The Secret Language of Empire: East India Company Politics, Highland Networks and Colonial Masculinity in Sir John Macpherson’s Gaelic Correspondence
This article examines the practice of Gaelic letter-writing among Scottish sojourners in India, focusing on the correspondence of Sir John Macpherson (c. 1745–1821). A member of the council of the East India Company and Governor-General of Bengal between 1785 and 1786, Macpherson considered Gaelic a...
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| Vydáno v: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/etudesecossaises, |
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| Médium: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Jazyk: | Anglais |
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Études écossaises
2026
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| On-line přístup: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:etudesecossaises_7270 |
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openedition |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:etudesecossaises_7270 https://doi.org/10.4000/161mn urn:doi:10.4000/161mn en https://journals.openedition.org/etudesecossaises/7270 2026-04-09T02:00:00Z info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article info:eu-repo/semantics/article urn:handle:20.500.13089/161mn https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ The Secret Language of Empire: East India Company Politics, Highland Networks and Colonial Masculinity in Sir John Macpherson’s Gaelic Correspondence Études écossaises UGA Éditions - Université Grenoble Alpes info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/1969-6337 info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/1240-1439 URI:https://journals.openedition.org/etudesecossaises Archambaud, Thomas Hautes Terres Lumières genre Empire britannique masculinité gaélique écossais Compagnie anglaise des Indes orientales Enlightenment gender British Empire masculinity Scottish Highlands Scottish Gaelic East India Company This article examines the practice of Gaelic letter-writing among Scottish sojourners in India, focusing on the correspondence of Sir John Macpherson (c. 1745–1821). A member of the council of the East India Company and Governor-General of Bengal between 1785 and 1786, Macpherson considered Gaelic as a strong cultural asset of decisive importance for the diaspora, using it to obscure the message from prying eyes, especially from English colleagues and rivals in Bengal and Madras. Moreover, a look at rarely seen extracts from the correspondence reveals that in a system of patronage relying heavily on interpersonal connections and kinship, Gaelic was more than a medium of confidential communication. The colonial Highland elite used it to (re)create a common sense of place, and it became an instrument of political integration and patronage. This article explores how Gaelic, a minority language formerly associated with geographical isolation, became synonymous with global opportunities in the age of proto-globalisation. Cet article étudie la pratique épistolaire en langue gaélique parmi les Écossais résidant en Inde dans la seconde moitié du dix‑huitième siècle, en se concentrant sur la correspondance de Sir John Macpherson (c. 1745-1821). Membre du conseil de l’East India Company et gouverneur général du Bengale entre 1785 et 1786, Macpherson voit dans le gaélique un atout culturel d’une importance majeure pour la diaspora des Hautes-Terres d’Écosse, l’utilisant pour dissimuler des informations sensibles aux regards indiscrets, en particulier ceux de ses collègues et rivaux anglais au Bengale et à Madras. De plus, un examen d’extraits inédits de sa correspondance révèle que dans un système basé sur les relations interpersonnelles et de parenté, l’usage du gaélique ne sert pas uniquement de moyen de communication confidentiel. L’élite coloniale Highlander l’utilise pour (re)créer une identité géographique commune et en fait un instrument d’intégration politique et de patronage. Cet article interroge la façon dont le gaélique, une langue régionale traditionnellement associée à un isolement géographique et culturel, devient synonyme de confiance et d’opportunités durant l’ère de proto-globalisation. |
| collection |
OpenEdition Journal |
| language |
Anglais |
| format |
Article ou chapitre numérique |
| building |
0/Bibliothèque numérique/ 1/Bibliothèque numérique/OpenEdition Journals/ |
| topic |
Hautes Terres Lumières genre Empire britannique masculinité gaélique écossais Compagnie anglaise des Indes orientales Enlightenment gender British Empire masculinity Scottish Highlands Scottish Gaelic East India Company |
| spellingShingle |
Hautes Terres Lumières genre Empire britannique masculinité gaélique écossais Compagnie anglaise des Indes orientales Enlightenment gender British Empire masculinity Scottish Highlands Scottish Gaelic East India Company Archambaud, Thomas The Secret Language of Empire: East India Company Politics, Highland Networks and Colonial Masculinity in Sir John Macpherson’s Gaelic Correspondence |
| description |
This article examines the practice of Gaelic letter-writing among Scottish sojourners in India, focusing on the correspondence of Sir John Macpherson (c. 1745–1821). A member of the council of the East India Company and Governor-General of Bengal between 1785 and 1786, Macpherson considered Gaelic as a strong cultural asset of decisive importance for the diaspora, using it to obscure the message from prying eyes, especially from English colleagues and rivals in Bengal and Madras. Moreover, a look at rarely seen extracts from the correspondence reveals that in a system of patronage relying heavily on interpersonal connections and kinship, Gaelic was more than a medium of confidential communication. The colonial Highland elite used it to (re)create a common sense of place, and it became an instrument of political integration and patronage. This article explores how Gaelic, a minority language formerly associated with geographical isolation, became synonymous with global opportunities in the age of proto-globalisation. |
| author |
Archambaud, Thomas |
| author_facet |
Archambaud, Thomas |
| author_sort |
Archambaud, Thomas |
| title |
The Secret Language of Empire: East India Company Politics, Highland Networks and Colonial Masculinity in Sir John Macpherson’s Gaelic Correspondence |
| title_short |
The Secret Language of Empire: East India Company Politics, Highland Networks and Colonial Masculinity in Sir John Macpherson’s Gaelic Correspondence |
| title_full |
The Secret Language of Empire: East India Company Politics, Highland Networks and Colonial Masculinity in Sir John Macpherson’s Gaelic Correspondence |
| title_fullStr |
The Secret Language of Empire: East India Company Politics, Highland Networks and Colonial Masculinity in Sir John Macpherson’s Gaelic Correspondence |
| title_full_unstemmed |
The Secret Language of Empire: East India Company Politics, Highland Networks and Colonial Masculinity in Sir John Macpherson’s Gaelic Correspondence |
| title_sort |
secret language of empire: east india company politics, highland networks and colonial masculinity in sir john macpherson’s gaelic correspondence |
| publisher |
Études écossaises |
| publishDate |
2026 |
| container_title |
URI:https://journals.openedition.org/etudesecossaises |
| url |
https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://doi.org/10.4000/161mn https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://journals.openedition.org/etudesecossaises/7270 |
| _version_ |
1877291734313992192 |