Santiniketan, the making of a community

Abstract

Rabindranath’s writings against nationalism during the 1916-1917 period is one of the most well-researched and commented aspects of Rabindranath’s writings. In contrast to this, his writings on Swadeshi nationalism are little known outside Bengal and little discussed. While such an evolutionary trajectory is true, the relation between these phases and the continuity of certain ideas across them needs to be looked into. This chapter shows how both these outlooks have resulted in his formation of Santiniketan, a secular community-based experiment in modern education through cultural exchange rather than mere adherence to a nation state.