The poet laureate was the first of our modern thinkers to cherish the long-standing civilisational links between the two Asian neighbours
Born on May 7, 1861, ‘Gurudev’ Rabindranath Tagore, as he was popularly known, was an epitome of Indian literature and an ardent believer of the idea of intra-Asian solidarity and widening pan-Asian cooperation. As we mark his birth anniversary this month, it is essential to acknowledge his belief in the mutually beneficial interactive relationship between the two great civilisations of China and India. Tagore had travelled across the Himalayas and was, perhaps, the first of the modern Indian thinkers to cherish the significance of long-standing “civilisational links” between India and China in the early 20th century. In one of his poems written in 1932, he reiterated, “The Great morning, which is for all, appears in the East; Let its Light reveal us to each other who walk on the same path of pilgrimage.” There are certain key features attached to Tagore’s understanding of China, which hold great significance for contemporary scholars of both nations. Much before his visit to China, expressing solidarity with the feeling of “colonial cousins”, Tagore, when he was just 20 in 1881, criticised the British imposition of opium trade upon China.
First, much before he went to China, his work drew interest and recognition among the scholars there. Tagore’s speeches, writings and visit to China have been well chronicled by Sun Yixue, famous literary scholar, who noticed that Tagore came to China with a “world-saving messianic message.” Much before his visit in 1924, Chen Duxiu, one of the founding members of the Communist Party of China (CPC), had already translated his most notable work Gitanjali into Chinese in the early 1915s. His poem, The Crescent Moon, was also translated and published in Chinese journals around the same time. Tagore’s Kabuliwala, a short story, was published at least six times in China.
Second, Tagore successfully made deep impressions during his two visits in 1924 and 1928. The first was set around the May Fourth Movement in China at the invitation of the Beijing Lecture Association. This point, India, too, was coming out of colonial resistance. To mark his birthday during his visit to the Peking Normal University, young Chinese actors performed his play Chitra in English. During his speeches, he emphasised the true virtues of close interaction among various Asian cultures like India and China.
Third, at a time when the 21st century is witnessing the reinvention of Asia’s global position in world politics, it must be recalled that Tagore was one of the most creative exponents of ‘Asian universalism’ and propagated an ‘Asian identity’. The dream of ‘Asian Century’, as propagated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, reinvigorates the spirit of ‘Asian Universalism’ with a difference. Tagore had spoken about it as a dynamic process with flow of Asian cultures and values and one that had fluid national boundaries.
In 1916, Chinese journal Dongfang Zazhi published Tagore’s speech in Japan, noting his sharp criticism of modern Western civilisation and its materialism. Tagore’s critique of nationalism was a fine combination of his anti-colonial ideas and patriotic poetry. In his view, there was no fundamental contradiction between India and China as both emphasised the concept of harmonious development in the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family) and Shijie Datong (world in grand harmony).
Fourth, Tagore’s ideas and vision are important for the establishment of a peaceful world order. He emphasised on three key features on his perspective of Southeast Asia. He downplayed the role of any kind of ‘military aggression’ and highlighted the role of ‘cultural exchange’ among nations, criticised any monolith understanding of a modern nation-state and allowed drawing cultural influences from others. He also noticed the centrality of Indian cultural forms and products as active agents of history in southeast Asian nations. The idea of an open, peaceful and economically integrated and culturally rich Southeast Asia well captures the vision of Tagore and forms the ‘guiding spirit’ for every nation.
Last, Tagore’s role was unparalleled in the development of Chinese studies in India. The establishment of an international university, Visva-Bharati, in Bengal, the formation of first Sino-Indian Cultural Society, and Cheena Bhavana (Chinese Department) at Santiniketan were milestone achievements. Many scholars like Tan Yun-shan contributed greatly to modern India’s understanding of the Chinese civilisation and its modern development. It is still an abode for Chinese scholars researching in India. Prof Wang Bangwei of Peking University called Tagore an Indian sage, an Asian sage and a world sage. To him, spirituality is the “greatest asset” of successful civilisations of Asia as opposed to the mad pursuit for materialistic gains in the West. While he had his fair share of critics from China’s reactionary forces, the late Ji Xianlin, Padma Bhushan, observed that Tagore was an icon of Sino-Indian friendship.
(The writer holds PhD in East Asian Studies from JNU)
