He died on 25 December 1972 at the age of 94.
Annadurai, which swept the 1967 elections. Rajagopalachari was instrumental in setting up a united Anti-Congress front in Madras state under C. In 1959, he resigned from the Indian National Congress and founded the Swatantra Party, which fought against the Congress in the 1962, 19 elections. In 1946, Rajagopalachari was appointed Minister of Industry, Supply, Education and Finance in the Interim Government of India, and then as the Governor of West Bengal from 1947 to 1948, Governor-General of India from 1948 to 1950, Union Home Minister from 1951 to 1952 and as Chief Minister of Madras state from 1952 to 1954. He favoured talks with both Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the Muslim League and proposed what later came to be known as the C. He later advocated co-operation over Britain's war effort and opposed the Quit India Movement. In 1937, Rajagopalachari was elected Prime minister of the Madras Presidency and served until 1940, when he resigned due to Britain's declaration of war on Germany. In 1930, Rajagopalachari risked imprisonment when he led the Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha in response to the Dandi March. One of Mahatma Gandhi's earliest political lieutenants, he joined the Indian National Congress and participated in the agitations against the Rowlatt Act, joining the Non-Cooperation movement, the Vaikom Satyagraha, and the Civil Disobedience movement. On entering politics, he became a member and later Chairperson of the Salem municipality. In the 1900s he started legal practice at the Salem court. Rajagopalachari was born in the Thorapalli village of Hosur taluk in the Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu and was educated at Central College, Bangalore, and Presidency College, Madras. During his lifetime, he also acquired the nickname 'Mango of Salem'. He vehemently opposed the use of nuclear weapons and was a proponent of world peace and disarmament. Rajagopalachari founded the Swatantra Party and was one of the first recipients of India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna. He also served as leader of the Indian National Congress, Premier of the Madras Presidency, Governor of West Bengal, Minister for Home Affairs of the Indian Union and Chief Minister of Madras state.
He was also the first Indian-born governor-general, as all previous holders of the post were British nationals. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India, as India became a republic in 1950. Governor The Lord Erskine Preceded by Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu Succeeded by Tanguturi Prakasam Constituency Leader of the State Legislative Council Personal details BornĬhakravarti Rajagopalachari (9 December 1878 – 25 December 1972), popularly known as Rajaji or C.R., also known as Mootharignar Rajaji (Rajaji, the Scholar Emeritus), was an Indian statesman, writer, lawyer, and independence activist. Kamaraj Constituency Leader of the State Legislative CouncilĨth Premier of Madras Presidency In office Governor Sri Prakasa Preceded by Position established Succeeded by K. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru Preceded by Vallabhbhai Patel Succeeded by Kailash Nath Katjuīidhan Chandra Roy Preceded by Position establishedįrederick Burrows as Governor of Bengal Presidency Succeeded by Kailash Nath Katjuġst Chief Minister of Madras State In office Monarch George VI Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru Preceded by Louis Mountbatten Succeeded by Position abolished