later on as Prime Minister of Indian nation for seventeen long years and gradually was recognized as a world statesman. But Indira Gandhi's place in history rests not on her inheritance-rich and impressive as it may be, but on her own merit and achievements.
Political scene of those days was dominated by Gandhiji. Whenever Gandhiji visited Allahabad he stayed at Anand Bhawan. As a child Indira Gandhi was very much influenced by him. Once she went to Sabarmati Ashram also.
The simple and hard life of the Ashram left an imprint on her life and she was imbued with patriotic feelings. She received her education at different places. She matriculated form Pune and thereafter she was enrolled in Shanti niketan which was established by Rabindra Nath Tagore. There the students were expected to lead a life of very strict discipline. Though she was brought up in a lap of luxury she adjusted herself well in the Ashram.
Later on she studied at Switzerland and England. She organized a 'Monkey Army' when she was just twelve years old. Some small duties like distributing food to Congress delegates during different conferences were entrusted to this 'Army'. Its members carried messages also to the Congress leaders.
Indira Gandhi's mother Kamla Nehru was ill and for her treatment Indira accompanied her to Germany and then to Switzerland. But she did not respond to the treatment and died on 16th February 1937. Now she had only her father to look after her.
After her mother's death she joined Oxford University. The clouds of war were hovering over Europe. Jawahar Lai Nehru went to England and Indira Gandhi came back home along with her father. But soon her father noticed that her health was deteriorating. She was sent to Switzerland where she gained health. After coming back from Switzerland her marriage was settled with Feroze Gandhi.
Since he was a Parsi a section of conservative Hindus expressed them against the marriage and tried to dissuade Jawahar Lai Nehru from consenting to it. But the wishes of the daughter were important to him and the marriage was celebrated in March 1941. Thereafter she accompanied Feroze Gandhi to Lucknow where he was working as editor of the National Herald.
Those were the days when India was a stir with political activities. The freedom movement was gathering momentum day by day. In the meantime 'Quit India' resolution was passed in Bombay Congress Session. Before it also she saw hectic political activities and conferences in Anand Bhawan. Her aunt Krishna Hutheesing says, "From the time she was three or four, she heard nothing but talk of politics. Though she did not understand all that was said, her sensitivity made her intensely aware that something vitally important was happening."
Her father had gone to jail many a time. Sometimes she was left all alone at home thinking about the ongoing events. So on the one hand, she was surrounded by property and affluence, and on the other, by uncertainty and anxiety; on the one hand hectic political and social activity and on the other a void and loneliness.
Come August, 15, 1947 and it brought along with it she independence. Independence brought joy and jubilation and functions and festivals were organized to celebrate it. But the partition of the country brought in its wake untold suffering for certain sections of people. In the meantime Jawaharlal Nehru had shifted to official accommodation. She tried to help her father in his multifarious activities. Not only did she look after guests-native and foreign in the prime minister's house, but also accompanied him on his foreign tours.
Thus she had gained a lot of experience and knowledge. She was associated with the Congress party right from her birth. In her own words. "The Congress is very dear to me I was born in the Congress. There was no time when my home, since I was born, was not the centre of all political movements, decisions and the meetings that took place, and the whole of modern Indian history was being made there." She was declared to be the President of the Congress Party, in which capacity she worked very hard and rose in the estimation of the people as a leader in her own right.
May 1964-India suffered a tragic blow on the death of Jawahar Lai Nehru. Lai Bahadur Shastri succeeded him and Indira Gandhi became Information and Broadcasting Minister in his cabinet. In January, 1966 Lai Bahadur Shastri suddenly died in Tashkent. Thereafter, Indira Gandhi was elected the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party.
A woman Prime Minister of such a vast country as India-the greatest democracy in the world! With the passage of time, her firm determination, her hardworking nature and her foresight brought her praise from all quarters. She started meeting common people every day and tried to redress their grievances. It brought her great popularity. When she found that political atmosphere in the parliament was not comfortable for her in 1969, she ordered midterm poll in which she was returned to power with a thumping majority.
In the meantime, Bangladesh problem was thrust in front of India. Lakhs of refugees from East Bengal infiltrated into India due to the atrocities of the Pakistani army. They could not be persuaded to go back due to fear of repression. The Indian economy was heavily strained due to feeding of about ten million refugees. The problem that India faced was put before the world but none paid any heed to it.
In the meanwhile Pakistan launched an attack on India in December 1971. A fierce war lasted for two weeks which resulted in the creation of Bangladesh. So Indira Gandhi solved this ticklish problem successfully and won wide acclaim for her qualities of leadership.
With the passage of time, the political atmosphere underwent a sea change in the mid-seventies and Indira Gandhi had to declare emergency in the country on 26th June 1975. The opposition leaders headed by Jay Parkash Narayan launched a movement against the emergency. They were arrested and put behind bars. General elections were held in March 1977 in which Indira Gandhi was badly defeated and Janta Party was elected to power.
Infighting in the Janta Party resulted in general elections in 1980 in which Indira Gandhi was again elected to power. At that time the country was facing many problems including the Pubjab problem, regarding which she had to take some hard measures. The sudden and tragic and came to her on 31st October, 1984 when like Mahatma Gandhi, she suffered an assassin's bullets which plunged the country in an abyss of grief and sorrow.
Indira Gandhi is one of those leaders who will be ever remembered for her courage, determination and remarkable qualities of leadership.

