Chakravarti Rajagopalachari

**Chakravarti Rajagopalachari** was an Indian politician, independence activist, lawyer, writer and statesman. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India. He also served as leader of the Indian National Congress, Chief Minister of Madras Presidency (present Tamil Nadu), Governor of West Bengal and Minister for Home Affairs of the Indian Union. Rajagopalachari founded a political party called Swatantra Party and was one of the first winners of India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna. He was against the use of nuclear weapons and was a supporter of world peace. He was also called by the nickname 'Mango of Krishnagiri'.

## Life

Rajagopalachari was born in the village of Thorapalli in the Krishnagiri district of the Madras Presidency (now the Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu). He went to school at Central College, Bangalore, and Presidency College, Madras. After entering politics, he became a member and later President of the Salem municipality. He joined the Indian National Congress and was against the Rowlatt Act. He joined the Non-Cooperation movement, the Vaikom Satyagraha, and the Civil Disobedience movement. In 1930, Rajagopalachari risked going to prison when he led the Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha in response to the Dandi March. In 1937, Rajagopalachari became Premier of the Madras Presidency and served until 1940, when he resigned because of Britain's declaration of war on Nazi Germany. After this, he supported co-operation with Britain's war effort and was against the Quit India Movement.

In 1946, Rajagopalachari became Minister of Industry, Supply, Education and Finance in the Interim Government of India. He then was the Governor of West Bengal from 1947 to 1948, Governor-General of India from 1948 to 1950, Home Minister of India from 1951 to 1952 and Chief Minister of Madras state (present Tamil Nadu) from 1952 to 1954. In 1959, he resigned from the Indian National Congress and founded the Swatantra Party, which stood against the Congress in the 1962, 1967 and 1972 elections. Rajagopalachari was an important person in setting up a united Anti-Congress front in Madras state under C. N. Annadurai, which swept the 1967 elections.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific-prefix**: His Excellency
- **name**: Chakravarti Rajagopalachari
- **image**: C Rajagopalachari 1944.jpg
- **caption**: C. Rajagopalachari
- **office**: Governor-General of India
- **monarch**: George VI of the United Kingdom, George VI
- **primeminister**: Jawaharlal Nehru
- **term start**: 21 June 1948
- **term end**: 26 January 1950
- **predecessor**: Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, The Earl Mountbatten of Burma
- **successor**: Position abolished
 Dr. Rajendra Prasad as the President of India
- **order2**: 2nd
- **office2**: Chief Minister of Madras
- **governor2**: Sri Prakasa
- **term start2**: 10 April 1952
- **term end2**: 13 April 1954
- **predecessor2**: P. S. Kumaraswamy Raja
- **successor2**: K. Kamaraj
- **office3**: Minister of Home Affairs (India), Minister of Home Affairs
- **primeminister3**: Jawaharlal Nehru
- **term start3**: 26 December 1950
- **term end3**: 25 October 1951
- **predecessor3**: Vallabhbhai Patel
- **successor3**: Kailash Nath Katju
- **office4**: Governor of West Bengal
- **premier4**: Prafulla Chandra Ghosh
Bidhan Chandra Roy
- **term start4**: 15 August 1947
- **term end4**: 21 June 1948
- **predecessor4**: Frederick Burrows
- **successor4**: Kailash Nath Katju
- **order5**: 11th
- **office5**: Chief Minister of Madras Presidency
- **governor5**: John Erskine, Lord Erskine, The Lord Erskine
- **term start5**: 14 July 1937
- **term end5**: 9 October 1939
- **predecessor5**: Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu
- **successor5**: Tanguturi Prakasam
- **office6**: Minister of Education (India), Minister of Education
- **term start6**: 2 September 1946
- **term end6**: 14 August 1947
- **successor6**: Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
- **primeminister6**: Jawaharlal Nehru
- **birth place**: Thorapalli, Madras Presidency, British Raj, British India
(now in Hosur taluk, Hosur Taluk, Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu, India)
- **death place**: Chennai, Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
- **party**: Swatantra Party <small>(1959–1972)</small>
- **otherparty**: Indian National Congress <small>(Before 1957)</small>
Indian National Democratic Congress <small>(1957–1959)</small>
- **spouse**: Alamelu Mangalamma <small>(1897–1916)</small>
- **children**: C. R. Narasimhan
C. R. Krishnaswamy
C. R. Ramaswami
Lakshmi Gandhi née C. R.
Namagiri Ammal C. R.
- **alma mater**: Bangalore University, Central College
Presidency College, Chennai, Presidency College, Madras
- **profession**: Lawyer
Writer
Wikt:statesman, Statesman
- **awards**:  Bharat Ratna (1954)