HomeHistorySarojini Naidu: The Nightingale Of India | #IndianWomenInHistory
“As long as I have life, as long as blood flows through this arm of mine, I shall not leave the cause of freedom…I am only a woman, only a poet. But as a woman, I give to you the weapons of faith and courage and the shield of fortitude. And as a poet, I fling out the banner of song and sound, the bugle call to battle. How shall I kindle the flame which shall waken you men from slavery…”
There is one person whose contributions made a lot of difference for women in a country where they were simply “caretakers” and “nurturers“; the poet and politician Sarojini Naidu. She was the first female governor of an Indian state and the first Indian woman to be President of the Indian National Congress (INC) party.
Sarojini Naidu was born on February 13th, 1897 in Hyderabad, to Aghore Nath Chattopadhyay and Barada Sundari Devi. Her father was the founder and the administer of Hyderabad college, which later came to be known as Nizam College, Hyderabad. Sarojini married Govindarajulu Naidu at the age of 19 which was an inter-caste marriage. They had 5 children including their daughter Padmaja who herself was a voice in Indian freedom movement. Padmaja Naidu went on to become the Governor of West Bengal on 3rd November 1956.
Political Career
Sarojini Naidu was a prominent figure as a woman in Indian politics. She joined politics after the partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon, viceroy of India, in 1905, which affected her deeply. She met Gopal Krishna Gokhale through whom she came into contact with several prominent faces of India’s freedom struggle including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore and Annie Besant. She was urged by Gokhale to use her intellect for the cause and she dedicated herself to politics and Indian freedom movement, taking a respite from writing.
In 1916, she fought against the British for the rights of farmers in Champaran, Bihar, who were forced to grow indigo instead of the food crops that they required for their survival. She went to England as one of the members of All India Home Rule deputation as a delegate in 1919. In 1925, she joined Congress party and presided over in the annual INC session and, was the second female president of the same after Annie Besant (who took over in 1917). She took over authority in East African Indian Congress in South Africa. In 1931, she participated in the round table conference with Mahatma Gandhi and Madan Mohan Malaviya.
One of the major aspects of Sarojini Naidu’s role in India’s freedom struggle was during Salt Satyagraha, where she participated with many women protesters at Dharsana Salt Works in Gujarat. The Salt Satyagraha movement met with flak from British forces but received a lot of publicity from around the world which led to the questioning of the legitimacy of British rule in India. She was a leading freedom fighter in the Civil Disobedience Movement where she was jailed along with many other leaders and, during theQuit Indiamovement. Sarojini Naidu was the first female governor of India – she served as the Governor of United Provinces in Agra and Oudh from 1947 to 1949.
Literary Career
As a child, Sarojini was a very bright student. She was proficient in 5 languages; Hindi, English, Persian, Urdu, Telugu and Bengali. She began writing fiction at the age of 12. Her father, after she aced her matriculation exams from the Madras University, wanted her to be a mathematician but Sarojini expressed her desire to be a poet. She wrote a poem that was 1300 lines long called “Lady Of The Lake” which impressed her father, who went on to encourage her work. Her Persian play “Maher Muneer” was well received by the Nawab of Hyderabad, Nizam who subsequently granted her a scholarship to study overseas.
In 1905, her first collection of poems was published under the title “The Golden Threshold”. Later, her poem collections “The Bird Of Time” and “The Broken Wings” were published. Both of these attracted a wide readership in India and England. She also wrote essays and articles about her political views and women’s rights issues in India. In 1961, her daughter Padmaja helped in editing and publishing of her poem collection “The Feather Of The Dawn” posthumously.
Sarojini Naidu is one of the most celebrated poets of India known for the lyrical and musical nature of her writings, using many rhymes and meters filled with rich imagery. This earned her the title “Nightingale of India”.
Role in Women’s Rights Movement in India
Sarojini Naidu played an important role in women’s rights struggle in India. She helped in shaping Women’s Indian Association in 1917 with Annie Besant and others. The Association sought equal rights including the right to vote and represent. She presented the need to include more women in the Congress and in the freedom struggle. During 1918, British and Indian feminists including Naidu set up a magazine called “Stri Dharma” to present international news from a feminist perspective.
Along with Annie Besant, who was the President’s Rule League at that time, she went to London to present the case for women’s right to vote to the Joint Select Committee. In 1931, the Congress promised to established women’s right to vote when it came in power. It was enacted along with India’s independence in 1947 and universal suffrage is a major facet in the Indian constitution. During the time period 1915-1918, she traveled to different regions in India to lecture on women’s rights, social welfare of women and nationalism. A contemporary poet, Bappaditya Bandopadhyay quoted “Sarojini Naidu inspired the Indian Renaissance Movement and had a mission to improve the life of Indian woman.”
Achievements
Apart from her role as a poet, governor and women’s rights activist, she has had many achievements.
She was awarded the Kaiser-i-Hind medal by the British government for her vehement work during the plague epidemic in India. The name “Kaiser-i-Hind” literally means “emperor of India” and it was given to “any person without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex … who shall have distinguished himself (or herself) by important and useful service in the advancement of the public interest in India” by the British Monarch. She followed Gandhi’s “non-violent” protest and traveled around India for the same. She is also regarded as the first person to hoist the Indian flag on an international platform; in the United States of America and England. For her selfless contribution during Indian freedom struggle, she was appointed as the president of INC.
