ARTICLE 3
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE IN INDIA:
An Overview of its History
Subha Chakraborty Dasgupta
Abstract
Comparative Literature in India has an interesting origin story that centers around two major universities. It all started at Jadavpur University, which established the first department of Comparative Literature in the country. The department was built on the foundation of Rabindranath Tagore's influential speech about "World Literature" - where he talked about how different literatures of the world connect and interact. The department was founded by Buddhadeva Bose, who was both a modern poet and a translator. His background was perfect for this role because he understood how different literary traditions could speak to each other across languages and cultures. Later, the field grew in a new direction when the Department of Modern Indian Languages and Literary Studies was established at Delhi University. While Jadavpur had focused on connecting Indian literature with world literature, Delhi University took a different approach. They concentrated on studying the relationships between different Indian languages and their literary traditions. This was important because India has many languages and rich literary traditions in each of them. Together, these two universities shaped how Comparative Literature developed in India - Jadavpur looking outward to world literature, and Delhi looking inward at India's diverse literary landscape. This combination helped create a unique approach to studying literature that could bridge both Indian and global literary traditions.
The Early Phase:
When Comparative Literature began in India, it was heavily influenced by British approaches to studying literature, which was natural given India's colonial history. However, even in these early years, scholars were quietly working to break free from colonial perspectives and develop their own ways of studying literature. They particularly focused on encouraging creative thinking and new approaches.
The Shift in Focus:
Over time, there was a major change in what was being studied. Indian literature started getting more attention, and scholars began looking at literature from other countries in the Global South (like Africa, Latin America, and Asia). This was an important shift away from just studying Western literature.
Changes in Approach:
The way scholars studied literature also changed significantly:
- They moved away from just looking at how one literature influenced another
- Instead of just finding similarities between different literatures
- They began studying how different cultures interact through literature
- They focused on how different societies receive and transform literary works
Recent Developments:
In recent years, Comparative Literature has broadened even further:
- It now engages with various aspects of culture and knowledge
- There's special attention given to marginalized voices and communities
- Scholars are working to discover literary connections that don't follow traditional hierarchies
- This means looking at relationships between literatures as equal partnerships rather than one being more important than another
This evolution shows how Indian Comparative Literature has grown from its colonial roots into a field that celebrates diversity and equality in literary studies, while giving voice to previously overlooked literary traditions.
The Beginnings
The concept of world literature gained momentum towards the end of the nineteenth century. In Bengal, for instance, translation activities were undertaken on a large scale, and poets sought connections with global literary traditions to foster what the eminent poet-translator Satyendranath Dutta described in 1904 as "relationships of joy."
Rabindranath Tagore's lecture, Visvasahitya (meaning "world literature"), delivered at the National Council of Education in 1907, laid the foundation for the establishment of the Department of Comparative Literature at Jadavpur University in 1956—the same year the university began operations. A group of intellectuals sought to develop an indigenous education system distinct from the prevailing British model, one that catered to the needs of the people.
The idea of visvasahitya was complex, embodying a sense of a global artistic community collectively constructing the edifice of world literature. Literature, in this vision, was deeply rooted in human relationships, with aesthetics closely tied to human experience. However, Buddhadeva Bose, a leading figure in modern Bengali poetry, did not entirely embrace Tagore's idealist vision. He believed that breaking away from Tagore’s influence was essential for engaging with modernity.
Bose’s translation of Les Fleurs du Mal signaled his intent to shift focus towards French poetry and away from British literature, which represented the colonial masters. He also played a crucial role in bringing the significant modern poet Sudhindranath Dutta—renowned for his translation of Mallarmé and his deep knowledge of both Indian and Western literary traditions—to teach in the Department of Comparative Literature.
Despite efforts to move towards decolonization, the colonial framework remained evident in the pedagogical structure, with English literature occupying a significant place. The curriculum was organized around major European literary periods, such as the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, Romanticism, and Modernism. At the same time, substantial attention was given to Sanskrit and Bengali literature. It was within this structure that the epistemology of comparison emerged.
While this project did not create an entirely new subject of knowledge, as Radhakrishnan (458) pointed out, it laid the groundwork for an ongoing engagement with the dynamics of self and other. This approach led to an evolving discourse on comparative relationships, culminating in the launch of The Jadavpur Journal of Comparative Literature in 1961, which became a significant publication in the field of literary studies in India.
Indian Literature as Comparative Literature
During the 1970s, new pedagogical perspectives began shaping Comparative Literature studies at Jadavpur University. Indian literature gained a more prominent place in the syllabus, not as an assertion of national identity, but as a natural progression in the study of texts within interconnected networks of relations. The focus extended beyond canonical texts to include histories shared across contiguous spaces, highlighting differences as well as commonalities.
The Department of Modern Indian Languages at Delhi University, established in 1962, introduced a post-MA course titled Comparative Indian Literature in 1974. This shift in focus led to a questioning of universalist canons, which had been a part of comparative studies in India from the outset. The inclusion of Indian literature—and, more broadly, literatures from the Global South—marked a move away from rigid canonical frameworks.
