Tagore family
Encyclopedia
| Tagore family | |
| Gobindapur | |
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| [Panchanan] · [Sukdeb] |
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| [Jairam] | |
| Pathuriaghata | |
| Darpanarayan | |
| Gopimohan | |
| Chandra Coomar · Prasanna Coomar Prasanna Coomar Tagore See Tagore for disambiguationPrasanna Coomar Tagore was son of Gopi Mohan Tagore, one of the founders of Hindu College. He belonged to the Pathuriaghata branch of the Tagore family and was one of the leaders of the conservative branch of Hindu society... |
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| Gnanendramohan Gnanendramohan Tagore See Tagore for disambiguationGnanendramohan Tagore was the first Asian to be called to the bar in England, in 1862.- Early life :... |
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| Jatindramohan · Shourindramohan | |
| Shoutindramohan | |
| Jorasanko | |
| Nilmani | |
| Ramlochan · Rammani · Ramballav | |
| Dwarkanath Dwarkanath Tagore Dwarkanath Tagore , was one of the first Indian industrialists and entrepreneurs, was the founder of the Jorasanko branch of the Tagore family, and is notable for making substantial contributions to the Bengal Renaissance.-Childhood:... · Ramanath Ramanath Tagore See Tagore for disambiguationRamanath Tagore was one of the leading social figures in 19th century Kolkata . The son of Rammani Tagore of the Jorasanko branch of the Tagore family, he was younger brother of Dwarkanath Tagore and a cousin of Prasanna Coomar Tagore... |
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| Debendranath Debendranath Tagore Debendranath Tagore was one of the founders in 1848 of the Brahmo Religion which today is synonymous with Brahmoism the youngest religion of India and Bangladesh.... · Girindranath · Nagendranath |
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| Debendranath’s family | |
| Generation 1 | |
| Dwijendranath Dwijendranath Tagore See Tagore for disambiguationDwijendranath Tagore was an Indian poet, song composer, philosopher, mathematician, and a pioneer in Bengali shorthand and musical notations.-Formative years:... · Satyendranath Satyendranath Tagore Satyendranath Tagore was the first Indian to join the Indian Civil Service. He was an author, song composer, linguist and made significant contribution towards the emancipation of women in Indian society during the British Raj.-Formative years:... |
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| Hemendranath Hemendranath Tagore This article is connected to Tagore familyHemendranath Tagore , Debendranath Tagore's third son, is notable for being the first ever Brahmo as he was the first child born in 1844 to any of the 21 Brahmos who swore the First Brahmo Covenant on 21 December 1843 at Calcutta... · Birendranath |
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| Jyotirindranath Jyotirindranath Tagore Jyotirindranath Tagore was a playwright, a musician, an editor and a painter. Endowed with an outstanding talent, he had the rare capability of spotting talent in others... · Somendranath |
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| Rabindranath Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature... · Soudamini |
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| Sukumari · Saratkumari | |
| Swarnakumari Swarnakumari Devi See Tagore for disambiguationSwarnakumari Devi was an Indian poet, novelist, musician and social worker. She was the first among the women writers in Bengali to gain prominence.-Family and early life:... · Barnakumari |
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| Generation 2 | |
| Dwijendranath’s children | |
| Dwipendranath · Arunendranath | |
| Nitindranath · Sudhindranath | |
| Kritendranath | |
| Satyendranath’s children | |
| Surendranath · Indira | |
| Hemendranath’s Children | |
| Hitendranath · Kshitindranath | |
| Ritendranath · Pratibha | |
| Pragna ·Abhi · Manisha | |
| Shovana · Sushama | |
| Sunrita · Sudakshina | |
| Purnima | |
| Birendranath’s son | |
| Balendranath | |
| Rabindranath’s children | |
| Rathindranath · Shamindranath | |
| Madhurilata · Renuka | |
| Meera | |
| Girindranath’s family | |
| Generation 1 | |
| Ganedranath Ganendranath Tagore Gagendranath Tagore was a musician and theatre personality, and contributed substantially to nationalist discourse. One of the first students to pass the Entrance Examinations of Calcutta University, he was the founder-secretary of Hindu Mela.-Family:Dwarkanath Tagore, the founder of Jorasanko... · Gunendranath |
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| Generation 2 | |
| Gunendranath's children | |
| Gaganendranath Gaganendranath Tagore See Tagore for disambiguationGaganendranath Tagore was an Indian painter and cartoonist of the Bengal school. He belongs to the Tagore family and was born at Jorasanko.-Early life:Gaganendranath Tagore was born in Calcutta... |
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| Abanindranath Abanindranath Tagore Abanindranath Tagore was the principal artist of the Bengal school and the first major exponent of swadeshi values in Indian art. He was also a noted writer, particularly for children... · Sunayani |
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The Tagore family, with over three hundred years of history, has been one of the leading families of Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, and is regarded as a key influence during the Bengal Renaissance
Bengal Renaissance
The Bengal Renaissance refers to a social reform movement during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the region of Bengal in Undivided India during the period of British rule...
