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Tagore family

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Tagore family
Zamindar and Merchant
Jorasanko Thakur Bari, the ancestorial home of the Tagore family.
Place of originBengal
Founded12th century onwards[1]
FounderJaganath Kushari
TitlesRaja of Pathuriaghata
Style(s)Raja
Connected membersNawab of Pataudi
Arain Family
Pratapaditya Family
Kapoor family
Prasada Family
Estate(s)Jorasanko Thakur Bari
Cadet branchesTagore-Pathuriaghata family branch
Tagore-Jorasanko family branch
Tagore-Koilaghata family branch
Tagore-Chorbagan family branch

The Tagore family (from Bengali ঠাকুর, Ṭhākur[2]) has been one of the leading families of Kolkata, India, and is regarded as one of the key influencers during the Bengali Renaissance. The family has produced several people who have contributed substantially in the fields of business, social and religious reformation, literature, art, politics and music.[3][4] The most prominent figures of this family include Dwarkanath Tagore, a pioneering industrialist; Rabindranath Tagore, Nobel laureate in literature; Abanindranath Tagore, a distinguished artist and more.[5]

Family history

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They were Bengali Hindu Pirali Brahmin ('Pirali' historically carried a stigmatized and pejorative connotation) and originally belonged to a village named Pithabhog in what is now Khulna, Bangladesh. They were the descendants of Deen Kushari who was granted a village named Kush in Bardhaman of West Bengal by Maharaja Kshitisura. Deen became its chief and came to be known as Kushari. The Tagores came to Calcutta from Khulna and started various business enterprises. The name 'Tagore' is an anglicized version of the Bengali name 'Thakur' which means 'Teacher' or 'God', and denotes respect since they were of a Brahmin caste. [6]


Background

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Tagores were Bengali Brahmins.[7] However, Debendranath Tagore (father of Rabindranath Tagore) was one of the founding members of the Brahmo Samaj (Brahmo religion) along with Raja Rammohun Roy. Europeans started coming to Bengal in the 16th century, resulting in the founding of Ugulim (Hooghly-Chinsura) by the Portuguese in 1579.[8] The Bengal Renaissance of the 19th century was a remarkable period of societal transformation in which a whole range of creative activities – literary, cultural, social and economic – flourished.[9] 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).[10] This spread over, covering around three centuries, and had a tremendous impact on Bengali society. The Tagore family attained prominence during this period through its unusual social positioning between Indian and European influences.[citation needed]

The Pathuriaghata family

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Among the family which settled in Pathuriaghata was that of Raja Gopi Mohan Tagore. He was a noted zamindar and philanthropist. His oldest son Hara Kumar Tagore was a Sanskrit scholar, writer and musician. Among Hara Kumar's children, Maharaja Sir Jatinodro Mohun Tagore and Sir Sourindro Mohun became famous.[citation needed]

The Jorasanko family

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The business base

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Dwarakanath Tagore (1794-1846) was the son of Nilmoni Tagore's second son, Rammani Tagore, but was adopted by the childless first son, Ramlochan Tagore. He inherited the Jorasanko property and Ramlochan's vast wealth. Dwarakanath was involved in multifarious activities ranging from being an agent of Mackintosh & Co. to being a serestadar, collector and dewan in the 24 Parganas collectorate. However, it was his business prowess that brought him both wealth and fame. In partnership with William Carr, he established Carr, Tagore and Company, the first equal partnership between European and Indian businessmen and the initiator of the managing agency system in India.[11][12]

Creative outpourings

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Debendranath's third son, Hemendranath Tagore was a strict disciplinarian who was entrusted with the responsibility of looking after the education of his younger brothers as well as administering 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 textbook for school students. He was known for his physical strength and wrestling skills. Exceptionally for the times, he insisted on 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 thinking 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 Uttar Pradesh and Assam.[13]

Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) was Debendranath's penultimate son. He was the first Asian to win a Nobel Prize. He also wrote what became the national anthems of India and Bangladesh and coined the title Mahatma for Indian nationalist leader Mahatma Gandhi.[14] The youngest son of Debendranath Tagore was Budhendranath, who died at a very young age.

The artists

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The younger generation

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Rabindranath Tagore's son, Rathindranath (1888–1961), was a multi-talented person. Besides being an agriculturist educated in the US, a talented architect, designer, master-carpenter, painter and writer, he was also the first 'upacharya' of Visva-Bharati University.[15] Rathindranath Tagore's wife, Pratima Devi (1893–1969), was an artist associated with Shilpa Sadan, Visva Bharati and also with dance and dance-drama.[16] Sharmila Tagore, a well-known Mumbai actress who is connected with Rabindranath Tagore, said that her mother's mother, Latika Tagore, was the granddaughter of Rabindranath Tagore's brother, Dwijendranath.[17] Pragnasundari Debi, granddaughter of Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, married a famous Assam author, Laxminath Bezbarua. She was a literary phenomenon in her own right: her cookbook Aamish O Niramish Ahar (1900, reprinted 1995) was a standard given to every Bengali bride with her trousseau, and earned her the appellation "India's Mrs Beeton".[18] Nandita, daughter of Mira Devi, the youngest daughter of Rabindranath Tagore, married Krishna Kripalani, a freedom fighter, author and parliamentarian.[19]

