‘I didn’t know India…’: Ayatollah Khamenei's old post praising Nehru’s book goes viral after his death

After the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, an old social media post by the Iranian leader has resurfaced online. The post has sparked fresh discussion about Khamenei’s interest in literature.

Several users have drawn attention to his remarks on India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s book ‘Glimpses of World History’, saying they reveal a more reflective side of the cleric.

In a post dated August 6, 2013, Khamenei wrote that reading ‘Glimpses of World History’ had expanded his understanding of India’s civilisational past. He admitted that before reading the book, he had not fully realised the scale of India’s progress prior to colonisation. The text reads, "Before studying Glimpses of World History by Mr Nehru I didn't know India before colonization had undergone so many important advances."

In another post, he referred to Nehru’s argument that British colonial rule had curtailed India’s industrial growth. The post reads, “Nehru, a trusted & informed person, says Indian industry wasn’t behind the UK’s but Britons barred local industrial growth away (from) Africa & Latin America.”

In a 2021 post, he again touched upon the impact of colonialism, stating that powerful empires had weakened self-reliant nations. “There were great civilisations in Africa that were completely destroyed due to their neglect of their capabilities & due to the soft war the colonisers waged against them. In his memoirs, Nehru points to this fact & how the British destroyed the industry of self‑reliant India,” said the post.

Along with this, an old video of Khamenei urging people to read Nehru’s work to better understand historical patterns of colonisation and resistance, also resurfaced online.

Khamenei’s death has led to protests and solidarity marches in several countries, including India. He had served as Iran’s highest authority since 1989, making him one of the longest-serving leaders in the Middle East.