The Nehru-Gandhi Dynasty Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru was one of the key leaders of India's independence movement against the British. His father, Motilal Nehru, had also been part of India's struggle for freedom. Jawaharlal Nehru worked closely with Mahatma Gandhi and when India finally achieved independence, Nehru went on to become the country's first Prime Minister.

Answer: Jawaharlal Nehru

Often listed among the best speeches of the 20th century, "Tryst with Destiny" was Nehru's inaugural speech as Prime Minister. It was delivered on the eve of India's independence. "Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially.

At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom."

Answer: Jawaharlal Nehru

Nehru was also a prolific writer. "The Discovery of India" was written when Nehru was in prison for his role in India's independence movement. In the book, he traces the history of India from ancient times to the current day. He used this book to argue the case for an independent country that had existed long before any Europeans had set foot on the land.

Other books written by Nehru include "Glimpses of World History" and "Letters from a Father to His Daughter", both also written while he was in prison. Nehru was given the honorific of Pandit which means 'learned person'.

Answer: Jawaharlal Nehru

The Non-Aligned Movement was established after the Korean War of the 1950s. The founders were seeking an alternative to the polarized Cold War world where two leading power blocs had emerged - one aligned with the Soviets and the other with the Americans.

The movement was established in 1961 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia by the Yugoslavian President Tito, Egyptian President Nasser, Ghanaian President Nkrumah, Indonesian President Sukarno, and Indian Prime Minister Nehru. It had 120 member states making it one of the largest bodies after the United Nations.

Answer: Jawaharlal Nehru

In the early 1960s, Nehru's health began deteriorating. On 27 May, 1964, Nehru died at the age of 74. The cause of death was noted as a heart attack. He had served as India's Prime Minister for 16 years and set the foundation for a secular, democratic republic. Nehru's death left a vacuum at the highest level of the Indian government and its political sphere.

Answer: Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi was Nehru's only child. She had entered politics while her father was still alive, but was yet to make a mark. After Nehru's death, Lal Bahadur Shastri became the Indian Prime Minister. However, Shastri's untimely death only four years later, suddenly propelled Indira into the limelight.

In 1966, she became India's third Prime Minister and the first female to hold this position. At the time of her death, she had served as PM for almost sixteen years, second only to her father in the first 75 years of India's independence.

Answer: Indira Gandhi

In 1975, Indira Gandhi declared a State of Emergency, an act that remains a blot not only on her personal legacy, but also on India's history as a democracy. For two years, all dissent was curbed. Prominent leaders of the opposition political parties were jailed and the media was censored. No criticism of the government in general and Indira in particular was permitted.

Despite curbing other democratic measures, she did go ahead with the parliamentary elections in 1977 where the electorate soundly voted out her government.

It's a testament to her ability to accept her mistakes and course correct that she managed to win re-election in 1980 with a resounding majority.

Answer: Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi led several of her political campaigns on the premise of "Garibi Hatao" (eradicate poverty). Her government took various measures to alleviate poverty and bring about more equality within the society.

One of these included the abolishment of the privy purse. While royalty had been abolished when the erstwhile royal kingdoms were absorbed into the Indian state, the former royals continued to earn revenues and taxes from their lands. Indira argued that this money belonged to the state and should be used in different poverty alleviation programs. She stated that the existence of the privy purse created two separate classes of citizens which was against the Constitution which enshrined equality for all subjects. This measure was deeply resented by the former royals who tried to band around the Opposition party. Ultimately, Indira prevailed and the privy purse was abolished.

Answer: Indira Gandhi

One of the key achievements of Indira Gandhi was her leadership during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. India entered the war to help support East Pakistan in their struggle for independence. This ultimately led to the creation of the independent country of Bangladesh.

India's participation in the Non-Alignment Movement and closer ties with the Soviet Union along with the US's own ties with Pakistan resulted in Gandhi having to stand up to US leadership during this period. Gandhi is quoted as having said, "You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist".

Her own bold leadership during the War often led to her being called the only man in her cabinet, a statement meant to be complimentary but also undeniably sexist.