She died on March 2nd, 1949 and until her death, she served her role as the governor of united provinces in Agra and Oudh. Sarojini will live on as the major contributors in India’s freedom movement as well as the women’s rights movement.
References
Cultural India: Sarojini Naidu
Encyclopedia Britannica: Sarojini Naidu
India In Britain: South Asian Networks & Connections 1858-1950. Edited by Susheila Nasta
Feminism, Censorship & Other Essays by K. K. Sharma
Encyclopedia Britannica: Sarojini Naidu
India In Britain: South Asian Networks & Connections 1858-1950. Edited by Susheila Nasta
Feminism, Censorship & Other Essays by K. K. Sharma
सरोजनी नायडू जीवन परिचय ( Sarojini Naidu biography in hindi)
सरोजनी नायडू एक महान कवित्री और स्वतंत्रता संग्राम सेनानी थी. सरोजनी जी पहली महिला थी जो इंडियन नेशनल कांग्रेस की अध्यक्ष और किसी प्रदेश की गवर्नर बनी थी. सरोजनी जी बच्चों के उपर विशेष रूप से कविता लिखा करती थी, उनकी हर कविता में एक चुलबुलापन होता था, ऐसा लगता था उनके अंदर का बच्चा अभी भी जीवित है. यही वजह है कि उन्हें ‘भारत की बुलबुल’ कहा जाता था.
भारत की महान सफल महिलाओं की लिस्ट में सरोजनी नायडू का नाम सबसे उपर आता है. सरोजनी जी ने बहुत अच्छे अच्छे कार्य किये इसलिए वे दुनिया के लिए एक बहुमूल्य हीरे से कम नहीं थी. सरोजनी जी हम सब भारतीयों के लिए एक सम्मान का प्रतीक है, भारतीय महिलाओं के लिए वे एक आदर्श है, उनके जन्म दिन को महिला दिवस के रूप में मनाया जाता है.
क्रमांक | जीवन परिचय बिंदु | सरोजनी नायडू जीवन परिचय |
1. | पूरा नाम | सरोजनी चटोपाध्य |
2. | जन्म | 13 फरवरी 1879 |
3. | जन्म स्थान | हैदराबाद |
4. | माता-पिता | वारद सुन्दरी देवी , डॉ अघोरनाथ चटोपाध्या |
5. | विवाह | डॉ गोविन्द राजुलू नायडू (1897) |
6. | बेटे-बेटी | पद्मजा, रणधीर, लिलामानी, निलावर, जयसूर्या नायडू |
7. | मृत्यु | 2 मार्च 1949 लखनऊ |
सरोजनी नायडू आरंभिक जीवन और उपलब्धियां (Sarojini Naidu Achievements)–
सरोजनी जी का जन्म एक बंगाली परिवार में हुआ था, उनके पिता वैज्ञानिक व डॉक्टर थे, जो हैदराबाद में रहने लगे थे, जहाँ वे हैदराबाद कॉलेज के एडमिन थे, साथ ही वे इंडियन नेशनल कांग्रेस हैदराबाद के पहले सदस्य भी बने. उन्होंने अपनी नौकरी को छोड़ दिया और आजादी की लड़ाई में कूद पड़े. सरोजनी जी की माता वरद सुन्दरी देवी एक लेखिका थी, जो बंगाली में कविता लिखा करती थी. सरोजनी जी 8 भाई-बहनों में सबसे बड़ी थी. उनके एक भाई वीरेन्द्रनाथ क्रन्तिकारी थे, जिन्होंने बर्लिन कमिटी बनाने में मुख्य भूमिका निभाई थी. इन्हें 1937 में एक अंग्रेज ने मार डाला था व इनके एक और भाई हरिद्र्नाथ कवी व एक्टर थे.
सरोजनी जी बचपन से ही बहुत अच्छी विद्यार्थी रही, उन्हें उर्दू, तेलगु, इंग्लिश, बंगाली सारी भाषओं का बहुत अच्छे से ज्ञान था. 12 साल की उम्र में सरोजनी जी ने मद्रास यूनिवर्सिटी में मैट्रिक की परीक्षा में टॉप किया था, जिससे उनकी बहुत वाहवाही और नाम हुआ. सरोजनी जी के पिता चाहते थे, की वे वैज्ञानिक बने या गडित में आगे पढाई करे, लेकिन उनकी रूचि कविता लिखने में थी, वे एक बार अपनी गडित की पुस्तक में 1300 लाइन की कविता लिख डालती, जिसे उनके पिता देख अचंभित हो जाते है और वे इसकी कॉपी बनवाकर सब जगह बंटवाते है. वे उसे हैदराबाद के नबाब को भी दिखाते है, जिसे देख वे बहुत खुश होते है और सरोजनी जी को विदेश में पढने के लिए स्कालरशिप देते है. इसके बाद वे आगे की पढाई के लिए लन्दन के किंग कॉलेज चली गई, इसके बाद उन्होंने कैम्ब्रिज यूनिवर्सिटी के गिरतों कॉलेज से पढाई की. कॉलेज में पढाई के दौरान भी सरोजनी जी की रूचि कविता पढने व लिखने में थी, ये रूचि उन्हें उनकी माता से विरासत में मिली थी.
