Rabindranath Tagore was born in an illustrious Bengali family. He was a literary colossus, who contributed at many levels towards India's cultural awakening in the early 20th century. Tagore wrote prolifically on themes like art, philosophy, history, nationalism and culture. He gained national fame for his oratory and writings during the Swadeshi movement (1905-1911). In 1913, he became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. In his later years, he also painted extensively. His most lasting contribution towards Indian civilisation was the founding of the Viswa Bharati University in Shanti Niketan, West Bengal.