Biography of Lai Bahadur Shashtri - Second Prime Minister of India

It has been rightly said that success is to be measured not by the heights achieved but by the difficulties surmounted. And Lai Bahadur Shashtri is one of those who had been facing and surmounted difficulties galore right from his childhood. He was hardly two years old when he lost his father.
His birthday coincides with that of Mahatma Gandhi-for both of them were born on 2nd October. Lai Bahadur Shastri was born in 1904 in Mughal Sarai town in Uttar Pradesh. His father Sharda Prasad was a man of very limited means.
After his father's death, his mother left for her parent's house. After receiving primary education at Mughal Sarai, he went to his uncle at Varanasi and joined Harish Chander High School. As a student he was very hard working, honest and brilliant.
He was imbued with patriotic feelings right from his childhood. Physically, he was short- statured, slim and lean, but he was not at all lacking in inner strength. He had firm determination and resolute will. Humility was his special characteristic to be matched equally with his self confidence.
Those were the days when Mahatma Gandhi had raised on the Indian political firmament and national movement was picking up momentum. Gandhiji launched his Non-cooperation Movement in 1921. People from all sections of society responded to Gandhiji's call and participated in the movement. Students were no less active than others. Lai Bahadur Shastri was also drawn to the movement.
Not caring for his examination which was only a month away, he plunged into the movement. He participated in the anti-Government procession and was arrested. But he was let away in view of his tender age and short stature.
Thereafter he joined Kashi Vidya Peeth at Varanasi, which was situated more than ten kilometers away from his home, the distance of which he covered on foot daily. Despite difficulties he passed his examinations in the first division.
After finishing his education, he was drawn towards social service. As a social worker, he tried to rid society of the evils of UN touch ability -a practice which Gandhi considered a sin against God and humanity. Soon Lai Bahadur Shastri became popular for his hard work, honesty and dedication. In the meantime he was married to Lalita Devi at the age 24 years. It was almost a dowry less marriage.
He was bound to come into conflict with the Government due to his participation in the freedom movement. He offered Satyagraha and was sentenced to imprisonment at different times, hi all, he had to spend almost eight long years in imprisonment. During this period he faced many hardships and deprivations. But he was a staunch Satyagrahi having unshakable faith in non-violence as propounded by Gandhiji. He observed his daily routine of prayers and physical exercises regularly during his imprisonment.
He utilized the forced leisure during his imprisonment for studying different authors like Kant, Hegel, Laski, Russel, Marx and Lenin etc. He devoted some time to writing also. He translated Marie Curie's life history and also wrote about Quit India Movement In fact he was highly impressed by self-less service rendered by Marie Curie like Jawahar Lai Nehru he put to maximum use the time of his imprisonment. Jawahar Lai Nehru and Purshottam Das Tandon besides Gandhiji impressed him the most.
