Fearless leader or ruthless autocrat.

Call her what you will, Indira Gandhi and India will forever be linked in history.

Born November 19, 1917, to Kamla and Jawaharlal Nehru (who became India's first prime minister) Indira Priyadarshini was exposed to politics early in life.

Married to Feroze Gandhi (no relation to the Mahatma) in 1942, she bore him two sons, Rajiv (August 20, 1944) and Sanjay (December 14, 1946) before informally separating from her husband, who died in 1960.

Indira with her father and sons Rajiv and Sanjay.

Today's special: Mrs Gandhi comes to power

Text: Ramananda Sengupta | Photographs: India Abroad Archives and Getty Images

Also See: Indira-India's brush with dictatorship