Answer: Indira Gandhi

After Indira Gandhi returned to power in 1980, she faced a growing separatist movement in Punjab where members of the militant Damdami Taksal organization were seeking their own country of Khalistan. In 1984, Gandhi ordered a military offensive called Operation Blue Star.

The leaders of the separatist movement were taking refuge in the Golden Temple at Amritsar, the holiest site for the followers of the Sikh faith. The Indian military entered the holy temple and engaged in battle with the militants.

While the operation was successful, it was considered to have violated the sanctity of the shrine. Hundreds of innocent Sikhs also lost their lives in this engagement. In retaliation, Indira was shot and killed by one of her own bodyguards.

Answer: Rajiv Gandhi

Rajiv Gandhi is considered a reluctant Prime Minister. Though he was Indira's elder son, he had stayed away from politics. Indira's political heir was her younger son, Sanjay Gandhi. However, Sanjay died young in a plane crash and Rajiv had to enter politics to continue the dynasty.

He had only served as a Minister of Parliament for three years when his mother was assassinated by her own bodyguard. As the last remaining Gandhi, Rajiv was forced to take up the Congress party leadership. Riding a huge wave of sympathy, he won the general elections with a large majority and at the age of 40, became India's youngest Prime Minister, a record that stood for the first 75 years of India's history as an independent country.

Answer: Rajiv Gandhi

Rajiv Gandhi studied engineering at Trinity College, Cambridge and Imperial College London, but did not complete either course. It was while he was in London that he met his future wife, the Italian Sonia Gandhi. Rajiv returned to India and studied flying.

He obtained his commercial pilot license and joined Indian Airlines, a largely domestic aviation company of Air India. He was employed as a pilot with Indian Airlines from 1970 to the 1980s, when he joined politics after the death of his brother.

Answer: Rajiv Gandhi

Rajiv Gandhi was elected Prime Minister of India in October 1984, after the assassination of his mother, Indira Gandhi. One of Rajiv's first acts as Prime Minister was to pass the Anti-Defection Law in January 1985. The law held that an elected Member of Parliament or any legislative body could not defect and join an opposition party until the next general election.

This was regarded as an important step in curbing bribery and corruption. During the 1980s, a large number of Congress MPs had defected to join other parties, lured by various monetary and other benefits.

Answer: Rajiv Gandhi

While serving as Prime Minister, one of Rajiv's key objectives was to raise the profile of India on the world political stage. In 1986, India was called on for help by the then President of Seychelles who was facing a coup. Codenamed Operation Flowers are Blooming, India's Navy was sent to the aid of Seychelles.

This intervention helped thwart the attempted coup. Similarly, in 1988, the Maldivian President reached out to India for aid. India's military support once again helped to suppress an attempted coup.

Answer: Rajiv Gandhi

In 1987, Rajiv Gandhi signed the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord. This accord was viewed as an important step in helping to de-escalate the civil war ranging in the island nation. Per the accord, power would be devolved to the Tamil majority regions of Sri Lanka and Tamil would be designated as an official language of the country. As this would meet many of the key demands of the LTTE, a militant outfit fighting for the rights of the Tamils, the accord also envisaged the dissolution of the LTTE. However, the LTTE were seeking an independent Tamil state within Sri Lanka and did not view Gandhi's perceived interference and support of the Sri Lankan government positively.

In 1991, while Rajiv Gandhi was on the campaign trail for the upcoming general elections, he was assassinated by a suicide bomber at a public rally. The bomber belonged to the LTTE and the outfit claimed responsibility for the attack. An Indian Supreme Court investigation into the assassination concluded it was a result of the LTTE Commander Prabhakaran's personal animosity against Gandhi resulting from the latter's decision to send the Indian Peacekeeping Force to Sri Lanka to support the government against the separatist movement. A state funeral was held for Rajiv Gandhi and he was cremated along the banks of the Yamuna river in Delhi, near the shrines of his grandfather, mother, and brother.