The family environment

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The environment at Jorasanko was filled with literature, music, painting, and theatre. They had their own education system. In the earlier days, the women 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 the women participated.[20] The family environment 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.[19]

Family tree

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See also: Tagore (name)
  • Jaganath Kushari, m. Sundari Devi[21][22]
    • Balaram Kushari
      • Harihar Kushari
        • Ramananda Kushari
          • Moheswar Kushari
            • Sukdev Kushari
            • Panchanan Kushari
              • Joyram Tagore, m. Ganga Tagore[23]
                • Nilmoni Tagore, m. Lalita Debee Ghosal (Jorasanko family branch)
                  • Rammoni Tagore, m. Menaka Tagore (first wife), Durga Tagore (Second wife) and Alokasundori Tagore (third wife)
                    • Radhanath Tagore, m. Parvati Devi Tagore
                    • Rama Nath Tagore, m. Kumudini Tagore
                    • Dwarkanath Tagore, m. Digambari Devi Tagore
                      • Girindranath Tagore, m. Suhasini Devi Tagore
                      • Debendranath Tagore, m. Sarada Devi Tagore
                        • Rabindranath Tagore, m. Mrinalini Devi Tagore
                          • Rathindranath Tagore, m. Pratima Devi
                            • Nandini Devi (adopted), m. Giridhari Lala
                              • Sunandan Lala
                            • Tulika Tagore
                              • Shomik Bose
                              • Sohini Bose
                          • Shamindranath Tagore (died at the age of 11)
                          • Renuka Devi (died at the age of 12)
                          • Meera Devi, m. Nagendranath Ganguly Ganguli
                            • Nitindranath Ganguli (diead at the age of 20)
                            • Nandita Kriplani, m. Krishna Kripalani (died childless)
                          • Madhurilata Devi (Bela), m. Saratchandra Chak Chakravarti (Bela died childless at the age of 32 due to tuberculosis)
                        • Saudamini Devi Gangopadhyay, m. Saradprasad Gangopadhyay
                          • Indumati Devi Chattopadhyay, m. Nityaranjan Chattopadhyay
                        • Satyendranath Tagore, m. Gyanodanandini Devi Tagore (first wife) and Jnanadanandini Devi Tagore (second wife)
                          • Surendranath Tagore, m. Shonga Devi
                            • Jaya Tagore, m. Kulprasad Sen (Motru)
                            • Manjusri Tagore, m. K.P Chattopadhyay
                              • Sunando Tagore, m. Pranati Tagore
                                • Suprobho Tagore
                              • Gautam Chattopadhyay, m. Jayasri Chattapadhyay
                                • Dhiman Chattopadhyay
                          • Kabindranath Tagore, m. Shalini Debi Tagore
                          • Surendranath Tagore
                          • Indira Devi Chaudhurani, m. Pramatha Chaudhuri
                            • Supriyo Tagore
                              • Sudripto Tagore
                        • Hemendranath Tagore
                          • Hitendranath Tagore
                            • Hridindranath Tagore, m. Amiya Tagore
                            • Shubhogendranath Tagore
                              • Siddharth Tagore
                              • Sundaram Tagore
                              • Priyanka Tagore
                              • Prarthana Tagore
                          • Kshitindranath Tagore
                          • Ritendranath Tagore
                          • Pragyasundari Devi, m. Lakshminath Bezbaroa
                          • Purnima Devi (Sudakshina), m. Sir Jwala Prasada
                            • Kunwar Jyoti Prasad, m. Pamela Devi
                          • Pratibha Devi, m. Ashutosh Chaudhuri
                            • Arya Chaudhuri
                          • Abhi Devi
                          • Manisha Devi, m. D.N. Chatterjee
                            • Dipty Chaudhuri, m. Pandit Navin Chandra Ray
                          • Shovana Devi, m. Nagendranath Mukhopadhyay
                          • Sushama Devi, m. Darikanath Mukherjee
                            • Lokendranath Mukherjee
                            • Dr. Bharganath Mukherjee, m. Gauri Devi
                              • Bharati Devi, m. Janak Prokash Gangooly
                            • Bhaskarnath Mukherjee, m. Usha Devi
                          • Sunrita Devi
                        • Dwijendranath Tagore, m. Sarbasundari Tagore
                          • Sudhindranath Tagore, m. Lata devi Tagore
                            • Latika Tagore , m. Kanakendranath Tagore
                          • Saroja Devi Chatterji
                          • Dwipendranath Tagore, m. Hemlata Tagore (first wife) and Sushila Tagore (Second wife)
                            • Dinendranath Tagore (Dinu Thakur), m. Binapani Devi (first wife) and Kamala Devi (second wife)
                            • Nalini Chowdhury, m. Suhrit Nath Chowdhury
                              • Purnima Chowdhury, m. Subir Tagore
                                • Maitreya Tagore
                          • Arunendranath Tagore
                            • Himendranath Tagore
                              • Himadri Tagore
                          • Nitindranath Tagore
                            • Archindranath Tagore
                              • Arkendranath Tagore
                          • Kritindranath Tagore
                        • Birendranath Tagore
                          • Balendranath Tagore
                        • Jyotirindranath Tagore, m. Kadambari Devi
                        • Somendranath Tagore, m. Suchita Devi Tagore
                        • Swarnakumari Devi, m. Janakinath Ghosal
                          • Jyotsnanath Ghosal, m. Sukriti Devi Ghosal
                          • Sarala Devi Chaudhurani, m. Rambhuj Dutt Ghosal
                            • Dipak Dutt, m. Radha Gandhi
                          • Hiranmoyee Devi Ghosal
                        • Saratkumari Devi, m. Jadugopal Mukherjee
                          • Supravasundari Devi Haldar, m. Sukumar Haldar
                        • Barnakumari Devi
                        • Sukumari Devi Chaudhuri, m. Durgadas Chaudhuri
                          • Ashutosh Chaudhuri, m. Pratibha Devi Chaudhuri
                        • Punyendranath Tagore
                        • Budhendranath Tagore
                          • Rekha Menon Tagore, m. Dr. V. K. Narayana Menon
                      • Nagendranath Tagore
                  • Ramlochan Tagore (adopted son)
                  • Rambullav Tagore
                • Darpanarayan Tagore (Pathuriaghata family branch)
                  • Gopi Mohan Tagore, m. Rukmani Tagore (first wife) and Sarla Tagore (second wife)
                  • Harimohan Tagore
                    • Nandalal Tagore
                      • Lalit Mohan Tagore
                      • Upendra Mohan Tagore
                      • Brasendra Mohan Tagore
                  • Radha Mohan Tagore
                  • Krishna Mohan Tagore
                  • Pyare Mohan Tagore
                  • Ladli Mohan Tagore
                    • Harolal Tagore
                    • Shamlal Tagore
                  • Mohini Mohan Tagore
                    • Kanailal Tagore
                    • Gopal Lal Tagore
                      • Kali Kishan Tagore
                • Anunderam Tagore (Koilaghata family branch)
                • Gobinderam Tagore (Chorbagan family branch)

