India's Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India, serving from 1947 until his death in 1964. He was a leader of the Indian independence movement and is considered to be the architect of modern India. He was also known as Pandit Nehru due to his roots in the Kashmiri Pandit community. He was a central figure in Indian politics for much of the 20th century and is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of India.