Tagore Rabindra Nath.

Rabindra Nath Tagore. (1861-1941)


As an author of Gitanjali, Gurudev Tagore was the first non-European to win the
Nobel Prize for literature in the year 1913. He was the most inspiring figure of Bengali
Literature. His short-stories, essays drama etc portrayed the theme which reflected the finer instincts of Bengali culture. His immense influence and popularity in Bengal,
within the country and in overseas countries could be compared to that of MK Gandhi.
Gurudev Tagore bestowed MK.Gandhi with the title “Mahatma” during the latter’s visit to Shanti Nike tan in the year 1940.

Gurudev Tagore’s Amar Shonar Bangla is the Bangladesh National Anthem.
His Jana Manna Gana Nayak Jay Hai Bharat Bhagya Vidhata, is the national anthem of the Union of India.

He composed about 2230 songs which are imprinted in the hearts of
every Bengali and every Indian as, translated in Indian regional languages. His songs comprised of themes about integral parts of Bengal and mechanism of patriarchal oppression at the hands of zamindars on the tillers of land. The upper class land lords exploited the peasant’s class, and the social and economic aspect of the oppression of the downtrodden was the theme of all his literature.

His “Punishment” is a story inspired from his own experience of rural Bengal during
his tenure as a manager of his family estate at Shelidah (now in Bangladesh). The
character of Chandara is a typical Tagore protagonist representing power and dignity of the human will in the face of social degradation, about family traditions and plight of women class as existed in Bengal at the relevant time.

Gurudev Tagore was the greatest Bengali poet, novelist, short-story writer, essayist, of his time. He has contributed many translations of renowned pieces of literature from French, English into Bengali for the benefit of the Bengali readers.


His family patriarchs were the land lords and Brahmo founders of Calcutta. Gurudev was
mostly raised at the hands of the servants as his mother had died when he was about of an age of five years. His father had a busy touring life. Tagore never liked attending the school. He liked to roam around in the outskirts of the city, Bolpur, Panihatti, etc. He
visited with his father at an age of twelve Santi Nike tan, their ancestral place where he wrote his first poem.




He was sent to England at an age of 17 for being a Barrister but he had no interest in the studies and was interested in studying the literature of world countries. He returned back to India after about three years without completing his Barrister’s education.

As a poet, novelist, a playwright, a musician he reshaped Bengali literature and music.
He wrote many novels, essays, short-stories, drama, travel journals etc. Such literature
depicted the lives of the common man.

The three volumes of the collection of his short stories Galpaguchchha is a collection of 84 stories, its theme reflects upon his surroundings on modern and fashionable ideas and mind puzzles. His novel Haimanti assails Hindu marriage system and dismal lifelessness of Bengali women, and hypocrisies plaguing the Indian middle class. Haimanti, a sensitive young woman on account of her sensitive and free spirit sacrifices her life. Gurudev directly attacked Sita’s glorifying role in Ramayana, glorifying her immolation to appease Ram’s doubts about her character. (Hindu Custom).

Kabuliwalah, Mushalmani didi exposes Hindu Muslim tensions and in many ways narrates Tagore’s essence of Humanism.

His popular works in poetry are Mansi, Sona Teri, Geetanjali, Geetimalya, Balaka.

Dramas are Valmiki-Pratibha, Visarjana, Raja, DaakGhar, Achalayatan Mukta Dhara
Rakta Karavi, and in fiction Broken nest, Gora, Ghare Baheire Yoga-yoga.

His goal in writing all these works has remained in depicting life as it comes, as it is seen and heard and lived by the oppressed without exaggeration.

Gurudev took up drawing and painting at an age of 60. An exhibition of his drawings and paintings was held at Paris. He had an eye of an artist to pick up items and subjects of his drawing and painting which had a meaning.

Gurudev visited more than 30 countries and 5 continents. He was instrumental in familiarising the world nations about Bengali and Indian culture through his poems, stories and dramas which got translated in the countries he visited including Peru, Argentina, USA, Bali, Java, Sumatra, Malaya Singapore, Siam Iran Iraq and Ceylon, etc.

From 1937 to 1941 his health had considerably deteriorated. Despite this he continued his activities and public service. He died of illness in 1941.