In Tagore's "The Home and the World," the Swadeshi Movement is depicted as a pivotal nationalist movement advocating for Indian self-reliance and boycotting foreign goods. The novel explores the tensions between traditional values, represented by the home, and the influence of Western ideals, symbolized by the world, within the context of this movement.

1. Swadeshi
Movement in
Tagore's “The
Home and the
World”
Prepared by Hina Parmar
Department Of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

2. Personal information
➢ Name - Hina Parmar
➢ Roll No - 10
➢ Sem - 3
➢ Enrollment no - 4069206420220021
➢ Batch - 2022-24
➢ Email - hinaparmar612@gmail.com
➢ Subject - Swadeshi movement in Tagore’s “The Home and the World”
➢ Paper code - 22406
➢ Paper no - 201
➢ Paper - Indian English Literature - Pre independence
➢ Submitted to -Smt . S. B. Gardi Department of English, Maharaja
Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

3. Rabindranath
Tagore
“The Home
and the
World”
Characters
Swadeshi
Movement in
Tagore's “The
Home and the
World”
Points to ponder
Ekla chalo Re
by
Rabindranath
Tagore
Conclusion

4. Rabindranath Tagore(1861-1941)
● Rabindranath Tagore was a poet, philosopher, playwright, song
composer, essayist, novelist and painter.
● In the 1900s he wrote many patriotic songs and protested against the
partition of Bengal.
● In 1913, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature, the first Asian to
receive this honor. In 1915, he was awarded a knighthood which he
returned in 1919 as a protest against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.
● In 1921, he established Vishwa Bharati University at Shantiniketan, a
center for arts and ideas.
● Tagore’s notable works include poetry collection, The Golden Boat
(1894), Chitrangada (1892), Post-Office (1912), Gora (1910), and The
Home and the World (1919). In the 1920s, Tagore produced paintings
which won him appreciation as one of the leading contemporary artists of
the country.
(Dhanwni #)

5. Home and the World
❖ The Home and the World(1915) is a novel that reads like an allegory
on the failure of the Indian nationalist projects, circling around the
issues of “Home” versus “World,” tradition versus modernity, created
by the active involvement of the colonizers in the cultural, economic
and administrative life of the colonised.
❖ The novel is set at the time of the Swadeshi movement, which
emerged as the radical nationalist response to the Act of Partition,
engineered by the British colonial administration.
❖ The Home and the World was published ten years after the vexing
partition of Bengal and the beginning of the magic incantation of
“Bande Mataram,” first in Bengali (1915), and then in English (1919)
( Chi #)

6. Characters
Wealthy landlord.
★ Unselfish progressive husband.
★ Tagore highlights his concept of
working for the nation.
★ His way of nation-building is by
working for the country’s
development. His belief is “Let us
dedicate our lives to removing the
root of this sorrow in our country.”
(Monika #)
★ Bimala is Nikhil’s wife.
★ Innocent
★ Completely subservient to her
husband.
★ Referred to as Durga, Shakti.
★ Represents the beauty, vitality, and
glory of Bengal. (Monika #)
★ Sandip, a radical
nationalist leader.
★ Sandip is a man who
thinks only of himself, and
who reduces man-woman
relationships to brazen
sexuality; he is interested
in “Blunt things, bluntly
put, without any finicking
niceness.” (Monika #)

7. Swadeshi Movement in Tagore's “The Home and the World”
❖ The movement emerged as a response to Lord Curzon’s policy of
divide and rule. The partition of Bengal was planned by the then
Governor General and Viceroy of India Lord Curzon. The
government called the partition an administrative move.
❖ Swadeshi was a part of nationalist movement which focused on
promoting the Indian handmade goods and boycotting Western goods.
Thus it aimed to strengthen the local industries. It was a non violent
movement.
❖ The concept of Swadeshi was self-sufficiency, a method which could
improve the economic conditions in the country through indigenous
techniques and products. Gandhi believed that there was a significant
connection between Swadeshi and swaraj.
❖ Swadeshi movement disseminated in Bengal between 1905 and 1908.
The immediate cause for Swadeshi in Bengal was the partition of
Bengal in 1905. (Dhanwni #)

