Rabindranath Tagore

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Rankings

Covers

Records

Rabindranath Tagore's achievements are unparalleled in the history of Bengali literature and global arts. He was the first non-European to win a Nobel Prize, a milestone that shattered barriers and opened doors for Asian voices in the Western canon. His ability to compose two national anthems for different countries remains a unique feat in the annals of music and politics. The sheer volume of his work, over 2,000 songs, hundreds of novels, plays, and essays, demonstrates an extraordinary level of productivity and versatility. His founding of Visva-Bharati University stands as a testament to his commitment to education and cross-cultural understanding.

AwardsTagore won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for Gitanjali. He was knighted by the British government in 1915 but renounced the knighthood in 1919 in protest of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. He received numerous honorary degrees from universities worldwide, including the University of Calcutta, Oxford, and Tokyo. He was awarded the Order of the Phoenix by Greece and the Order of the British Empire (OBE) earlier in his career, though he later rejected British honors. He was also honored with the title "Mahatma" (Great Soul) by Mahatma Gandhi, though this was more of an affectionate epithet than an official award.

Honours & Distinctions

Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India

British Government·1915

Awarded for services to literature and education.

Order of the Phoenix

Greek Government·1921

Recognized for his contributions to international relations and culture.

Honorary Degree

University of Calcutta·1914

Doctor of Letters.

Honorary Degree

University of Oxford·1941

Doctor of Civil Law.

Rankings & Lists

#12

100 Greatest Writers of All Time

TIME Magazine·2023

Top 100 Poets of the 20th Century

Modern Library·1998

Magazine Covers

The Times of India

May 7, 1941

In Memoriam: Rabindranath Tagore

National Geographic

June 1926

The Bard of Bengal

Records & Feats

First Non-European Nobel Laureate in Literature

Historic First·1913

Became the first person from Asia and the non-Western world to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Composer of Two National Anthems

Career Milestone·1950

Authored the national anthems of both India and Bangladesh.