A FORGOTTEN CLASSIC REBORN: DON
QUIXOTE IN KASHMIRI
Few literary works have travelled across
cultures and centuries with the same enduring vitality as Don Quixote, the
17th-century masterpiece that has been translated into more than 700 languages
worldwide. Among these many incarnations, the Kashmiri edition occupies a
uniquely compelling place, both as an early scholarly endeavour and as a
remarkable act of literary recovery.
Originally translated in the mid-1930s by the
eminent Sanskrit scholars Prof. Nityanand Shastri and Prof. Jagaddhar Zadoo,
this work remained hidden from public view for nearly a century, as though
awaiting its rightful moment of return. Its re-emergence today is not merely
the publication of a text, but the revival of an intellectual legacy long
suspended in time. The painstaking task of textual restoration and preparation
was later undertaken by Dr Surindar Nath Pandita ( grandson of Pandit Nityanand Shastri ), alongside Uma Kant Kachru,
whose editorial stewardship has shaped the work into its present form. The
volume is further enriched by the scholarly engagement of Prof. (Dr.) Dragomir
Dimitrov, whose contribution lends it an added dimension of academic depth and
global relevance.
What now reaches the reader is more than a
translation; it is a layered cultural artefact, carrying within it the echoes
of multiple generations of scholarship. Its publication stands as a moment of
cultural restoration, reclaiming a forgotten chapter and restoring it to its
rightful place within both Kashmiri literary heritage and the wider world of
letters. This translated volume, based on selected chapters (I.45, I.46, I.50,
II.6 and II.12) from Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra’s Don Quixote, traces
a fascinating journey across languages, geographies, and generations. The
Kashmiri text is mediated through Charles Jarvis’s eighteenth-century English
translation. Undertaken in the 1930s, at the initiative of Harvard book collector
Carl Tilden Keller and facilitated by the renowned scholar-explorer Sir Aurel Stein,
it reflects an era when Kashmiri
scholars actively engaged with world literature.
Despite its significance, this translation
remained unpublished for decades, preserved only as a manuscript. Its eventual
rediscovery in 2011 at Houghton Library, Harvard University, and subsequent
scholarly attention led to the preparation of a facsimile edition by Prof.
(Dr.) Dragomir Dimitrov, published in 2024 under the Pune Indological Series
(Issue III). The present publication derives from that effort and marks the
first printed edition of five selected chapters from this Kashmiri translation.
The transformation from manuscript to printed
book, finally realised in March 2026, represents not just the revival of a text
but the recovery of a lost chapter in Kashmiri literary history. The book runs
to approximately 250 pages, of which about 215 pages are devoted to the
translation itself, presented in bold and reader-friendly type. The remaining
sections include a lucid introduction to the work by Surindar Nath Pandita, a
foreword by Prof. Sudhir K. Sopory, editorial notes by Uma Kant Kachru, and
additional introductory material that collectively provide depth and context.
The volume is also visually and historically
enriched. It opens with a recreated artwork by Veer Munshi depicting Don
Quixote and Sancho Panza, offering an evocative entry into the narrative world.
Archival materials further enhance its value, including a photograph of a page of the
original Kashmiri manuscript preserved at Harvard, images of Pandit Nityanand
Shastri and Pandit Jagaddhar Zadoo, and a reproduced letter written by Pandit
Nityanand Shastri to Aurel Stein. These inclusions transform the book into not
only a literary text but also a document of intellectual history.
At the heart of the narrative lies Cervantes’s
immortal creation. Don Quixote follows Alonso Quixano, an ageing man so
deeply influenced by tales of chivalry that he reinvents himself as the
knight-errant Don Quixote. Driven by an idealistic desire to revive lost
values, he ventures into the world in search of justice and glory. Accompanied
by his loyal yet pragmatic squire, Sancho Panza, his journey unfolds as a blend
of humour and poignancy. His vivid imagination famously transforms windmills
into giants and inns into castles, creating scenes that are at once comic and
deeply symbolic. Through these misadventures, Cervantes explores enduring themes:
idealism and realism, illusion and truth, and the resilience of human aspiration,
making the novel both a satire of chivalric romance and a profound reflection
on the human condition.
What distinguishes this edition is not only
its historical significance but also its thoughtful presentation. The
translation is arranged in a parallel, page-by-page format, with the English
text on the left and its Kashmiri rendering on the right. This layout allows
readers to engage closely with both versions, facilitating comparison while
enhancing comprehension and appreciation.
