Rabindranath Tagore is primarily recognized as a poet, yet he was a multi-talented guy. On the one hand, he was the first Indian to get a Nobel Prize in literature; on the other, he was a writer who also wrote and produced songs. Tagore was a painter who was instrumental in modernizing Bengali art. He was a musician who founded the world's first professional orchestra in India. And finally, he was a social reformer who fought for women's rights, religious tolerance and educational equality for Indians. All together, this makes him the most important figure in modern Indian music, poetry and painting. He introduced Western music techniques into India and formed a band called "The European Club" to promote ethnic diversity and tolerance. His efforts helped make India more open minded and progressive. Tagore was born on April 23rd 1861 in Chittagong, then part of British-ruled Bengal. His father was an official in the government service and his mother was from a wealthy family. When Rabindranath was just three years old, his family moved to Calcutta where his father was given a post. They lived there until 1880 when they moved back to Chittagong because his father didn't like the cold weather in Calcutta. In 1872, when Tagore was just nine years old, his father died.