Ramanath Tagore

"See Tagore for disambiguation"

Infobox Person
name = Ramanath Tagore


image_size =
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birth_date =26 October 1801
birth_place =Kolkata
death_date =10 June 1877
death_place =Kolkata
occupation =
spouse =

Ramanath Tagore (archaic spelling Roma Nath Tagore) was one of the leading social figures in 19th century Kolkata (then Calcutta). The son of Rammani Tagore [ Bandopadhyay, Hiranmay, "Thakurbarir Katha", Bn icon, p31, Sishu Sahitya Samsad. ] of the Jorasanko branch of the Tagore family, he was younger brother of Dwarkanath Tagore and a cousin of Prasanna Coomar Tagore. Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali (editors), 1976/1998, "Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan" (Biographical dictionary) Vol I, Bn icon, p456, ISBN 8185626650 ] Later, he acquired the family property at Battala, one of the Kolkata neighbourhoods. [ Bandopadhyay, Hiranmay, "Thakurbarir Katha", Bn icon, p19, Sishu Sahitya Samsad. ]

Achievements

He became dewan of the Union Bank in 1829 and remained with the bank until it was wound up. In his younger age, he as attracted towards the ideas of Ram Mohan Roy and was one of the original trustees of the Brahmo Samaj. [Sastri, Sivanath, "History of the Brahmo Samaj", 1911-12/1993, p549, 557, Sadharan Brahmo Samaj, 211 Bidhan Sarani, Kolkata.] Ramanath was one of the persons who initiated the establishment of the British Indian Association and was its president from 1867 to 1877.

The Indian Association, along with its more moderate contemporary, the British Indian Association, played a catalytic role in building up political consciousness. ‘We are told in Bipin Pal’s memoirs that during the seventies Calcutta student community was a honeyomber with several societies. Next to Surendranath, there were several leaders like Kristo Das Pal, Rajendra Lala Mitra, Ramanath Tagore, Digamber Mitra, Rev K.M.Banerjee and Lalmohan Ghosh.’ [ Sengupta, Nitish, "History of the Bengali-speaking People", (2001/2002), p287, UBS Publishers’ Distributors Pvt. Ltd., ISBN 8174763554. ]

He was one of the patrons of Hindu Mela. [ Harvard reference
Surname1 = Sastri
Given1 = Sivanath
Year = 1903/2001
Title =Ramtanu Lahiri O Tatkalin Banga Samaj Bn icon
Publisher= New Age Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
ISBN = , page 151. ] One of the rare persons in that age to appreciate western art, he was one of the early collectors of paintings. [ Guha Thakurta, Tapati, "Art in Old Calcutta, the Melting Pot of Western Styles", in "Calcutta, the Living City", Vol I, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, pp 148-151, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-563696-1.]

Honours

As a member of the Bengal legislative council to which he was appointed in 1866, he so stoutly advocated the rights of the tenants that he was named the ‘Ryots Friend.’ He played a prominent part in municipal matters and it was chiefly because of his efforts that a proposal to shift the Nimtolla cremation ground was retained at its original location. He was nominated to the Viceroy’s Council in 1873 and created a Raja. In 1874, he was made a Companion of the Star of India by Lord Northbrook, in recognition of services renderd by him during the famine. At the Proclamation Durbar of 1877, he was made a Maharaja by Lord Lytton, viceroy of India. [ Cotton, H.E.A., "Calcutta Old and New", 1909/1980, p596, General Printers and Publishers Pvt. Ltd. ]

Writing

In association with Prasanna Coomar Tagore, he started the "Indian Reformer." He contributed extensively to the "Harkara" and "Englishman" under the pseudonym “Hindu.”

References

Persondata
NAME=Ramanath Tagore
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=
DATE OF BIRTH=26 October 1801
PLACE OF BIRTH=Kolkata
DATE OF DEATH=10 June 1877
PLACE OF DEATH=Kolkata