Father of the Nation


The Father of the Nation is an honorific title given to a person considered the driving force behind the establishment of his/her country, state, or nation. Pater Patriae, also seen as Parens Patriae, was a Roman honorific meaning the "Father of the Fatherland", bestowed by the Senate on heroes, and later on emperors. In monarchies, the monarch was often considered the "father/mother of the nation" or as a patriarch to guide his family. This concept is expressed in the Divine Right espoused in some monarchies, while in others it is codified into constitutional law as in Spain, where the monarch is considered the personification and embodiment, the symbol of the unity and permanence of the nation. In Thailand, the monarch is given the same recognition, and demonstrated loyalty is enforced with severe criminal statutes.
Many dictators bestow titles upon themselves, which rarely survive the end of their regime. Gnassingbé Eyadéma of Togo's titles included "father of the nation", "older brother", and "Guide of the People". Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire's included "Father of the nation", "the Guide", "the Messiah", "dajsh, "the Leopard", and "the Sun-President".
In postcolonial Africa, "father of the nation" was a title used by many leaders both to refer to their role in the independence movement as a source of legitimacy, and to use paternalist symbolism as a source of continued popularity. On Joseph Stalin's seventieth birthday in 1949, he was bestowed with the title "Father of Nations" for his establishment of "people's democracies" in countries occupied by the USSR after World War II.
The title "Father of the Nation" is sometimes politically contested. The 1972 Constitution of Bangladesh declared Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to be "father of the nation". The BNP government removed this in 2004, to the protests of the opposition Awami League, led by Rahman's daughter Sheikh Hasina. A motion in the Parliament of Slovakia to proclaim controversial pre-war leader Andrej Hlinka "father of the nation" barely failed in September 2007.

List

The following people are still often called the "Father" of their respective nations. Highlighted names indicate people who are still living.
NameNationTitle Title Notes
Ahmad Shah DurraniAfghanistanAhmad Shah BabaFather of the NationFounder of the Afghan Durrani Empire.
SkanderbegAlbaniaAti i KombitFather of the Nation
José de San MartínArgentinaPadre de la Patria /
Fundador de la República y Protector del Perú		Father of the Fatherland /
Founder of the Republic and Protector of Peru		Primary leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.
Hayk ArmeniaNahapet Head of the Family
Patriarch		Legendary founder of the Armenian nation.
Sir Henry Parkes, AustraliaFather of FederationGave the Tenterfield Oration, which is believed to be pivotal in the process of federating the Australian colonies.
Sir Lynden PindlingThe BahamasFather of the NationLeader at independence in 1973.
Sheikh Mujibur RahmanBangladeshJatir Janak
Bangabandhu 		Father of the Nation
Friend of Bengal		Founder of Bangladesh.
Philip the GoodBelgiumFather of the FatherlandFirst duke of Burgundy who strove for territorial unification of his lands in the Low Countries.
George Cadle PriceBelizeFather of the NationFormer Chief Minister, Premier and two-term Prime Minister before retiring in 1997.
Simón BolívarBolivia
Colombia
Ecuador
Panama
Peru
Venezuela		LibertadorLiberatorPrimary leader of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.
Seretse KhamaBotswanaFather of IndependenceLeader of the independence movement and first President of Botswana. Creator of democracy in Botswana
Dom Pedro I and José Bonifácio de Andrada e SilvaBrazilPai da Nação e Patriarca da IndependênciaFather of the Nation and Patriarch of IndependenceFounder and the first Emperor of Brazil. Bonifácio was the advisor of Pedro I.
Omar Ali Saifuddien IIIBruneiArchitect of Modern BruneiBuilder of the Modern Nation and Father of Independence28th Sultan of Brunei and First Minister of Defence.
AsparuhBulgariaKanasubigi Founder and first ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire.
John A. Macdonald and the other fathers of ConfederationCanadaFather of ConfederationFather of Confederation
Bernardo O'HigginsChilePadre de la patriaFather of the fatherlandPrincipal leader of Chile's successful struggle for independence from Spain.
Sun Yat-senRepublic of China Father of the NationSun played an instrumental role in the overthrow of the Qing dynasty during the Xinhai Revolution. The Nationalist government decreed the title in 1940. Sun is more widely known in mainland China as the "Forerunner of the Democratic Revolution".
