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Module 1: Introduction to the practice of translation

Lecture 2: History of Translation in India

The Lecture Contains:

Introduction

Translation activity

South India

The Epics

Medieval India

Colonization

Rise of Indian nationalism

Independent India

Issues in India

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Module 1: Introduction to the practice of translation

Lecture 2: History of Translation in India

Introduction

India offers a unique problem when it comes to literature and literary language. It is difficult to trace the
origin of something like Indian literature because of the
multiplicity of traditions that we have in India. There is
no specific origin we can go back to and the longer we
go back into the past, the more difficult it becomes to
pinpoint the life and times of authors. Moreover, each
part of India has a different history from that of the
other parts of India. So it is practically impossible to
give a comprehensive history of the literature of India.
Naturally this makes it difficult to trace the history of
translations also in India.

Although we do not have definitive information about dates of composition or identity of authors, we do
certainly know that numerous works on various disciplines were produced in ancient India. The earliest
texts that we know of are the Vedas which are believed to have been composed around 1500 BC. One of
the earliest literary texts is the Natyashastra believed to have been written by Bharata any time between
400 BC and 400 CE. The religious epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata were significant influences.
Believed to have been composed by Valmiki and Vyasa respectively, these epics were orally passed on
from one generation to another till they were recorded in writing, but it is difficult to pinpoint the actual
dates of composition.

The language used for all these works was Sanskrit which was the language of the educated upper class. It
can be compared somewhat to Latin which was the language used for scholarly works in the west; Latin
too was the language of the educated minority.

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Module 1: Introduction to the practice of translation

Lecture 2: History of Translation in India

Translation Activity

Only literary genre that the age knew was that of drama. The only
language used was Sanskrit but this was not the only one used on
stage. A play was usually composed in a variety of dialects –
upper caste men and ascetics spoke Sanskrit. Women spoke
Prakrit and other inferior characters spoke a variety of dialects like
Magadhi, Pali and Sauraseni. So while you were watching a play, you had to do simultaneous translation
in some sense. But there is little written evidence of translation as an on going activity in those days. We
can only infer from the works of those days. For instance, there are many similarities between Bharata’s
Natyashastra and Aristotle’s Poetics. Can we see them as coincidence or could they have been influenced
by each other? If there is mutual influence, there must have been a translation: how else could they
understand each other?

There are other textual similarities. The medieval Italian Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince is very much
like Arthashastra, the ancient Indian statesman Kautilya’s work on statecraft. Without a translation,
Machiavelli could never have understood Kautilya. Alexander the Great’s general Megasthenes was the
ambassador to Pataliputra and he even wrote a book on India called Indica. He had to be bilingual to make
himself understood in Pataliputra.

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Module 1: Introduction to the practice of translation

Lecture 2: History of Translation in India

South India

In the meantime, there were happenings in other parts of India besides the Gangetic belt. Sanskrit was not
the only language used everywhere. For example, the prominent South Indian language in those days was
Tamil. Like Natyashastra in Sanskrit, there is Tolkappiyam,the major work on Dravidian aesthetics in
Tamil, written by Tolkappiyar. The work unsurprisingly has parallels with Natyashastra. Once again we
have no records of translations, but how do we explain the coincidence? The ancient Tamil body of
literature called Sangam literature shows influences of the Sanskrit epics, again pointing to some form of
cultural contact.

The Bhakti movement which is perhaps the earliest pan-Indian movement originated
in South India. It began around the 6th century CE among the Vaishnava Alvars in
Tamil Nadu in South India. They were mendicants or poet saints who advocated a
life of complete dedication to God. In a way this movement was also a localised
reaction against the hegemony of upper castes in Hinduism. Hinduism at that time
was degraded by rigid caste structures and notions of untouchability. Knowledge and
power were the privileges of an elite minority. The Bhakti movement tried to bring God down to the
masses, eliminating the middle men in the path to salvation. They sang in the language of the common
man in an idiom that even the illiterate peasant could understand. The emphasis was on bhakti or simple
devotion as opposed to elaborate rites and rituals of existing Hinduism. The major works were composed
in the local language as opposed to Sanskrit. This movement slowly spread to other parts of India, making
it a pan-Indian reality by the 18th century.

