Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875 - 1950)

Patel was born in Gujarat on October 31, 1875. His father was Shri Jhaverbhai Patel, who had served as a soldier under the Rani of Jhansi during the First War of Independence (1857–1858). The Patel community had migrated to Gujarat from Punjab. Vallabhbhai Patel, known as the "Iron Man of India," was a freedom fighter. After completing his primary education and matriculation, he pursued legal studies and began practicing law in Godhra. As child marriage was prevalent at the time, he married a girl named Jhaverba at the age of sixteen.

In 1910, he traveled to London for higher studies and obtained a degree as a barrister. Upon returning to India, he practiced law in Ahmedabad. Patel became drawn to Gandhiji after hearing about his principles of non-violence (Ahimsa) and Satyagraha. He met Gandhiji in person, held discussions with him, and became one of his followers. In 1918, farmers in the Kheda district were suffering due to crop failure and facing starvation and financial hardship; yet, the government was pressuring them to pay taxes. Learning of this, Gandhiji sent Patel to the region to assess the situation and understand the details. Under Gandhiji's guidance, Patel led a protest against this injustice. The united strength of the local people and Patel's leadership ensured the protest's resounding success. In 1917, he became a member of the Ahmedabad Municipal Council. He served as the President of the municipality from 1924 to 1928. He rose to prominence through the Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928, a protest against tax hikes. In 1929, he was a candidate for the presidency of the Indian National Congress but withdrew his nomination to pave the way for Jawaharlal Nehru. He became the President of the Indian National Congress in 1931. Patel served as the Home Minister in the Interim Government formed in 1946.

Following India's independence on August 15, 1947, he was entrusted with the task of integrating the more than 600 fragmented princely states into the Indian Union. With the assistance of V.P. Menon, a native of Kerala, Patel successfully merged these various princely states into the Indian Union. He passed away on December 15, 1950.