BIOGRAPHY OF RABINDRANATH TAGORE: FOR BPSC MAINS EXAM.

RABINDRANATH TAGORE:

The principle of art is the principle of unity, it is for the artist to remind the world that with the truth of expression we grow in the truth-   Tagore.

Rabindranath tagore's contribution to Bengali literature and the indian modern art movement, as well as his philosophies and accomplishments as an artist , educator, and activist are widely known throughout india today. Tagore is globally recognised poet and philosopher and his ideas about cross cultured communication are relevant even today. In 1919 Tagore founded his international university, "VISVA-BHARTI" in Santiniketan in an attempt to unite the east and west through education and creative thought. in his essay "East and West" Tagore wrote- the west has come to us, not with the imagination and sympathy that create and unit, but with a shock passion for power and wealth.
There are four fundamental principles in Tagore's education technique philosophy- naturalism, humanism, internationalism, idealism.
Santiniketan and vishva bharti both are based on there very principles.

Introduction of Tagore:

Tagore born on 7th may 1861, his brother and sister were poets, musician, playwriter etc. Tagore  home was full of musical , literary and dramatic pursuits. Important changes that take place during this time was Isawar Chandra Vidyasagar had been attempting to reform the position of women in society. schools using english as the language of teaching were being established in the society alongside the traditional sanskrit schools. Pt. vidhysagar had established Bengali- medium schools at different places in bengal with little or limited support of govt. Tagore attended this schools, and as he says himself, owed his love of bengali language and literature to it. the manner of his early schooling was to leave a deep impression on him.his sandhya geet (evening song), a volume of bengali verse, came out in 1882. it was at about this time that the has a kind of mystical experience that led him to appreciate the unity of all that exists and himself as an integral part of it. in the same year, he wrote his famous poem NIRJHERER SWAPNA BHANGA- the awakening of fountain, he become aware of his unusual talent as a poet. between 1884 and 1890 various volumes of his poem appeared together with a profuse output of prose articles, criticism, plays and novels.

His precious literary work had been primarily based on imagination, he now come to acquire a direct and intimate experience of the wretched life led by the poor bengali farmers. this new experiences led to the composition of GALPAGUCCHA- a bunch of stories, and many letters he wrote to his niece, published as CHINNAPATRA- torn letters, considered to be landmarks in the writing of bengali prose and in describing the countryside of bengal. Tagore was overwhelmed by the economic, social and political misery in which the peasants lived. he gave a description of them at a later date-

Our so called responsible classes live in comfort because the common man has not yet understood his situation. that is why the landlords beats him. the money lenders holds him in his clutches, the foreman abuses him, the policeman fleeces him, priests exploits him, magistrate picks his pockets,

These conditions, he thought, could not changed by appealing to the religious sentiments of the landlords, policeman or money lender. In human society, necessity is a greater force than charity. the first requirements therefore is that people should discover the bond that holds them together as a society. if there is one path likely to achieve this, it is education. Tagore realised from his own experience of fammer's attitude and their social behaviours that strenght can be generated only in a self reliant village society developing its own locus of power and its own momentum of growth.
This could be the basis for reorganising india's fragmented rural society and could serve as an instrument of welfare. Tagore realised that education and village panchayats were the only available instruments of economic and social changes as he say "poverty springs from disunity and wealth from co-operation" from all point of view this is  a fundamental truth of human civilization.

As a young landlord managing his family's rural estates, Tagore come to realised that the possibility of introducing education and cooperation to transform rural life. thus he gegan to turn his thoughts towards problems of educations. he spoke publicly on "THE VACISSITUDE OF EDUCATION"  in which he made a strong plea for use of mother tongue. he also started organising  cooperatives , schools and hospitals in village of his estates and tried to improved forming methods. All these efforts for rural reconstruction went on while he pursued his creative writing.
Tagore called this the period of his sadhana- preparation, reflection, auterity and self- education for an active social life.