. The family has produced several persons who have contributed substantially in the fields of business, social and religious reformation, literature, art and music.
Background
Europeans started coming to Bengal in the 17th century. The Battle of PlasseyBattle of Plassey
The Battle of Plassey , 23 June 1757, was a decisive British East India Company victory over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies, establishing Company rule in South Asia which expanded over much of the Indies for the next hundred years...
in 1757 resulted in the deposition of the last independent Nawab of Bengal
Siraj ud-Daulah
Mîrzâ Muhammad Sirâj-ud-Daulah , more commonly known as Siraj ud-Daulah , was the last independent Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. The end of his reign marks the start of British East India Company rule over Bengal and later almost all of South Asia...
and the British (British East India Company) became the main ruling force in Bengal.
The Bengal renaissance of the 19th century was a remarkable period of societal transformation in which whole range of creative activities – literary, cultural, social and economic- flourished The Bengal Renaissance was the culmination of the process of emergence of the cultural characteristics of the Bengali people that had started in the age of Hussein Shah (1493–1519). This spread over covering around three centuries had a tremendous impact on Bengali society. Incidentally that coincided with the rise of the Tagore family. The Tagore family attained prominence during this period through its unusual social positioning between Indian and European influences.
To quote Chitra Deb, “Though the cultural role of the Thakurs has received the greatest attention by far, their importance on final assessment is a composite one: commercial and political as well as literary and musical. They played a collective role in every patriotic movement of their times: Nabagopal Mitra
Nabagopal Mitra
Nabagopal Mitra was an Indian playwright, poet, essayist, patriot and one of the founding fathers of Hindu nationalism. Along with Rishi Rajnarayan Basu he founded the Hindu Mela, the pioneer institution behind the genesis of Hindu nationalism...
’s Hindu Mela, the Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
and the National Conference, the Rakhi Festival of 1905, and the Nationalist Movement generally. The story of the Thakurs is inseparable from the story of Calcutta, Bengal and India.”
Origins
The family earlier held the title (surname) of Kushari, and hailed from Jessore DistrictJessore District
Jessore is a district located in the Khulna Division of southwestern Bangladesh. It is bordered by India to the west.The district produces a variety of crops year-round. Date-sugar called patali is made from the sap of locally grown date trees that is cooked, thickened and crystallised using a...
, now in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. Two of the Kusharis, Panchanan and Sukdeb, settled in Gobindapur
Gobindapur
Gobindapur was one of the three villages which were merged to form the city of Kolkata in India. The other two villages were Kalikata and Sutanuti...
, one of the villages that developed into the city of Kolkata, and engaged in stevedoring
Stevedore
Stevedore, dockworker, docker, dock labourer, wharfie and longshoreman can have various waterfront-related meanings concerning loading and unloading ships, according to place and country....
business. Being Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
s, the neighbours called them Thakurmashai, or ‘holy sir’. After the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
gained control of the country, ‘Thakur’ became their family name. In English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, it was Anglicized to ‘Tagore’, with some variations in spelling within the family. They were Pirali Brahmin
Pirali Brahmin
A Pirali Brahmin is any member of a subgrouping of Brahmins found throughout Bengal, which is split between India and Bangladesh. Notably, Rabindranath Tagore and the Tagore family are members of this group. The term "Pirali" historically carried a stigmatized and pejorative connotation; its eponym...
s, a sort of outcaste in orthodox Hindu society due to the conversion of three historical relatives to Islam.
