The Tagore family (also spelled as ''Thakur''), with over three hundred years of history,Deb, Chitra, pp 64–65. has been one of the leading families of

Calcutta, India Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, commer ...

, and is regarded as one of the key influencers during the

Bengali Renaissance The Bengal Renaissance (Bengali: বাংলার নবজাগরণ — ''Banglar Navajagaran''), also known as the Bengali Renaissance, was a cultural, social, intellectual, and artistic movement that took place in the Bengal region of ...

. The family has produced several persons who have contributed substantially in the fields of business, social and religious reformation, literature, art and music.

Family history

The original surname of the Tagores was Kushari. They were Pirali Brahmin ('Pirali’ historically carried a stigmatized and pejorative connotation) and originally belonged to a village named Kush in the district named

Burdwan Bardhaman (, ) is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of Purba Bardhaman district, having become a district capital during the period of British rule. Burdwan, an alternative name for the city, ...

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the four ...

. The biographer of Rabindranath Tagore, Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyaya wrote in the first volume of his book ''Rabindrajibani O Rabindra Sahitya Prabeshika'' that "The Kusharis were the descendants of Deen Kushari, the son of Bhatta Narayana; Deen was granted a village named Kush (in

zilla) by

Maharaja Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great Monarch, king" or "high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Em ...

Kshitisura, he became its chief and came to be known as Kushari."Mukhopadhyaya, Prabhatkumar, ''Rabindrajibani o Rabindra Sahitya Prabeshak'', 1985, Visva Bharati, p 3''On the edges of time (New ed.)'' (December 1978), Tagore, Rathindranath, Greenwood Press. p. 2, ''Timeless Genius'', Mukherjee, Mani Shankar, ''Pravasi Bharatiya''(May 2010), p. 89, 90''Rabindranath Tagore : Poet And Dramatist''(1948), Thompson, Edward, Oxford University Press. p. 13

Background of Tagore

Tagores are Bengali Brahmins Rabindranath's biographer, Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyaya, wrote in his book named ''Rabindrajibani O Rabindra Sahitya Prabeshika'' that: ''The Kusharis were the descendants of Deen Kushari, the son of Bhatta Narayana; Deen was granted a village named Kush (in

Zilla) by Maharaja Kshitisura, he became its chief and came to be known as Kushari.Mukhopadhyaya, Prabhatkumar, ''Rabindrajibani o Rabindra Sahitya Prabeshak'', 1985, Visva Bharati, p 3''On the edges of time (New ed.)'' (December 1978), Tagore, Rathindranath, Greenwood Press. p. 2, ''Timeless Genius'', Mukherjee, Mani Shankar, ''Pravasi Bharatiya''(May 2010), p. 89, 90''Rabindranath Tagore : Poet And Dramatist''(1948), Thompson, Edward, Oxford University Press. p. 13'' Generations later a branch of the Tagore family left its ancestral village in

and moved to the Eastern part of Bengal . Later on their descendants came back to the Western part of

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

(now

) from eastern part of

(now

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million pe ...

) and settled in the region situated on the right bank of the River Hooghly ( Rarh) in the 18th century Panchanan Kushari from Dakshindihi (now in Bangladesh), first settled in Gobindapur region around 1720 near what became Fort William, and then after eviction by the British, moved to Jorasanko region south of Sutanuti). Europeans started coming to Bengal in the 16th century, resulting in the founding of Ugulim ( Hooghly-Chinsura) by the Portuguese in 1579. The

Battle of Plassey The Battle of Plassey was a decisive victory of the British East India Company over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies on 23 June 1757, under the leadership of Robert Clive. The victory was made possible by the defection of Mir Jafar, ...

in 1757 resulted in the deposition of the last independent Nawab of Bengal. After the

Battle of Buxar The Battle of Buxar was fought between 22 and 23 October 1764, between the forces under the command of the British East India Company, led by Hector Munro, and the combined armies of Mir Qasim, Nawab of Bengal till 1764; the Nawab of Awadh, ...

, the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Sout ...

was given the right to collect revenues from Bengal. By 1793, the

British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

had abolished the Nizamat (the office of

nizam The Nizams were the rulers of Hyderabad from the 18th through the 20th century. Nizam of Hyderabad (Niẓām ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah) was the title of the monarch of the Hyderabad State ( divided between the state of Telangana, Mar ...

, the local ruler) and had taken control of the former Mughal province of Bengal. 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. 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, and 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.

The Pathuriaghata family

Sir Prodyot Coomar Tagore (1873–1942), son of Jatindramohun Tagore, was a leading philanthropist, art collector, and photographer. He was the first Indian member of the

Royal Photographic Society The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, commonly known as the Royal Photographic Society (RPS), is one of the world's oldest photographic societies. It was founded in London, England, in 1853 as the Photographic Society of London with ...

