Paper No: 208 Comparative Literature & Translation Studies
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Table of Contents
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Introduction
- Colonialism and the Politics of Translation
- Tejaswini Niranjana’s Siting Translation: A Poststructuralist Critique
- The Consequences of Colonial Translation
- Rethinking Translation in the Postcolonial Context
- Conclusion
- References
Abstract
Tejaswini Niranjana’s Siting Translation: History, Poststructuralism, and the Colonial Context (1992) examines how translation functioned as a tool of hegemony during colonial rule, shaping the knowledge and identity of colonized subjects. This paper explores how translation contributed to the construction of colonial discourse by reinforcing Western epistemologies and distorting indigenous knowledge systems. By engaging with poststructuralist and postcolonial critiques, particularly those of Edward Said and Gayatri Spivak, this study highlights the role of translation in sustaining power imbalances. Additionally, it considers counter-discursive translation strategies that challenge colonial knowledge production, advocating for a more equitable and decolonized understanding of translation.
Keywords
Translation, colonialism, hegemony, poststructuralism, postcolonialism, knowledge production, discourse, Orientalism, linguistic domination, subaltern studies, cultural erasure, alternative translation.
Introduction
Translation has historically been viewed as a neutral or technical process, yet poststructuralist and postcolonial scholars have demonstrated its deep entanglement with power structures. During colonial rule, translation became an essential tool for constructing knowledge about the colonized, often distorting indigenous cultures to fit European frameworks. In Siting Translation, Tejaswini Niranjana argues that translation was not merely a linguistic act but a mechanism of epistemic violence that reinforced colonial dominance.
This paper investigates the role of translation in colonial knowledge production, focusing on how translation practices contributed to the subjugation of non-Western epistemologies. By drawing on Niranjana’s arguments, as well as the works of Edward Said and Gayatri Spivak, this study examines how translation shaped the perception of the colonized and how alternative translation methods can serve as forms of resistance.
Colonialism and the Politics of Translation
- The Role of Translation in Knowledge Production
Translation played a crucial role in the British colonial project, transforming indigenous texts and ideas to fit Western epistemic frameworks. Colonial administrators relied on translation to categorize and control native populations, often altering meanings to reinforce their rule.
Translation also functioned as a means of categorization, allowing colonial powers to create rigid classifications of native populations. Bernard Cohn (1996), in Colonialism and Its Forms of Knowledge, explains how the British in India used translation to define social structures, legal systems, and even religious traditions in ways that made governance more manageable. By translating Sanskrit and Persian legal codes, for example, the British codified Indian law in a manner that often deviated significantly from its original intent, reinforcing their authority over legal and social matters.
Translation played a crucial role in the British colonial project, transforming indigenous texts and ideas to fit Western epistemic frameworks. Colonial administrators relied on translation to categorize and control native populations, often altering meanings to reinforce their rule.
Translation also functioned as a means of categorization, allowing colonial powers to create rigid classifications of native populations. Bernard Cohn (1996), in Colonialism and Its Forms of Knowledge, explains how the British in India used translation to define social structures, legal systems, and even religious traditions in ways that made governance more manageable. By translating Sanskrit and Persian legal codes, for example, the British codified Indian law in a manner that often deviated significantly from its original intent, reinforcing their authority over legal and social matters.
- Translation as an Instrument of Cultural Domination
By translating texts in ways that aligned with their own ideological interests, colonialists imposed Eurocentric meanings onto non-Western traditions. This process contributed to the perception of the colonized as ‘inferior’ and in need of Western civilization, as argued by Said in Orientalism.
One of the primary ways in which translation functioned as an instrument of cultural domination was by distorting native texts to align with European ideological interests. Niranjana (1992) emphasizes how British translations of Indian religious and philosophical texts often imposed Christian theological frameworks, thereby altering their original meaning. For example, Hindu concepts such as dharma and karma were frequently mistranslated to fit Western moral and ethical categories, stripping them of their contextual complexity. Similarly, British translations of Persian and Arabic texts often emphasized themes of tyranny and fanaticism, reinforcing stereotypes of despotic Eastern rule.
By translating texts in ways that aligned with their own ideological interests, colonialists imposed Eurocentric meanings onto non-Western traditions. This process contributed to the perception of the colonized as ‘inferior’ and in need of Western civilization, as argued by Said in Orientalism.