Darpanarayan Tagore (1731-1791), the first person in the family to gain prominence, earned major revenues through money-lending while spent as abundantly as he earned. When he quarrelled with his brother Nilmani Tagore over family matters the latter shifted out of the family household and settled in Mechuabazar, which later came to be known as Jorasanko
Jorasanko
Jorasanko is a neighbourhood in north Kolkata. It is so called because of the two wooden or bamboo bridges that spanned a small stream at this point.-History:...
. Subsequently, several other branches of the family settled in Pathuriaghata
Pathuriaghata
Pathuriaghata is a neighbourhood in north Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta, in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is one of the oldest residential areas in what was Sutanuti. Once the abode of the Bengali rich, the neighbourhood and its surrounding areas are now dominated by Marwaris...
, Kailahata and Chorbagan, all neighbourhoods of the fledgling metropolis, particularly when Gobindapur was razed by the British for the construction of the new Fort William.
The Pathuriaghata family
Gopimohan Tagore (1760–1819) was well known for his wealth and in 1822, made what may be the largest ever gift of gold to the Kali temple at KalighatKalighat
Kalighat is a locality of Kolkata, India. One of the oldest neighborhoods in South Kolkata, Kalighat is also densely populated and vibrant -- with a rich history of cultural intermingling with the various foreign incursions into the area over time....
. He was one of the founders of Hindu College
Presidency College, Kolkata
Presidency University, Kolkata, formerly Hindu College and Presidency College, is a unitary, state aided university, located in Kolkata, West Bengal. and one of the premier institutes of learning of liberal arts and sciences in India. In 2002 it was ranked number one by the weekly news magazine...
, the institution that initiated western education in the country. He knew English, French, Portuguese, Sanskrit, Persian and Urdu, apart from Bengali.
Prasanna Coomar Tagore
Prasanna Coomar Tagore
See Tagore for disambiguationPrasanna Coomar Tagore was son of Gopi Mohan Tagore, one of the founders of Hindu College. He belonged to the Pathuriaghata branch of the Tagore family and was one of the leaders of the conservative branch of Hindu society...
, (1801–1868), son of Gopimohan Tagore, was one of the leaders of the Landholders' Society and later the president of the British Indian Association
British Indian Association
The British Indian Association was established on 31 October 1851. Its formation was a major event of 19th century India. Its establishment meant Indians had come together and could no longer be ignored...
, the earliest organisations of Indians in the country. He had started as government lawyer but later turned his attention to family matters. Apart from being a director of Hindu College, he was involved with the activities of several institutions. Tagore Law lectures are organised by Calcutta University on the strength of donations he made. He was founder of the first local theatre – the Hindu theatre. He was the first Indian to be appointed to the Viceregal Legislative Council.
Gnanendramohan Tagore
Gnanendramohan Tagore
See Tagore for disambiguationGnanendramohan Tagore was the first Asian to be called to the bar in England, in 1862.- Early life :...
(1826–1890), son of Prasanna Coomar Tagore, converted to Christianity and married Kamalmani daughter of Krishna Mohan Banerjee
Krishna Mohan Banerjee
Krishna Mohan Banerjee was a prominent member of Henry Louis Vivian Derozio’s Young Bengal group, educationist, linguist and Christian missionary.-Early life:...
. He was disowned by his father and disinherited. He went to England and qualified for the bar from Lincoln’s Inn. He became the first Indian to become a barrister. For sometime he taught Hindu Law and Bengali at the University of London.
Jatindramohan Tagore
Jatindramohan Tagore
See Tagore for disambiguationJatindramohan Tagore, , Maharaja Bahadur, , was a theatre enthusiast, art-lover, and philanthropist.-Early life:...
