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.