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	Colonial uses of Language
Home Identity Construction Political Economy Orientalism Language Borders Religion Annotated Bibliography	Language training became an essential component of British power in India. Some fluency in the language allowed the British to take charge of the situation as they could not if they remained beholden to translators. Afraid to lose authority in the eyes of Indians, colonialists feared that “without the knowledge of languages, the European is delivered into a “helpless and dependent thralldom” of a native assistant.” The British realized that learning the language maintained their superiority over the Indian population. When the British began to feel more comfortable in their language skills, they could access vast power over Indians. In 1786 Sir William Jones began translating Sanskrit from pandits’ interpretations of Hindu laws to “check upon the natives.” By learning Sanskrit himself, Jones targeted the ‘Brahmanical plot’ and announced his translations as the true and uncorrupted version. Though he may have truly intended to help the Indian people emerge from shackles of Brahmanical domination, he exemplified the British notion that “our power in India rests on the general opinion of the natives of our comparative superiority in good faith, wisdom, and strength, to their own rulers.” Once the British gained authority over the ancient texts, political power transferred from the pandits to the British. Warren Hastings led the movement towards an equitable India, which he saw as a divided India. He believed in abiding by Indian traditional laws, which meant separating Hindu from Muslim governance. Hindus “had been in possession of laws which continued unchanged, from remotest antiquity,” just as Muslims had their own civil code dictated in the Qu’ran. Thus, according to Hastings, the stage was set for “two codes, one Hindu and the other Muslim,” a distinction that Hastings believed necessary to appease the Indians, though absent in Indian history. The British used their growing language capabilities to distinguish the two separate laws in order to maintain Indian tradition (which the Indians could not do for themselves). back to language
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Colonial uses of Language

Language training became an essential component of British power in India. Some fluency in the language allowed the British to take charge of the situation as they could not if they remained beholden to translators. Afraid to lose authority in the eyes of Indians, colonialists feared that “without the knowledge of languages, the European is delivered into a “helpless and dependent thralldom” of a native assistant.” The British realized that learning the language maintained their superiority over the Indian population.

When the British began to feel more comfortable in their language skills, they could access vast power over Indians. In 1786 Sir William Jones began translating Sanskrit from pandits’ interpretations of Hindu laws to “check upon the natives.” By learning Sanskrit himself, Jones targeted the ‘Brahmanical plot’ and announced his translations as the true and uncorrupted version. Though he may have truly intended to help the Indian people emerge from shackles of Brahmanical domination, he exemplified the British notion that “our power in India rests on the general opinion of the natives of our comparative superiority in good faith, wisdom, and strength, to their own rulers.” Once the British gained authority over the ancient texts, political power transferred from the pandits to the British.

Warren Hastings led the movement towards an equitable India, which he saw as a divided India. He believed in abiding by Indian traditional laws, which meant separating Hindu from Muslim governance. Hindus “had been in possession of laws which continued unchanged, from remotest antiquity,” just as Muslims had their own civil code dictated in the Qu’ran. Thus, according to Hastings, the stage was set for “two codes, one Hindu and the other Muslim,” a distinction that Hastings believed necessary to appease the Indians, though absent in Indian history. The British used their growing language capabilities to distinguish the two separate laws in order to maintain Indian tradition (which the Indians could not do for themselves).

back to language

home CIS website