ABSTRACT
Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964) was an Indian politician who spent many years in British colonial prisons, a situation which can be viewed as the epitome of loss. Rather than languishing in these prisons, he mustered the energy to write two memorable historical works there—a history of the world and a history of India—which are still widely read today. He turned these prison reflections into a historically informed overall view of Indian society in order to steer it through its early years as the world's “largest democracy.” In so doing, he transformed the disadvantage of prison into an advantage and proved that an initial position of loss could ultimately be beneficial for him and his country.
