The First ever Gujarati Translator of a Shakespearean Play – Bhanji Gokul Parekh

Abstract

The study of translation history is crucial for understanding the choices and influences of translators, both in terms of their personal inclinations and external factors. Unfortunately, in Gujarat, the exploration of translation history has been limited to basic information such as dates, names of translations, and sometimes the names of translators. However, in the Western world, there has been a growing interest in translation history over the past three decades or so. Western scholars have embraced various theories and frameworks that emphasize the importance of investigating different facets of translation history, such as translator identity, patronage, censorship, support mechanisms, interventions, and the selection of texts. Interestingly, translation discussions often focus solely on the text itself, disregarding the translator as a cultural agent who enables the process of translation. By shedding light on the life and context of the translator, new facts and interpretations related to translation history can be discovered. One example of the association between Shakespeare’s plays and Gujarat dates to 1852 when the first adaptation of “Taming of the Shrew” was performed at St. Andrews Library in Surat. Since then, there have been numerous translations and adaptations of Shakespearean plays in Gujarat. However, very little is known about the lives and works of these translators. Bhanji Gokul Parekh is one such translator who rendered Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar into Gujarati, as Karunaras Julius Caesar Natak. Despite being the first translator of Shakespeare’s play, his contribution as a translator has been largely forgotten. Therefore, this paper aims to highlight Parekh’s significant contribution to translation history of Gujarat in the context of Shakespeare’s plays.