Achala Moulik Rabindranath was a tireless traveler. Asked why he traveled so much he said than human beings have been given eyes to see the varied beauty of the world, the diverse people and their customs. From the wars of the West, Tagore turned his attention to the situation in the Far East where the rumbling of a gathering storm could be heard in China where he was invited by Sun Yat Sen and Liang-chi-Chao. He was accompanied by a few friends from Shantiniketan. All along the way, in Rangoon, Penang, Singapore and Kula Lumpur the poet received a tumultuous welcome. Sun Yat Sen, the then head of the Chinese government, sent a letter of welcome. Rabindranath gave speeches that dwelt on the ancient links between India and China. At Shanghai, Nanking, Beijing, the poet criticized the rising threat of violence in the world. To the delight of the Chinese people, he condemned Japan’s new imperialist mood. Representatives from twenty five institutions met Rabindranath and the Tagore Reception Committee organized receptions and meetings where he spoke on the future role of Asia in the forthcoming age. The first of these receptions was at a Scholars Tea on the shores of the beautiful Pei Hei Lake. Though the Leftist press in China had called him a reactionary, Rabindranath Tagore was able to win over his audience through his views on progress. He gave a lecture at the National University where he met Hu-Shih, the leader of the movement that called for western style progress in China. Tagore emphasized both the benefits and pitfalls of such progress. Hu-Shih was won over and asked the poet to spread his message of Asian unity. At the Scholars Dinner in the Navy Club Tagore met the intellectual elite of the capital where he was introduced as ‘the great poet of the revolution.’ Tagore described how the spirit of revolution had commenced with the novels –Ananda Math, Devi Chaudhurani, Durgesh Nandini - of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. When the former and last emperor of China expressed a desire to meet the celebrated poet, Tagore was taken to the Forbidden City to meet Emperor Pu-Yi. Thereafter there was a gathering at the Temple of the Earth where Tagore spoke on the need for Asian unity that was received with warm acclaim. Since the inspiration for Asian unity sprang from Buddhist ties, the Young Men’s Buddhist Association organized a meeting at the Fe Yen Pagoda where he was received by the venerable Abbot Tao-kai. Tagore’s poignant poem “The Last Worship” describing the devotion of Shrimati, the martyred maiden in the court of the Indian Emperor Ajatashatru, who had banned Buddhist rituals, was recited to standing ovation. Tsing Hua College and the Hsin Yueh Pai or Crescent Moon Society organized birthday celebrations for Rabindranath Tagore on 7th May. An indication of his mounting popularity was the decision to confer on the poet a Chinese name- Chu Chen Tan or Thundering Morning of India. Later that day the Chinese version of his dance-drama Chitrangada was staged at the famous Chen Kwang Theatre. There also he delivered his first public lecture, followed by lectures on various themes. These were later compiled in a volume titled Talks in China. Tagore was invited to speak at the International Institute of Religions. From Beijing Tagore went to Hankow where he gave lectures on a favourite topic- Child Education that was listened to with avid interest because such ideas had not been propounded before in China. He graced a reception hosted by the famous Carson Chang at his Shanghai residence. Spurred by Tagore’s vision of a culturally united Asia, the Asiatic Association was formed at Shanghai, stressing the need for Asians to unite in their common struggle against imperialism. Not since the first Buddhist pilgrims arrived in China two millennia ago did China receive any Indian with such respect and rapture. Never would an Indian be received again with the same spontaneous admiration. No Indian mission had gone from India to China after 1036. Tagore’s group was the first to go after almost a millennium. And in 1924 they picked up the threads of the old friendship. Rabindranath spoke on numerous subjects at Shanghai and Canton and always expressed his solidarity with China and supported her struggle. Tagore wanted to learn from the new China and how they were pushing forward their intellectual, social and political life. While they doing this, they were also encountering reminders of the visit of earlier Indian-Buddhist missionaries. Rabindranath spoke of the renowned Chinese travellers – Huen Tsang and Fa Hien – who carried the message of Lord Buddha to China and copies of sacred Buddhist texts. One eminent Chinese scholar, Liang Chi Chao observed that Chinese culture was influenced by Indian-Buddhist missionaries, such as the work Tao Te Ching by the great philosopher Laotse. After hearing his thoughts on Asia’s recent history and the imperative to throw out alien rule, they called him “the thunderous voice of Asia.” With the foresight of a prophet Rabindranath Tagore realized the imperative of Asian nations to join together to create a new age for themselves, freed from the shackles of colonial rule. He wanted his beloved India to establish ties with other Asian nations. In pursuance of this, after returning to Shantiniketan, he established “China Bhavan” or China House where Chinese history, language and culture were to be taught. Such was the inspiration of his ideas that his Chinese friends and admirers mooted the idea of forming an Asiatic Association where the problems and predicaments of Asian peoples could be discussed with the aim of resolving these. Though this did not materialize at that time, the idea bore fruit in 1947 when, soon after India attained independence, the Asian Relations Conference was held in New Delhi, followed by others. Most notable was the Bandung Conference of 1955. Here Afro-Asian nations met to declare their policy of non alignment and their resolve to bring progress to their nations which had suffered under colonial rule. Tagore’s vision of pan-Asian unity continues to influence foreign policies in Asia. Tagore’s vision of Pan-Asian unity is even more relevant today, not only in terms of commerce but in a spirit of amity and cooperation. Not since the first Buddhist pilgrims arrived in China two millennia ago did China receive any Indian with such respect and rapture. Never would an Indian be received again with the same spontaneous admiration. From Shanghai Rabindranath Tagore set sail