The editorial contribution of Uma Kant Kachru
is central to the success of this publication. The son of painter-scholar
Prithvi Nath Kachru, he is a noted Kashmiri writer with a deep command of the
language’s phonetic tradition. Currently serving as co-editor of the journals Neelamatam
and Sharda Tarangini, and formerly Editor-in-Chief of Naad,
Kachru brings both scholarly rigour and linguistic sensitivity to the project. His
work in editing the Kashmiri text reflects a careful balance between fidelity
to the original translation and accessibility for contemporary readers. Uma
Kant Kachru’s Kashmiri translation emerges as a graceful bridge between
literary worlds, carrying a timeless classic into the vibrant idiom of the
Kashmiri language. It captures not merely the sense of the original, but also
its rhythm, subtlety, and emotional texture with remarkable finesse. His
command over phonetics and expression lends the work a natural fluency and
quiet elegance.
In his note, Uma Kant Kachru describes how access to
multilingual keyboards on mobile devices, especially Google’s Gboard, made it
possible to digitise the Kashmiri translation of Don Quixote. His earlier work
editing community magazines exposed the limitations of graphics-based software,
which failed across different systems. Switching to mobile typing, he digitised
Hindi and Kashmiri texts despite discomfort. Encouraged by Dr Surindar Nath
Pandita, he began transcription, completed Chapter 45 quickly, and finished the
remaining chapters by January 2025 through careful review and collaboration. The
editor observes that the manuscript is as fascinating to read as its script,
noting that the translation adopts a highly scholarly style influenced by the
translators’ expertise in Sanskrit and Hindi. Despite being about 88 years old,
the translation differs significantly from the colloquial Kashmiri of its time,
particularly in its deliberate avoidance of Persian and Urdu vocabulary,
favouring Sanskrit/Hindi equivalents instead. Numerous examples highlight this
conscious linguistic choice, though a few Persian-Arabic terms still appear.
Importantly, the language has not been
burdened with unnecessary verbosity. Instead, it retains the simplicity and warmth
of everyday Kashmiri speech, the language spoken in homes, making it accessible
and engaging for Kashmiri-knowing readers across all age groups. In doing so,
the translation not only preserves meaning but breathes life into it,
reaffirming both the vitality of the language and the enduring relevance of the
text.
The publication is also the result of
sustained scholarly collaboration. Uma Kant Kachru played a crucial role in
recovering, editing, and preparing the manuscript for modern publication,
ensuring that its spirit remained intact while its presentation met
contemporary standards. He was joined by Surindar Nath Pandita, whose academic
guidance contributed to maintaining fidelity to Cervantes’s vision while
refining the text for today’s audience. Together, they bridged a gap of nearly
ninety years.
The role of Prof. Dragomir Dimitrov deserves
equal recognition. His preparation of the facsimile edition based on the
Harvard manuscript not only preserved the original textual form but also
provided scholars with direct access to an important historical document. His
involvement in developing the Schlegel typeface adapted for the Devanagari script
further underscores the technical and scholarly depth behind this project. Such
contributions, though often less visible, are essential to the preservation and
dissemination of literary heritage.
The broader collaboration, including
institutional support from international literary organisations such as the
Instituto Cervantes, highlights the global significance of this endeavour. It
represents a meaningful convergence of local scholarship and international
academic networks, demonstrating how literary traditions can be shared,
preserved, and revitalised across cultural boundaries.
Ultimately, this Kashmiri edition of Don
Quixote is far more than a delayed publication. It is a rediscovery of
intellectual history and a testament to the enduring spirit of scholarship. It
reveals a time when Kashmiri intellectuals were actively engaging with global
literary currents and shows how a universal classic can be reimagined within a
regional linguistic and cultural framework. At its core, the book stands as a
tribute to those who made this journey possible, from the original translators
to the modern editors and scholars who brought their work into the light.
Together, their efforts have transformed a forgotten manuscript into a living
text, ensuring that it reaches new generations of readers.
In an age when smaller languages often struggle for visibility, this publication affirms the richness and resilience of Kashmiri. By bringing Cervantes into its fold, it not only expands the reach of a world classic but also strengthens the literary identity of the language itself. This is not just a book; it is a landmark in the intellectual and cultural history of Kashmir.
In conclusion, this book is a landmark publication that not only brings international recognition to the Kashmiri language but also showcases the resilience of the two-century-old Schlegel font for writing Kashmiri in the Devanagari script. A true celebration of linguistic heritage.
(Avtar Mota )
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.
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