# C. Rajagopalachari

_Indian politician and activist (1878–1972)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/c-rajagopalachari
Last updated: 2026-11-03

> Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji or C.R., also known as Mootharignar Rajaji, was an Indian statesman, writer, lawyer, and Indian independence activist. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India, serving until the abolition of that office upon India becoming a republic in 1950. He was the only Indian-born Governor-General or Viceroy of India; all previous holders of these posts had been British nationals. He was an accomplished writer and one of the first recipients of India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna. He was close to both Gandhi and Nehru. He vehemently opposed the use of nuclear weapons, and was a proponent of world peace and disarmament, until his death at the age of 94 in 1972.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 10 December 1878 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q378404#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Thorapalli ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q378404#P19))
- **Died:** 25 December 1972 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q378404#P570))
- **Place of death:** Chennai ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q378404#P20))
- **Citizenship:** India; British Raj ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q378404#P27))
- **Occupation:** lawyer; linguist; translator; composer; writer; peace activist ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q378404#P106))
- **Political party:** Swatantra Party (since 1959); Indian National Democratic Congress (1957–1959); Indian National Congress (until 1957) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q378404#P102))
- **Education:** Bangalore University; Presidency College; University of Madras; Central College of Bengaluru ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q378404#P69))
- **Positions held:** Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (10 April 1952 – 13 April 1954); Minister of Home Affairs (26 December 1950 – 25 October 1951); Governor-General of India (21 June 1948 – 26 January 1950); Governor of West Bengal (15 August 1947 – 21 June 1948); Member of the Advisory Committee of the Constituent Assembly of India (since 24 January 1947); Member of the Constituent Assembly of India (since 6 July 1946); Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (14 July 1937 – 9 October 1939) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q378404#P39))
- **Awards:** Sahitya Akademi Award; Bharat Ratna; honorary doctor of the University of Calcutta ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q378404#P166))

## Questions

**When was C. Rajagopalachari born?**  
C. Rajagopalachari was born on 10 December 1878 in Thorapalli.

**What positions has C. Rajagopalachari held?**  
Positions held by C. Rajagopalachari include: Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (1952–1954); Minister of Home Affairs (1950–1951); Governor-General of India (1948–1950); Governor of West Bengal (1947–1948); Member of the Advisory Committee of the Constituent Assembly of India (since 24 January 1947).

**Where did C. Rajagopalachari study?**  
C. Rajagopalachari was educated at Bangalore University, Presidency College, University of Madras, Central College of Bengaluru.

## Related

- [M. G. Ramachandran](https://diginpl.com/people/m-g-ramachandran)
- [C. N. Annadurai](https://diginpl.com/people/c-n-annadurai)
- [J. Jayalalithaa](https://diginpl.com/people/j-jayalalithaa)
- [M. Karunanidhi](https://diginpl.com/people/m-karunanidhi)
- [K. Kamaraj](https://diginpl.com/people/k-kamaraj)
- [C. Joseph Vijay](https://diginpl.com/people/c-joseph-vijay)
- [Indira Gandhi](https://diginpl.com/people/indira-gandhi)
- [Lal Bahadur Shastri](https://diginpl.com/people/lal-bahadur-shastri)
- [Morarji Desai](https://diginpl.com/people/morarji-desai)
- [P. V. Narasimha Rao](https://diginpl.com/people/p-v-narasimha-rao)
- [Charan Singh](https://diginpl.com/people/charan-singh)
- [Ramaswamy Venkataraman](https://diginpl.com/people/ramaswamy-venkataraman)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): C. Rajagopalachari](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._Rajagopalachari) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikipedia (Nepali): चक्रवर्ती राजगोपालाचारी](https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80_%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q378404](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q378404) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: C Rajagopalachari 1944.jpg by Gandhi_Rajagopalachari.jpg : Unknown author Unknown author derivative work: Ganeshk ( talk ) (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:C_Rajagopalachari_1944.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article C. Rajagopalachari, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: C Rajagopalachari 1944.jpg — Gandhi_Rajagopalachari.jpg : Unknown author Unknown author derivative work: Ganeshk ( talk ), Public domain.

## Cite this page

"C. Rajagopalachari". DigiNepal. Last updated 3 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/c-rajagopalachari. Retrieved 5 November 2026.
