15 Interesting Facts About Sardar Patel The Iron Man Of India

With an iron-will, the great Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, liquidated the princely states of India without liquidating the kings. A feat in itself. In fact, being the loyal disciple of  Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel ensured that the Gandhian creed of non-violence remained not only a part of his life. But, also of India. And these facts about the Lohpurush of India, i.e., Sardar Patel, enlighten us about one of the greatest freedom fighters of India. And some anecdotes related to his family and life.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Facts or information

1. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a Lewa Patidar, a caste which is said to have come to Gujarat from the land of five rivers, i.e., Punjab. 

2. Vallabhbhai’s father, Jhaverbhai Patel, was a staunch believer in the Swaminarayan cult. In fact, during his old age, he used to spend all his time in the Swaminarayan temple in his village. 

3. Sardar Patel inherited the spirit of rebelliousness from his father. In fact, Zaverbhai was himself a rebel, who travelled all the way from Gujarat to Central India in 1857 to join the Rani of Jhansi in India’s first war of independence. 

4. Jhaverbhai Patel was arrested by the Holkar of Indore, Malharao Holkar, during the mutiny of 1857. But, during the game of chess, the latter was helped by the former. The Holkar was astonished at Jhaverbhai’s knowledge of the game. And not only was he released, but he became friends with the Holkars. 

The Iron Man, Sardar Patel (L) and the great Mahatma Gandhi (R).

5. Vallabhbhai was a very successful barrister in his time. He started his practise in Godhra, Gujarat. and was recognised as an excellent criminal lawyer.

6. Vallabhbhai was only 33 years old when his wife passed away. She had left him two children, Manibehn and Dahyabhai. Sardar Patel never remarried, despite being pressured by his friends and family alike. But he stood firm. 

7. Sardar Patel entered into public life in 1917 as a councillor with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. Later on, in 1924, he became the president of the Municipality. In fact, he showed his amazing administrative skills there as well, and he instituted necessary reforms for the betterment of the people. 

8. Sardar preferred western attire and lifestyle. But, after meeting Gandhiji, Vallabhbhai not only gave up his lucrative legal practice, but he also discarded his western lifestyle. He adopted, instead, the Gandhian way of austere, frugal living. 

9. It was the Kheda Satyagraha of 1918, where Vallabhbhai showed his mettle for the first time. In fact, it was in Kheda that Sardar worked first time shoulder-to-shoulder with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. 

10. In the Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928, not only did he earned the title of “Sardar”, or “the leader of the peasants of Bardoli.” But, people hailed him as the “Lenin of Bardoli”. Because on the military lines, he successfully led the movement. Though non-violently.

11. In 1931, in the Karachi session of Congress, Sardar Patel was the president. The Congress also passed important resolutions on fundamental rights and economic policy during his presidency.

12. The Iron Man of India, warned the first PM of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, about China’s nefarious agenda for Tibet and Arunachal Pradesh. But the latter ignored the wise council of the former. And this cost India badly in the 1962 war with the dragon. 

13. Sardar Patel, as the first home minister of independent India, prevented the balkanisation of India. And he handled with firmness the kings of wayward states like Junagadh, Bhopal, Mysore, and Hyderabad. 

14. Among the leading freedom fighters of India, Sardar Patel was the first one who accepted Mountbatten’s Plan for the partition of India. 

15. Like Otto von Bismarck, the man who unified Germany and became Germany’s first-ever chancellor. Sardar Patel also ensured the assimilation of more than 565 princely states into the Union of India. That’s why he is also known as the “Bismarck of India.”

I hope you enjoyed reading these facts about Sardar Patel, The man who unified India. Thanks for reading. Jai Hind.

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