Born on February 13, 1879 in Hyderabad. |
Since childhood, Sarojini was a very bright and intelligent child. She was proficient in multiple languages including English, Bengali, Urdu, Telugu and Persian. She topped her matriculation exams from Madras University. Her father wanted Sarojini to become a mathematician or scientist, but young Sarojini was attracted to poetry. |
Impressed with the poetry works of the little child, the Nizam of Hyderabad granted her a scholarship to study overseas. At the age of 16, she got admission in the King’ s College, England and later joined Girton College in Cambridge. |
In England, She came into contact with Nobel laureate Arthur Simon and Edmond Gausse. Gausse convinced Sarojini to stick to Indian themes and depicted her poetry on contemporary Indian life and events |
Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress. |
She joined the Indian national movement in the wake of partition of Bengal in 1905 and came into contact with Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Annie Besant, Jawaharlal Nehru and other national leaders of that time. |
After the independence of India, she became the first governor of the United Provinces( now Uttar Pradesh) and remained in the role till her death in 1949. |
Her birthday, 13 February, is honoured as National Women’ s Day in India. |