Jnanadanandini Tagore (''

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

'' Mukhopadhyay; 26 July 1850 – 1 October 1941;''Gyanodanondinee Debi'') was a social reformer who pioneered various cultural innovations and influenced the earliest phase of

women's empowerment Women's empowerment (or female empowerment) may be defined in several ways, including accepting women's viewpoints, making an effort to seek them and raising the status of women through education, awareness, literacy, and training.Kabeer, Naila ...

19th century The 19th (nineteenth) century began on 1 January 1801 ( MDCCCI), and ended on 31 December 1900 ( MCM). The 19th century was the ninth century of the 2nd millennium. The 19th century was characterized by vast social upheaval. Slavery was abolish ...

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 ...

. She was married to Satyendranath Tagore,

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 ...

's elder brother. The Tagores are a scion of the Jorasanko Tagore Family. She got her drapes from the Parsi and Gujrati style and made it herself, which came to be popularly known as Bhramika sari in Bengal.

Early life

Jnanadanandini was born to parents Abhaycharan Mukhopadhyay and Nistarini Devi of Narendrapur village in

Jessore Jessore ( bn, যশোর, jôshor, ), officially Jashore, is a city of Jessore District situated in Khulna Division. It is situated in the south-western part of Bangladesh. It is the administrative centre (headquarter) of the eponymous district ...

Bengal Presidency The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William and later Bengal Province, was a subdivision of the British Empire in India. At the height of its territorial jurisdiction, it covered large parts of what is now South Asia an ...

. Abhaycharan, a Kulin Brahmin, became an out-caste by marrying into a ''Pirali'' family and was disinherited by his father. In accordance to the prevalent custom, Jnanadanandini was married at the young age of seven or eight to

Debendranath Tagore Debendranath Tagore (15 May 1817 – 19 January 1905) was an Indian Hindu philosopher and religious reformer, active in the Brahmo Samaj (earlier called Bhramho Sabha) ("Society of Brahma", also translated as ''Society of God''). He joined Brahm ...

's second son, Satyendranath in 1857. In contrast to her idyllic life in

, she found herself confined behind the strict ''

purdah Pardah or purdah (from Hindi-Urdu , , meaning "curtain") is a religious and social practice of female seclusion prevalent among some Muslim and Hindu communities. It takes two forms: physical segregation of the sexes and the requirement that wom ...

'' of the Tagore household at

Jorasanko Jorasanko is a neighbourhood of North Kolkata, in Kolkata district, West Bengal, India. It is so called because of the two (''jora'') wooden or bamboo bridges (''sanko'') that spanned a small stream at this point. History Apart from the disti ...

. In 1862, while pursuing his probationary training for the Indian Civil Service (ICS), Satyendranath asked for Jnanadanandini to join him in England, however his father did not consent. Around this time, Jnanadanandini's brother-in-law

Hemendranath Tagore Hemendranath Tagore (1844–1884), Debendranath Tagore's third son, is notable for being the first Brahmo as the first child born in 1844 to any of the original 21 Brahmos who swore the First Brahmo Covenant on 21 December 1843 at Calcutta (no ...

took charge of her education. She was also tutored briefly by the famous

Brahmo Bengali Brahmos are those who adhere to Brahmoism, the philosophy of Brahmo Samaj which was founded by Raja Rammohan Roy. A recent publication describes the disproportionate influence of Brahmos on India's development post-19th Century as unpa ...

educationis
Ayodhyanath Pakrashi
Upon Satyendranath's return from England in 1864 as the first Indian member of the

Civil Service The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

, Jnanadanandini went to live with her husband in

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...

Bombay

While in

, Jnanadanandini socialized in the European circles and partly adapted to English customs. This shift in social role required her to dress appropriately, for which the traditional Bengali style of wearing the

sari A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include: * as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO * bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO * gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std ...

became too unwieldy. During a tour of

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

with her husband, Jnanadanandini improvised upon the sari worn by

Parsi Parsis () or Parsees are an ethnoreligious group of the Indian subcontinent adhering to Zoroastrianism. They are descended from Persians who migrated to Medieval India during and after the Arab conquest of Iran (part of the early Muslim conq ...

women. She created her own style of draping the ''aanchal''/''pallu'' over the left shoulder – as opposed to the

style – so that the right hand remained free for courtesies. She even advertised in the monthly magazine
Bamabodhini Patrika
' offering to train other women to wear the sari in her novel style. One of her first pupils in

Calcutta 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 ...

was Mrs. Soudamini Gupta, the wife of Behari Lal Gupta, ICS. The style soon became popular among the

women of Calcutta developing the eponym Brahmika Sari. While in Calcutta, Jnanadanandini, breaking the customs of the upper-caste household, accompanied her husband to a Christmas party thrown by the

Viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning " ...

, Lord Lawrence in 1866.

Prasanna Coomar Tagore Prasanna may refer to: People As sole name * Prasanna (actor) (Prasanna Venkatesan, active from 2001), Indian film actor * Prasanna (theatre director) (born 1951), Indian theatre director and playwright * V. V. Prasanna, a Tamil playback singer ...