for Japan, the country of cherry blossoms, the home of the scholar Okakura, author of Ideals of the East who had been a guest in the Tagore house, the country he had learned about from the writings of Finollosa. The messenger of peace landed at Nagasaki, never imagining that twentyone years later this city would be reduced to atomic ashes. Traveling from Fukuoka, Shimonoseki, Kobe, to the ancient capitals of Nara, where the first Buddhist pilgrims from India landed to the medieval capital of Kyoto, Tagore reached Tokyo on 7th June 1924. Japanese men and women gathered at the railway station with loud cries of “Banzai!” At the imperial Japanese capital, Rabindranath gave lectures at the Imperial University, Women’s University, and at the Imperial Hotel. If the young ladies of Japan were inspired by the poet’s stirring support of women’s emancipation, the poet was charmed by the delicate grace of the Japanese women who came with their silk scarves for him to inscribe with brief verses. Tagore was critical of Japan’s imitation of Western imperialism. By way of caution, he advised the Japanese people “Of all the other countries in Asia, here in Japan you have the freedom to use the materials you have gathered from the West according to your genius and your need. Therefore your responsibility is all the greater; for in your voice Asia shall answer the questions that Europe has submitted to the Conference of Man.” It was a prophetic warning. With his instinctual vision Tagore saw that Japan had embarked on a dangerous path in emulating western expansionist ideas and he urged them to emulate only the virtues of the West. However unsatisfying politically the Japan visit brought artistic fruits. Tagore brought back beautiful paintings and a Japanese artist Kampo Arai, student of Yokoyama Taikan whose style, colour and form had influenced the paintings of his nephews Gaganendranath and Abanindranath Tagore. A new school of painting thus evolved out of this Sino-Japanese and Indo-Persian fusion. A Buddhist revival was then taking place in Japan, probably as a counterpoise to the government’s militarism. Scholars such as Dr Takakuso and Dr Watanabe were busy preparing the complete works of Chinese and Buddhist classics. The industrial magnate Count Shibusawa owner of the stately Imperial Hotel, met the poet and offered him hospitality. Britain watched these Indo-Japanese cultural flirtations with some alarm. The idea of a unified Asia chilled them. British agents came to know of Rabindranath’s meeting and moral support given to Rash Behari Bose, a Bengali revolutionary who had found political asylum in Japan after the revolts of 1905. In reprisal they arrested Rabindranath’s close associate Pearson when he was in Shanghai and deported him to England. What Britain feared came to happen when Subhash Chandra Bose sought Japanese aid to form the Azad Hind Fauz in 1941. In 1926 Rabindranath Tagore and several scholar-friends undertook a tour of East Asia following Lord Buddha’s trail across Rangoon, Singapore, Penang, Malaya, Java and Bali. Everywhere crowds waited to accord tumultuous welcomes. In Java both the ruling Dutch cultural elite as well as Javanese intellectuals eagerly interacted with him. In Yogokarta he saw a school built on the Shantiniketan model. Java and Bali brought home to the poet the similarities in language, customs, dance forms and the legends and myths that the people shared with India. After seeing the monuments of Borobodur, Parambanam, the temples of Siam, Indochina or present day Cambodia, and learning of the history of this region which had close connections with India in the first millennium AD, Rabindranath composed an exquisite and evocative poem- Sagarika. Almost impossible to translate I have attempted to do so with a few lines. Bathing in ocean waters Your hair flowing down, Unadorned you sat on the seashore, Your body outlined by the rays Of a pale golden dawn. A crown on my head, Bow and arrow in hand, I stood before you in regal dress, And said: I have come foreign lady. Startled, you rose from the seat of stone And asked, “why did you come?” “Fear not,” I replied “I come to pluck flowers for worship In your forest of flowers.” You came with me: we laughed And gathered jasmines and champas To adorn the image of Nataraja. Together we prayed. The poem describes in untranslatable and haunting beauty of the exchange of music and letters, art and faith, of trading ships and royal brides until How ended the day, I know not. At dusk my ship was on the sea. The wind blew against the sails, Huge waves foretold the ruin. In the dark night my jewel-ship sank. The storm refers to the grim fate that overtook India at the turn of the first millennia. Then many centuries later the Indian traveler returns to find that the cultural ties are still there. He says Listen to my plea, beautiful one, Stand before me once again That I may hold a lamp Before your face. I have no bow and arrows Nor a crown on my head I have brought no basket to pluck Flowers from your garden. I have brought only my veena. Behold me and say If you recognize me now. Rabindranath’s last foreign journey was in the year 1932 when he visited Persia as Iran was then called. He had been invited by King Reza Shah Pehlevi. For the first time the poet flew by air. As the aircraft touched down on Persian soil at Bushire a message of welcome from the Shah was telegraphed to him. The Governor of the province held a public banquet in his honour. A few days later Tagore went to the beautiful city of Shiraz, home to Persia’s great poets Hafiz and Saa’di. The Indian poet felt happy to be in the city of poetry and stayed here for a week, visited the tombs of Hafiz and Saa’di. The people of Shiraz gave warm welcome to the Indian poet. From Shiraz he went to Isfahan, the capital of Safavid Persia whose artisans and craftsmen had influenced Indian art and architecture. Here too he was accorded a warm welcome. He paused at Persepolis where the famous archaeologist Herzfeld showed him the excavations and restorations being done at this historical site where the classical Greek world had met the art and majesty of ancient Persia. At Tehran the Shah received him and the government, the intellectuals and the people showered Persian hospitality and honours on him. In his farewell speech Rabindranath praised the beautiful country of poets. Achala Moulik is former Education Secretary and author of Rabindranath Tagore: A Man for All TImes.
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