>Monkbot at 12:43, 10 January 2021

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{{EngvarB|date=June 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Gnanendramohan Tagore
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1826|01|24}}
| birth_place = Calcutta, [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1890|01|05|1826|01|24}}
| death_place = England
| occupation = [[Barrister]]
| spouse = Kamalmani
}}

'''Gnanendramohan Tagore''' (also ''Gyanendramohan Tagore'') (24 January 1826 – 5 January 1890) was the first [[Bengali people|Bengali]], [[Indian people|Indian]] or [[Asian people|Asian]] to be called to the [[Bar association|bar]] in [[England]], in 1862.<ref name = "Bose184">Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali (editors), ''Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan'' (Biographical dictionary) Vol I, 1976/1998, {{in lang|bn}}, p. 184, Sahitya Sansad, {{ISBN|81-85626-65-0}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Gnanendramohan Tagore was the son of [[Prasanna Coomar Tagore]] and grandson of [[Gopi Mohan Tagore]] one of the founders of [[Presidency College, Calcutta|Hindu College]], of the [[Pathuriaghata]] branch of the [[Tagore family]]. He had won a scholarship of Rs. 40 per month and joined [[Calcutta Medical College]] in 1842, but did not complete his medical education. While a student of Hindu College, amongst his classmates were [[Rajnarain Bose]] and Gobinda Chandra Dutt (father of [[Toru Dutt]]).<ref name = "Bose184"/>

When Hindu College was opened, orthodox sections of [[Hindu]] society thought that western education would not affect the rigid structure of Hindu society.<ref name = "Raychoudhuri">Raychoudhuri, Subir, ''The Lost World of the Babus'', in ''Calcutta, the Living City'', Vol I, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, p. 73, Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|0-19-563696-1}}</ref> They had even forced [[Ram Mohan Roy]] to stay out of it.<ref>Collet, Sophia Dobson, ''The Life and Letters of Raja Rammohun Roy'', 1900/1988, p. 76, Sadharan Brahmo Samaj.</ref> However, ‘the contradictions between the College’s name and its secular curriculum soon became evident’ and many students of Hindu College embraced [[Christianity]].<ref name = "Raychoudhuri"/>

Gnanendramohan converted to Christianity in 1851, under the influence of his mentor, [[Krishna Mohan Banerjee]] and married his daughter Kamalmani.<ref name = "Bose184"/> As a result, he was disowned by his father and deprived of his inheritance.<ref>Deb, Chitra, ''Jorasanko and the Thakur Family'', in ''Calcutta, the Living City'', Vol I, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, p. 65, Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|0-19-563696-1}}</ref> Prasanna Coomar Tagore left his vast landed estates to his nephew, Maharaja Bahadur Sir [[Jatindramohan Tagore]].<ref>Cotton, H.E.A., ''Calcutta Old and New'', 1909/1980, p. 345, General Printers and Publishers Pvt. Ltd.</ref> Gnanendramohan later regained some of the inheritance through court.<ref name = "Bose184"/>

== Later life ==
In 1859, Gnanendramohan Tagore went to England, with his wife, for medical treatment. On being cured he joined the [[University of London]] as professor of Hindu Law and [[Bengali language|Bengali]]. In 1861, he was living at Kensington Park Gardens, where he was visited by student and diarist Rakhal Das Haldar on 28 May.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Haldar|first1=Rakhal Das|title=The English Diary of an Indian Student|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.143331|date=1903|publisher=The Asutosh Library|location=Dacca|pages=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.143331/page/n55 23]}}</ref> He passed the law examinations and was called to the Bar from [[Lincoln's Inn]] in 1862, being the first Asian to be so called.<ref name = "Bose184"/> He returned to India in 1864 and joined [[Calcutta High Court]] in 1865.<ref name = "Bose184"/>
After his wife's death in 1869, he went back to England with his two daughters, Bhabendrabala and Satyendrabala, and died there subsequently. He was buried in [[Brompton Cemetery]].<ref name = "Bose184"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bangla.asianetnews.com/kolkata/gnanendramohan-tagore-s-grave-is-rediscovered-psfgdq|title=বাঙালির ১৩০ বছরের ভুলের বোঝা কমল (Bengali)|access-date=June 27, 2019}}</ref> When Gynandanandini, wife of [[Satyendranath Tagore]], went with her children to England in 1877, Gnanendramohan received them and was their host for some time.<ref>Devi Choudhurani, Indira, ''Smritisamput'', {{in lang|bn}}, Rabindrabhaban, Viswabharati, pp. 3-4</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Bengal Renaissance}}
{{Tagore family}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tagore, Gnanendramohan}}
[[Category:1826 births]]
[[Category:1890 deaths]]
[[Category:Academics of the University of London]]
[[Category:Presidency University, Kolkata alumni]]
[[Category:Converts to Protestantism from Hinduism]]
[[Category:Indian barristers]]
[[Category:Indian Christians]]
[[Category:People from Kolkata]]
[[Category:Tagore family|Gnanendramohan]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian lawyers]]

Gnanendramohan Tagore - Revision history

>Monkbot at 12:43, 10 January 2021