Pathuriaghata Pathuriaghata is a neighbourhood of North Kolkata in Kolkata district, in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is one of the oldest residential areas in what was Sutanuti. Once the abode of the Bengali rich, the neighbourhood and its surrounding ...

, who was also among the invitees was deeply outraged by Jnanadanandini's boldness and left the viceregal palace in shock. Her father-in-law,

did not take kindly to her independent spirit either. It is speculated that this caused much discord in the Tagore household. Jnanadanandini left

in 1868 to live by herself in a mansion on Park Street, adjacent to Debendranath's residence. In spite of this proximity, the two of them never interacted. However, around this time she developed a fondness for her younger brother-in-law,

, who became a frequent visitor in her Park Street house. Jnanadanandini returned to Bombay with her husband in 1869. The same year she lost her first child within a few days of birth. Her son, Surendranath was born in 1872 while the couple was living in

Poona Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

and the following year, her daughter Indira Devi was born in

Bijapur Bijapur, officially known as Vijayapura, is the district headquarters of Bijapur district of the Karnataka state of India. It is also the headquarters for Bijapur Taluk. Bijapur city is well known for its historical monuments of architectural i ...

. In yet another undaunted act of courage, Jnanadanandini appointed a Muslim woman as

wet nurse A wet nurse is a woman who breastfeeds and cares for another's child. Wet nurses are employed if the mother dies, or if she is unable or chooses not to nurse the child herself. Wet-nursed children may be known as "milk-siblings", and in some cu ...

for her children. In those days it was common for affluent Hindu families to leave their newborns to the care of a wet nurse or governess—always of a hindu caste. However, Jnanadanandini resented leaving her children in the custody of servants—often against the wishes of her own husband—making evident the emotional contours of a nuclear family that were already beginning to evolve in her mind. Her third son Kabindranath was born in 1876(?) during the family's brief sojourn in

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern Indi ...

Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...

England

In 1877 Jnanadanandini Devi set sail for

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. At a time when an Indian woman crossing the seas was unheard of—let alone heavily pregnant, with three children and unaccompanied by her husband—her fortitude created a social sensation. She was received in London by her husband's uncle Gnanendramohan Tagore who, in spite of being the first Asian

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and givin ...

and a Christian convert, shared in the shock. After briefly residing at Gnanendramohan Tagore's house in

Kensington Gardens Kensington Gardens, once the private gardens of Kensington Palace, are among the Royal Parks of London. The gardens are shared by the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and sit immediately to the west of Hyd ...

, Jnanadanandini moved into a house on Medina Villas in the seaside town of

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the Englis ...

. Satyendranath joined her in England with the onset of his

furlough A furlough (; from nl, verlof, " leave of absence") is a temporary leave of employees due to special needs of a company or employer, which may be due to economic conditions of a specific employer or in society as a whole. These furloughs may be ...

in October 1878, along with his younger brother

. Her initial year in England was marked by grief with the birth of a stillborn child, and the demise of her youngest son Kabindranath. She arranged for Kabindranath to be buried beside Dwarakanath Tagore's grave at

Kensal Green Cemetery Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of Queens Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, it was founded by the barrister George Frederick ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. However, she and her children soon developed an intimate friendship with Rabindranath. Her daughter Indira would eventually become Rabindranath's lifelong confidante. Upon the completion of Satyendranath's furlough, he took up a post in

Surat Surat is a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The word Surat literally means ''face'' in Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of the river Tapti near its confluence with the Arabian Sea, it used to be a large seaport. It is ...

while Jnanadanandini returned to

with her children.

Calcutta

, Jnanadanandini took up residence in a bungalow on Lower Circular Road. Yet, from the memoirs of her daughter Indira and niece Sarala, we learn that Jnanadanandini never relinquished her attachment with the Tagore's

house. She took an active role in Rabindranath's marriage and even mentored the young bride, Mrinalini. With time, her relationship with Rabindranath permeated into the domain of his creativity. Jnanadanandini started assisting him with the performance of his plays, often encouraging other women of the household to participate. Thus came: '' Valmiki-Pratibha'', ''Kaalmrigaya'', ''Raja O Rani'', ''Mayar Khela'' and ''Bisarjan''. From Indira Devi's recollection we also learn that in spite of her high standing, Jnanadanandini did not socialize with the

glitterati of her time. That Calcutta society was not favourably disposed towards Jnanadanandini either is evident from an article in the October 1889 issue of the popular Bengali journal ''Bangabasi'', which slandered her for acting in the play ''Raja O Rani''. Ironically, the Tagore house at ''Birjitalao'' where the performance took place is today occupied by a ritzy gentlemen's

club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

. In 1890, Jnanadanandini moved in with

Jyotirindranath Tagore Jyotirindranath Tagore ( bn, জ্যোতিরিন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 4 May 1849 – 4 March 1925) was a playwright, a musician, an editor and a painter. He played a major role in the flowering of the talents of his you ...