(1831–1908), son of Harakumar Tagore, inherited the Pathuriaghata branch wealth. He contributed substantially to the development of theatre in Kolkata and was himself a keen actor. He inspired Michael Madhusudan Dutt
Michael Madhusudan Dutt
Michael Madhusudan Dutt or Michael Madhusudan Dutta was a popular 19th century Bengali poet and dramatist. He was born in Sagardari , on the bank of Kopotaksho [কপোতাক্ষ] River, a village in Keshobpur Upozila, Jessore District, East Bengal . His father was Rajnarayan Dutt, an eminent lawyer, and...
to write Tilottamasambhab Kabya and published it at his cost. In 1865, he established the Banganatyalaya at Pathuriaghata. He was keen in music also and patronised musicians. With his active support one of them, Kshetra Mohan Goswami, introduced the concept of orchestra in to Indian music for the first time in this country. He was president of the British Indian Association and was the first Indian to be member of the Royal Photographic Society.
Ramanath Tagore
Ramanath Tagore
See Tagore for disambiguationRamanath Tagore was one of the leading social figures in 19th century Kolkata . The son of Rammani Tagore of the Jorasanko branch of the Tagore family, he was younger brother of Dwarkanath Tagore and a cousin of Prasanna Coomar Tagore...
(1801–1877) and Jatindramohan were major patrons of European art. Their palatial home, the Tagore Castle at Pathuriaghta had a major collection of European painters. Subsequently, members of the family took to oil-painting. Shoutindramohan Tagore (1865–98) was one of the first Indians to have studied at the Royal Academy.
Shourindramohan Tagore (180-1914), son of Harakumar Tagore, was a great musician who was awarded the doctor of music titles by Philadelphia University in 1875 and by Oxford University in 1896. He was proficient in both Indian and Western music. He founded the Banga Sangeet Vidyalaya in 1871 and the Bengal Academy of Music in 1881. He was honoured by the Shah of Iran with the ‘Nabab Shahzada’ title. The British government made him ‘Knight Bachelor of the United Kingdom’. He was also a playwright and Justice of the Peace. He was also a leading philanthropist of his time.
Business wealth
Dwarkanath TagoreDwarkanath Tagore
Dwarkanath Tagore , was one of the first Indian industrialists and entrepreneurs, was the founder of the Jorasanko branch of the Tagore family, and is notable for making substantial contributions to the Bengal Renaissance.-Childhood:...
(1794–1846) was the man who ushered the family into its special role in Bengali history and culture. He was son of Nilmani Tagore’s second son, Rammani Tagore, but was adopted by the childless elder son, Ramlochan Tagore. He not only inherited the great wealth of the Jorasanko family but also built up an extensive business empire even while he worked as sheristadar, the highest position then open to Indians. He was a luxury loving prodigal. His manners led his European friends to call him ‘Prince’. He was a friend of Raja Rammohun Roy
Ram Mohan Roy
Raja Ram Mohan Roy was an Indian religious, social, and educational reformer who challenged traditional Hindu culture and indicated the lines of progress for Indian society under British rule. He is sometimes called the father of modern India...
and played a leading role in the social development of the country. He was a shareholder of Macintosh & Co, a director of the Commercial Bank, founder of the Union Bank, director of several insurance companies, established Carr & Tagore Co. and engaged in coal mining (pioneering work), silk and indigo trade, shipping and sugar manufacture. He established himself as an industrialist and one of the leading rich men in the society of his time.
He was the second person amongst the educated Indians, after Raja Rammohun Roy to sail to England in 1842, with two persons accompanying him, ignoring the prohibition of the pandits. Rabindranath Tagore’s creative multiplicity or Debendranath Tagore’s spiritual pursuits were, to a considerable extent, made possible because of the foundations of leisure provided by Dwarakanath Tagore’s wealth.
Spiritual pursuits
After Dwarkanath Tagore, the leadership of the family passed on to Debendranath TagoreDebendranath Tagore
Debendranath Tagore was one of the founders in 1848 of the Brahmo Religion which today is synonymous with Brahmoism the youngest religion of India and Bangladesh....