He was given different responsibilities such as General Secretary of the Congress, Union Home Minister and later on as Prime Minister. He shouldered them all with great success.
Before assuming ministerial position in the cabinet, he was minister in charge of Police in Utter Pradesh. He made a lot of improvement in his departments and won popular acclaim. In 1962, Pandit Jawahar Lai Nehru invited him to join Union Cabinet as Railway Minister. During his minister ship a railway accident occurred at Mehboob Nagar in Hyderabad due to the carelessness of a junior employee. Shastriji took the entire responsibility on himself and submitted his resignation, which he didn't take back despite persuasion by Pt. Nehru, Thus he established the highest democratic tradition.
As Prime Minister he had to face a multitude of problems. In fact, he assumed the office of Prime Minister immediately after the death of Jawahar Lai Nehru. Pakistan adopted a hostile attitude towards India which resulted in a full-fledged Indo-Pak War in 1965. The country was already facing drought condition. Many state governments were pressurising the Union Government for help. Such a situation was a bed of thorns for the new Prime Minister.
During Indo-Pak war, Lai Bahadur Shastri showed rare quality of courage and determination. He also demonstrated that he possessed remarkable qualities of leadership. His speeches during the war inspired the people of India.
They were galvanised. He gave a slogan 'Jai Jawan Jai Kissan'. The slogan instilled in the forces a triumphant spirit. Indian Jawan did show his mettle in the war and the enemy had to suffer heavy losses and was forced to come to the negotiation table.
Russian Government offered its good offices and Tashkant Agreement was signed by both the countries-India and Pakistan. Immediately after the declaration he succumbed to a massive heart attack. He dies on 11th Jan. 1966. The tragic news of his death at Tashkant spread like a wild fire. Now Vijayghat stands memorial to this heroic man.
Lal Bahadur Shastri was truly a great man who gave less importance to himself and more to institutions. For he knew that when the individual puts himself above institutions both suffer as a consequence. This trait of his endeared him to the Indian people and carved for him a permanent niche in their heart.
Ashoka- The Great Bal Gangadhar Tilak Gautam Buddha Gopal Krishna Gokhale Gum Gobind Singh Gum Nanak Jawahar Lai Nehru Lai Bahadur Shastir LalaLajpat Rai Mahatma Gandhi MirzaGhalib Rabindra Nath Tagore Raja Rammohan Roy SardarVallabhbhai Patel Shivaji
Subhash Chandra Bose Swami Dayanand Swami Vivekanand

Short biography of the early life and teachings of Gautam Buddha

Among all the protestant religions Buddhism enjoyed the greatest popularity and acceptance. Unlike the Jainas, the Buddhists did not claim any earlier antiquity for their religion beyond the life of Buddha. It had a more popular social base than any other contemporary religion. Budha successfully delivered to the world his message of compassion, love, self-restraint and self-culture.

Early Life:

