Translational Dynamics in Urban Space: Exploring Battala’s Multilingual Cultural Encounter

Pratim Das; Sushmita Pareek

doi:10.18778/2083-2931.15.05

Authors

Pratim Das GITAM University, Hyderabad https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4963-6507
Sushmita Pareek O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4994-2820

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/2083-2931.15.05

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Keywords:

transcultural urbanism, print culture, Battala literature, colonial modernity

Abstract

“Battala” is a Bengali metonym for commercial print culture which gained popularity during the Bengal Renaissance. This print culture became a translational palimpsest, disseminating literary genres and leading to the creation of a site where high and low culture converged. Our paper examines the complex relationship between 19^th-century colonial Calcutta and the languages in this fast-developing city. The popular print culture blurred distinctions between cultural forms, transcending geographical and literary boundaries of the colonial cosmopolis.

This paper contributes to the discourse on translating otherness in the city by demonstrating how Battala intricately reflected relationships between language, memory, and urban space within the historical and cultural context of colonial Calcutta. This is done through an analysis of selected works, including Koutuk Shatak by Harishchandra Mitra, Rar Bhar Mithya Katha Tin Loye Kolikata by Pyarimohan Sen, and Ki Mojar Koler Gari by Munsi Azimuddin. Other works that highlight the blurring of cultural spaces include the translation of The Arabian Nights by Avinash Chandra Mitra (titled Sachitra Ekadhik Sahasra Dibas). Additionally, translations of Ameer Hamzar Puthi by Abdun Nabi and Shah Muhammad Saghir’s Yūsuf Zuleikhā show significant Urdu and Arabic-Persian influence.

By analyzing Battala’s interactions with marketplaces, different communities, and intellectual salons, this study adds to the interdisciplinary discussion on translation and urban space. It examines the city’s symbolic representations in popular literature, as well as its geographic location and social significance.

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Author Biographies

Pratim Das, GITAM University, Hyderabad

Pratim Das is Assistant Professor in the Department of English and Other Languages, GITAM School of Humanities and Social Sciences, GITAM University, Hyderabad Campus. He obtained his PhD in Comparative Indian Language and Literature from the University of Calcutta. His research interests include Migration and Diaspora Studies and Translation Studies. Dr. Das has recently published articles on indentured servitude and the Burmese diaspora in esteemed journals such as Economic and Political Weekly and the Journal of Migration Affairs.

Sushmita Pareek, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat

Sushmita Pareek teaches at O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat. She has a doctoral degree in Translation Studies from the University of Hyderabad. She is an Erasmus+ worldwide scholarship recipient (2022). Her work centers on the post-Anthropocene challenges of translating animals as symbols of language and culture. She is also a practicing translator with additional training experience from Delhi University and National Translation Mission (CIIL, Mysore, India). Her research interests include folklore in translation, ecocriticism, children’s literature, and cultural studies.

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