8. ➔ Nikhil was of the opinion that boycotting and boycotting foreign goods
from the Indian market would be a huge loss to the poor traders for
whom earning small amounts of money is an everyday struggle. An
example of this was Panchu, a poor man who sold foreign cloth.
➔ Sandip and his Swadeshi supporters burnt the whole bale of cloth and
cried.
➔ “This is the first funeral pyre lighted by your village in celebration of the
last rites of foreign commerce. These are sacred ashes. Smear yourselves
with them in token of your Swadeshi vow”
➔ Nikhil has his own version of Swadeshi. He uses Indian-made pencils,
knives and old fashioned castor oil lamps. His version of Swadeshi is
marked with peaceful methods and self-control. Sandip’s show of
nationalism is actually a form of self-love.
(Dhanwni #)

9. ● Bimala’s fascination with Sandip disturbs her equation with Nikhil. She
mistakes the ideals of Nikhil as his weakness for not supporting Swadeshi.
● On the other hand Nikhil, who has immense trust and love for Bimala,
continues to watch how she crosses the threshold of the house to enter a new
world. Sandip makes Bimala believe that the whole country is in need of her.
● Bimala is confused about her love for Swadeshi and her love for Sandip.
Swayed by Sandip she feels: “ I was Shakti; also an embodiment of Universal
joy… And this hero, this true servant of the country, this devotee of mine,- this
flaming intelligence, this burning energy, this shining genius,- he also was I
creating from moment to moment. Have I not seen how my presence pours
fresh life into him time after time?” (Dhanwni #)

10. ➢ The song was composed by Rabindranath Tagore in 1905. It was one of the
several protest songs which was composed in the background of a tense political
situation following the Swadeshi Movement and was originally entitled "Eka".
➢ "Eka" was first published in the September 1905 issue of the Bhandar magazine
and was included in Tagore's song anthology in the section of Gitabitan, which
was Tagore's lyrical anthology.
➢ The musical rendition of the song was prepared by his niece Indira Devi and
was recorded by him between 1905-1908. Unfortunately, the original record
which was labeled H. Bose Swadeshi record was lost. Ekla Cholo Re has been
adapted in popular culture in several ways and have been recorded by various
singers eventually.
➢ The song epitomizes the spirit of continuing one's journey despite abandonment
and no support, and continues to inspire people ; records are lost, however two
other records made by Harendranath Dutta and Hindu till date.
(“Ekla Cholo Re by Rabindranath Tagore | INDIAN CULTURE”)
Ekla chalo Re by Rabindranath Tagore

11. conclusion
● Thus, through the novel Tagore cautions us about the dangers of such
nationalist movements which were running across the country. Tagore
brings in to review the true meaning of the term Swadeshi.
● People like Sandip were only influencing people in the name of Swadeshi
with no real spirit of the term. The motive was to only make money. In her
motive to serve the country Bimala is attracted to this outside ‘world’ and
leaves behind her husband Nikhil her ‘home’. Nikhil who represents
Tagore’s ideology never gives in to the tactics of Swadeshi movement.
● Bimala’s journey from ‘home’ to the ‘world’ and back to ‘home’ is a
cautionary tale against the dangers of Swadeshi movement which was
degenerating into a violent movement. (Dhanwni #)

12. References
Dhanwni, Dr. Swatti. “Reading Swadeshi Movement in Tagore’s The Home and the World.” The
Criterion: An International Journal in English, vol. 11, no. II, 2020, p. 8.
“Ekla Cholo Re by Rabindranath Tagore | INDIAN CULTURE.” Indian Culture,
https://indianculture.gov.in/node/2825261. Accessed 13 October 2023.
Monika. “Understanding Nationalism through Tagore’s Novel The Home and the World.” Upstream
Research International Journal (URIJ), vol. VI, no. I, 2018, p. 5.
Chi, Pham. “Rabindranath Tagore’s The Home and the World: Story of the Failure of the Nationalist
Project.” Asiatic, vol. 7, 2014.