Confusion of Ideas

Gaganendranath Tagore’s political caricatures attacked social conservatism and hypocrisy across the Bengali and British social classes of the time. He published three cartoon albums between 1915 and 1921—'Adbhuth Lok’ (The Realm of the Absurd), ‘Birup Bajra’ (Play of Opposites) and ‘Naba Hullor’ (Reform Screams)—which satirises various aspects of the life of the Bengali 'bhadralok' (a term used to describe the new, western-educated Bengali middle class), typically targeting the contradictions in their lifestyle. In this print titled Confusion of Ideas we see two babus (dandies) visiting a temple, dressed in Western clothes. One has a chick bursting out of the egg in his pocket (a sight that would have alarmed the habitually vegetarian Brahmins); the other raises his hat in a gesture of greeting at the temple. Making fun of the people for selectively embracing aspects of 'Western' lifestyles was a common trope of satirical art in nineteenth century Bengal.