. He was also the Sheriff of Calcutta for the year 1909.

The Jorasanko family

The business base

“The fame of the Jorasanko Tagores stems from the time of

Dwarakanath Tagore Dwarkanath Tagore ( bn, দ্বারকানাথ ঠাকুর, ''Darokanath Ţhakur''; 1794–1846) was one of the first Indian industrialists to form an enterprise with British partners. He was the son of Ramlochon Tagore, the founder ...

(1794-1846).” Dwarkanath was the son of Nilmoni Tagore’s second son Rammani Tagore but was adopted by the childless first son RamlochanTagore. 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 diwan 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.

Spiritual pursuits

Creative outpourings

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 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 textbook for school students. If his untimely death had not prevented him from completing the project, this would certainly have been the first science textbook to be written in Bengali. 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.

Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...

(1861–1941), was Debendranath's penultimate son. He was the first Asian to win a Nobel Prize, and was exceptionally talented and the most famous in the family. Rabindranath is best remembered in history for writing what became the

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europe ...

s of the nations of

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

and

and for coining the title Mahatma for Indian nationalist leader

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, Anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure ...

. The youngest son of Debendranath Thakur was Budhendranath, who died at a very young age.

The artists

All these artist Tagore families belong to West Bengal, India.

The younger generation

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, was also the first 'upacharya' of Visva-Bharati University. Rathindranath Tagore's wife,

Pratima Devi Pratima Devi may refer to: *Prathima Devi (Kannada actress) (1933–2021), Indian actress in Kannada films *Pratima Devi (Hindi actress), Indian actress in Bollywood films 1940s–1990s, including '' Anokhi Ada'' (1948) *Pratima Devi (painter) ...

(1893-1969), was an artist associated with Shilpa Sadan, Visva Bharati and also associated with dances and dance drama.

Sharmila Tagore Sharmila Tagore (also known as Begum Ayesha Sultana; born 8 December 1944) is a retired Indian actress, primarily known for her work in Hindi and Bengali cinema, Tagore is the recipient of two National Film Awards, a Filmfare Award, and the ...

, a well-known Mumbai actress who is connected with Rabindranath Tagore, in an interview stated that her mother's mother, Latika Tagore was the granddaughter of Rabindranath Tagore's brother, Dwijendranath. Pranati Tagore is a renowned and eminent elocutionist, news reader and Bengali actor. She is married to Sunando Tagore, the great-grandson to Satyendranath Tagore.

Pragnasundari Debi Pragyasundari Devi (born 1872 – died 1950), also seen as Pragyasundari Debi, Pragya Sundari Devi, Pragasundari Debi, or Prajnasundari Bezbaroa, was an Indian cookbook author and magazine editor. Her ''Amish O Niramish Ahar'' was a "significant" e ...

, granddaughter of Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, married the most famous Assam author Sahityarathi 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 earning her the appellation "India's Mrs Beeton". Nandita, daughter of Mira Devi, the youngest daughter of Rabindranath Tagore, married Krishna Kripalani, a freedom fighter, author and parliamentarian. His biography of Rabindranath, is amongst the best ever written.

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.Please see Life of Rabindranath Tagore

Family tree

* Dwarkanath Tagore ** Girindranath Tagore *** Ganendranath Tagore *** Gunendranath Tagore **** Gaganendranath Tagore ***** Kanakendranath Tagore ****** Gitindranath Tagore *******

, m. Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi ******** Saif Ali Khan, m.

Amrita Singh Amrita Singh (born 9 February 1958) is an Indian actress. Through her films such as '' Betaab'' and '' Mard'', she gained popularity and became a well-known and popular actress in the 1980s. She took a break from acting in the early 1990s for ...

(divorced), m.

Kareena Kapoor Kareena Kapoor Khan (; ''née'' Kapoor; born 21 September 1980) is an Indian actress who appears in Hindi films. She is the daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and the younger sister of actress Karisma Kapoor. Noted for playing a v ...

*********

Sara Ali Khan Sara Ali Khan Pataudi (; born 12 August 1995) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Born into the Pataudi family, she is the daughter of actors Amrita Singh and Saif Ali Khan. After graduating with a degree in history and political sc ...

