HE WAS CALLED "THE IRON MAN": ON THE POLITICAL PORTRAIT OF VALLABHBHAI PATEL

The article studies the features of the place and role of a prominent Indian politician and public official Vallabhbhai Patel in the hierarchy of the Indian National Congress after the achievement of independence by India and the creation of the Indian Civil Service. Until now Patelis as if "behind the scenes" in the national historiography. There is no generalizing monograph, which would be devoted to his activities during the struggle of the Indian people for their liberation from British colonial dependence, as well as his efforts to build Indian statehood yet. This is largely due to the complexity of the subject - Patel was an authoritative politician, not once saved the country in difficult times, but the choice of Mahatma Gandhi in determining his successor and the future head of the party and free India did not fall on him. In addition, Patel was closely associated with the Indian, Hindu inancial and industrial elite. He was the initiator of the suppression of left-wing radical, Communist uprisings, the activities of the Communist Party of India, if they took an armed character. As a Minister of Internal Affairs, Patel was obliged to deal effectively with the problems facing the country, both political and administrative. His conservative beginning, in a good sense of the word, was combined with an active creativity. The difficulties of the transition period caused by the withdrawal of the British from India and the "withdrawal from circulation" of the trained personnel of officials, who had all the power for a hundred years, were exacerbated by the consequences of the partition in August 1947, the huge human upheavals and suffering, increased criminality of society, which Patel could not prevent. Following the model of the British Indian Civil service of the colonial times, independent India established its own administrative structures: the Indian Civil service, Indian Police service, which played a huge role in the functioning of the young state. The article is based on Indian, British and domestic archives and published materials, diplomatic correspondence, memoirs and autobiographies, English and Indian press. The author relies on the latest research of domestic Indologists.

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