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C Rajagopalachari is also known as Rajaji or Mootharignar Rajaji which means “Great Scholar.” He was an Indian who is remembered for his contribution before and after our independence including the famous C.R. Formula of 1944. Furthermore, Rajaji was a politician, writer, lawyer, and an important person in our history. Read on to learn more about C Rajagopalachari, his early life and education, career, contributions and awards.
Table of Contents
| Overview of C Rajagopalachari | ||
| Name | Chakravarti Rajagopalachari | |
| Date of Birth | 10th of December, 1878 | |
| Place of Birth | Thorapalli, Madras Presidency, British Raj | |
| Political Party | Swatantra Party | |
| Spouse | Alamelu Mangalamma | |
| Education | Bangalore University | |
| Presidency College, Chennai | ||
| Profession | Indian Independece Activist | |
| Lawyer | ||
| Writer | ||
| Politician | ||
| Awards | 1954 | Bharat Ratna |
| 1958 | Sahitya Akademi Award | |
| Death | 25th of December, 1972 in Madras, Tamil Nadu | |
Biography of C Rajagopalachari
C Rajagopalachari’s contributions are in the field of politics as well as literature hence making him a truly remarkable person.
What was the Early Life and Education of C Rajagopalachari?
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari was born on the 10th of December 1878, in Thorapalli village, Tamil Nadu. He was a frail child during his initial years, however, he became a strong advocate for social justice and self-governance.
- Moreover, he grew up in a traditional Hindu Brahmin family and had a strong grounding in religious and cultural values.
- Additionally, he completed his early education in his village school. Thereafter, he completed his higher studies at Central College, Bangalore, and later at the Presidency College, Madras.
- Rajagopalachari then established himself as a successful lawyer in Salem.
Also Read – Sarojini Naidu: Biography, Education, Quotes, Poems
Career in Politics
Rajagopalachari took his first steps into politics in local civic administration. Moreover, he became the chairman of the municipality in Salem in 1917.
- C. Rajagopalachari then joined the Indian National Congress and used his legal expertise.
- In 1917, he was the legal defence for Indian independence activist P. Varadarajulu Naidu who faced sedition charges.
- After the elections in 1937, Rajagopalachari became the first premier of the Madras Presidency.
- In 1939, to break the caste system he enacted the Madras Temple Entry Authorisation and Indemnity Act thus allowing Dalits to enter temples.
- During the Partition, Rajagopalachari was the Governor of West Bengal.
- In 1947, when Lord Mountbatten was unavailable, Rajagopalachari took the role of Governor-General, hence becoming the last one before India’s independence.
- After independence, In 1952, Rajagopalachari became the Chief Minister of Madras and wanted to reform the education system and social progress.
- However, his decision to make Hindi mandatory in Tamil schools sparked protests after which he resigned as Chief Minister.
- After Sardar Vallabhai Patel’s passing in 1950, Rajagopalachari became the Home Affairs Minister.
- In 1959, he resigned from the Congress and founded the Swatantra Party on the 4th of June, 1959.
Rajagopalachari’s Role in the Freedom Struggle
In the year 1919, a meeting with Mahatma Gandhi in Madras kindled C Rajagopalachari’s passion for activism. He participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement.
- However, in 1920, Rajagopalachari was jailed for two years in Vellore.
- After his release from jail, he established his ashram which was a center for spiritual learning.
- This ashram was to promote Gandhi’s ideals of Hindu-Muslim unity and dismantle the discriminatory caste system, especially untouchability.
- Rajagopalachari also participated in the Vaikom Satyagraha which was a movement protesting against the exclusion of Dalits from temples.
- In 1930, when Gandhi went on the iconic Dandi March to challenge the British salt tax, Rajagopalachari also began leading a similar march in Vedaranyam, Madras Presidency.
- Furthermore, he was also the editor of Gandhi’s influential newspaper which was Young India.
- During the 1942 Quit India Movement, Rajagopalachari separated from Gandhi’s approach. He believed that negotiations with the British, rather than another Satyagraha, would eventually lead to India’s freedom.
Also Read: Who was the First Bharat Ratna Award Winner?
Music and Literary Contributions
C Rajagopalachari’s music and literary contributions are very important to our society. Moreover, he also founded the Salem Literary Society as well as co-founded the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Here are some more creative contributions of C Rajagopalachari:
| Music and Literary Contributions of C Rajagopalachari | |
| Year | Contribution |
| 1916 | Founded Tamil Scientific Terms Society. He coined new Tamil words for scientific terms, however, they received mixed reception due to their dependence on Sanskrit roots. |
| 1922 | Published Meditation in Jail or ‘Siraiyil Tavam’ which was a daily narrative of his 1st imprisonment from the 21st of December 1921 to the 20th of March 1922. |
| 1951 | Wrote an abridged story of the Mahabharata in English. |
| 1957 | Wrote an abridged story of the Ramayana in English. |
| 1958 | Awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for Chakravarti Thirumagan which was the Retelling of the Ramayana in Tamil. |
| 1959 | Published “Hinduism: Doctrine and Way of Life” by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. |
| 1961 | Translated the Tamil Ramayana by Kambar into English. |
| 1965 | Translated Thirukkural into EnglishAlso wrote books on the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, Marcus Aurelius and Socrates. |
| 1967 | Composed a benediction hymn sung by M. S. Subbulakshmi at the UN General Assembly. |
FAQs
Rajagopalachari is famous as he was an important person in India’s fight for independence and was the nation’s last Governor-General.
The C. Rajagopalachari formula or C. R. formula was to crack the political stalemate between the All India Muslim League and the Indian National Congress on the independence of British India in 1944.
The first Indian Governor-General of independent India was C. Rajagopalachari.
C. Rajagopalachari founded the Swatantra Party on the 4th of June, 1959.
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