How did the movement manage to spread to other parts of India in those days when there were no
sophisticated means of communication? The bhakti poet-saints were wandering minstrels, spreading their
message wherever they went. Their influence must have spread through translations. Since much of
Bhakti literature was transmitted orally, we cannot speak for sure about translations. But it is otherwise
difficult to explain the conceptual similarities we find in Nammalvar of Tamil Nadu and Chaitanya of
Bengal.

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Module 1: Introduction to the practice of translation

Lecture 2: History of Translation in India

The Epics

The common thread that we find in almost all the works in ancient India are the epics of Ramayana and
Mahabharata. The Ramayana which is the older of the two was written in Sanskrit and believed to have
been committed to writing in 300 CE. Even at a very early
stage it was translated into almost all existing Indian
languages. In fact, its influence is not confined to just India
but all of Southeast Asia. Valmiki’s text which is now
considered the authentic one, is believed to be but one of the
many Ramayanas that deal with the same story line. So the
translations of the epic are also like free retellings. One other
aspect could be that the concept of fidelity to the original was absent in India also, like the ancient west.
Since literature was mainly orally transmitted, the idea of accuracy in conveying the literary work to
another language could not be sustained. These retellings were often influenced by the world view of the
group that was doing the translation/adaptation. The Indian historian Romila Thapar notes: “The
appropriation of the story by a multiplicity of groups meant a multiplicity of versions through which the
social aspirations and ideological concerns of each group were articulated. The story in these versions
included significant variations which changed the conceptualization of character, event and
meaning.” (qtd in Richman, 4).

Like translations of the Bible, the Ramayana translations also had the effect of enriching and
standardizing regional languages that were still in the formative stage. Some of them are Tulsidas’s
Ramcharitmanas in Hindi, Kamban’s Ramavataram in Tamil, Ezhuthachchan’s Adhyatma Ramayanam in
Malayalam, and Krittivasa’s Ramayana in Bengali. The language of these regional variations is the
common man’s language as opposed to Sanskrit which could be understood only by a few. The same is
true of the other great epic the Mahabharata also .

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Module 1: Introduction to the practice of translation

Lecture 2: History of Translation in India

Medieval India

The power and prestige of Sanskrit declined in the medieval times. Numerous foreign invasions also
brought with it different cultural and linguistic influences. Persian had an important place as a courtly
language and the language of scholarship under the Mughal
rulers. The Mughal courts had scholars who were also
translators. Baburnama, autobiography of Babur written in
Chagatay, was translated into Persian by Humayun’s minister
Bairam Khan. But it was Akbar the Great’s rule that marked
the highpoint of culture. He commissioned translations of
Sanskrit works into Persian. The Mahabharata was translated
into Persian during Akbar’s time. His great-grandson Dara Shikoh continued the efforts. Dara translated
the Upanishads and the Bhagavad-gita into Persian.

The significant result of such cultural mixing was that most people became bilingual or skilled in two
languages or even more. It also gave rise to new languages—for instance, Persian interacted with the local
language to give rise to Urdu. There were many writers who were fluent enough to be able to write in two
languages. Mirza Ghalib, the famous writer of ghazals, is one such example.

Translations from other works had the effect of introducing new genres to India. For example, translations
from Persian brought in new genres like masnavi, qasida and importantly, the ghazal. They were
Indianised to suit the local readers’ tastes. Many Indian texts reached the west through Persian
translations. As is the case with most texts, there are no accurate written records about these which makes
tracking them down difficult. But we can say without hesitation that translations helped to make Indian
culture what it is today, a happy blending of multiple cultural influences. Bilingualism is a common Indian
trait even today.

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Module 1: Introduction to the practice of translation

Lecture 2: History of Translation in India

Colonization

The advent of the British marks a siginificant turning point in India’s cultural history as well. This became
all the more apparent when the British Government took over the
complete administration of India in the 19th century. The British
tried to colonize India intellectually as well as politically. This
was a slow process which went on for many years in different
phases. They initially attempted to establish that the English
language and literature were superior to all the Indian languages
and literature put together. Many European texts were translated
into the local Indian languages.

But it was also important for the British to know the local language as matters of administration had to be
in Indian languages. They had to know India well to govern it better. So there was also a reverse
movement of translation from India to England. However, what got translated were ancient Sanskrit
works. They claimed that they had ‘discovered’ the priceless Sanskrit literature for the entire world to
enjoy. Sir William Jones, founder of the Asiatic Society, translated Abhijnanasakuntalam into English in
1789. Charles Wilkins, official translator of Persian and Bengali to the Commissioner of Revenue, was the
first to translate the Bhagavad-gita into English in 1784. These translations had official blessings as they
were undertaken with the specific purpose of helping the British to know India better.

