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Will Durant once
said, that Rabindranath himself as a phenomenon was proof enough for India' s claim to
independence. Despite being born to an affluent family he cared for the uplift of the poor
peasant subjects. He did receive the knighthood award from the throne, but he later gave
back with spite this royal honour in protest against the insensate cruelty at
Jallianwallabagh by the ruling power. Side by side with his outstanding literary creations
he became engaged in raising various constructive missions and organizations of welfare.
Foundation of a university, rural development, agricultural bank and cooperative- these
were some of the numerous welfare activities he pioneered. Although he never directly came
to politics his awareness of and conversation with the international political scenario
was pretty vast. Although a patriot when thinking of the nation, he was, nevertheless,
deeply cosmopolitan at heart. Rabindranath had in him a combination of so many faculties-
a poet, playwright, novelist, short-story writer, essayist, actor, lyricist, composer,
singer and painter. Indeed, his life itself has been art exemplified. His eventful life
divided itself rather equally between the last part of the nineteenth century and the
first half of the present, and therefore a life-chart of this great personality is
arranged below chronologically:
Date |
Event |
|
|
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. |
1861: May 7 |
Birth of Rabindranath as the fourteenth child of Debendranath
Tagore. (1268 B.S., 25
Vaishakh) |
|
1868 : |
Admission to the Oriental Seminary (School). |
1870 : |
One academic session at Normal School;
admission to the Bengal Academy the next year. |
1873 : |
Investiture with the holy thread; journey to the Himalayas;
composition of the first play: Pritthviraj Parajay (manuscript lost). |
1874 : |
Admission to St. Xavier's School. Translations in Bengali of
Shakespeare's Macbeth and Kalidasa's Kumarasambhava under the superintendence of his
private tutor, Jnanchandra Ghosh. Publication of the first poem, ‘Abhilash', in the
'Tatvabodhini'. |
1875 : |
Publication in the' Amritabazar Patrika' of the poem,
'Hindumelar Upahar", which was recited at the annual function of 'Hindumela'; death
of his mother, SaradaDevi. |
1877 : |
Performance (as actor) in the play Alikbabu; publication of
"Bhanusimher Padavali", "Bhikharini" and "Karuna" in the
literary organ, Bharati. |
1878 : |
Departure for Ahmedabad, where Satyendranath Tagore (poet's
second eldest brother} was staying, in a bid to go abroad under his supervision;
introduction there with the Marathi girl, Anna Tadkhade; going abroad. |
1879 : |
Admission to London University; publication of
"Kavikahini"; serial publication in the Bharati of his "Europe-jatri kono
Bangiya jubaker patradhara". |
1880 : |
Returning home; participation in the composition and
performance of the lyrical play, ‘Manamayi’. |
1881: |
Composition of the first 'Brahmasangeet' ; composition of
the Valmikipratibha and the poet himself playing the role of Valmiki during its
performance. |
1882 : |
Bankimchandra feting Rabindranath with a garland for his
"Sandhyasangeet" at the wedding party of the daughter of Rameshchandra Datta. |
1883 : |
Marriage of Rabindranath with Bhabatarini, alias Mrinalini
Devi, daughter of Benimadhab Raychoudhuri of Jessore. |
1884 : |
Suicide committed (19th April) by Kadambari Devi, wife of
Jyotirindranath Tagore; Rabindranath taking over as secretary of the Adi Brahmasamaj. |
1886 :. |
Birth of the eldest daughter, Madhurilata |
1887 : |
Debendranath awarding a cheque of Rs. Five Hundred to his
son, Rabindranath, after listening to a performance of Brahmasangeet by him. |
1888 : |
Residing with the family at Gazipur, North India, and
composing some of the poems of 'Manasi' there. Eldest son-Rathindranath-born to him
(November 27). |
1890: |
Staying on the banks of the Padma for inspection of the
estate. Composition of the play Visarjan at Sajadpur. Going abroad for a second time and
returning after having visited Paris. |
1891: |
Renuka (second daughter) born. Foundation of temple at
Shantiniketan (7th Pails, B.S.). |
1892: |
Supervision of the Silaidaha estate; composition of the poems
of Sonar Tari |
1894 : |
Birth of Mira, youngest daughter. Editor of the Sadhana, a
literary journal. Composition of Chitra. |
1896: |
Shamindranath (youngest son) born. |
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