Gautam, alias Siddhartha was the son of Suddhodhana, the Chief of the Sakya clan of Kapilavastu, which is presently in the Tarai region of Nepal. The place of his birth was a grove of Saal trees called Lumbini Gama (or Lumbini Vana) near Kapilavastu. The famous Rummindei Pillar with an inscription has been erected there by Asoka to mark its importance. His mother Mahamaya, a Koliyan princess, was the Chief queen of Suddhodhana, who died seven day after his birth. His mother's sister and Step-mother Mahapraapati Gautami brought him up.
The date of the birth of Gautam is not known. According to one theory he was born in 568 B.C. and died in 506 B.C. In another source it is stated that the coronation of Asoka took place 218 years after the death of Buddha, which makes (269 B.C. + 218 years) 487 B.C. the year of his death and 567 B.C. (487 + 80) as the year of his birth. As a young prince he received normal training befitting of a Kshatriya. At the age of sixteen he was married to his causin Yasodhara also named Bhaddakachchana, Subhadraka, Gopa or Bimba, daughter of Sakyan, Suppabudhha and had a son, Rahul. Gautam himself named his son Rahul, meaning an impediment or hindrance.
Inspite of all his prosperity he was not inwardly happy. The idea of renunciation came to his mind seeing four persons in four different stages of life : an old man bent with age, a sick man shivering with fever and a corpse being carried to the cremation ground followed by weeping relations, and finally, a wandering monk, peaceful and calm radiating inward joy. On seeing him Siddhartha realized where his destiny lay and set his heart on becoming a wanderer. The misery of the mundane world weighed on his reflective mind. He felt dissatisfied with life and at the age of 29 on a Baishakha Purnima night, when all were busy in festivities celebrating the birth of his son, he rode off with his charioteer Channa on his favourite horse Kanthaka up to the end of the city, where he cast off his princely robes, renounced everything and became an ascetic. This journey "from a home to a homeless life" is famous as the "Great Renunciation", Mahabhiniskarmana.

Attainment of Knowledge :

For six years he wandered as an ascetic in search of true knowledge. During this period he met Arada Kalama on the outskirts of Vaisali and became his disciple. There he learnt about the seventh stage of meditation (akinchanyayatana or sphere of desirelessness - nothingness) as a part of the Sankhya school of philosophy. However, he was not satisfied and became a disciple of another teacher, Rudraka Ramaputra on the outskirts of Rajagriha. Here he reached the stage of highest meditation but could not achieve final liberation. Thereupon he took up deep meditation subjecting his body to extreme physical pain along with five other Brahmin ascetics. One night when he was on the verge of death due to exhaustion and starvation he decided to take food just enough to keep his body active. On account of this, his five Brahmin companions deserted him.
At last, at Uruvela near Gaya under a pipal tree on the banks of river Niranjana (modern Phalgu) he sat in deep meditation after accepting milk from a milkmaid named Sujata with a vow either to perish or to attain knowledge. There he finally attained knowledge from the "Great Unknown" and became Buddha (the enlightened one) or Tathagata (the one who attained truth) at the age of 35. The tree has been named Bodhi tree (tree of wisdom) and the place as Bodh Gaya. At first he thought of his two teachers Arada Kalama and Rudraka Ramaputra but they were no more. So he proceeded to Saranath to preach five Brahmin companions who had deserted him earlier.
Buddha preached his first sermon in a Deer Park at Saranath near Varanasi before his first five Brahmin disciples and the event has been described as the "Turning of the Wheel of Law" or Dharma Chakra Pravartana. Some of his earliest converts were Sariputta and Mogallana Dharma-Chakra-Pravartana Sutra, which is said to be the first discourse of Buddha. The Eight Fold Path lies between two extremes, namely gross sensualism or vile pleasure-seeking on one hand and extreme asceticism or severest self-mortification of the other. Hence the Eight-Fold Path of Buddha was called the Middle Path (Madhayama Pratipat) as it keeps clear of the two extreme ways of life. This is also called the Right Path.
Buddha prescribed Five Fundamental Precepts or a moral code. These were to refrain from killing, stealing, adultery, indulging in falsehood and drunkenness. He also recommended for the monks as well as for the laity the observance of Six Fundamental Virtues such as charity, purity, patience, courage, contemplation and knowledge. Buddha discouraged speculation on the Gods or the origin and end of the universe. He did not recognize the authority of the Vedas and rejected its infallibility.

