Who is Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali poet, philosopher, and polymath from India. He was the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913, for his collection of poems Gitanjali (Song Offerings). He was a key figure in the Bengali Renaissance and is considered one of the most influential literary figures of the 20th century in India. Tagore’s works include poetry, novels, short stories, plays, songs, and paintings. He was also a social and political critic, and a vocal advocate for Indian independence from British rule.

How Rabindranath Tagore was famous?

Rabindranath Tagore was famous for his literary works, which include poetry, novels, short stories, plays, songs, and paintings. He was a highly respected figure in Indian literature, and his works are considered to be some of the most important and influential of the 20th century. He was the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913, for his collection of poems Gitanjali (Song Offerings).

Tagore’s poetry in particular is known for its evocative imagery, deep emotions, and spiritual themes. His writing often dealt with the themes of love, nature, and the human condition, and he was considered a master of the Bengali language. Tagore was also a social and political critic and a vocal advocate for Indian independence from British rule. His ideas and writings had a significant impact on the Indian independence movement, and he continues to be celebrated as a national hero in India to this day.

Rabindranath Tagore nobel prize

Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. The Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Alfred Nobel, produced “in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction”. Tagore was the first non-European to win the award, which was given to him for his collection of poems Gitanjali (Song Offerings).

Gitanjali is a collection of 103 poems, most of which Tagore wrote between 1910 and 1911. The poems are written in Bengali, and they express Tagore’s deep spiritual feelings and thoughts. Gitanjali was translated into English by Tagore himself and published in a bilingual edition in 1912, which was the first time that many people in the West had been exposed to Tagore’s poetry. The collection was well received in the West, and it helped to make Tagore an internationally known and respected figure.

In addition to the Nobel Prize, Tagore received several other awards and honours during his lifetime, including the knighthood from the British government in 1915, which he later renounced in 1919 as a protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by the British forces in Amritsar

Who wrote the national anthem

The national anthem of India, “Jana Gana Mana,” was written by Rabindranath Tagore. Tagore wrote the poem in Bengali and it was first published in the January 1912 issue of a magazine called “Madhura” under the title “Bharat Bhagya Vidhata” (The Dispeller of India’s Destiny). The poem was later set to music by Tagore himself and first performed in public on December 27, 1911, in Calcutta (now Kolkata). The song was adopted as the national anthem of India on January 24, 1950, a few months after the country gained independence from British rule.

Famous works of Rabindranath Tagore

1. Gitanjali (Song Offerings) (1910) – A collection of 103 poems that express Tagore’s deep spiritual feelings and thoughts. It was the work that won him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.
2. The Home and the World (1916) – A novel that explores the relationships between the educated urban elite and the rural poor, and the tension between traditional and modern ways of life in India.
3. The Gardener (1913) – A collection of poems that explores the themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
4. The Post Office (1913) – A play that tells the story of a young boy who is confined to bed and his imagination takes him to different places, and the people he meets.
5. The Hungry Stones (1895) – A collection of short stories that reflect Tagore’s interest in the supernatural and the occult.
6. The Crescent Moon (1913) – A collection of poems that deal with the theme of childhood and the joys and sorrows of growing up.
7. The Religion of Man (1931) – A philosophical treatise that presents Tagore’s vision of a spiritual humanism that transcends the boundaries of organized religion.

Life of Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore was born on May 7, 1861, in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India, into a wealthy and prominent Bengali family. He was the youngest of thirteen children and was raised in a deeply spiritual and cultured environment.

Tagore’s father, Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, was a prominent religious and social reformer, and his mother, Sarada Devi, was a strong influence on him during his childhood. Tagore was educated at home by a number of tutors, and he was exposed to a wide variety of subjects, including literature, philosophy, and art.

In 1877, at the age of sixteen, Tagore began writing poetry. He later went to England to study law, but he returned to India in 1881 without having completed his degree. After returning to India, Tagore began to focus more on his literary and artistic pursuits. He published his first collection of poems, “Sandhya Sangit” (Songs of Twilight), in 1884.

In 1901, Tagore founded an experimental school, Visva-Bharati, in Santiniketan, West Bengal, which later became a university. The school’s curriculum emphasized traditional Indian education, and Tagore sought to create an educational environment that would be responsive to the needs of rural India.

In 1913, Tagore won the Nobel Prize in Literature for his collection of poems Gitanjali (Song Offerings). The award brought him international acclaim and made him one of the most respected literary figures of his time.

Tagore was also a vocal advocate for Indian independence from British rule, and he was a key figure in the Indian independence movement. He was also a social and political critic, and his ideas and writings had a significant impact on the development of modern India.

Tagore’s health began to deteriorate in the late 1920s, and he died on August 7, 1941, in Calcutta. He was 80 years old. He is considered one of the most important literary figures of the 20th century in India and is celebrated as a national hero. His works continue to be widely read and studied, and his ideas continue to be influential in contemporary India.

Family of Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore was born into a prominent Bengali family. His father, Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, was a prominent religious and social reformer, and his mother, Sarada Devi, was a strong influence on him during his childhood. Tagore was the youngest of thirteen children.

Tagore’s eldest brother, Dwijendranath, was a philosopher, poet, and musician, and his second eldest brother, Satyendranath, was the first Indian to pass the Indian Civil Service examination and become a high-ranking official in the British Indian government.

Tagore was also related to several other prominent figures in Bengali culture, including the poet and playwright Michael Madhusudan Dutt, who was his grandfather’s cousin.

Tagore married Mrinalini Devi (née Bhabatarini Devi) in 1883, at the age of 22. They had five children, two of whom died in childhood. His son, Rathindranath, became a painter, while his daughter, Madhurilata, became a writer.

Tagore’s nephew, Abanindranath Tagore, was a painter and art teacher, and his grandnephew, Gaganendranath Tagore, was also a painter and a member of the Bengal school of art.

Tagore’s family was deeply involved in the Indian independence movement, and several of his relatives were active in the Indian National Congress and other nationalist organizations.

In summary, Tagore’s family was a prominent and influential one in Bengali culture, with many members who were accomplished in various fields such as literature, art, philosophy, and politics. Many of his family members were also actively involved in the Indian independence movement.

Role of Rabindranath Tagore in independence

Rabindranath Tagore played a significant role in the Indian independence movement. Although he was not a political leader in the traditional sense, his ideas and writings had a powerful influence on the development of modern India. He was a vocal critic of British colonial rule and advocated for Indian independence from the late 19th century onward.

Tagore’s ideas about nationalism, education and cultural identity were highly influential among the Indian intelligentsia, and he was considered a leading figure in the Indian Renaissance. He was also a strong advocate for the education and empowerment of women, and his ideas about education and social reform had a significant impact on the Indian nationalist movement.

Tagore was also a strong critic of the British government’s policies in India, particularly the partition of Bengal in 1905, and he actively participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1920-22 and the Civil Disobedience Movement of 1930-34. He also returned his knighthood in 1919 as a protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by the British forces in Amritsar.

Tagore was also a close friend and mentor of Mahatma Gandhi, who was deeply influenced by Tagore’s ideas about nonviolence and passive resistance. Tagore’s ideas about nationalism, education and cultural identity were highly influential among the Indian intelligentsia, and he was considered a leading figure in the Indian Renaissance.

In summary, Tagore’s writings and speeches were an inspiration for the Indian independence movement. His ideas about nationalism, education, and cultural identity helped to shape the Indian nationalist movement and his ideas about nonviolence and passive resistance influenced Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of Satyagraha. His role in the Indian independence movement is considered as significant as any political leader of the time.