Doctoral Student in Asian Languages and Cultures
About
I am interested in the intersection of literary translation, linguistic nationalism, and language ideology in the Western state of Gujarat in India. My research will focus on how, late 19th century onwards, literary and language standardization debates in Gujarat informed as well as reworked the national language debate at the center and regional language debates going on elsewhere in India. I will also look at Gandhi's central role in standardizing Gujarati, even as he was engaged with the Hindi-Hindustani question at the national level.
Broadly, I want to pursue the inbrications of regional and national/official languages in India as reflected through language standardization efforts manifesting in dictionary-making, grammar books, regional literature, and literary translations. I am also equally interested in studying how standardization results in the marginalization of various Gujarati dialects, including the Muslim and Parsi varieties of Gujarati.
Languages (other than English):
- Gujarati
- Hindi
- Urdu
- Sanskrit
