C. Rajagopalachari (born December 10, 1879, Hosur, India—died December 25, 1972, Madras [now Chennai]) was a statesman, a lawyer, an independence activist, and the only Indian governor-general of the country, an office that was abolished after India achieved independence from British rule. The early history of C Rajagopalachari C Rajagopalachari , also known as Rajaji or C .R., was born on 10 December 1878 in Thorapalli Agraharam, Krishnagiri District in Tamil Nadu. His father Chakravarti Venkataryan was the munsiff of Thorapalli, who with his wife Singaramma had two other sons apart from Rajagopalachari . Rajagopalachari studied in elementary schools at Thorapalli and Hosur and passed his matriculation in 1891. In 1894, he secured a BA in Arts from Central College in Bangalore ... Learn about the life and achievements of C . Rajagopalachari , the last Governor-General of India and a prominent freedom fighter, statesman, and writer. Explore his role in the Rajaji formula, his governance reforms, and his literary contributions. Rajagopalachari wrote a Tamil translation of the Ramayana, titled Chakravarthi Thirumagan, which won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1958. Legacy: Shri C. Rajagopalachari was awarded ‘ Bharat Ratna ’ in 1954. He was the first to receive the highest civilian award. Rajagopalachari passed away on 25 th December 1972.