---
title: "Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: Iron Man of India | Model Diplomat"
description: "Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel integrated 560+ princely states into India after 1947, led the Bardoli Satyagraha, and built the IAS — a core UPSC GS1 topic."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/vallabhbhai-patel"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950) was India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, who integrated over 560 princely states into the Indian Union after 1947.
- How many princely states did Patel integrate, and by what legal instrument?
- What was the Bardoli Satyagraha and why is it significant?
- How did Patel resolve the holdout states of Junagadh and Hyderabad?
- Why is Patel called the patron of the Indian Administrative Service?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 31 October 1875

   Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ( – 15 December 1950) was a barrister, freedom fighter, and statesman who served as independent India's first Deputy Prime Minister…

2. 15 December 1950

   Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (31 October 1875 – ) was a barrister, freedom fighter, and statesman who served as independent India's first Deputy Prime Minister a…

3. 15 August 1947

   The Indian Independence Act 1935 framework and the lapse of British paramountcy on left some 565 princely states legally free to accede to India, to Pakista…

4. 31 October 2018

   The Statue of Unity, a 182-metre figure inaugurated near Kevadia, Gujarat, on , is the world's tallest statue and commemorates his role in unification.

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In September 1948, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, as Home Minister, ordered Operation Polo, the five-day military action that integrated the princely state of Hyderabad into the Indian Union after the Nizam refused accession.

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