Authors: Dr. Thandava Gowda Tn
Abstract: Indian literature has historically functioned as a powerful medium through which social realities, ethical dilemmas, and ideological conflicts are articulated and contested. This paper examines Indian literature as a form of social knowledge by adopting an interdisciplinary framework that brings literary studies into dialogue with history, cultural studies, education, and philosophy. Placing Rabindranath Tagore at the center of analysis, the paper explores how literary texts engage with society through questions of nationalism, civilization, education, and humanism. Tagore’s literary works, political essays, and educational experiments at Santiniketan are read alongside the conceptual framework of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS), understood as an integrated epistemology combining knowledge, systematic inquiry, and life philosophy. The paper argues that Indian literature does not merely reflect society but actively participates in shaping social consciousness and ethical imagination. By foregrounding Tagore’s critique of narrow nationalism and his vision of holistic education, the study demonstrates how Indian literary traditions contribute meaningfully to global interdisciplinary dialogues in the humanities and social sciences.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19326927
