sardar patel history

rn:
October 31,
1875
Died:
December
15, 1950
Achievements: Successfully led Kheda
Satyagraha and Bardoli revolt against British
government; elected Ahmedabad's municipal
president in 1922, 1924 and 1927; elected
Congress President in 1931; was independent
India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home
Minister; played a key role in political integration
of India; conferred Bharat Ratna in 1991.
Sardar Patel was popularly known as Iron Man of
India. His full name was Vallabhbhai Patel. He
played a leading role in the Indian freedom
struggle and became the first Deputy Prime
Minister and Home Minister of India. He is
credited with achieving political integration of
India.
Vallabhbhai Patel was born on October 31, 1875
in Nadiad, a small village in Gujarat. His father
Jhaverbhai was a farmer and mother Laad Bai
was a simple lady. Sardar Vallabhai's early
education took place in Karamsad. Then he
joined a school in Petlad. After two years he
joined a high school in a town called Nadiad. He
passed his high school examination in 1896.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a brilliant student
throughout his schooling.
Vallabhbhai wanted to become a barrister. To
realize this ambition he had to go to England.
But he did not have the financial means to even
join a college India. In those days a candidate
could study in private and sit for an examination
in Law. Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel borrowed
books from a lawyer of his acquaintance and
studied at home. Occasionally he attended courts
of law and listened attentively to the arguments
of lawyer. Vallabhbhai passed the Law
examination with flying colours.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel started his Law practice
in Godhra. Soon his practice flourished. He got
married to Jhaberaba. In 1904, he got a baby
daughter Maniben, and in 1905 his son
Dahyabhai was born. Vallabhbhai sent his elder
brother Vitthalbhai, who himself was a lawyer,
to England for higher studies in Law. Patel was
only thirty-three years old when his wife died.
He did not wish to marry again. After his
brother's return, Vallabhbhai went to England.
He studied with single-minded devotion and
stood first in the Barrister-at-Law Examination.
Sardar Patel returned to India in 1913 and
started his practice in Ahmedabad. Soon he
became popular. At the urging of his friends,
Patel contested and won elections to become the
sanitation commissioner of Ahmedabad in 1917.
Sardar Patel was deeply impressed by Gandhiji's
success in Champaran Satyagraha. In 1918, there
was a drought in the Kheda division of Gujarat.
Peasants asked for relief from the high rate of
taxes but the British government refused.
Gandhiji took up peasants cause but could not
devote his full time in Kheda. He was looking for
someone who could lead the struggle in his
absence. At this point Sardar Patel volunteered
to come forward and lead the struggle. He gave
up his lucrative legal practice and entered public
life.
Vallabhbhai successfully led peasants revolt in
Kheda and the revolt ended in 1919 when the
British government agreed to suspend collection
of revenue and roll back the rates. Kheda
Satyagraha turned Vallabhbhai Patel into a
national hero. Vallabhbhai supported Gandhi's
Non-Cooperation Movement, and as president of
the Gujarat Congress, helped in organizing
bonfires of British goods in Ahmedabad. He gave
up his English clothes and started wearing Khadi.
Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel was elected
Ahmedabad's municipal president in 1922, 1924
and 1927. During his terms, Ahmedabad was
extended a major supply of electricity and
underwent major education reforms. Drainage
and sanitation systems were extended over all
the city.
In 1928, Bardoli Taluka in Gujarat suffered from
floods and famine. In this hour of distress the
British government raised the revenue taxes by
thirty percent. Sardar Patel took up cudgels on
behalf of the farmers and appealed to the
Governor to reduce the taxes. The Governor
refused and the government even announced
the date of the collection of the taxes. Sardar
Patel organized the farmers and told them not to
pay even a single pie of tax. The government
tried to repress the revolt but ultimately bowed
before Vallabhbhai Patel. It was during the
struggle and after the victory in Bardoli that
caused intense excitement across India, that
Patel was increasingly addressed by his
colleagues and followers as Sardar.
Disobedience Movement in 1930. After the
signing of Gandhi-Irwin pact in 1931, Sardar
Patel was released and he was elected Congress
president for its 1931 session in Karachi. Upon
the failure of the Round Table Conference in
London, Gandhiji and Sardar Patel were arrested
in January 1932 and imprisoned in the Yeravada
Central Jail. During this term of imprisonment,
Sardar Patel and Mahatma Gandhi grew close to
one another, and the two developed a close
bond of affection, trust, and frankness without
reserve. Sardar Patel was finally released in July
1934.
In August 1942, the Congress launched the Quit
India Movement. The government jailed all the
important leaders of the Congress, including
Vallabhai Patel. All the leaders were released
after three years. After achieving independence
on 15th of August 1947, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
became the first Prime Minister of independent
India and Sardar Patel became the Deputy Prime
Minister. He was in charge of Home Affairs,
Information and Broadcasting and the Ministry
of States.
There were 565 princely states in India at that
time. Some of the Maharajas and Nawabs who
ruled over these were sensible and patriotic. But
most of them were drunk with wealth and
power. They were dreaming of becoming
independent rulers once the British quit India.
They argued that the government of free India
should treat them as equals. Some of them went
to the extent of planning to send their
representatives to the United Nations
Organization. Patel invoked the patriotism of
India's monarchs, asking them to join in the
freedom of their nation and act as responsible
rulers who cared about the future of their
people. He persuaded the princes of 565 states of
the impossibility of independence from the
Indian republic, especially in the presence of
growing opposition from their subjects. With
great wisdom and political foresight, he
consolidated the small kingdoms. The public was
with him. He tackled the Nizam of Hyderabad
and the Nawab of Junagarh who initially did not
want to join India. Sardar Patel's untiring efforts
towards the unity of the country brought
success. He united a scattered nation without
much bloodshed. Due to the achievement of this
massive task, Sardar Patel got the title of 'Iron
Man'. Sardar Patel died of cardiac arrest on
December 15, 1950. For his services to the nation
Sardar Patel was conferred with Bharat Ratna in
1991.