Popularly known as a humanist who emphasised freedom for all human beings, Rabindranath Tagore, Asia’s first Nobel Laureate, was an enlightened soul who believed in peaceful coexistence across the world irrespective of race, class, culture, religion and nationality. He wrote poems denouncing wars, destruction of nations and human beings; expressing the futility of wars and his wish to bring peace in the world. This paper portrays Tagore’s philosophy of wars and universalism. His poem on Africa depicts its origin and colonisation, sufferings of native Africans and Tagore’s sentiments on it. It also expresses Tagore’s pacifist sentiments on civil war in Spain, failure of the world to stop the destruction; denounces Japan’s aggression on China and shows juxtaposition of war and peace. It also depicts Tagore’s appreciation for Japan for its progress and criticism when Japan started its expansion in China, which resulted in the second Sino-Japanese war (1937–1945). Tagore’s message for peace is still relevant and the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia validates the same and revives the memories of past wars in Spain, China, Japan and Africa, and loss of innocent human lives.

war, aggression, humanity, peace, civilisation, universalism.