IMPORTANT PERSONALITIES OF INDIA

In Literature

Rabindranath Tagore 

Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) was a world-famous poet, writer, musician, artist, educator, and the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. He played a major role in modern Indian literature and cultural renaissance. He born on 7th May 1861 in Jorasanko in Calcutta (now Kolkata) of Bengal Presidency in a highly cultured and respected Bengali family. His father was Debendranath Tagore who was a philosopher & leader of Brahmo Samaj and mother  was Sarada Devi. He was the youngest of 13 surviving children.

Education

Rabindranath Tagore disliked formal school education. He studied mostly at home under tutors. In 1878, he went to England to pursue law at University College London but did not complete the course. However, the experience helped him broaden his literary and philosophical ideas.

Marriage and Children

Rabindranath Tagore was married to Mrinalini Devi in 1883. They had a harmonious family life until the early death of his wife in 1902.  He had  a total of  5  Children viz., Madhurilata (Bela), Rathindranath Tagore, Renuka (Rani), Mira Tagore, Samindranath (Shami). Tagore suffered several family tragedies, as some of his children and his wife died young.

Major Works

Tagore wrote many poems, novels, stories, dramas, essays, songs, and also had a significant and deep interest in painting . Some of his important works are (i) Gitanjali a collection of songs for which he won the Nobel Prize (ii) Gora (novel) (iii) Ghare-Baire (The Home and the World) –Novel (iv) Chokher Bali – novel  (v)  Kabuliwala – short story (vi)  Postmaster – short story (vii)  Jana Gana Mana – National Anthem of India  (viii)  Amar Shonar Bangla – National Anthem of Bangladesh. Rabindranath Tagore composed over 2,000 songs known as Rabindra Sangeet.

Educational Contribution

Rabindranath Tagore founded Visva-Bharati University located in Santiniketan in the State of West Bengal in 1921 with an aim to combine the best of Indian and Western learning which became a major center for arts, culture, and education.

Achievements

Major achievements of Rabindranath Tagore include - in 1913 he became the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature for his work Gitanjali.  In 1915, he was awarded knighthood by the British (which he returned in 1919 after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre). He composed the National Anthem of India ( Jana Gana Mana), the National Anthem of Bangladesh ( Amar Sonar Bangla which became the national anthem of Bangladesh after independence of Bangladesh in 1971 from the Pakistan). Rabindranath Tagore became famous worldwide for his contribution to literature, music, art, and education.

Death

Rabindranath Tagore died on 7th August, 1941 at his ancestral home in Jorasanko Thakur Bari, Kolkata after battling a long for illness.