********* Ibrahim Ali Khan Pataudi ********* Taimur Ali Khan Pataudi ******** Saba Ali Khan ******** Soha Ali Khan, m. Kunal Khemu ******* Oindrila Tagore ******* Romila Sen **** Abanindranath Tagore **** Samarendranath Tagore **** Sunayani Devi, m. Rajanimohan Chattopadhyay **** Binayani Devi, m. Seshendra Bhushan Chattopadhyay *****

** Debendranath Tagore ***

**** Rathindranath Tagore ***** Nandini Devi, m. Giridhari Lala **** Shamindranath Tagore **** Renuka Devi **** Meera Devi **** Madhurilata Devi *** Satyendranath Tagore **** Surendranath Tagore **** Kabindranath Tagore **** Indira Devi Chaudhurani, m. Pramatha Chaudhuri *** Hemendranath Tagore **** Hitendranath Tagore **** Kshitindranath Tagore **** Ritendranath Tagore ****

Pragyasundari Devi Pragyasundari Devi (born 1872 – died 1950), also seen as Pragyasundari Debi, Pragya Sundari Devi, Pragasundari Debi, or Prajnasundari Bezbaroa, was an Indian cookbook author and magazine editor. Her ''Amish O Niramish Ahar'' was a "significant" e ...

, m. Lakshminath Bezbaroa **** Purnima Devi, m. Sir Jwala Prasada ***** Kunwar Jyoti Prasad ****** Jitendra Prasada *******

Jitin Prasada Jitin Prasada (born 29 November 1973) is an Indian politician from Uttar Pradesh. He was appointed Cabinet Minister by the Government of Uttar Pradesh on 26 September 2021. Earlier, he has been the former Minister of State for Human Resource De ...

**** Pratibha Devi **** Abhi Devi **** Manisha Devi **** Shovana Devi (

Shobhanasundari Mukhopadhyay Shobhanasundari Mukhopadhyay (born Shovona Devi Tagore in 1877 in Calcutta; died May 26, 1937 in Howrah) was an Indian writer, known for her collections of folktales. She was the daughter of Hemendranath Tagore and the niece of writer Rabindranat ...

) **** Sushama Devi **** Sunrita Devi *** Dwijendranath Tagore **** Sudhindranath Tagore ***** Saumyendranath Tagore **** Dwipendranath Tagore **** Arunendranath Tagore **** Nitindranath Tagore **** Kritindranath Tagore *** Birendranath Tagore **** Balendranath Tagore *** Jyotirindranath Tagore *** Somendranath Tagore ***

Swarnakumari Devi Swarnakumari Devi (1855 or 1856 – 1932), also known as Swarnakumari Tagore, Swarnakumari Ghosal, Svarṇakumārī Debī and Srimati Svarna Kumari Devi, was an Indian Bengali writer, editor, essayist, poet, novelist, playwright, composer, and ...

, m. Janakinath Ghosal **** Jyotsnanath Ghosal **** Sarala Devi Chaudhurani, m. Rambhuj Dutt Chaudhari **** Hiranmoyee Devi *** Sukumari Devi, m. Durgadas Choudhary **** Manmatha Nath Chaudhuri ***** Devika Rani, m. Himanshu Rai *** Saratkumari Devi *** Barnakumari Devi *** Soudamini Devi ** Nagendranath Tagore

Notes

References

* Deb, Chitra, ''Jorasanko and the Thakur Family'', in ''Calcutta, the Living City'', Vol I, edited by

Sukanta Chaudhuri Sukanta Chaudhuri (born 1950) is an Indian literary scholar, now Professor Emeritus at Jadavpur University, Kolkata. He was educated at Presidency College, Kolkata and the University of Oxford. He taught at Presidency College from January 1973 ...

, pp 64–67, Oxford University Press, * * Sengupta, Nitish, "History of the Bengali-speaking People", 2001/2002, UBS Publishers' Distributors Pvt. Ltd., * Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali (editors), (1976/1998), ''Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan'' (Biographical dictionary) Vol I, in Bengali, Sahitya Sansad * Devi Choudhurani, Indira, ''Smritisamput'' Vol I (1997/2000), in Bengali, Rabindra Bhaban, Viswa Bharati. * Tagore, Abanindranath and Chanda, Rani, ''Jorasankor Dhare'' (By the side of Jorasanko) in Bengali,(1944/2003), Viswabaharati Publications Division. * Sastri, Sivanath, ''Ramtanu Lahiri O Tatkalin Banga Samaj'' in Bengali, (1903/2001), New Age Publishers Pvt. Ltd. *Dr.S. Radhakrishnan "Rabindranath tagore A Centenary Volume 1861–1961" Sahitya Academy *Mukherjee, Mani Shankar "Timeless Genius" Pravasi Bharatiya April–May 2010 p 89-90

External links

Tagore family genealogy

Queensland University , mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work , established = , endowment = A$224.3 million , budget = A$2.1 billion , type = Public research university , chancellor = Peter Varghese , vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry , city = B ...

Rabindra Bharati Museum, Kolkata – family chronology

Calcuttaweb – family tree

Hindu School, Kolkata
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tagore Family Bengal Presidency People from Kolkata

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