Vallabhbhai Patel

About Vallabhbhai Patel

Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950) was a pivotal Indian politician and statesman who played an indispensable role in the country's independence movement and subsequent consolidation. As the first Deputy Prime Minister of India, his most significant historical contribution was overseeing the political integration of over 500 princely states into the newly formed Union of India, a massive undertaking that earned him the moniker 'Iron Man of India.' This crucial nation-building work places him as highly influential, ranking #816 out of approximately 15,000 historical figures in MIT's Pantheon HPI.

Despite this historical weight, his modern internet attention suggests a disconnect. Patel garnered 1.0 million Wikipedia views in 2025, which, relative to his importance, results in an Attention Gap score of +3x, indicating overattention compared to the global historical average for his rank. However, a comparison against contemporary or near-contemporary politicians reveals a different picture: figures like Bashar al-Assad (#827 importance) achieved 3.0M views, and A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (#990 importance) drew 2.4M views, suggesting that while he garners significant attention for an Indian historical figure, he is still outpaced by some contemporary political figures in sheer volume.

Intriguingly, while his overall views show a decline of -21.3% year-over-year, his 2025 Momentum between Q1 and Q3 surged by +103%, suggesting a sharp, recent spike in interest that may yet reverse the annual trend.