who had lost his wife

Kadambari Devi Kadambari Devi (5 July 1859 – 21 April 1884) was the wife of Jyotirindranath Tagore and daughter-in-law of Debendranath Tagore. She was ten years younger than her husband, whom she married on 5 July 1868 (২৫শে আষাঢ়, ১২� ...

in 1884. In 1891, Jnanadanandini Devi introduced her nephew

Abanindranath Tagore Abanindranath Tagore ( Bengali: অবনীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 August 1871 – 5 December 1951) was the principal artist and creator of the "Indian Society of Oriental Art". He was also the first major exponent of Sw ...

to E.B. Havell who at the time was the principal of Government College of Art. The collaboration between these two artists would eventually lead to the development of the

Bengal School of Art The Bengal School of Art, commonly referred as Bengal School, was an art movement and a style of Indian painting that originated in Bengal, primarily Kolkata and Shantiniketan, and flourished throughout the Indian subcontinent, during the Britis ...

. Jnanadanandini's position in the

Tagore family 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, and is regarded as one of the key influencers during the Bengali Renaissa ...

is difficult to situate. On the one hand, she is among the few women who presided over the Maghotsav celebrations at the

Brahmo Samaj Brahmo Samaj ( bn, ব্রহ্ম সমাজ, Brahmô Sômaj, ) is the societal component of Brahmoism, which began as a monotheistic reformist movement of the Hindu religion that appeared during the Bengal Renaissance. It was one of t ...

, while on the other she is known to have advocated marriage with the non-Brahmin Cooch-Behar royal family which brought her at loggerheads, yet again, with

. A woman who once went to England just by herself did not allow her son Surendranath to go to England for higher studies. Her maternal anxieties notwithstanding, she never objected to Surendranath's many radical misadventures. While she single-handedly nursed Rabindranath's daughter Meera Devi through her difficult pregnancy in 1911, she also fell out with him over the issue of withdrawing her grandson Subirendranath from Santiniketan ashram in 1921. Yet, her relationship with Rabindranath remained untarnished all her life. In the words of her daughter Indira Devi, "my mother had ... a quality of centrality, that is the power of attracting people around her, owing to her hospitable and hearty nature". In 1907, Jnanadanandini and Satyendranath visited

in his house a
Morabadi Hill
in

Ranchi Ranchi (, ) is the capital of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement, which called for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern Odisha, western West Bengal and the eastern area o ...

and started living there permanently from 1911. She died in 1941.

Literary accomplishments

Among the

women, after

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, an ...

, Jnanadanandini participated most actively in the rich literary ambiance of the family. Upon her return from England in 1880, Jnanadanandini began writing articles in the Bengali journal ''Bharati''. Her flair was soon noticed by the intelligentsia. In 1881 - four years before the establishment of the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...

- Jnanadanandini published an article titled ''Ingrajninda O Deshanurag'' (''Criticism of the British and Patriotism''), in which she called for the establishment of a nationwide organization which would have branches in the remote district towns. She argued "every benefit that the British have bestowed upon us is a blow to our mission of national liberation". In 1885, Jnanadanandini Devi established ''Balak'', the first children's literary magazine in

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

. Rabindranath contributed a number of short stories, poems and plays to ''Balak''. She wrote two plays for children - ''Takdumadum'' and ''Saat Bhai Champa'' - both of which were highly appreciated in the literary circles. In spite of her many literary achievements, Jnanadanandini Devi did not write an autobiography. However, a couple of years before her death
Pulinbihari Sen
did persuade her to write a set of memoirs that were later published as ''Smritikatha O Puratani''.Indira Devi Chaudhurani, p. 39

References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20150724120830/http://www.bdlinks.net/biography/Jnanadanandini-Devi.php * http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Devi,_Jnanadanandini * http://www.southasiamail.com/news.php?id=74757 * http://www.dailypioneer.com/vivacity/tagore-woman-and-her-tales.html * http://vintageindianclothing.tumblr.com/post/31690135816/the-brahmika-sari * http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Bamabodhini_Patrika {{DEFAULTSORT:Devi, Jnanadanandini 1850 births 1941 deaths Bengali Hindus Bengali educators Scholars from Kolkata Brahmos Indian scholars Indian women scholars 20th-century Indian scholars 19th-century Indian scholars Indian reformers Indian social reformers Indian social workers Women educators from West Bengal Educators from West Bengal Indian women educators Indian educators 20th-century Indian educators 19th-century Indian educators 19th-century Indian women 19th-century Indian people 20th-century Indian women Social workers from West Bengal 19th-century Bengalis 20th-century Bengalis Indian educational theorists Indian women educational theorists 20th-century Indian educational theorists 19th-century Indian educational theorists Educationists from India Indian women's rights activists Indian women activists Indian activists Indian feminists Activists from West Bengal Indian editors Indian women editors Indian magazine editors Indian columnists Indian women columnists Indian feminist writers