The period after the First War of Indian Independence in 1857 marks another phase in the cultural
conquest because it is at this time that the Queen directly took over power of the Indian administration.
This also brought in specific language policies. English became the language of administration and it was
promoted among the Indians. In this respect, Macaulay’s "Minute on Indian Education" of 1837 is very
important. It called for the cultivation of a class of people “Indian in blood and colour, but English in
tastes, in opinions, in morals and in intellect.” This resulted in educated Indians acquiring English
proficiency. There were large scale efforts to translate English books into Indian languages and promote
English literature. Many obscure 18th and 19th century English novels found their way to Indian
languages.

One of the other aims of the British empire was evangelization or spread of Christianity. The Bible was
translated into local languages with this aim. The impact was two-fold: Christianity reached the locals and
it strengthened the vernacular languages. The Serampore Mission Press (1800) enlisted Indian experts in
different languages to translate the Bible. But these translations radically changed the concept of

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translation in India.It first brought in the concept of printing to what was predominantly an oral tradition
till then. The Indian tradition of translation was a free adaptation of source material and was really
retelling rather than accurate translations. But the Bible changed all of that. It emphasized the need for
accurate ‘word for word’ translation; fidelity in translation became a concern for the first time, because it
was felt that the word of God had to be conveyed accurately and with no distortions.

The Bible translations strengthened the vernacular languages. Like the English Bible, vernacular versions
had simple language that could be understood by the lay person. It also enriched the vocabulary by
bringing in idioms and imagery to illustrate its concepts. The British also contributed to the local
languages by bringing out systematic books on grammar and compiling dictionaries. The credit of
compiling the first dictionary in most Indian languages goes to some European or the other.

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Module 1: Introduction to the practice of translation

Lecture 2: History of Translation in India

Rise of Indian nationalism

Parallel to the rise of English and western ideas, the spirit of nationalism was growing in India. Indians
benefited from the ideas and knowledge they got from the west and put it to
good use to eradicate many of the evils existing in the society of those days.
Translations from English to Indian languages and vice versa began to
increase. But translations were also acts of resistance as they had the aim of
fostering the spirit of nationalism. One example is Dinbandhu Mitra’s Neel
Darpan written in 1859, translated by Rev. James Long in 1861. It was an
exhortation to protest against the exploitation of the indigo workers in
Bengal. The play was banned and James Long was prosecuted for having
aided in the translation of the play.

Another consequence of the numerous translations was the introduction of the genre of the novel in India.
Although there are people who say that India had the novel before the British (they point to Banabhatta’s
Kadambari as evidence), the novel is believed to be a British legacy. The first Indian novels in the 19th
century were inspired by English novels, but were Indian in spirit as they discussed socio-political
problems relevant to India. They were also motivated by English education to remove social ills and
fostered the nationalistic spirit. Very often these novels got translated into other Indian languages resulting
in a bonding between far-flung areas of India. For instance, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s Anandamath
was translated into English and other Indian languages within a few years of its publication in 1882. This
novel, which contained our national song Vande Mataram, was one of the works that inspired nationalists
all over the country.

Translations often inspired writers in other languages to write novels. The earliest novels in Hindi were
translations of Bengali novels, like Gadadhar Singh’s translation of Romesh Chandra Dutt’s Bangabijeta
and Bankim’s Durgeshnandini. These were done under the supervision of the noted Hindi writer
Bharatendu Harishchandra. By the end of the century Kishorilal Goswami wrote a novel, which was
according to him ‘under the influence of Bengali’. Sometimes the indigenous novel got promoted by
British officers. An example is Indulekha the first Malayalam novel (1888) which was translated into
English by a British officer W. Dumergue.

The Christian influence was felt in the early novels also, besides in the Bible translations. Some of the
early novels were written by British women with a view to promoting the Christian way of life. Hannah
Catherine Mullens wrote Phulmoni–O–Karunar Bibaran in Bengali in 1852. Mrs. Collins, the wife of a
missionary living in Kerala, wrote The Slayer Slain in 1866; this was translated into Malayalam in 1877.

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These novels had the purpose of educating the native women about the advantages of Christianity. They
were also the first novels to speak of the marginalized sections of Indian society.