कॉलेज की पढाई के दौरान सरोजनी जी की मुलाकात डॉ गोविन्द राजुलू नायडू से हुई, कॉलेज के ख़त्म होने तक दोनों एक दुसरे के करीब आ चुके थे. 19 साल की उम्र में पढाई ख़त्म करने के बाद सरोजनी जी ने अपनी पसंद से 1897 में दूसरी कास्ट में शादी कर ली, उस समय अन्य जाति में शादी करना एक गुनाह से कम नहीं था, समाज की चिंता ना करते हुए उनके पिता ने अपनी बेटी की शादी को मान लिया. उनके 4 बच्चे हुए, जिसमें उनकी बेटी पद्मजा सरोजनी जी की तरह कवित्री बनी और साथ ही राजनीती में उतरी और 1961 में पश्चिम बंगाल की गवर्नर बनी.
Works Of Sarojini Naidu
सरोजनी जी का राजनीती जीवन (Sarojini Naidu Political Career)–
सरोजनी जी ने शादी के बाद भी अपना काम जारी रखा, वे बहुत सुंदर सुंदर कविता लिखा करती थी, जिसे लोग गाने के रूप में गाते थे. 1905 में उनकी कविता बुल बुले हिन्द प्रकाशित हुई, जिसके बाद उन्हें सब जानने पहचानने लगे. इसके बाद से लगातार उनकी कविता प्रकाशित होने लगी और बहुत से लोग उनके प्रशंशक बन गए, इस लिस्ट में जवाहरलाल नेहरु, रवीन्द्रनाथ टैगोर जैसे महान लोग भी थे. वे इंग्लिश में भी अपनी कविता लिखा करती थी, लेकिन उनकी कविताओं में भारतीयता झलकती थी.
एक दिन सरोजनी जी गोपाल कृष्ण गोखले से मिली, उन्होंने सरोजनी जी को बोला, कि वे अपनी कविताओं में क्रांतिकारीपन लायें और सुंदर शब्दों से स्वतंत्रता की लड़ाई में साथ देने के लिए छोटे छोटे गाँव के लोगों को प्रोत्साहित करें. 1916 में वे महात्मा गाँधी से मिली, जिसके बाद से उनकी सोच पूरी तरह से बदल गई, उन्होंने अपनी पूरी ताकत देश को आजाद कराने में लगा दी. इसके बाद वे पुरे देश में घूमी, मानों किसी सेना का सेनापति निरक्षण में गया हो, जहाँ जहाँ वे गई वहां उन्होंने लोगों को देश की आजादी के लिए ललक जगाई. देश की आजादी उनके दिल व आत्मा में भर चुकी थी. उन्होंने देश में औरतों को मुख्य रूप से जगाया, उस समय औरतें बहुत पीछे हुआ करती थी, बहुत सी प्रथाओं में जकड़ी हुई थी, लेकिन सरोजनी जी ने उन औरतों को उनके अधिकार के बारे में बताया, उन्हें रसोईघर से बाहर निकाला और देश की आजादी की लड़ाई में आगे आने को प्रोत्साहित किया. वे देश के अलग अलग प्रदेश, शहर, गाँव में जाती और औरतों को समझाती थी.
1925 में सरोजनी जी कानपूर से इंडियन नेशनल कांग्रेस की अध्यक्ष बनने के लिए खड़ी हुई और जीत कर पहली महिला अध्यक्ष बन गई. 1928 में सरोजनी जी USA से आई और गांधीजी के अहिंसावादी बातों को माना और उसे लोगों तक पहुँचाया. 1930 में सरोजनी जी ने गुजरात में गांधीजी के नमक सत्याग्रह में मुख्य भूमिका निभाई थी. 1930 में जब गांधीजी को गिरफ्तार कर लिया गया था, तब सरोजनी जी ने ही गांधीजी की जगह काम किया और कमान संभाली थी. 1942 में गाँधीजी के भारत छोड़ो आन्दोलन में उनकी मुख्य भूमिका थी, उन्हें गांधीजी के साथ 21 महीनों तक जेल में भी डाला गया.
सरोजनी जी की म्रत्यु –
1947 में देश की आजादी के बाद सरोजनी जी को उत्तर प्रदेश का गवर्नर बनाया गया, वे पहली महिला गवर्नर थी . 2 मार्च 1949 को ऑफिस में काम करते हुए उन्हें हार्टअटैक आया और वे चल बसी. सरोजनी जी भारत देश की सभी औरतों के लिए आदर्श का प्रतीक है, वे एक सशक्त महिला थी, जिनसे हमें प्रेरणा मिलती है.
अन्य पढ़े:
Vibhuti
विभूति अग्रवाल मध्यप्रदेश के छोटे से शहर से है. ये पोस्ट ग्रेजुएट है, जिनको डांस, कुकिंग, घुमने एवम लिखने का शौक है. लिखने की कला को इन्होने अपना प्रोफेशन बनाया और घर बैठे काम करना शुरू किया. ये ज्यादातर कुकिंग, मोटिवेशनल कहानी, करंट अफेयर्स, फेमस लोगों के बारे में लिखती है.
