Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari (1878-1972), popularly known as Rajaji, belonged to salem district in Tamilnadu. A lawyer by profession, he was drawn into the non-violent nationalist movement steered by Mahatma Gandhi and came to be known as the latter's 'conscience-keeper'. He rose to become the Premier of Madras in 1937 and he was the first Indian Governor-General of independent India. He was also the Chief Minister of Madras, 1952-54. He was awarded the highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, in 1955. Rajaji founded the Swatantra Party in 1959. A prolific writer in Tamil and English, he is best known for his books on the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.