(1807–1905) and Girindranath Tagore, the two sons of Dwarkanath Tagore. Debendranath Tagore founded the Brahmo
Brahmo
A Brahmo is either an adherent of Brahmoism to the exclusion of all other religions, or a person with at least one Brahmo parent or guardian and who has never denied his faith...
religion and also started its journal Tattwabodhini Patrika
Tattwabodhini Patrika
Tattwabodhini Patrika [Tattwabodhini Patrika ] was established by Maharshi Devendranath Tagore on 16 th August, 1843, as a journal of the Tattwabodhini Sabha, and continued publication until 1883...
. His children continued in the Brahmo Samaj. Girindranath Tagore also joined the Brahmo Samaj but his children, Ganendra and Gunendra, did not. Gunendra’s sons, Gaganendra, Samarendra and Abanindra branched out but retained cordial relationship with the Jorasanko family.
Debendranath Tagore took over the reins of the Brahmo Samaj in 1843 and not only resurrected it but also enriched it in many ways. It became the inspirtaion for the Bengal Renaissance. It was he who gave the Brahmo movement the trappings of a separate faith and introduced its own unique rituals. The Brahmo Samaj cast a very wide-ranging influence on its parent Hindu society, much wider than its limited membership would ostensibly permit.
Creative outpourings
Several of Debendranath Tagore’s children were brilliant. Dwijendranath TagoreDwijendranath Tagore
See Tagore for disambiguationDwijendranath Tagore was an Indian poet, song composer, philosopher, mathematician, and a pioneer in Bengali shorthand and musical notations.-Formative years:...
(1840–1926) was a great scholar, poet and music composer. He wrote extensively in the newspapers and magazines of the day on literature, philosophy and religion. He was editor of "Bharati" and Tattwabodhini Patrika
Tattwabodhini Patrika
Tattwabodhini Patrika [Tattwabodhini Patrika ] was established by Maharshi Devendranath Tagore on 16 th August, 1843, as a journal of the Tattwabodhini Sabha, and continued publication until 1883...
. A pioneer in Bengali shorthand, he was one of organisers of the Hindu Mela
Satyendranath Tagore
Satyendranath Tagore
Satyendranath Tagore was the first Indian to join the Indian Civil Service. He was an author, song composer, linguist and made significant contribution towards the emancipation of women in Indian society during the British Raj.-Formative years:...
, (1842–1923), was the first Indian to join the Indian Civil Service.in 1864. Earlier, he and his brother Ganendranath were among the first students to pass the Entrance Examination of Calcutta University in 1857. Even while serving in an adminsistrative job, he was a prolific writer, poet and song composer. Many of his nationalist songs are still sung. He was editor of "Tattwabodhini Patrika" and took an active interest in the Hindu Mela. He encourage his wife, Gyanadanandini Debi, to adopt western ideas and for that purpose took her to a governor’s party and also to England, something unthinkable in those days.
Debendranath's third son Hemendranath
Hemendranath Tagore
This article is connected to Tagore familyHemendranath Tagore , Debendranath Tagore's third son, is notable for being the first ever Brahmo as he was the first child born in 1844 to any of the 21 Brahmos who swore the First Brahmo Covenant on 21 December 1843 at Calcutta...
was a strict disciplinarian who was entrusted with the responsibility of looking after the education of his younger brothers as well as administrating the large family estates.Like most of Debendranath's children, he had varied interests in different fields.On one hand he composed a number of "Bromhosangeets" and on the other,wrote articles on physical science which he planned to compile and edit into a text book for school students.If his untimely death had not prevented him from completing the project,this would certainly have been the first science text book to be written in Bengali.He was known for his physical strength and wrestling skills. Exceptionally for the times,he insisted on a formal education for his daughters.He not only put them through school but trained them in music, arts and European languages such as French and German.It was another mark of his forward looking mentality that he actively sought out eligible grooms from different provinces of India for his daughters and married them off in places as far away as UP and Assam.
Jyotirindranath Tagore
Jyotirindranath Tagore
Jyotirindranath Tagore was a playwright, a musician, an editor and a painter. Endowed with an outstanding talent, he had the rare capability of spotting talent in others...
