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Tagore was born in Calcutta. His parents were members of one of the wealthiest and most cultured families of Bengal. His grandfather, known as "Prince" Dwarkanath Tagore, made a large fortune out of commercial opportunities that the British East India Company brought to India. His father, Debendranath Tagore, was a leading figure in the Brahmo Samaj movement, which tried to create a modern, rational form of Hinduism.
Rabindranath was his parents' fourteenth child. He grew up surrounded by talented brothers, sisters, and cousins. He resisted school and was taught mainly by private tutors. When he was 18, he made his first visit to the United Kingdom, where he studied law. After his return to India, he managed his family's estates in the Padma River region (now Bangladesh).
In 1901, Tagore founded an experimental school at Shantiniketan, 160 kilometres northwest of Calcutta. This school developed into Visva-Bharati, a university that aims to bring together Asian and Western cultures. In his personal life Tagore endured great sadness. His wife and three of his children died young.
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