sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

 Vallabhbhai Patel, fully Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel, Sardar Patel (Hindi: “Leader Patel”), (born October 31, 1875, in Nadiad, Gujarat, India - died December 15, 1950, in Bombay [now Mumbai], India's ambassador and government official, one of the leaders of the Indian National Congress during the Indian liberation struggle.

Early Life and Legal Activities

Patel was born into an independent family owned by Leva Patidar. Growing up in a traditional Hindu environment, she attended elementary school in Karamasad and high school in Petlad but was highly educated. Patel got married at the age of 16, matriculated at the age of 22, and passed a pleader application test, which enabled him to work as a law student. In 1900 he established an independent regional defense office in Godhra, and two years later he moved to Borsad.

As a lawyer, Patel distinguished himself by presenting an indisputable indictment and challenging British police witnesses and judges. In 1908, Patel lost his wife, who had given birth to a son and a daughter, and she remained a widow. Determined to further his career in the legal profession, Patel went to London in August 1910 to study at Middle Temple. There he studied diligently and passed the final exams with the utmost respect.

Returning to India in February 1913, he settled in Ahmadabad, and soon rose to prominence in the criminal law at Ahmadabad bar. Preserved and respectful, he was known for his high morals, his smart clothes, English clothes, and his brilliance on the bridge at Ahmadabad's Gujarat Club. Until 1917, he did not care about the political affairs of India.

In 1917 Patel discovered that his life had changed after he was influenced by Mohandas K. Gandhi. Patel adheres to Gandhi's satyagraha (the principle of non-violence) when he helps in the Indian war against the British. But he did not associate with Gandhi's beliefs and views on morals, and he considered Gandhi's insistence on their universal use to be indifferent to India's political, economic, and social problems. However, after deciding to follow and support Gandhi, Patel changed his style and appearance. He left the Gujarat Club, wore the white cloth of the Indian farmers, and ate the Indian way.

Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel was born in the home of his maternal uncle in Nadiad, Gujarat. His birthday was not officially recorded - Patel entered October 31 as his birthday in his matric examination papers. He was the fourth son of Jhaverbhai and his wife Ladba Patel. They lived in the village of Karamsad, in the district of Kheda where Jhaverbhai had a home. Somabhai, Narsibhai and Vithalbhai Patel (who is also the future political leader) were his older brothers. He had a younger brother, Kashibhai and a sister, Dahiba. As a young boy, Patel helped his father out in the fields and twice a month fasted, eating and drinking - a cultural festival that made him physically strong. At the age of seventeen, Patel's wedding was arranged with Jhaverba, a 12- or thirteen-year-old girl from a nearby village. As is customary, the young bride will continue to live with her parents until her husband begins to take the lead and is able to build their home.

Patel went to schools in Nadiad, Petlad and Borsad, living independently with the other boys. He apparently developed a stoic character - the famous anecdote tells how he anointed his painful tumor without hesitation, as the barber had to shake it. Patel passed his matric at the age of 22; During this time, he was commonly viewed by his superiors as an ordinary man who seemed to be working for a living. But Patel himself had a plan - he would study to become a lawyer, work and save money, travel to England and study to be a lawyer. Patel spent years away from his family, reading to himself from letters he had borrowed from other lawyers and passing exams within two years. Bringing Jhaverba to his parents' home, Patel founded his family in Godhra and registered at a bar. Over the years, Vallabhbhai - now a petitioner - has made a name for himself as an aggressive and talented lawyer. His wife bore him a daughter, Manibehn, in 1904 and later had a son, Dahyabhai, in 1906. Patel also cared for a friend with Bubonic syndrome when he attacked Gujarat. When Patel himself contracted the disease, he sent his family to a safer place, leaving his home and moving to a solitary house in Nadiad (by some accounts, Patel used this time in a dilapidated temple); there, he recovered slightly.

Satyagraha in Gujarat

Vallabhbhai Patel, after embracing Gandhi's philosophy and way of life in India altogether

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Vallabhbhai Patel, after embracing Gandhi's philosophy and way of life in India altogether

With the support of Congress volunteers Narhari Parikh, Mohanlal Pandya and Abbas Tyabji, Vallabhbhai Patel embarked on a door-to-door tour of the Kheda region, writing letters of protest and urging villagers to support the nation's revolt against tax evasion. Patel emphasized the potential difficulties and the need for full unity and non-violence despite grievances. He found enthusiastic answers in almost every village. When the uprising began and money was denied, the government sent police and threats to seize property, including confiscation of livestock and farms. Patel organized a network of volunteers to work with each village - helping them to hide valuables and protect themselves during raids. Thousands of activists and farmers were arrested, but Patel was not arrested. The revolt began to create sympathy and admiration throughout India, including Indian pro-British politicians. The government agreed to negotiate with Patel and decided to suspend the annual income payments, even reducing the rate. Patel emerged as a hero in Gujaratis and was loved throughout India. In 1920, he was elected president of the newly formed Congress of Gujarat Pradesh Congress - he would be its president until 1945.

In April 1928, Patel returned to the liberation struggle in his municipal affairs in Ahmedabad while Bardoli suffered from the effects of poverty and rising taxes. Inflation was much lower than in Kheda even though famine covered much of Gujarat. After questioning and speaking with district representatives, emphasizing the potential difficulties and the need for non-violence and solidarity, Patel began the struggle - a complete rejection of taxes. Patel organized volunteers, camps and an information network in the affected areas. Rejection of revenue was stronger than in Kheda and many sympathetic satyagrahas were made across Gujarat. Despite the arrests, confiscation of property, the struggle has intensified. The situation reached a climax in August, when sympathetic attorneys, Patel negotiated an agreement to end the tax hike, repatriated local officials who had resigned in protest of the repatriation of property. It was during the struggle and after the victory in Bardoli that Patel was often referred to by his colleagues and supporters as Sardar.