(1849–1925) was a scholar, artist, music composer and theatre personality. He knew several languages – Bengali, Sanskrit, English, Bengali, Marathi and Persian. In 1924, he translated "Gita Rahasya" of Bal Gangadhar Tilak into Bengali. He also translated several other books. He wrote several plays, and directed and acted in them. He composed songs that are still available in CDs. Around 2,000 of his paintings are in possession of Rabindra Bharati. A selection of his paintings were published in London in 1914, at the instance of Rothenstein.
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
(1861–1941) his youngest son, was the first Asian to win a Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
, and was exceptionally talented and the most famous in the family. Rabindrinath is best remembered in history for writing what became the national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
s of the nations of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
and for coining the title Mahatma
Mahatma
Mahatma is Sanskrit for "Great Soul". It is similar in usage to the modern Christian term saint. This epithet is commonly applied to prominent people like Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Jyotirao Phule and Branch Rickey...
for Indian nationalist leader Mohandas Gandhi.
Amongst his daughters Swarnakumari Devi
Swarnakumari Devi
See Tagore for disambiguationSwarnakumari Devi was an Indian poet, novelist, musician and social worker. She was the first among the women writers in Bengali to gain prominence.-Family and early life:...
(1855–1932) was a gifted writer, editor, song-composer and social worker. She was editor of "Bharati", a remarkabale performance in an age when very few girls went to school. She also edited a children’s magazine Balak. Sakhi Samiti was developed by her as means for upliftment of women. Her husband Janakinath Ghosal was one of the founders of the Indian National Congress. As a result she also participated in his nationalistic activities. She was the author of several books.
The artists
After Rabindranath, the most notable in the Jorasanko family were Gaganendranath TagoreGaganendranath Tagore
See Tagore for disambiguationGaganendranath Tagore was an Indian painter and cartoonist of the Bengal school. He belongs to the Tagore family and was born at Jorasanko.-Early life:Gaganendranath Tagore was born in Calcutta...
(1867–1938), Abanindranath Tagore
Abanindranath Tagore
Abanindranath Tagore was the principal artist of the Bengal school and the first major exponent of swadeshi values in Indian art. He was also a noted writer, particularly for children...
(1871–1951), and Sunayani (1875–1962). They made an immense contribution to Indian art. Even earlier, Abanindranath Tagore’s grand father and father, Gindranath (1820–1854), Gunendranath (1847–81), and subsequently Abaindranath Tagore’s cousin, Hitendranath Tagore (1867–1908) and his nephew Jaminiprakash Ganguli, were all gifted and prolific painters, specialising in a genre of dusky landscapes and romantic studies of peasant life.
Gaganendranath was a pioneer in many ways – in adopting Indian styles of painting after training in western art, and then absorbing Japanese styles. However, it was his brother Abanindranath who inaugurated what became known as the "Bengal school" or "Neo-Oriental school". Its influence spread across the country while it incorporated various strains of South Asian influence.
The younger generation
The younger generation also contributed substantially. Dwijendranath’s second son Sudhindranath (1869–1929) was a renowned author. His son Soumyendranath (1901–74) was well-known as a leftist politician. Satyendranath’s son Surendranath (1872–1940) also had political links. His daughter Indira (1873–1960) distinguished herself in literature, music and women’s movement. She married Pramatha Chowdhury, a distinguished scholar and writer. The list does not end here. All of them had enormous talent and were brought up in an ideal environment of literary debates and discussions, musical compositions, painting, and theatrical performances. Sharmila TagoreSharmila Tagore
Sharmila Tagore is an Indian film actress. She has won National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards for her performances.She has led the Indian Film Censor Board from October 2004 till March 2011...
, a well-known Mumbai actress, connected with Tagore on both sides, in an interview stated that her mother's mother, Latika Tagore was the grand daughter of Rabindranath Tagore's brother, Hijendranath [sic].
Pranati Tagore is a renowned and eminent elocutionist, news reader and bengali actor. She is married to Satyendranath Tagore's family branch.
