Early History of Tagore Family (contd-8)

Dwarakanath was firm in defending the interest and sentiments of his people against European prejudices. He was one of those who took the role of spokesman of freedom of India abroad. He established on 21 March 1838 an Association for landholders (later known as Landholders' Society). The association was overtly a self-serving political association, founded on a large and liberal basis, to admit landholders of all descriptions, Englishmen, Hindus, Muslims, Christians. It was interesting to note that he along with Raja Radhakanta Dev founded the Gaudiya Sabha, the first political association in India to ventilate in a constitutiomal manner the grievances of the people or the section of them that were outspoken. From this grew the British India Association, the precursor to the Indian National Congress.  

Dwarakanath Tagore died on the evening of Saturday, 1 August 1846, at the St. George's Hotel in London during a tremendous thunderstorm, the likes of which had not been seen for many years. The London Mail of 7 August wrote of him, "descended from the highest Brahmin caste of India, his family can prove a long and undoubted pedigree."  

Early History of Tagore Family (contd-7)

Dwarakanath left England on 15 October for Paris, where he was received by the French King, Louis-Philipe at St. Cloudon on 28 October. He returned to Calcutta in December 1842. The business recession of the early 1840s and his newly acquired princely life-style led to the collapse of his business empire and mired him in debt. The accumulated debt at his death was so huge that it took his son, Devendranath Thakur, almost all his life to free the family from encumberances. It was not only Dwarakanath's business that went into the red in the hard days of early 1840s, but many others like him were ruined due to the depression. Dwarakanath was the product of the depression of 1830-33 and victim of that of the 1840s. But his greatest success lies elsewhere . Collaboration in trade and commerce with the Europeans had long established precedents, but never before had a Bengali received recognition from them as an equal partner. Dwarakanath had broken that tradition and become an equal "partner in empire" by his own right.
Depression of the 1840s
The depression of the 1840s, experienced Australia-wide, was a major halt to rapid economic growth in Van Diemens Land. The continued low price of wood in the London market after 1837, the 1839 English recession, the collapse of the mainland markets for grain and livestock, and the downturn of Tasmanian Capital invested in Port Phillip speculations led to the depression. Goods piled up in shops as lower earning power led to reduced spending . The influx of British capital ceased. Banks restricted credit. By 1843, bankrupcies no longer involved small retail traders and merchants alone, but extended to landed interests. Two Banks were closed.   

Early History of Tagore Family (contd-6)

On 9 Jan 1842, Dwarakanath boarded his own steamer, the India, for the Suez. His European Physician, Dr. MacGowan, his nephew Chandra Mohan Chatterjee, his aide-de-camp, Paramananda Moitra, three Hindu servants and a Muslim cook accompanied him. In London, the British Prime Minister, Robert Peel (in office from December 1834 to April 1835 and June 1841 to June 1846) President of the Board of Control, Lord Fitzgerald, Prince Albert, Dutchess of Kent, Queen Victoria and others received him. (Pictures from top to bottom).
He spent 23 June with the Queen, reviewing troops. On 8 July, he was invited to a dinner with the Queen. The Queen noted in her diary, "The Brahmin speaks English remarkably well, and is a very intelligent, interesting man" (Queen Victoria's journal, 8 July 1842 ).
Dwarakanath left England on 15 October for Paris.

Early History of Tagore family (contd-5)

Dwarakanath Thakur, affluent enough to leave the low lying ancestral home at Pathuriaghata built by Joyram, constructed a colourful new home at Jorasanko where Rabindranath Tagore was born and brought up. Nilmoni's son Ramlochan, a rich banea and businessman had adopted Dwarakanath. The family name Thakur is said to have been conferred by the people of the fishing village, Govindapur, who felt to have been privileged by being served by the Pirali Brahmins ritually. However, the members of the Thakur family proved to be immensely entrepreneurial. But still, Dwarakanath Tagore suffered a sense of injury resulting from the indignity that other superior Brahmins had inflicted on them. No member of the Thakur family, including even Rabindranath, could set up any matrimonial connection with the superior Brahmin families due to alleged caste inferiority.

Under Robert Gutlar Fergusson, a british advocate, Dwarakanath learnt, as an apprentice, the laws of the Permanent Settlement and also the laws and procedures of the supreme court of Calcutta, Sadr and Zila courts and started his legal career very successfully in 1815. Soon, he started expanding the modest Zamindari estate that he inherited from his father, Ramlochan.  In 1830 Dwarakanath bought in auction the Kaligram zamindari in Rajshahi district and, in 1834, Shahazadpur in Pabna district. His zamindari had many partners and co-purchasers. But he himself held four large estates- Berhampur, Pandua, Kaligram and Shahazadpur- without partners and he placed them in trust for his sons and their descendants in 1840. 

