key actor in this fascinating civilizational face-off was the dragoman (the etymological root is the Arabic word for “translator”). More than a mere interpreter, the dragoman was a cultural matchmaker who selectively (mis)translated missives in order to achieve a desired diplomatic result (often unknown to either communicating party). Thus did the Sublime Porte’s imperious message to Queen Victoria greeting her as a tributary get toned down to that of an esteemed diplomatic partner. When Victoria wrote back with a stiff upper lip, the dragoman would layer on the subservience an Oriental despot
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