The family environment
The environment at Jorasanko was filled with literature, music, painting and theatre. They had their own education system. In the earlier days, the women did not go to school but they were all educated at home. Swarnakumari Debi has recalled how in her early days the governess would write something on a slate which the girls then had to copy. When Debedranath discovered this, he at once stopped such a mindless and mechanical method and brought in a better teacher, Ajodhyanath Pakrashi – a male outsider in the women’s quarters... Some of the sons like Ganendra, Gunendra and Jyoitrindra set up their own private theatre. To start with men played in the role of women, but over a period of time even the women joined. The environment in the family played a major role in the development of its members. Even Rabindranath Tagore who went to win the Nobel Prize in literature had very little formal education.Being somewhat conservative, Debendranath Tagore had put in many restrictions about members of the family participating in certain types of activities outside the house. Therefore, they brought the outside world into their house and the entire family, including the women participated. Two small examples will illustrate the environment:
- “A baiji named Saraswatibai, renowned for her singing, had come from Kashi. We wanted to listen to her singing. She charged six hundred rupees for a single night’s performance. We sent Shyamsundar, “Go and bargain, see what you can manage.” Shyamsundar went and could fix her up for three hundred rupees. He came back and said, “Three hundred rupees and two bottles of brandy.” On hearing about the brandy we were taken aback, mummy could object. Shyamsundar said, “She cannot sing without taking brandy.” Everything was ready. Saraswati entered the gathering. She was demure, round nosed, nothing great. Natore said, “Abanda, what have you done? Just thrown away three hundred rupees.” She was going to sing two songs. Natore was ready to accompany her on the mridangam. As the clock struck ten she started singing. One song and it was eleven at night. Natore was paralysed with the mridnagam in his laps. The wonderful voice of Saraswati reverberated around that dance-hall. How wonderfully she had tuned her voice. Some of us with pillows in our laps, others with hands close to our hearts, we were all wonderstruck. The gathering was won over with just one song. Everyone was still immersed in the song, when Saraswati said, “Aur kuch farmaiye.” (present your wish). After listening to her, no one dared to put anything forward. Then I told Shyamsundar, “Ask her to sing a bhajan. We have heard that bhajans of Kashi are very famous.” She sang a bhajan known to all, “Ao to Brajachandalal...” (Come oh, Lord!) Everybody was dumbfounded...
- "... The atarwala (scent seller) had come, we used to call him Gabriel Saheb, a genuine Jew. It was as if Shylock from Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice had come alive and travelled all the way from Istambul to sell atar (scent) on the southern veranda of the Jorasanko house... so many types of people came and so much happened..."
Although the Jorasanko branch of the family had close links with Shilaidaha
Shilaidaha
Shilaidaha is a place in Kumarkhali Upazila of Kushtia District in Bangladesh. The place is famous for Rabindra Kuthibari of Shilaidaha— a country house made by Dwarkanath Tagore. Rabindranath Tagore lived a part of life here and created some of his memorable poems while living...
, in Kushtia District
Kushtia District
Kushtia, Kushtia district or Kushtia Zila is a district in the Khulna administrative division of western Bangladesh. Kushtia has existed as a separate district since the partition of India. Prior to that, Kushtia was a part of Nadia District under Bengal Province of British India. Kushtia was home...
, now in Bangladesh and Santiniketan
Santiniketan
Santiniketan is a small town near Bolpur in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, India, approximately 180 kilometres north of Kolkata . It was made famous by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, whose vision became what is now a university town that attracts thousands of visitors each year...
, where Rabindranath developed Viswa Bharati, their roots were in the Jorasanko house. It was popular as Jorasanko Thakur Bari
Jorasanko Thakur Bari
The Thakurbari The Thakurbari The Thakurbari (Bangla: House of the Thakurs (anglicised to Tagore) in Jorasanko, north of Kolkata, West Bengal, India is the ancestral home of the Tagore family. It is currently located on the Rabindra Bharati University campus at 6/4 Dwarakanath Tagore Lane...
of the Tagores and now houses the Rabindra Bharati University
Rabindra Bharati University
Rabindra Bharati University is a university in Kolkata, India. It was founded on May 8, 1962, under the Rabindra Bharati Act of the Government of West Bengal in 1961, to mark the birth centenary of the poet Rabindranath Tagore...
.