Latest posts by Vibhuti (see all)
- 101 कारण जिस वजह से नरेंद्र मोदी को 2019 में प्रचंड बहुमत से जीत मिली - May 23, 2019
- अटल पेंशन योजना | Atal pension Yojana in Hindi - May 12, 2019
- अनिल कपूर का जीवन परिचय व आने वाली फ़िल्में | Anil Kapoor Biography and upcoming movie in hindi - November 22, 2017
Sarojini Naidu – The Nightingale of India
Sarojini Naidu was a notable philanthropist, internationally acclaimed poetess, a staunch supporter of freedom, political activist and a paramount orator. She devoted her life to the cause of obtaining freedom from the shackles of British rule and was an inspiration to the women, a formidable leader of them all.
Her poems are vehemently rich in emotions and full of ardent imagery and owing to the melodious voice she herself possessed, she was often adorned with titles such as ‘Cuckoo’, ‘Bharat Kokila’ and ‘The Nightingale of India’.
Sarojini Naidu Early life
Sarojini Naidu In Hindi Movie
Sarojini Naidu was born as Sarojini Chattopadhyay on 13th February 1879 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh to Aghore Nath Chattopadhyay and Barada Sundari Devi.
Her mother was a renowned Bengali poetess herself and her father was a doctorate of Science from the then, Edinburgh University, Hyderabad which was later renamed to Nizam’s College. Her father was then, appointed as the Principal of Nizam’s College.
She began writing poems at the age of 10 and by 12, she had written ‘Lady of the Lake’ which was 1300 lines long, in merely six days. She was well versed in five languages namely English, Hindi, Urdu, Telugu and Bengali but she chiefly wrote in English.
Seeing that his child was indeed gifted, Sarojini’s father sent him to Madras in order for her to complete her matriculation. She flared with a distinction in her examinations and ended up getting a lot of appreciation for the same.
Sarojini then, took a long break from her studies but rather devoted herself to writing poems and drama. In 1895, her one such play in Persian, Maher Munee grabbed the Nizam’s eyes and she was awarded a scholarship and a golden opportunity to study at King’s college, London and later at Girton College, Cambridge.
Her studies abroad affected her deeply for not only it honed her literary skills as a poet rather also imbibed in her the feelings of Universal brotherhood. She befriended authors like Arthur Simon and Edmond Gausse who were all praises for her aboriginal work.
They inspired her to write on the lines on Indian plight, delight and culture and be identified as the genuine Indian poet of the Deccan rather than as a machine-made imitator of English classics.
At the age of 19, Sarojini met a physician, non-Brahmin, a South Indian, Muthyala Govindarajulu Naidu and they both fell in love.
She expressed her wish to getting married to Dr. Naidu, to which her father complied despite the fact that inter-caste marriages weren’t allowed during those times. They had a successful marriage and became proud parents of four children.
Literary works
- Sarojini got her first collection of poems published in 1905, titled ‘The Golden Threshold’. It bears an introduction by Arthur Symons and is dedicated figuratively to Edmund Gosse.
- In 1912, another set of her poems was published, titled ‘The Bird of Time: Songs of Life, Death and Spring’ that holds a subtle, earnest and humorous introduction from Edmund Gosse himself.
- In 1916, A biography of Jinnah was coined by her which bore the title, ‘Muhammad Jinnah: An Ambassador of Unity’
- In 1917, Another collection of her poems was published, ‘The Broken Wing: Songs of Love, Death and the Spring’
- In 1943, ‘The Sceptred Flute: Songs of India’ was published by her posthumously.
- ‘The Feather of Dawn’, which was posthumously published in 1961 and was edited duly by Sarojini’s daughter, Padamaja Naidu.
Political Career of Sarojini Naidu
Following the partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon in 1905, which affected Sarojini Naidu deeply, she was subjected to plunge into the freedom struggle of India.
She came into contact with Gopal Krishna Gokhale who advised her to use her wit , intelligence and poetry for creating awareness about Independence among the countrymen.
Sarojini abided by the words of Gokhale and actively began participating in various movements of the Congress namely, Salt Satyagraha, Dandi March and Quit India Movement. She became the symbol of representation of a number of oppressed India women.
In 1915-18, she travelled through the meadows and pastures of the Deccan, the plateaus of Malwa, through the deserts of Rajasthan and the lush green plain regions of the North to spread her heartfelt message of nationalism and women empowerment. Her sweet voice and motivational poems left everyone inspired to stand firmly against the foreign rule.
Her contributions were so notable that during Salt Satyagraha when Gandhiji were jailed along with many prominent leaders in 1930, he passed on the duty of carrying forward the movement’s momentum to none other than Mrs. Naidu.
Avast 2019 Crack is such an important program, protecting computers the world over from the thousands of viruses your computer can ‘catch’.
Feb 28, 2017 Java Project Tutorial - Make Login and Register Form Step by Step Using NetBeans And MySQL Database - Duration: 3:43:32. 1BestCsharp blog 1,963,875 views. Avast Premier 2019 License Key is an anti-virus which provides real-time protection for your computer. It automatically updates itself to protect your computer from viruses, spyware, keyloggers etc. It automatically updates itself to protect your computer from viruses, spyware, keyloggers etc.
