Rabindranath Tagore
| Famous as | Poet and Author |
| Born on | 07 May 1861 |
| Born in | Calcutta (Kolkata), India |
| Died on | 07 August 1941 |
| Nationality | India |
| Works & Achievements | Nobel Prize in Literature (1913); Gitanjli, Ghare-Baire and The Gardener |
Childhood & Education
Born on 7 May 1861 in a wealthy and prominent Brahmin family of
Bengal (Calcutta), Rabindranath Tagore was the youngest of thirteen
children of his father Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi. The Tagore
family was a leading follower of Brahma Samaj, a new religious sector in
the 19th century. Rabindranath Tagore develop an early love
for literature, and had begun reading biographies, poems, history,
Sanskrit and several others by the age of 12. He also studies the
classical poetry of Kalidasa, the father of poetry in India. In 1877, he
wrote his first poem, which was composed in a Maithili style. His early
works include Bhikharani (The beggar woman) - the first short story in
Bengali, Sandhya Sangit which he wrote in 1882 and a poem Nirjharer
Swapnabhanga. Nirjharer Swapnabhanga was his first poem which gained him
a remarkable success and established him as a poet.
Initially wanting to become a barrister, Tagore took admission at a
public school in Brighton, England in 1878. Although he was later sent
to study law at University College London, he never finished his degree
there and returned home in 1880. In 1883, he married his wife Mrinalini
and the couple had five children, among which only three could survive
into their adulthood. Rabindranath Tagore took the responsibility of his
father’s large states in Shilaidaha in 1890, and began running the family business
there. As a part of it, he traveled to many adjacent villages and
formed a sympathetic bond with the villagers, who clearly took honor in
his company. The duration between 1891 and 1895, which is known as his
‘Sadhna Period’, witnessed some great works of the poet, among which
Galpaguchchha was the most popular.
Early Life & Work
Tagore moved to Santiniketan, West Bengal in 1901 and set up an
ashram there which included an experimental school, garden and a
library. His wife Mrinalini and his two children succumbed to death
during this period. After his father’s death in 1905, he became heir to
his large estates which made him
financially sound and stable. He also received income from the sale of
his family’s jewelry and royalties from his works. By this time, Tagore
had written more than thirty poems, drama and fictions, including his
major works such as Manasi (1890), Gitanjali (1910), Gitimalya (1914)
and many English and Bengali playa. Gitanjli was his most acclaimed
work.
In year 1913, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature for his
exceptional contribution to the Indian and world literature. Further, he
received the title Knighthood from the British government in 1915,
which he abandoned aftermath of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919 as
a protest against the British rule in India. In 1921, Tagore founded an
Institute for Rural Reconstruction- which he later renamed as
Shriniketan- and appointed scholars from many places to share their
knowledge with the students. As education reformer, he introduced
Upanishad ideals of education and widely contributed towards uplifting
the ‘untouchables’.
Notable Work
Rabindranath Tagore wrote eight novels and a number of poems and
most of his creations are in the Bangla language. His most acclaimed
works in novel genre are Ghare Baire, Shesher Kobita, Char Odhay, Gora,
Jogajog, and Dak Ghar. Aside from fictions and autobiographical works,
he also wrote essays, lectures and short stories on various topics
ranging from history to science and arts. As a prolific musician, Tagore
influenced the style of such musician such as Amjad Ali Khan and
Vilayat Khan. He composed the words and music of the Indian national anthem Jana Gana Mana, which was accepted as the national anthem in 1950.
His song has been accepted as the national anthem of Bangladesh as well, thus making him the first ever person to have written the national anthems
of two countries. Tagore discovered his talent as a painter in his
early sixties, when his first exhibition was held in Paris. Tagore was
credited with the culmination of writing short stories as an art,
especially in Bengali. “The fruit seller from Kabul” is considered one
of the best creations among at least eighty four stories written by him.
Based upon his early experience with villagers, he wrote stories which
give a glimpse of the life most Bengali live. Though Tagore wrote
vividly in every genre of literature, he was a poet first of all. His
poets are an inseparable part of every Bengali family where his poems
are recited on all important occasions. His best collection of poems is
Gitanjali, which gained him the Nobel Prize in literature in 1913.
Political Views & Death
Tagore’s political views were somehow at odds with that of Mahatma
Gandhi, though the two shared a good rapport and a moderate friendship.
However, Tagore denounce the Swadeshi Movement in his acerbic essay The
Cult of the Charka in 1925, he continued to support Indian nationalist
movement in his own non-sentimental and visionary way. He wrote songs
and poems galvanizing the Indian Independence movement. After the
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919, he renounced the knighthood awarded
by the British government as a protest against it. His most acclaimed
work Jana Gana Mana became the national anthem of India after its declaration as a Republic in 1950.
Tagore’s extensive travel and increasingly hectic work began to
take its toll in his later years and he suffered from relentless pain
and two long periods of illness. The second phase of illness proved to
be fatal as he never recovered from that. He first lost his
consciousness in 1937 and had the same experience for the second and
last time in late 1940, and died after soon on 7 August 1941. The day is
mourned upon across his native Bengal, India and Bengali-speaking world
for which he still remains alive in his poems and songs.
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Timeline: | ||||
1861- Rabindarnath Tagore was born on 7 May 1861.
1877- He wrote his first poem, which was composed in a Maithili style.
1878- Tagore took admission at a public school in Brighton, England in 1878.
1880- He dropped out in middle and returned home in 1880.
1883- He married Mrinalini in 1883.
1890- Rabindranath Tagore took the responsibility of his father’s large estates.
1901- Tagore moved to Santiniketan, West Bengal in 1901.
1905- His father died in 1905.
1913- Rabindarnath Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature.
1915- He received the title Knighthood from the British government in 1915.
1921- Tagore founded an Institute for Rural Reconstruction, Shriniketan.
1937- He first lost his consciousness in 1937.
1940- His second phase of illness began in 1940.
1941- Rabindranath Tagore died on 7 August 1941.
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