The vision of the Constitution was shaped by several historical forces that the makers drew upon and negotiated. Jawaharlal Nehru, while introducing the "Objectives Resolution" on 13 December 1946, placed the Indian experiment within a broader historical perspective.

Nehru referred to the American and French Revolutions, thereby locating the history of constitution-making in India within a longer history of struggle for liberty and freedom. By linking the Indian project to these revolutionary moments of the past, he emphasised its momentous nature.

However, Nehru made it clear that India was "not going just to copy" from elsewhere. The ideas of those revolutions could not be mechanically borrowed and applied in India. The specific form of democracy had to be decided through deliberations, and the ideals and provisions of the Constitution could not be simply derived from outside sources.

The Constituent Assembly debates reveal the many conflicting voices that had to be negotiated in framing the Constitution. The ideals invoked were often re-worked according to what seemed appropriate within the context. Over three years of debate, some members changed their positions after hearing others argue, while others modified their views in reaction to events around them.

The vision also emerged from the need to address the concerns of minorities, backward and tribal areas, and Depressed and Other Backward Classes, as the Objectives Resolution guaranteed citizens justice, equality and freedom.