![Como](/uploads/1/2/3/7/123717426/936860745.png)
Her being a chieftain, gathered a flock of women and she successfully led the march of Dharasana Satyagraha forward. Mrs. Naidu shared an amical rapport with Mahatma Gandhi. She had nicknamed him, ‘Mickey Mouse’ owing to his frail and fragile physique.
In 1916, Sarojini met with Jawaharlal Nehru, together they fought for the rights of farmers of Champaran, one of the western districts of Bihar.
Those poor peasants were forced to grow Indigo in their farms, the aftermath of Indigo plantations had to be paid by them, when their land used to become devoid of its fertility after the harvest of Indigo for a period of 1-2 years.
She help set the stage for highlighting the dignity of labor, welfare of youth and emancipation of women through her delicate yet thunderous speeches.
She rolled the ball of uniting women by setting Women’s India Association (WIA) in 1917 along with Annie Besant which successfully represented the equality of women’s right in London, to present the case for women’s vote in Joint Select Committee, when freedom was being granted upon to India.
She upheld the political and social rights of women and asked for the legitimate equality. Mrs. Naidu had all the qualities of a charismatic public speaker.
She had always motivated the women to become the torch bearers of the India Freedom Struggle for it’s the womanhood, in her words, that acts as a catapult of driving the society at large towards being more responsible towards the duties and aware of one’s rights.
Mrs. Naidu, had actively participated in Quit India Movement and Civil Disobedience. Her involvement came under the scrutiny of Britishers and she despite being a woman was imposed to rigorous imprisonment. She was hence made the President of Indian National Congress(INC) in 1925, at Kanpur.
She was the first Indian Woman to take up the presidency. She stood firmly when vehemently opposing various Acts of the government for instance, the Rowlett Act, which deemed the possession of seditious documents as illegal.
This led to a fervour among the leaders of INC and Mrs. Naidu was seen opposing it vehemently as well. Mahatma Gandhi organised the non-violent Non-Cooperation Movement to oppose it and she was seen as the religious devout of the movement.
Her active participation in the movements that agitated the youth and women all the more, led to her stints in the prison. She was arrested in 1930, 1931 and 1942.
So much strong had her leadership become that during Civil Disobedience, she was arrested for 21 months. This arrest could have been longer if her health wouldn’t have deteriorated in the jail which forced the government to free her on moral grounds.
Emerging as a Leader
Mrs. Naidu had become the prominent face in the freedom struggle and she was imparted with certain responsibilities and duties as a flag-bearer for the quest of India’s freedom.
In 1919, she was summoned by the INC to Englandas a Member of All India Home Rule Deputation. She traveled to the United States and Europe far and wide, to establish the peaceful and non-violent Gandhian principles, seeking support for India’s Independence.
She had a Seer’s vision and an Angel’s voice that impressed everyone.
Aldous Huxley, an eminent British writer and philosopher after meeting Sarojini Naidu was quoted writing, “It has been our good fortune, while in Bombay, to meet Sarojini Naidu, the newly elected President of the All-India Congress and a woman who combines in the most remarkable way great intellectual power with charm, sweetness and courageous energy, a wide culture with originality, and earnestness with humour. If all politicians are like Mrs. Naidu, the country is fortunate indeed”.
She was seen as an important delegate during the Second Round Table Summit held in London in 1931 with Mahatma Gandhi, whom she shared amicable relations with. In 1929, she presided over East African Indian Congress in South Africa. Also, recognizing her selfless work during the plague epidemic in India, the British government awarded her with the title, “Kaiser-e-Hind”.
After her release from the prison, which didn’t waiver her a bit from the cause of serving humanity and of gaining freedom, she presided over the Steering Committee at the Asian Relations Conference in 1944.
Also, were significant, her exceptional contributions to the drafting of Indian Constitution during 1947-49. During the same period, she became the first woman Governor of then, United Provinces of India (Uttar Pradesh now) for her contributions in the freedom struggle. An unconventional woman herself, her works , patriotism and glory charioted the steering of women to leave their marks in public life as well.
Death and Legacy
Mrs. Naidu breathed her last on 2nd March 1949 while still being an office-bearer. She died of heart-attack in her office premises. The building which was her residence at Nizam’s College, where Mrs. Naidu’s was the Principal has been renamed to The Golden Threshold as a mark of respect to the lady and serves an off-campus annexe.
Scrolling battle text wow. So I turned on incoming but I don't wanna see everyones heals that hit me and the damage I take just want my own heals from leech gonna keep looking and keep this updated FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXED FIXEDFIGURED IT OUT.
Mrs. Naidu was known for her choice of silk clothes and jewellery but when she gave her body, mind and soul to the service of her country, she vouched to wear Khadi sarees and devoid herself of any adornments in the wake of freedom struggle. She was succeeded by her daughter, Padamaja Naidu, yet another woman at par with intelligence, who was made the Governor of Bengal in 1956.
Her literary works that are drawn upon Indian themes of delight and plight continue to remain a part and parcel of the education curriculum till date. Her most acclaimed poems, the Palanquin Bearers and The Indian Weavers are taught to pupils in high school. They opine the ideas of Indian classics into the minds of the young gleefully.