Life at Santiniketan left its impression on the poet's literary work. He wrote about india's past and present and , and stories of noble self- sacrifice. he published more  realistic novels such as CHOKER BALI- EYESORE, NAUKADUBLI-WRECK, gora. he was trying to discover the eternal india that succeeds in achieving unity amidst a bewildering diversity of races, cultures and religions. He was awarded nobel prize in 1913. this international experience gave him a new idea(visiting uk, usa, japan) that he must bring his country into contact with the world at large. he felt that overemphasis on narrow nationalist led men and country into paths of conflict. there should be an institution that emphasised the unity of the world's cultures and streams of knowledge.

Tagore's educational and other writings of the period reflects this nationalist trend . his concern with educational reforms grew in intensity after 1901, and move so after 1905. dissatisfaction with the existing system of education led to a general concern with educational reform.

1st- PHASE(1892-1901):

Tagore considered lack of education to be the main obstacle in the way of india's progress and at the root of all its problems. the basic objectives of any worthwhile national education system, such as promoting creating, freedom and awarness of a country's cultural heritage , were completely ignored. the educational offered was not even modern, science it was unreleted to any developments going on the field of education outside india. Irrespective of the content, the medium of education was english a foreign language so that learning this language was an additional burden for young indian students. Particularly, the educational process failed to develop scientific attitudes and the spirit of inquiring. on other hand, it divided the indian people into two classes, those who recieved this education and those who did not.

2nd- PHASE(1901-1918):

Tagore's preoccupation during this second phase was with developing an appropriate system of national education for india. each nation was different and this fact should be reflected, he thought in its system of education. the use of english in education hindered assimilation of what was tought, and kept education confined to urban centres and the upper classes. thus, if the vast rural masses were to benefit, it was absolutely essential to switch over the use of bengali. in the india should try to discover the characteristic truths of its civilization those truths are not commercialism, imperialism or nationalism but rather universalism. Tagore was against any conspicuous emphasis on materials, buildings, furniture or books that imitated western educational institutions in india. he to through that this would make education too expensive for comman people. he was against bookish learning.

3rd-PHASE(1918-1941):

Visva- bharti, Tagore's conception of the world university was founded at the end of the 1st world war with a determination to go beyond aggresive nationalism and to build freindship with all nations. he come also to known  a large number of intellectuals in the countries he visited. this in  turn led him to emphasised cooperation between east, west , nort, south an alternative form of education. while nations sought primarily to give their citizens a means of livelihood through education, Tagore believed that there was a more important aim - that of personal fulfilment and self improvement. it was important to borrow knowledge and experience from abroad, but not to use them as the foundation for indian education. science and  its  applications in the form of technology have led to the power and proserity of western countries. unless india acquired knowledge of science and technology through its universities and schools , poverty and powerlessness would continue. to transform life and made it richer, healthier and more educated, it was imperative to resort to technology and science, tha is why both spiritual and scientific knowledge are considered by the Tagore are equally important.

In tagore's view, the higher aim of the education was the same as that of a person's life, that is , to achieve fulfilment and completeness. it was necessary, Tagore felt to make the younger generation aware of their national culture heritage and to grasp its significance for them. at the same time education should bring children face to face cultures of other countries and persude them to learn from them. tagore put great emphasis on the use of the national language as the vehicle of education at all stages of education. he wanted indian universities to integrate themselves with society and make an effort to educate people living in the country side. he did not wanted education to remain confined to the cities and to particular classes of the society. he wanted his students to think in term of the whole of mankid, he wanted them becobe universal men and women to over come feelings of narrow nationalism in order that the world could live and grow in peace and felloship.

Role of rabindranath Tagore in national movement:

• reforming education system.
• universal huminist.
• swadeshi samaj.
• promotion of universal brotherhood.

This conferred from Gatanjali-

when the mind is without fear.

and the heart is held high     

 where the world is not broken up in fragments
by narrow domestic walls..........................