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The autobiography of an unknown Indian

Nirad C. Chaudhuri

  • 516 pages · about 9 hours
  • First published 1951
  • 22 editions
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1 About this book

The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian is the 1951 autobiography of Indian writer Nirad C. Chaudhuri. Written when he was around 50, it records his life from his birth in 1897 in Kishoreganj, a small town in present-day Bangladesh. The book relates his mental and intellectual development, his life and growth in Calcutta, his observations of vanishing landmarks, the changing Indian situation and the imminent exit of the British from India.

The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian is divided into four books, each of which consists of a preface and four chapters. The first book is titled "Early Environment" and its four chapters are: 1) My Birth Place, 2) My Ancestral Place, 3) My Mother's Place and 4) England.

Over the years, the autobiography has acquired many distinguished admirers. Winston Churchill thought it one of the best books he had ever read, according to his daughter, Mary Soames.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Good for readers who want: a true life story and a long read.

  • Biography
  • India, biography
  • Autobiography and memoir
  • Asia, history
  • Civilization
  • Historians
  • Social life and customs
  • Manners and customs

2 About Nirad C. Chaudhuri

1897–1999

Nirad Chandra Chaudhuri CBE (23 Nov. 1897–1 Aug. 1999), popularly known as Nirad C. Chaudhuri, was a bilingual Indian writer, scholar and historian. University of Oxford awarded Chaudhuri, by then a long-time resident of the city of Oxford, an Honorary Degree in Letters in 1990. He also received the highly prestigious honour from the British monarch called Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1992.

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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