José María Castro MadrizCosta RicaFundador de la RepúblicaFounder of the RepublicFirst President of the Republic of Costa Rica.
Ante StarčevićCroatiaOtac domovineFather of the HomelandHis diverse activities and works laid the foundations for the modern Croatian state.
Carlos Manuel de CéspedesCubaPadre de la PatriaFather of the FatherlandLeader of the first Cuban independence movement which fought the Ten Years' War.
Archbishop Makarios IIICyprusΕθνάρχηςLeader of the NationFirst and longest President of Cyprus.
Charles IV, Holy Roman EmperorCzech RepublicOtec vlastiFather of the HomelandKing of Bohemia. Title coined by the rector of the Charles University of Prague at the emperor's funeral.
František PalackýCzech RepublicOtec národaFather of the NationPolitician and historian. Whereas vlast "homeland" included all inhabitants, národ "nation" comprised only Czech people.
Tomáš Garrigue MasarykCzech RepublicTatíček /
President Osvoboditel		Father of the Fatherland / President LiberatorFirst President of Czechoslovakia.
Juan Pablo DuarteDominican RepublicPadre de la patriaFather of the FatherlandDefeated Haiti during war of independence.
Ilia ChavchavadzeGeorgiaუგვირგვინო მეფე / ერის მამაThe Crownless King / Father of the Nation
Members of the Parlamentarischer RatGermanyVäter und Mütter des GrundgesetzesFathers and mothers of the Basic LawDrafted the Basic Law, the constitution of Germany
Kwame NkrumahGhanaOsagyefoFather of the nationFirst president and prime minister of Ghana, the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve full independence.
Alexander the GreatGreeceΠατέρας των ΕλλήνωνFather of the GreeksFounder of the Macedonian Empire responsible for spreading Greek culture during the Hellenistic period.
Cheddi JaganGuyanaFather of the NationPresident of Guyana from 1992–1997.
Jean-Jacques DessalinesHaitiPère de la patrieFather of the FatherlandPrimary leader of Haiti's successful struggle for independence from France.
ÁrpádHungaryHonalapítóFounder of the HomelandSecond Grand Prince of the Hungarians, leader of the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian basin.
Mahatma GandhiIndiaIn most Indian languages:
ISAT:Rāśhțrapitā
Devanagari:राष्ट्रपिता		Father of the NationThis title was not an official title and has no records in the National Archives of India. Indian constitution prohibits the State from conferring any titles. Origin of this title is traced back to a radio address on 6 July 1944 by Subhash Chandra Bose where Bose addressed Gandhi as "The Father of the Nation".
SukarnoIndonesiaBapak Bangsa/Pemimpin Besar Revolusi Indonesia/ProklamatorFather of the Nation/Great Leader of Indonesian Revolution/The ProclamatorFirst President of Indonesia.
Cyrus the GreatIran Shahanshah King of kingsFirst Shah of Persian Empire.
Camillo Benso, Conte di Cavour
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Mazzini
Vittorio Emanuele II di Savoia		ItalyPadre della PatriaFather of the FatherlandAuthors of Italian unification
EmperorJapan天皇Founder of Empire of Japan
Alikhan BukeikhanovKazakhstanPrime Minister of the Alash AutonomyLeader and founder of the Alash Orda national liberation movement.
Jomo KenyattaKenyaBaba wa TaifaFather of the Nation/Freedom FighterFirst President of Kenya from 1963 to his death in 1978 who helped create the Kenyan Constitution.
Kim Il-sung / Kim Jong-ilDemocratic People's Republic of KoreaSeveral; see list of Kim Jong-il's titlesSeveralThe first and second leader of North Korea, respectively
Ibrahim RugovaKosovoBabai i KombitFather of the Nation
Jonas BasanavičiusLithuaniaTautos patriarchasPatriarch of the NationVarious cultural activities during the Lithuanian National Revival.
Krste MisirkovNorth MacedoniaТатко на нацијатаFather of the NationProminent linguist, writer and activist.
Tunku Abdul RahmanMalaysiaBapa KemerdekaanFather of IndependenceThe first Prime Minister of Malaysia. A prince from the Kedah Sultanate, the Cambridge-educated Tunku led the negotiated independence of Federation of Malaya from the British in 1957. Later formed Malaysia through the union of Peninsular Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo and Sarawak in 1963.