If most of these translations did not have a direct political motive, there were other translations that were
done by Indians to undermine the colonial power. The translation of Anandamath by Aurobindo is a case
in point.

He undertook this translation to inspire the militant nationalists of Bengal in the first decade of the 20th
century. He even founded a journal called Bande Mataram. Many others like Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi
(1830 – 1931) sought inspiration from other languages like French and German. He translated Victor
Hugo’s Ninety-three into Hindi as Balidaan. He believed it his duty to translate works that would instill
patriotism in his countrymen. He modified these works to suit his countrymen’s tastes and his translations
were more or less like free adaptations of the original text. Premchand (1880 – 1936) the famous Hindi-
Urdu writer, translated Anatole France’s Thais.Like Vidyarthi, he was motivated by ideological reasons.
Translations like these, with the specific purpose of introducing revolutionary ideas to Indian readers,
were being undertaken in different parts of India. These were more like adaptations with no thought for
fidelity to the original. They played a silent but influential role in enhancing the patriotic spirit among
Indians.

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Module 1: Introduction to the practice of translation

Lecture 2: History of Translation in India
Independent India

This picture changed when the country gained her freedom. As the need changed, so did the finished
product. The diversity of the new nation necessitated emphasis on essential unity which
would overlook linguistic and religious differences. Translations also had the social
responsibility to foster this spirit of unity.An example of such work is Satpal’s
translation of Aurobindo’s Savitri into Urdu.

Interlingual translations at the local level were promoted to bring different languages together and there
were institutional endeavours to do this. The Sahitya Akademi established in 1954, publishes translations
from regional languages into English and other regional languages. Besides the officially accepted
languages, it has facilitated translations from tribal languages and dialects like Garo and Bhili. The
National Book Trust founded in 1957 had the ‘Adan Pradan’ series in which classics in Indian languages
were translated into English and other Indian languages. These have undoubtedly helped to bring different
the literatures of different regions together and help to develop the idea that Indian Literature, the Sahitya
Akademi journal, has as its motto: ‘Indian Literature is one though written in many languages’.

Efforts by individual translators cannot be discounted either. The noted postcolonial critic and translator
Gayatri Chakravorti Spivak has been instrumental in bringing the noted Bengali writer Mahasweta Devi to
international notice through her translations. Similarly the noted Kannada poet A. K. Ramanujan through
his translations rediscovered the pleasure of ancient Sangam literature for the world at large. These
translations can be termed ‘promotional translations’ that helped to focus the world’s attention on a
classical heritage or a particular writer.

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Module 1: Introduction to the practice of translation

Lecture 2: History of Translation in India

Issues in India

The translation tradition is very strong in India at present. Prominent publishing houses have entire series
on translation from Indian languages into English. Macmillan and Katha are significant examples.
Translation Studies as a discipline is part of the curriculum in many prominent Indian universities.

Translation in India has the tradition of appropriation and recreation. For instance, what is the term for
translation in an Indian language? In Sanskrit the term is ‘anuvad’, meaning ‘to say after’ while in some
other Indian languages the words are terms ‘bhashantar’ (change from one language to another),
‘roopantar’, or ‘tarzuma’ (change from one code to another in terms of external form or language). In a
way they reflect the issues in the translation field today in India. What is translation? Is it just change from
one language to another or a more radical alteration where the form itself is changed? In this context, how
relevant are the concepts of fidelity to the SL? Today the debates in translation also centre on the power
dynamics between languages. Why is it that most Indian texts get translated into English and not other
Indian languages?

These are questions that cannot be answered simplistically. They reflect the complexities that surround the
issue of translation in a multilingual country like India.

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Module 1: Introduction to the practice of translation

Lecture 2: History of Translation in India

Assignments

1. What are the multiple strands that go into the history of translation in India?
2. Attempt to catalogue the translations that have gone into the making of the literature of your
mother-tongue.

References

Mukherjee, Meenakshi. Realism and Reality: The Novel and Society in India. New Delhi: Oxford
University Press, 1996.

Ramakrishna, Shanta. “Cultural Transmission through Translation: An Indian Perspective”. Changing the
Terms: Translating in the Postcolonial Era. Sherry Simon and Paul St-Pierre, Eds. Hyderabad: Orient
Longman, 2002: 87 – 100.

Richman, Paula. Editor. Many Ramayanas: The Diversity of a Narrative Tradition in South Asia.
Berkeley: University of California Press, c 1991 1991. http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/130130/ft3j49n8h7/

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