Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli (1888-1975), was an Indian philosopher and statesman. He was regarded as a major interpreter of India’s philosophical and religious traditions to the West. He was India’s vice president from 1952 to 1962 and president from 1962 to 1967.
Radhakrishnan was born on Sept. 5, 1888, in Tiruttani, in the southeast Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. From 1949 to 1952, he served as India’s first ambassador to the Soviet Union. Radhakrishnan’s most significant political contribution was helping in the smooth transfer of power following the death of India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, in 1964. Radhakrishnan’s major philosophical work was the massive Indian Philosophy (1923). He died on April 17, 1975.