(Redirected from Nightingale of India)
1st Governor of United Provinces | |
---|---|
In office 15 August 1947 – 2 March 1949 | |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Hormasji Peroshaw Mody |
President of the Indian National Congress | |
Preceded by | Mahatma Gandhi |
Succeeded by | S. Srinivasa Iyengar |
Personal details | |
Born | Sarojini Chatterjee 13 February 1879 Hyderabad, Hyderabad State, British India (now in Telangana, India) |
Died | 2 March 1949 (aged 70) Lucknow, United Provinces, India |
Nationality | Indian |
Political party | Indian National Congress |
Spouse(s) | Govindarajulu Naidu (1898–1949) |
Children | 5; including Padmaja |
Relatives | Harindranath Chattopadhyay, Virendranath Chattopadhyay, Suhasini Chattopadhyay, Leela Naidu |
Alma mater | University of Madras King's College London Girton College, Cambridge |
Occupation | Political activist, poet-writer |
Writing career | |
Language | English |
Notable works | In the Bazaars of Hyderabad |
Sarojini Naidu (néeChattopadhyay; 13 February 1879 – 2 March 1949) was an Indian independence activist and poet who earned the sobriquet of Nightingale of India[1]. She was born in a BengaliHindu family in Hyderabad. She was educated in Chennai, London and Cambridge. She married Dr. Govindarajulu Naidu and settled down in Hyderabad. She took part in the Indian nationalist movement, became a follower of Mahatma Gandhi and fought for the attainment of Swaraj or independence. She became the President of Indian National Congress and was later appointed as Governor of the United Provinces, now Uttar Pradesh. She was the first woman Governor of the Republic of India. Known as the 'Nightingale of India',[2] she was also a noted poet. Her poetry includes children's poems, nature poems, patriotic poems and poems of love and death. She also wrote poetry in praise of Muslim figures like Imam Hussain, in a time where Muslim-Hindu tensions ran high in pre-independence era.When issues regarding the split of India into a Muslim country and a Hindu country had already begun, and as she had got an inter-caste and inter-regional marriage in a time where this was uncommon, her goal was to bring all of India together regardless of any caste or religion.[3]
- 2Political career
- 3Death and legacy
Early life and family[edit]
Sarojini Naidu was born in the house of Aghorenath Chattopadhyay, a Bengali Brahmin who was the principal of the Nizam's College in Hyderabad. Sarojini was born in a BengaliHindu family in Hyderabad. Her parental home was at Brahmangaon in Bikrampur (in present-day Bangladesh).[4] Her father, Aghorenath Chattopadhyay, with a doctorate of Science from Edinburgh University, settled in Hyderabad, where he administered Hyderabad college, which later became Nizam College in Hyderabad. Her mother, Barada Sundari Devi Chattopadhyay, was a poet and used to write poetry in Bengali.
She was the eldest of the eight siblings. Her brother Virendranath Chattopadhyay was a revolutionary, and another brother Harindranath was a poet, a dramatist, and an actor. Their family was well-regarded in Hyderabad, not only for leading the Nizam College of Hyderabad, but also as Hyderabad's most famous artists in a time of British rule. Being an artist in the era of British rule in India was considered a risky career, yet with their progressive values, they pursued them anyway.[5]
Sarojini Naidu in 1912
Sarojini Naidu, having passed her matriculation examination from the University of Madras and took a four-year break from her studies. In 1895, H.E.H. the Nizam's Charitable Trust founded by the 6th Nizam, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan who gave her the chance to study in England, first at King's College, London and later at Girton College, Cambridge.
Sarojini met Paidipati Govindarajulu Naidu, a physician, and at the age of 19, after finishing her studies, she married him. At that time, Inter-caste marriages were not as common as they are today, but both their families approved their marriage. In addition, at that time, inter-regional marriage was also uncommon and looked down upon. As Sarojini was from Bengal, while Paidipati Naidu was from Andhra Pradesh, this was an inter-regional marriage of North and South India, with two opposing cultures.[5] The couple had five children. Their daughter Paidipati Padmaja also joined the independence movement and was part of the Quit India Movement. She was appointed the Governor of the State of Uttar Pradesh soon after Indian independence.[6]
Political career[edit]
Sarojini Naidu (extreme right) with Mahatma Gandhi during Salt Satyagraha, 1930
Naidu joined the Indian national movements in the wake of partition of Bengal in 1905. She came in contact with Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Rabindranath Tagore, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Annie Besant, C. P. Ramaswami Iyer, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.[citation needed]Sarojini Naidu began writing at the age of twelve. Her Persian play, Maher Muneer, impressed the Nawab of Hyderabad
In 1905, her first collection of poems, named The Golden Threshold was published.[7] The volume bore an introduction by Arthur Symons. Her poems were admired by prominent Indian politicians like Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
The Feather of The Dawn which contained poems written in 1927 by Naidu was edited and published posthumously in 1961 by her daughter Padmaja Naidu.[8]In 1915–18, she travelled to different regions in India delivering lectures on social welfare, women's empowerment and nationalism. She also helped to establish the Women's Indian Association (WIA) in 1917.[9] She was sent to London along with Annie Besant, President of home rule league and Women's Indian Association, to present the case for the women's vote to the Joint Select Committee.