Dom MintoffMaltaMissier Malta HielsaFather of Free MaltaA Maltese statesman and leading politician. He twice served as Prime Minister of Malta as the Leader of the Labour Party, a position he held from 1949–84. In 1974, with him as Prime Minister, Malta negotiated a series of constitutional reforms leading to the establishment of the Maltese Republic and the removal of the British monarch as head of state. In 1979, the last of the British Navy vessels left Malta hence putting an end to the last remaining relics of colonial rule and leaving Malta free to pursue its own foreign relations independent of the western powers of the time. He is also credited with the establishment of the Maltese welfare state and the Socialist-style nationalisation and collectivisation of various key industries.
Sir Seewoosagur RamgoolamMauritiusFather of the NationFirst post-independence Prime Minister, in 1968.
Miguel Hidalgo y CostillaMexicoPadre de la patria mexicanaFather of the Mexican NationFirst revolutionary leader in the Mexican War of Independence.
Genghis KhanMongoliaМонголчуудын эцэгFather of the Mongols, Founding Father of MongoliaAfter unifying the many nomadic tribes of northeastern Asian steppe peoples, Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire and became the first Great Khan and Emperor. He eventually led a conquest of the majority of Eurasia, and his unified homeland would become Mongolia.
Aung SanMyanmarFather of Nations, Father of Independence, Father of Tatmadaw5th Prime Minister of Burma in British Era from 1946 to 1947Assassinated on 19 July 1947, before the independence of Burma.
Sam NujomaNamibiaFounding Father of the Namibian NationFirst President of Namibia, 1990–2005; title conferred by Act of Parliament in 2005.
Prithvi Narayan ShahNepalNational HeroFather of the NationKing of the People of Nepal
William the SilentNetherlandsVader des VaderlandsFather of the FatherlandLeader of the successful Dutch Revolt against Spain, which led to the Dutch Republic, the first independent Dutch state.
Nnamdi AzikiweNigeriaFather of Nigerian NationalismFirst president of Nigeria when it became a republic on October 1, 1963, and was the last governor general of Nigeria.
Einar GerhardsenNorwayLandsfaderenFather of the NationFirst post-World War II prime minister of Norway.
Muhammad Ali JinnahPakistanQuaid-e-Azam & Baba-e-QuamFather of the Nation/Great LeaderFounder of Pakistan, leader of the Muslim League and first Governor-General of Pakistan.
Sir Michael SomarePapua New GuineaFather of the NationLeader at independence in 1975; also known as "the chief" and "the old man".
Emilio AguinaldoPhilippinesKauna-unahang Pangulo ng PilipinasFirst President of the PhilippinesLeader of the latter part of the Philippine Revolution and first President of the Philippines through the 1899 Malolos Congress, which oversaw the promulgation of the Malolos Constitution.
Andrés BonifacioPhilippinesAmá ng HimagsikanFather of the RevolutionDe facto President and leader of the Philippine Revolution, which saw armed resistance against the Spanish Empire. His birthday, November 30, 1863, is a national holiday.
José RizalPhilippinesPambansáng BayaniNational HeroColloquially known as the "National Hero". Rizal's works and writings–which helped start the Philippine Revolution–are part of the national curriculum as mandated by Republic Act No. 1425. The anniversary of his December 30, 1896 execution by the Spanish colonial government is a national holiday.
D. Afonso HenriquesPortugalFundador da NaçãoFather of the Nation
a.k.a. The Conqueror		Founder and 1st. King of Portugal, recognized by the Holy See in 1179.
Peter I of RussiaRussiaОтец Отечества Father of the FatherlandWas granted the title in 1721 by the Governing Senate, along with "Emperor of Russia" and "The Great".
El-Ouali Mustapha SayedSahrawi Arab Democratic RepublicFather of the NationLeader of the Polisario Front, First President of the SADR. Fought against Spanish colonial army & against the invasion of the Moroccan & Mauritanian armies.
Sir John ComptonSaint LuciaFather of the NationPrime Minister at independence in 1979. Also known as "Daddy Compton".
Saint MarinusSan MarinoFounder of a chapel and monastery in central Italy, in 301. From this initial community the state of San Marino later grew.
Ibn Saud of Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabiaوالد الأمة / المؤسس Father of the Nation/ The FounderUnified the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula and established the modern Saudi state. He descended from the noble House of Saud, the dynasty which had ruled most of Arabia in the 18th century. His son King Salman is the current head of state of Saudi Arabia. Five other older sons – Saud, Faisal, Khalid, Fahd and Abdullah – served as former heads of state.
