New Books Network Nile Green, "Serendipitous Translations: A Sourcebook on Sri Lanka in the Islamic Indian Ocean" (U Texas Press, 2026)
Jan 7, 2026
Nile Green, a historian at UCLA and expert on Islam and the Indian Ocean, dives into his fascinating work on Sri Lanka's diverse Islamic history. He discusses the multilingual sources that illustrate the island's role as a crossroads for pilgrims and merchants over centuries. Green highlights the complex identity of the Moors, the intricate balance of translation styles, and how trade intertwines with cultural exchange. He emphasizes the book's contemporary importance in supporting minority claims and plans for a more accessible South Asian edition.
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Sri Lanka As A Multilingual Hub
- Nile Green frames Sri Lanka as a linguistic and archival hub that reveals Indian Ocean connections across many scripts and genres.
- He argues Indian Ocean history needs richer primary sources in regional languages to avoid an anglophone, narrow picture.
Balance Readability And Scholarly Rigor
- When editing multilingual translations, prioritize readable translations with coherent style over exhaustive diacritics.
- Provide concise introductions and selective notes so non-specialist readers can access texts across languages.
Scholarly Gaps Shape The Archive
- Lack of available specialists constrained inclusion of Moorish Tamil texts, revealing archival and scholarly gaps.
- Green urges more research on Tamil-language Muslim sources to deepen Sri Lankan Muslim history.