In April 1947 she was present at the Asian Relations Conference in Delhi where the Tibetan Government Representative, Sampho Theiji, said, 'In a similar way we are very glad to meet representatives from all the Asian countries in this Conference and we wish to express our sincere gratitude to the great Indian leaders, Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Mrs. Sarojini Naidu, and to all the distinguished representatives who have gathered in this Conference.'[10]Naidu entitled Muhammad Ali Jinnah as the 'Ambassador of Hindu Muslim Unity' after the Lucknow Pact in 1916.
Congress Party president[edit]
In 1925, Naidu presided over the annual session of Indian National Congress at Cawnpore (now Kanpur).[11]
In 1929, she presided over East African Indian Congress in South Africa. She was awarded the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal by the British government for her work during the plague epidemic in India.[12]
Sarojini Naidu plants a tree in Mehrauli, Delhi.
In 1931, she participated in the second round-table conference with Gandhiji and Madan Mohan Malaviya.[5] She was jailed, along with Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Madan Mohan Malaviya, and others for participating in the Salt March, when the first Round Table Conference took place in London.
She played a leading role in the Civil Disobedience Movement and was jailed along with Gandhi and other leaders. In 1942, she was arrested during period of the 'Quit India Movement'
Death and legacy[edit]
The ashes of Sarojini Naidu kept at Golden Threshold, Hyderabad before immersion
Naidu died of cardiac arrest at 3:30 p.m. (IST) on 2 March 1949 at the Government House in Lucknow. Upon her return from New Delhi on 15 February, she was advised rest by her doctors, and all official engagements were cancelled. Her health deteriorated substantially and bloodletting was performed on the night of 1 March after she complained of severe headache. She died after collapsing following a fit of cough. Naidu was said to have asked the nurse attending to her to sing to her at about 10:40 p.m. (IST) which put her to sleep.[13] The last rites were performed at the Gomati River.[14]
![Naidu Naidu](/uploads/1/2/3/7/123717426/265228508.jpg)
Naidu is commemorated in the names of several institutions, including the Sarojini Naidu College for Women, Sarojini Naidu Medical College, Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital and Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad.
![Hindi Hindi](/uploads/1/2/3/7/123717426/183167383.jpg)
![Hindi Hindi](/uploads/1/2/3/7/123717426/904711223.jpg)
Aldous Huxley wrote 'It has been our good fortune, while in Bombay, to meet Mrs. Sarojini Naidu, the newly elected President of the All-India Congress and a woman who combines in the most remarkable way great intellectual power with charm, sweetness with courageous energy, a wide culture with originality, and earnestness with humour. If all Indian politicians are like Mrs. Naidu, then the country is fortunate indeed.'[15]
Her 135th birth anniversary (2014) was marked by a Google Doodle on Google India's homepage.[16]
In 2018, she was among 150 'Leading Women' featured by the University of London to mark the 150 years since women gained access to higher education in the UK in 1868. According to YourStory, Sarojini Naidu 'inspired a whole generation of women to participate in the Freedom Movement.' She has been recognized by the Indian government numerous years not only as a great diplomat, great Freedom fighter, but also a great poet and great woman leader. She had also refuted Katherine Mayo's book 'Mother India' in the United States, making her not only a widely known figure in India, but also all around the world in the United States and the United Kingdom. In 2018, the National Geographic Society recognized Sarojini Naidu in an exhibit about history's significant female figures. At the end of her life, she still remained friends with Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of the Indian Muslim League. Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the founder of Pakistan, and despite the tense relations between India and Pakistan, they remained in close contact. She died just two years after India achieved independence. In 2014, for her 135th birthday, some Indian schools celebrated her legacy with a performance of the Indian national anthem.[17]
Golden Threshold[edit]
Golden Threshold in 2015
The Golden Threshold is an off-campus annexe of University of Hyderabad. The building was the residence of Naidu's father Aghornath Chattopadhyay, the first Principal of Hyderabad College. It was named after Naidu's very first collection of poetry. Golden Threshold now houses Sarojini Naidu School of Arts & Communication of University of Hyderabad.[18]
During the Chattopadhyay family's residence, it was the centre of many reformist ideas in Hyderabad, in areas ranging from marriage, education, women's. empowerment, literature and nationalism. Specifically, the reformist ideas included more power for women in a time where politics in India, especially regional politics, was dominated by men. It also included ideas for involvement for women in the arts field. There were also many restrictions on marriage during this time period that persist to this day, such as inter-regional and inter-caste marriages. These ideas were progressive for the era, but brought change in India in slow ways over time.[19]
Works[edit]
Library resources about Sarojini Naidu |
By Sarojini Naidu |
---|
- 1905: The Golden Threshold, published in the United Kingdom[20] (text available online)
- 1912: The Bird of Time: Songs of Life, Death & the Spring, published in London[21]
- 1917: The Broken Wing: Songs of Love, Death and the Spring, including 'The Gift of India' (first read in public in 1915)[21][22]
- 1919: Muhammad Jinnah: An Ambassador of Unity[23]
- 1943: The Sceptred Flute: Songs of India, Allahabad: Kitabistan, posthumously published[21]
- 1961: The Feather of the Dawn, posthumously published, edited by her daughter, Padmaja Naidu[24]
- 1971:The Indian Weavers[25]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Seline Augestine. 'NIGHTINGALE of India'. The Hindu. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ^Seline Augestine. 'NIGHTINGALE of India'. The Hindu. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ^सलीम, साकिब. 'सरोजिनी नायडू के इमाम हुसैन को राजनीति ने शिया मुसलमान बना दिया'. thewirehindi.com. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
- ^Lilyma Ahmed. 'Naidu, Sarojini'. Banglapedia : National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
- ^ abc'Biography of Sarojini Naidu'. PoemHunter.Com. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
- ^'Padmaja Naidu Dies at 75; ExWest Bengal Governor'. The New York Times. Associated Press. 3 May 1975. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
- ^Sarkar, Amar Nath; Prasad, Bithika, eds. (2008). Critical response to Indian poetry in English. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. p. 11. ISBN978-81-7625-825-8.