Donald DewarScotlandFirst Minister of ScotlandFather of the NationRecognised as a driving force behind the establishment of the devolved Scottish Parliament.
Dobrica ĆosićSerbiaОтац нацијеFather of the NationSerbian politician, writer, and political theorist.
Saint SavaSerbiaОтац отаџбинеFather of the FatherlandFounder of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Karađorđe and Miloš ObrenovićSerbiaОтац отаџбинеFather of the FatherlandLeaders of the First and Second Serbian Uprising during the Serbian Revolution.
Lee Kuan YewSingaporeFather of SingaporeFirst Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for over 30 years. Leading figure throughout Singapore's time as a part of Malaysia and its later independence.
Andrej Hlinka SlovakiaOtec národaFather of the NationCatholic priest, fighter for Slovak autonomy and leader of controversial Slovak People's Party.
Primož TrubarSloveniaOče narodaFather of the NationA consolidator of the Slovene language and the author of the first Slovene printed book.
Mohammed Abdullah HassanSomaliaFather of the fatherlandLeader of the first Somali independence movement against the Kingdom of Italy and Great Britain. And the ideological father of a United Somalia.
Nelson MandelaSouth AfricaTata wethuFather of the NationFirst President of post-apartheid South Africa.
Catholic MonarchsSpainReyes Católicos de los reinos de Castilla y AragónCatholic Monarchs of the Kingdoms of Castille and AragonThe unifiers of Spain. They unified the territories of Castille, Aragon and Al-Andalus, all the territories of the Iberian Peninsula, except Portugal. During their reign America was discovered and started the Spanish Empire.
Don Stephen SenanayakeSri Lankaජාතියේ පියා Father of the NationFirst Prime Minister, from 1947 to 1952.
Johan FerrierSurinameVader des VaderlandsFather of the NationFirst president after the independence of the country in 1975.
Gustav I of SwedenSwedenNationalhjälteNational heroBroke Sweden from Danish rule under Christian II.
Per Albin HanssonSwedenLandsfaderFather of the NationPrime Minister 1932-1946 and founder of The People's Home.
Julius NyerereTanzaniaBaba wa TaifaFather of the NationFirst President of Tanzania.
Dr. Eric WilliamsTrinidad and TobagoFather of the NationFounder of the People's National Movement, first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, first Premier of Trinidad and Tobago, second Chief Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and was instrumental in making Trinidad and Tobago independent from the British.
Dr. Rudranath CapildeoTrinidad and TobagoFounding FatherLed the Democratic Labour Party, first Leader of the Opposition of Trinidad and Tobago, a Hindu leader, and a mathematical physicist.
Habib BourguibaTunisiaالمجاهد الاكبرThe Supreme WarriorFather of the independence of Tunisia and first President of Tunisia. He led the Tunisian national movement against France. After independence, he founded a modern state, built schools and hospitals and gave the Tunisian women rights that are still unique in the Arab World today.
Mustafa Kemal AtatürkTurkeyAtatürkFather of the Turks Founder of the Republic of Turkey and first President of Turkey. He led the Turkish national movement in the Turkish War of Independence, and enacted the reforms that made Turkey a democratic nation-state. Granted in accordance with the 1934 Surname Law establishing surnames in Turkey.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al NahyanUnited Arab Emiratesوالد الأمة Father of the NationPresident of the UAE for its first 33 years.
George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin and other Signers and FramersUnited StatesFounding FathersThe Signers signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The Framers were delegates to the Constitutional Convention and took part in framing or drafting the proposed United States Constitution.
George WashingtonUnited StatesFather of his countryGeorge Washington is particularly highlighted out of the Founding Fathers of the United States as being the "father of his country" for his role as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, his resignation of command at the end of the war, the presidency of the Constitutional Convention and for his tenure as the first President of the United States.
José Gervasio ArtigasUruguayPadre de la independencia uruguaya, Protector de los Pueblos Libres y Jefe de los orientalesFather of Uruguayan independence, Defender of the Free and Chief of the eastern peopleFought against British, Spanish, and Portuguese colonial armies in Río de la Plata.
Jahir-Uddin Muhammad BaburUzbekistanBabur BabaNational Father of UzbekistanUzbek Empire.