He was a man of many parts who stood for humanity's cause throughout his life. Tagore was born on April 23, 1861, in Chittagong, Bengal (now Bangladesh). His father was a wealthy lawyer who had strong political views that put him at odds with the British government. When Rabindranath was just 12 years old, his father was imprisoned by the British for protesting against a local bill. This caused Tagore to be brought up by his widowed mother in a small house in Calcutta (Kolkata). He attended the Scottish Church School in Calcutta before going to St. John's College, where he graduated with honors in English and Mathematics. After graduating from college, he worked as an assistant teacher for a while before deciding to focus on writing poetry. He started publishing articles in newspapers about the need for peace and harmony between different nations. This is when he gained recognition as a public figure. In 1893, Tagore met with other prominent Indians including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, who all helped spread his message of peace and love across India.