- ^Nasta, Susheila (16 November 2012). India in Britain: South Asian Networks and Connections, 1858–1950. p. 213. ISBN978-0-230-39271-7. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
- ^Pasricha, Ashu (2009). The political thought of Annie Besant. New Delhi: Concept Pub. Co. p. 24. ISBN978-81-8069-585-8.
- ^'Asian Relations Conference, 1947 – Legal Materials on Tibet'. sites.google.com. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
In a similar way we are very glad to meet representatives from all the Asian countries in this Conference and we wish to express our sincere gratitude to the great Indian leaders, Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Mrs. Sarojini Naidu, and to all the distinguished representatives who have gathered in this Conference. As for the future, all the Asian countries will feel as brothers towards each other, a feeling based on spiritual relationship, so that in this way we might hope that there will be everlasting peace and unity in Asia.
- ^Paranjape, Makarand (2013). Making India: Colonialism, National Culture, and the Afterlife of Indian English Authority. New Delhi: Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg New York japan and Amaryllis, an imprint of Manjul Publishing House Pvt., Ltd., New Delhi. p. 190. ISBN978-94-007-4660-2.
- ^Jain, Reena. 'Sarojini Naidu'. Stree Shakti. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
- ^'Mrs. Sarojini Naidu Passes Away'. The Indian Express. 3 March 1949. p. 1. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
- ^'Last Rites of Sarojini Naidu at Lucknow'. The Indian Express. 4 March 1949. p. 1. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
- ^Huxley, Aldous (1926). Jesting Pilate: Travels Through India, Burma, Malaya, Japan, China, and America. Paragon House, New York. p. 22.
- ^'Google Doodle celebrates Sarojini Naidu's 135th Birthday'. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
- ^'Leading Women 1868–2018', University of London.
- ^'Sarojini Naidu School of Arts & Communication'. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
- ^Sharma, Kaushal Kishore (1 January 2003). 'Sarojini Naidu: A Preface to Her Poetry'. Feminism, Censorship and Other Essays. Sarup & Sons. pp. 56–57. ISBN978-81-7625-373-4. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
- ^Knippling, Alpana Sharma, 'Chapter 3: Twentieth-Century Indian Literature in English', in Natarajan, Nalini, and Emanuel Sampath Nelson, editors, Handbook of Twentieth-century Literatures of India (Google books link), Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1996, ISBN978-0-313-28778-7, retrieved 10 December 2008
- ^ abcVinayak Krishna Gokak, The Golden Treasury Of Indo-Anglian Poetry (1828–1965), p 313, New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi (1970, first edition; 2006 reprint), ISBN81-260-1196-3, retrieved August 6, 2010
- ^Sisir Kumar Das, 'A History of Indian Literature 1911–1956: Struggle for Freedom: Triumph and Tragedy', p 523, New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi (1995), ISBN81-7201-798-7; retrieved 10 August 2010
- ^'Jinnah in India's history'. The Hindu. 12 August 2001. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
- ^Lal, P., Modern Indian Poetry in English: An Anthology & a Credo, p 362, Calcutta: Writers Workshop, second edition, 1971 (however, on page 597 an 'editor's note' states contents 'on the following pages are a supplement to the first edition' and is dated '1972')
- ^'Indian Weavers'. Poem Hunter. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
Further reading[edit]
- Gupta, Indra (2004). India's 50 most illustrious women (2nd ed.). New Delhi : Icon Publications.
- Baig, Tara Ali (1985). Sarojini Naidu : portrait of a patriot. New Delhi: Congress Centenary (1985) Celebrations Committee, AICC (I).
- Ramachandran Nair, K. R. (1987). Three Indo-Anglian poets : Henry Derozio, Toru Dutt, and Sarojini Naidu. New Delhi : Sterling Publishers.
- Padmini Sengupta (1997). Sarojini nido.
External links[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Sarojini Naidu |
Wikisource has original works written by or about: Sarojini Naidu |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sarojini Naidu. |
- Works by Sarojini Naidu at Project Gutenberg
- Works by or about Sarojini Naidu at Internet Archive
- Works by Sarojini Naidu at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
- Newspaper clippings about Sarojini Naidu in the 20th Century Press Archives of the German National Library of Economics (ZBW)
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sarojini_Naidu&oldid=903854359'