One of the primary ways in which translation functioned as an instrument of cultural domination was by distorting native texts to align with European ideological interests. Niranjana (1992) emphasizes how British translations of Indian religious and philosophical texts often imposed Christian theological frameworks, thereby altering their original meaning. For example, Hindu concepts such as dharma and karma were frequently mistranslated to fit Western moral and ethical categories, stripping them of their contextual complexity. Similarly, British translations of Persian and Arabic texts often emphasized themes of tyranny and fanaticism, reinforcing stereotypes of despotic Eastern rule.
Tejaswini Niranjana’s Siting Translation: A Poststructuralist Critique
Tejaswini Niranjana’s Siting Translation: History, Poststructuralism, and the Colonial Context (1992) is a groundbreaking work that examines the role of translation in colonial discourse. Drawing from poststructuralist and postcolonial theories, particularly those of Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, and Edward Said, Niranjana critiques how translation has historically been used as a tool of colonial power.
She argues that translation was not a neutral linguistic practice but an ideological act that reinforced European hegemony by shaping how non-Western cultures were represented. British colonial translations of Indian texts often distorted indigenous knowledge, framing it within Eurocentric epistemologies. This process contributed to the construction of the colonized as inferior and dependent on Western authority.
- Translation and the Construction of the ‘Indian’ Subject
Niranjana argues that translation played a fundamental role in shaping the identity of the colonized subject. By selectively translating texts, the British administration reinforced stereotypes and created an ‘Indian’ identity that served their governance.
The British administration selectively translated Indian texts, often distorting their meanings to fit colonial ideologies. By emphasizing aspects that aligned with Western stereotypes such as the supposed passivity, mysticism, or irrationality of Indian culture colonial translations reinforced the idea that Indians were incapable of self-rule. This process helped justify British governance by portraying the colonized as in need of Western civilization and discipline.
- The Influence of Orientalism on Colonial Translation Practices
Colonial translation practices were deeply influenced by Orientalist discourse. Western translators imposed hierarchical structures onto Indian texts, often distorting meanings to align with European worldviews. This section examines how these translations contributed to the subjugation of indigenous knowledge systems.
For example, British translators of Sanskrit and Persian texts selectively emphasized aspects that reinforced the idea of an exotic, mystical, and stagnant India, in contrast to a dynamic and progressive West. Legal and religious texts were reinterpreted to serve British administrative goals, often ignoring their contextual flexibility in Indian society. This not only altered native knowledge systems but also helped legitimize colonial rule by constructing the colonized as intellectually and culturally inferior.
The Consequences of Colonial Translation
- Linguistic Hegemony and Cultural Erasure
Colonial translation practices led to the suppression of indigenous languages and knowledge systems by prioritizing European linguistic frameworks. As Tejaswini Niranjana argues in Siting Translation (1992), translation was not a neutral act but a tool of hegemony that reshaped native traditions to fit colonial narratives. By imposing European languages as the dominant mode of communication, colonial authorities marginalized indigenous voices, often distorting meanings and erasing local epistemologies. This process contributed to the loss of oral traditions and the devaluation of native scholarship.
- Resistance and the Role of Alternative Translation Practices
Despite the hegemony of colonial translation, resistance movements have worked to reclaim indigenous voices through alternative translation practices. Scholars like Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak emphasize the importance of “ethical translation,” which respects the integrity of subaltern perspectives rather than distorting them for Western consumption (The Politics of Translation, 1993). Such approaches challenge colonial narratives by centering native agency and highlighting the complexities of indigenous knowledge. Postcolonial translation strategies thus serve as a form of resistance, allowing marginalized communities to reassert their histories and identities.
Rethinking Translation in the Postcolonial Context
In the postcolonial era, scholars and activists continue to challenge colonial translation legacies. This section explores strategies for decolonizing translation, including promoting indigenous-led translation efforts and critically analyzing historical translations.
Conclusion
Translation has long been a site of power and contestation, particularly in colonial contexts where it served as a tool of hegemony. Tejaswini Niranjana’s Siting Translation provides a critical framework for understanding the role of translation in constructing colonial discourse. By examining how translation practices reinforced Western dominance and erased indigenous knowledge, this paper underscores the need for decolonized approaches to translation. Moving forward, scholars and translators must engage in practices that resist linguistic imperialism and center marginalized voices.
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