author
Sarojini Naidu
1879–1949
A poet, freedom fighter, and gifted speaker, she became one of the best-known voices of India’s independence movement. Her life joined lyrical writing with public leadership, earning her the nickname "the Nightingale of India."
1 Audiobook
The Golden Threshold
by Sarojini Naidu
About the author
Born in Hyderabad on February 13, 1879, Sarojini Naidu showed literary talent early and later studied in England. She wrote poetry in English that drew on Indian life and feeling, with well-known collections including The Golden Threshold, The Bird of Time, and The Broken Wing.
As her public life grew, she became deeply involved in the struggle against British rule and worked closely with major nationalist leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi. She also spoke strongly for women’s rights and, in 1925, became the first Indian woman to lead the Indian National Congress.
After India gained independence in 1947, she was appointed governor of the United Provinces, becoming the first woman to serve as governor of an Indian state. She died on March 2, 1949, and is remembered both for her poetry and for the warmth, courage, and energy she brought to public life.