Colonialism and Translation: A Study of Kirmani’s History of Tipu Sultan

Abstract

This article explores the relationship between colonialism, power, and translation through a study of Mir Hussain Ali Khan Kirmani's History of Tipu Sultan, translated by Col. W. Miles in 1844, and Philip Meadows Taylor's novel Tippoo Sultaun (1840). Focusing on the paratextual incursions of Miles into his target text, the study interprets colonial translation activities as avenues of conquest. However, despite being in tandem with imperial objectives, translation also betrayed colonial anxieties as imperial power was never absolute. In this instance, despite Miles’s efforts, Kirmani’s history eschews convenient framing and intended categorisations. Juxtaposing the English translation of Kirmani’s history with Taylor's fictional account, the study argues that both instances can be taken as transliterations of Tipu in the language of conquest (English), where the complexities of the translation process overlap with colonial mechanisms of power. In this way, the research aims to uncover the ways in which colonial translation activities and literary adaptations generated knowledge regimes that shaped the understanding of historical events and personalities.