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ James Wyburd Furrell (1882). The Tagore Family: A Memoir. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  2. ^ From Thakur to Tagore, Syed Ashraf Ali, The Star May 04, 2013
  3. ^ Deb, Chitra, pp 64–65.
  4. ^ "The Tagores and Society". Rabindra Baharati University. Retrieved 24 April 2007.
  5. ^ "Celebrating Tagore - the Man, the Poet and the Musician".
  6. ^ Mukhopadhyaya, Prabhatkumar, Rabindrajibani o Rabindra Sahitya Prabeshak, 1985, Visva Bharati, p 3
  7. ^ Thompson, Edward (1948). Rabindranath Tagore : Poet And Dramatist. Oxford University Press. p. 13.
  8. ^ Sengupta, Nitish, pp 119–126
  9. ^ Sengupta, Nitish, pp 209–216
  10. ^ Sengupta, Nitish, "History of the Bengali-speaking People", 2001/2002, UBS Publishers' Distributors Pvt. Ltd., ISBN 81-7476-355-4 p 210, 212–213.
  11. ^ Deb, Chitra, Jorasanko and the Tagore Family, Pages 64-65, in Calcutta: The Living City, Volume I, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, Oxford University Press.
  12. ^ Sarkar, Suvobrata. "Bengali Entrepreneurs and Western Technology in the Nineteenth Century: A Social Perspective" (PDF). Indian Journal of History of Science, 48.3 (2013) 447-475. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  13. ^ Utsa Ray, Culinary Culture in Colonial India (Cambridge University Press 2015): 63. ISBN 9781107042810
  14. ^ Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali (editors), (1976/1998), Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan (Biographical dictionary) Vol I, in Bengali, Sahitya Sansad ISBN 81-85626-65-0 pp 454–455.
  15. ^ "New book discloses Rabindranath Tagore son's untold story". DNA. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  16. ^ "Pratima Devi (1893–1969)". Visva-Bharati. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  17. ^ "The Tagore connection!". The Times of India. 21 August 2011.
  18. ^ Utsa Ray, Culinary Culture in Colonial India (Cambridge University Press 2015): 63. ISBN 9781107042810
  19. ^ a b Utsa Ray, Culinary Culture in Colonial India (Cambridge University Press 2015): 63. ISBN 9781107042810
  20. ^ Jorasanko and the Tagore Family by Chitra Deb in Calcutta, the Living City, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, Vol I, page 66
  21. ^ Amit Chaudhuri (2008). Clearing a Space: Reflections on India, Literature and Culture. Peter Lang. p. 75. ISBN 978-1-906165-01-7. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  22. ^ James Wyburd Furrell (1882). The Tagore Family: A Memoir. K. Paul, Trench, & Company. p. 17. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  23. ^ Biren Roy (1982). 1481–1981: Marshes to Metropolis. National Council of Education. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
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Rabindranath Tagore ....

Further reading

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