Jawaharlal Nehru was a politician.
Jawaharlal Nehru ( [ ˈneɪruː , _ ˈnɛruː ] [ ˈdʒəʋaːɦərˈlaːl ˈneːɦru ] ; 14 November 1889 -- 27 May 1964 ) was the first Prime Minister of India and a central figure in Indian politics before and after independence . He emerged as the paramount leader of the Indian independence movement under the tutelage of Mahatma Gandhi and ruled India from its establishment as an independent nation in 1947 until his death in 1964 . As Congress President in 1929 , Nehru called for complete independence from the British Raj and instigated the Congress 's decisive shift towards the left . Nehru was elected by the Congress to assume office as independent India 's first Prime Minister , although the question of leadership had been settled as far back as 1941 , when Gandhi acknowledged Nehru as his political heir and successor .