He put his Zamindari management under several European experts. Dwarakanath made a fortune from his lucrative service as a serestadar (1828) and later diwan, the Board of Customs, Salt and Opium. He served for twelve years as diwan and had a money-lending business to salt manufacturers and others.  In addition to money-lending, he invested his money in the famous concern, Mackintosh and Company. He also had shares in the Union Bank when it was established in 1829.

In 1835, Government honoured him with the post of Justice of Peace, an honorary position newly opened to Indians at that time. He had investments in shipping , export trade, insurance, banking, coal mines, indigo, urban real estates and in zamindari estates.

He often visited Britain like his friend and philosopher Raja Rammohan Roy. 

Early History of Tagore Family (contd-4)

  The Jorasanko Family: Dwarakanath Tagore (1794-1846) was the man who ushered the family into its special role in the history and culture of Bengal. He was the second son of  Rammani Tagore (second son of Nilmoni), but was adopted by the childless elder son, Ramlochan Tagore. He, not only inherited the great wealth of the Jorasanko family but also built up an extensive business empire even  while he worked as sheristadar, the highest position then open to Indians. He was a luxury loving prodigal. The contemporaries called him a prince because he had been to Britain where he was first described as a prince by the people coming in contact with him and also because of his lifestyle in Britain and Calcutta marked with princely grandeur and influence. Dwarakanath was one of those Baneans and mutsuddis  who were the first generation of the Bengali entrepreneurs and socio-political activists. The first Thakur to leave the parental home in Dakshindihi, Khulna, and join the rank of banians to the Europeans, was  Panchanan who worked with the French as a banian in the late 17th. century.

Early History of Tagore Family (contd-3)

There stands on the Strand Road, facing the Hooghly, an old and yellowish dilapidated building with its imposing frontage designed as a replica of the Temple of Minerva in Athens. Kolkata's old Silver Mint, a land mark that has seen the city change dramatically over the past 184 years. The peeling plaster of the walls and wild growth of plants fail to veil the grandeur of the Doric columns of the Mint. Giving company to this grand structure is the historic Tagore Castle at Pathuriaghata, which was built by Darpanarayan Tagore, great grandfather of Nobel Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore of Jorasanko Thakurbari which was located in its vicinity. In the early years of 1800s, this area used to be bustling with commercial activities of street vendors and traders. 

In those days, Tagore Castle, Jorasanko Thakurbari, and at some little distance, Sovabazar Rajbari- all located on the embankment of the hooghly- attracted a great deal of public interest. But nowadays, except Jorasanko, the birth place of Tagore, all these buildings are in bad shape.  It was said that Raja Nabakrishna of Sovabazar, Prince Dwarakanath Tagore of Jorasanko and Raja Prasanna Thakur of Pathuriaghata- the three outstanding personalities of the Bengal renaissance- had played a pioneering role in the establishment of the old Silver Mint in the Business area. The Mint was of great importance since it was the only one that produced silver coins. As many as 3,00,000 to 6,00,000 siver coins were manufactured daily. Gold, Copper and Bronze coins were also made here. The facility of manufacturing medals was also available.    
The old yellowish Greecian structure that was once the old Mint complex of Kolkata, was built on an area of 12.5 acres of  land. Its foundation stone was laid in March 1824, and it became operational from 1 August 1829. It ceased to function in 1972. Official records revealed that the first mint in Calcutta was constructed in 1759.
The government undertook to protect all these places as heritages of India.

Early History of Tagore Family (contd-2)

Among the four sons of Joyram, Nilmoni and Darpanarayan were two prominent persons. In 1765, East India Company got the charge of collectorates of Revenues of Bengal. Nilmoni was appointed in the office of the collectorate of Orissa and gradually his earnings grew.
Pathuriaghata family :
Darpanarayan Tagore (1731-1791) was the first person in the family to earn through the money-lending business. But he had some dispute with Nilmoni who shifted his family to Mechuabazar (Jorasanko) and settled there.The other members of the family settled in Pathuriaghat, Kailaghata, and Chorbagan when Govindapur was razed by the British for the construction of the new Fort William.
Gopimohan Tagore (1760-1819), was well known for his wealth and in 1822 made what may be the largest ever gift of gold to the Kali temple at Kalighat. He was one of the founders of Hindu College. He knew English, French, Portuguese, Sanskrit, Persian and Urdu.

Prasanna Kumar Tagore (1801-1868), son of Gopimohan was one of the leaders of the Landholders' Society and the president of the British Indian Association, the earliest organisation of Indians in British India. He was the founder of the first local theatre- The Hindu Theatre. He was also the first Indian to be appointed to the Viceregal Legislative Council. Jatindramohan Tagore (1831-1908), the son of Hara Kumar Tagore (1798-1858), and grand son of Gopimohan Tagore, was a theatre enthusiast, art-lover, and philanthropist. He started Banga Natya Mela. He constructed the first house on the land where Tagore Castle now stands at 26, Prasanna Kumar Tagore Street in Pathuriaghata.      

Tagore Castle

Prasanna Kumar Tagore.