This new approach led to a broader definition of Indian literature, moving beyond the traditional emphasis on Sanskrit and a few canonical texts. Oral and performative traditions, which had often been overlooked, began receiving scholarly attention. Comparatists took on the challenge, as articulated by Aijaz Ahmad, of tracing the "dialectic of unity and difference"—through systematic periodization of linguistic interactions, historical material conditions, ideological struggles, class and community conceptions, gender discourses, and the interplay of oral and written traditions.
The study of Indian literary systems also acknowledged the diverse inter-cultural relations between Indian communities and their counterparts beyond national borders.
Reconfiguring Areas of Comparison
The syllabus expanded to include texts such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude and works from Latin American and African literatures. These additions reflected a growing interest in questions of solidarity, resistance to oppression, and epistemological shifts resulting from colonial histories.
Area Studies courses covering African, Latin American, Canadian, and Bangladeshi literatures were introduced. While Canadian Studies gained initial prominence due to a research grant, the focus gradually expanded to include oral traditions within the broader framework of comparative studies.
With the introduction of the semester system, course structures were revised. General courses such as Cross-cultural Literary Transactions included comparisons like Rudyard Kipling’s Kim and Rabindranath Tagore’s Gora. Other courses, titled Literary Transactions, examined traditions of reason and rationalism in European and Indian literatures of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Research Directions
Several books and translations emerged from these projects. The Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies at Saurashtra University, Rajkot, explored themes of the Indian Renaissance, translating significant Indian authors into English, studying early travelogues from Western India to England, and publishing collections of theoretical discourse from the nineteenth century.
The Department of Assamese at Dibrugarh University received grants to publish translations, collect rare texts, and document folk traditions.
The Department of Comparative Literature at Jadavpur University also received support to advance research in four key areas: East-West Literary Relations, Indian Literature, Translation Studies, and Third World Literature. In 2005, the department was elevated to the status of Centre for Advanced Studies, shifting research focus significantly towards oral traditions and methodologies for engaging with them.
A second major research area at the Centre for Advanced Studies involved literary relations between India and its neighboring countries—an area previously unexplored beyond well-known points of contact.
Interface with Translation Studies and Cultural Studies
By the 21st century, Comparative Literature in India began intersecting with two related fields: Translation Studies and Cultural Studies. Many Comparative Literature programs incorporated courses on Translation Studies, acknowledging its role in interliterary studies. The histories of translation were used to map literary relations, while analysis of translation processes provided insight into both source and target literary and cultural systems.
Comparative Cultural Studies juxtaposed key global texts with related Indian texts. Additionally, new Comparative Literature centers in recently established universities incorporated diaspora studies as an area of focus. Despite a growing interdisciplinary approach, literature remained central to the discipline, with an increasing integration of intermedial studies.
Non-Hierarchical Connectivity
Comparative Literature in India today pursues diverse goals aligned with historical needs at both local and global levels. The discipline fosters civilizational exchanges against divisive forces that undermine human potential.
New links and non-hierarchical networks of literary connectivity, as Kumkum Sangari describes as “co-construction,” are anchored in “subtle and complex histories of translation, circulation, and extraction.”
While much remains to be done, the discipline continues to evolve, focusing on the construction of literary histories based on regional and global literary relations. The foundational aim of early pioneers—to nurture and foster creativity—remains a driving force beneath these scholarly endeavors.
Conclusion
Comparative Literature has embraced new perspectives, engaging with marginalized cultural spaces while fostering non-hierarchical literary relations. The discipline continues to evolve, integrating new areas of inquiry while maintaining its commitment to literary studies.
Major points:
The Beginnings
The concept of world literature gained prominence in the late 19th century, particularly in Bengal, where translation activities flourished. Rabindranath Tagore’s 1907 lecture Visvasahitya laid the foundation for Comparative Literature studies in India.
Jadavpur University established the Department of Comparative Literature in 1956 to develop an indigenous education system distinct from British colonial influence. The idea of visvasahitya emphasized a global literary community, but Buddhadeva Bose advocated a break from Tagore’s idealism to engage with modernity. Despite decolonization efforts, English literature and European literary periods remained central to the curriculum. The Jadavpur Journal of Comparative Literature (1961) became a key publication in Indian literary studies.
Indian Literature as Comparative Literature
The 1970s saw Indian literature integrated into the syllabus, focusing on shared histories and interrelations rather than national identity. Delhi University’s Department of Modern Indian Languages introduced Comparative Indian Literature in 1974. Traditional definitions of Indian literature, centered on Sanskrit and canonical texts, expanded to include oral and performative traditions. Aijaz Ahmad emphasized studying literature through historical material conditions, ideological struggles, and linguistic overlaps.
Research Directions
Universities like Saurashtra and Dibrugarh engaged in translation projects, documentation of folk forms, and studies of early travelogues. Jadavpur University’s Comparative Literature department received support for research in East-West Literary Relations, Indian Literature, Translation Studies, and Third World Literature. In 2005, the department was designated a Centre for Advanced Studies, shifting focus toward oral traditions and India’s literary relations with neighboring countries.
Interface with Translation Studies and Cultural Studies
Translation Studies became integral to Comparative Literature, mapping literary relations and analyzing translation processes. Comparative Cultural Studies juxtaposed global texts with Indian counterparts. New Comparative Literature centers in Indian universities introduced diaspora studies while maintaining literature as the core focus.
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