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Tagore family
Tagore family
Zamindar and Merchant
	Jorasanko Thakur Bari, the ancestorial home of the Tagore family.
Place of origin	Bengal
Founded	12th century onwards
Founder	Jaganath Kushari
Titles	Raja of Pathuriaghata
Style(s)	Raja
Connected members	Nawab of Pataudi ; Arain Family; Pratapaditya Family; Kapoor family; Prasada Family
Estate(s)	Jorasanko Thakur Bari
Cadet branches	Tagore-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

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

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

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

The business base

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

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

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, 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

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

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
        Ganendranath Tagore, m. Swarnakumari Devi Tagore
        
        Gunendranath Tagore, m. Saudamini Devi
        Gaganendranath Tagore, m. Promod Kumari Tagore
        Nabendranath Tagore
        
        Gahendranath Tagore, m. Mrinalini Tagore
        
        Kanakendranath Tagore, m. Suramasundari Tagore (first wife) and Latika Tagore (second wife)
        Gitindranath Tagore, m. Ira Tagore
        Sharmila Tagore (Rinku), m. Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi
        Saif Ali Khan, m. Amrita Singh (divorced), m. Kareena Kapoor
        Sara Ali Khan
        
        Ibrahim Ali Khan Pataudi
        
        Taimur Ali Khan Pataudi
        
        Jehangir Ali Khan Pataudi
        
        Saba Ali Khan
        
        Soha Ali Khan, m. Kunal Khemu
        Inaaya Naumi Khemu
        
        Oindrila Tagore Kundu (Tinku), m. Dilip Kundu
        Mickey Kundu
        
        Romila Sen, m. Nikhil Sen
        
        Abanindranath Tagore, m. Suhasini Devi
        Alokendra Tagore
        
        Amitendranath Tagore, m. Arundhuti Tagore
        Ayanendranath Tagore
        
        Samarendranath Tagore
        
        Sunayani Devi, m. Rajanimohan Chattopadhyay
        
        Binayani Devi, m. Seshendra Bhushan Chattopadhyay
        Pratima Devi, m. Nilanath Mukhopadhyay
        
        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 (died 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
        Leela Devi Chaudhuri, m Manmathanath Chaudhuri
        Devika Rani, m. Himanshu Rai (first husband) and Svetoslav Roerich (second husband)
        
        Nikhil Chaudhuri
        
        Mahim Chaudhuri
        
        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
        Saumyendranath Tagore, m. Srimati Hutheesing
        
        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
        Kunwar Jitendra Prasada, m. Kanta Prasada
        Kunwar Jitin Prasada, m. Neha Seth
        Kunwar Janav Prasada
        
        Kunwari Jananya Prasada
        
        Jahnavi Prasada
        
        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
        Saumyendranath Tagore, m. Srimati Hutheesingh
        
        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)
        Hara Kumar Tagore, m. Shibsundari Devi
        Jatindramohan Tagore
        
        Sourindra Mohun Tagore
        Prodyot Coomar Tagore
        
        Prasanna Coomar Tagore
        Suhasini Devi, m. Abanindranath Tagore
        
        Gnanendramohan Tagore, m. Kamalmani Tagore
        
        Kali kumar Tagore
        
        Surji Kumar Tagore
        
        Chandra Kumar Tagore
        
        Nanda Kumar Tagore
        
        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

References

^ James Wyburd Furrell (1882). The Tagore Family: A Memoir. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
^ From Thakur to Tagore, Syed Ashraf Ali, The Star May 04, 2013
^ Deb, Chitra, pp 64–65.
^ "The Tagores and Society". Rabindra Baharati University. Retrieved 24 April 2007.
^ "Celebrating Tagore - the Man, the Poet and the Musician".
^ Mukhopadhyaya, Prabhatkumar, Rabindrajibani o Rabindra Sahitya Prabeshak, 1985, Visva Bharati, p 3
^ Thompson, Edward (1948). Rabindranath Tagore : Poet And Dramatist. Oxford University Press. p. 13.
^ Sengupta, Nitish, pp 119–126
^ Sengupta, Nitish, pp 209–216
^ Sengupta, Nitish, "History of the Bengali-speaking People", 2001/2002, UBS Publishers' Distributors Pvt. Ltd., ISBN 81-7476-355-4 p 210, 212–213.
^ Deb, Chitra, Jorasanko and the Tagore Family, Pages 64-65, in Calcutta: The Living City, Volume I, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, Oxford University Press.
^ 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.
^ Utsa Ray, Culinary Culture in Colonial India (Cambridge University Press 2015): 63. ISBN 9781107042810
^ 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.
^ "New book discloses Rabindranath Tagore son's untold story". DNA. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
^ "Pratima Devi (1893–1969)". Visva-Bharati. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
^ "The Tagore connection!". The Times of India. 21 August 2011.
^ Utsa Ray, Culinary Culture in Colonial India (Cambridge University Press 2015): 63. ISBN 9781107042810
^ ^a ^b Utsa Ray, Culinary Culture in Colonial India (Cambridge University Press 2015): 63. ISBN 9781107042810
^ Jorasanko and the Tagore Family by Chitra Deb in Calcutta, the Living City, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, Vol I, page 66
^ 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.
^ James Wyburd Furrell (1882). The Tagore Family: A Memoir. K. Paul, Trench, & Company. p. 17. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
^ Biren Roy (1982). 1481–1981: Marshes to Metropolis. National Council of Education. Retrieved 5 April 2017.