Biography of Rabindranath Tagore: the Greatest writer in modern Indian literature

Rabindranath Tagore, the Greatest writer in modern Indian literature belonged to one of the most cultured families of West Bengal. He was born at Jorasanko, Calcutta on 7 May 1861. His father was Maharishi Debendranath Tagore, a religious reformer and scholar. He was a leader of the Brahmo Samaj. Rabindra's mother was Sarada Devi, who died when he was very young. Tagore's grandfather had established a huge financial empire for himself and financed public projects such as Calcutta Medical College. The Tagores were pioneers of Bengal Renaissance and tried to combine traditional Indian culture with Western ideas.
Tagore being the youngest started to compose poems at the age of eight. He received his early education first from tutors and then at a variety of schools. Although at the age of seventeen he was sent to England for formal schooling, he did not finish his studies there. He had an intense feeling of patriotism and love for all things Indian. In his mature years, in addition to his manysided literary activities, he managed the family estates, a project which brought him into close touch with common humanity and increased his interest in social reforms. In 1883 Tagore married Mrinalini Devi Raichoudhuri, with whom he had two sons and three daughters. He moved to East Bengal in 1890.
In 1901 Tagore started an experimental school at Shantiniketan, where he tried his Upanishadic ideals of education. It became an institution to impart nationalist education to the students during colonial rule. It became a university in 1921. The year between 1901 and 1910 were troubled ones for Tagore. In 1902 he lost his wife and between 1904 and 1906 he lost his daughter, his son and his father. It was at this time of sorrow that Tagore began to compose 'Gitanjali' in search of peace. In .1912 he translated it into English from its original Bengali script. In 1913 he was awarded the coveted Nobel Prize for this collection of verses, securing his place as not merely an Indian poet but as a world poet in the true sense of the term. Rabindranath was a man of many talents - a singer, painter, artist, educationist and social worker - all rolled into one.
From time to time he participated in the Indian nationalist movement, though in his non-sentimental and visionary way. Gandhi, the political father of modern India was his devoted friend. Both used to write to each other expressing their views regarding the national issues. During the Swadeshi Movement in Bengal Tagore's role was commendable. Through his patriotic song he tried to arouse the patriotic feelings of the people. He also initiated the custom of Raksha-Bandhan i.e. tying of the rakhi as a symbol of brotherhood in protest against the partition of Bengal. On the day of partition i.e. 16 October 1905 the people of Bengal tied the rakhi on one another's wrists as a symbol of the unbreakable unity of the Bengalis and of the two halves of Bengal. Processions were carried. Huge crowds parading the streets sang the song written by Rabindranath for the occasion.
"Jana Gana Mana", the national anthem of our country was composed by Tagore. It was first sung on 27 December 1911 at the Calcutta session of the Indian National congress. The song is a true expression of patriotic feelings and devotion to God. In 1915 the British government conferred on him the Knighthood. But in 1919 he was horrified and shocked at the Jallianawala Bagh Tragedy where the British General Dyer brutally killed thousands of people. He immediately renounced the Knighthood in protest against the Jallianawala Bagh massacre. He declared, "The time has come when badges of honour make our scheme glaring in their incongruous context of humiliation and I, for my part, wish to stand, shorn of all special distinctions, by the side of my countrymen who, for their so-called insignificance, are liable to suffer degradation not fit for human beings." This expresses the feelings of a true nationalist that Rabindranath was.
Infact, Tagore's fame attained great heights, taking him across continents on lecture tours and tours of friendship. He stressed the need for a new world order based on transnational values and ideas. Between the years 1916 and 1934 he traveled widely, attempting to spread the ideal of uniting East and West. He was an early advocate of Independence for India and his influence over Gandhi and other founders of modern India was enormous. He was a critic of colonialism. For the world he became the voice of India's spiritual heritage and for India, especially for Bengal, he became a great living institution. He believed in world harmony and brotherhood and he symbolized the essence of Indian culture. He breathed his last in Calcutta on 7 August 1941.