Punjabi Language During British Rule - Tariq Rahman

[dalsingh101]

This short paper explores the fate of the Panjabi language under British rule, written from a Pakistani perspective. One of the things I found interesting is the author's analysis of why the Brits initially tried to push Urdu as the formal state language for communication after their invasion.

The way people subsequently divided themselves along a linguistic basis which was really a barely concealed cleaving along religious lines is important. After the British left, we saw the same pattern emerge during the Panjab suba movement between Sikhs and Hindus.

Panjabi language_Rahman.pdf

Edited May 19, 2011 by dalsingh101

[chatanga1]

V interesting. I kind of despise the fact that Panjabi is not used in the official business in Pakistan. I taught myself to read Urdu, upto the level of about a 9/10 year old child, and in the book that i was reading from, it told about how there were different provinces in Pakistan, and how each of them had their indigenous tongue as the state language, but in Punjab it completely omitted any reference to Panjabi language saying they spoke Urdu. I thought to myself that is terrible, that Panjabi children are being denied this.

But I have heard from a pakistani acquaintance that panjabi is a language of ruffians/un-educated people while Urdu is the language of civilised educated people.

A friend from Lahore visited recently, and he would talk in panjabi with us, but in Urdu to his kids, and I just felt a rage build up inside me, and controlling myself I asked politely why do you talk in Urdu over Panjabi? Doesnt your son speak Panjabi? They said yes, but not very well.

Another friend of mine from Lahore said they would not allow their infant son to speak panjabi in the house.

However not all bads news. I beleive there is a move by panjabis in pakistan to bring the teaching of panjabi to state schools.

This ia a reply i recieved from a guy in Pakistan about panjabi language in Pakistan:

Sardar Ji

Punjabi is going down the drain. Its future is bleak in Pakistan. Its future is bleak in the Indian Punjab too, though it will take longer for Punjabi to disappear in your side. Punjabis are truly "mother-admin cut". I know a number of Malaysian Sikhs who cannot speak Punjabi. The Garanth Sharif will not save Punjabi if the Punjabis do not save their langauge. But, as I just said, we are all maather-admin cut and a gandu qom.

finally check out this link for the views on this subject:

http://mastmalang.wordpress.com/2006/12/24/the-punjabi-language/

Edited May 18, 2011 by chatanga1

[Mithar]

True. How sad that the only nation in the world which is a Punjabi majority and Punjabi dominated nation Pakistan, yet Punjabi boli has no official status. If anything it is looked down upon as a language of uneducated people by them. It would have been a great service to the Punjabi language if it had an official status in Pakistan like it gives to Pashto, Sindhi, Balochi. I don't know why the Pakistani establishment considers Urdu more Islamic than Punjabi considering that all the great Sufi Saints of Punjab for the last 1000 years have only written in Punjabi and not Urdu. But the way things are going in Pakistan, the future of that nation seems uncertain. I wouldn't be surprised of Pakistan will Balkanize within our lifetime. I wonder what the status of Urdu will be then.

Even in our Punjab, it is not uncommon to see Punjabi Hindus speaking Hindi with each other and their children instead of Punjabi. That looks very strange every time you see that. Punjabis are probably the only people in the world who have disowned their own language in favour of neighboring languages.

Bhai Vir Singh Jee deserves a lot of credit for making Punjabi into an acceptable literary language amongst the masses. His contemporary Iqbal was also a Punjabi from Sialkot but he only wrote in Farsi and Urdu. Imagine the contribution he could have made to Punjabi with the knowledge he had. In the Diaspora, Sikhs have also started to abandon Punjabi in favour of English. I have seen so many western born Sikhs who cannot even speak their language all thanks to their parents who only speak English with their western born kids.

[dalsingh101]

What is remarkable, in light of what was contained in that paper, is how so many Pakistanis consider Urdu to be their indigenous language.

As a teacher I noticed that second language skills, be they Urdu, Pashtu, Farsi or Panjabi where MUCH higher amongst young Pakistani students compared to Sikhs who, more often than not, were barely able to communicate in their mother tongue.

Pakistani students themselves were acutely aware of the issues around Urdu and Panjabi, with some openly claiming that Urdu is a beautiful language whilst Panjabi was 'vulgar' and common. A few Pak proPanjabi students were also aware of the fact that the language was dying in their country without support.

Notice how the paper suggests that apnay were cool about teaching their children Panjabi when faced with the associated issues of social mobility restrictions arising from it. It goes back to that old notion of apnay being status obsessed over most other things.

The truth is that most of us second gens, learned the language not because we wanted to, but because our parents English was so poor. The inadvertent side effect of this was to make us fluent. But even then you come across those who can understand it, but are unable to speak it.

I spoke about this to some freshies (who have very young children here) at the Gurdwara recently and what I found was that they were completely oblivious to the linguistics issues that they will face in relation to their children growing up here.

But with that all said, people have never had to so good, with so much literature available for free online, and various free language resources available too (like edictionaries). But it doesn't appear as if the motivation to preserve, develop and learn the language exists to any great extent?

Edited May 19, 2011 by dalsingh101

[SikhKhoj]

Bhai Vir Singh did bad by saying Punjabi was only the language of Sikhs - this while Punjabi is not really the language of Sikhs - Guru Granth Sahib doesn't have that much Punjabi in it.

Pakistan has a rising movement of the languages of the provinces. While Sindhi, Pashtun and Balochi are not official languages in their respective provinces, the people still communicate in that language, while Punjabis prefer talking in Urdu as they feel it to be a language of ganwaars or paindus (uneducated people or 'villagers').

South Punjabis (actually Balochi settlers in South Punjab) are wanting a seperate province, Seraikistan, this has woken up some Punjabis in Pak.

http://www.apnaorg.com/articles/plm-4/

[Mithar]

Bhai Vir Singh did bad by saying Punjabi was only the language of Sikhs - this while Punjabi is not really the language of Sikhs - Guru Granth Sahib doesn't have that much Punjabi in it.

Pakistan has a rising movement of the languages of the provinces. While Sindhi, Pashtun and Balochi are not official languages in their respective provinces, the people still communicate in that language, while Punjabis prefer talking in Urdu as they feel it to be a language of ganwaars or paindus (uneducated people or 'villagers').

South Punjabis (actually Balochi settlers in South Punjab) are wanting a seperate province, Seraikistan, this has woken up some Punjabis in Pak.

http://www.apnaorg.com/articles/plm-4/

How did Bhai Vir Singh Jee do bad by promoting Punjabi? if the Muslims and Hindus have largely abandoned their mother tongue in favour of neighboring languages does not mean Sikhs should follow their foot steps. Punjabi Sikhs have proved time after time that they are the loyal sons of Punjab. Yes Guru Granth Sahib Jee jee is not really all in Punjabi, but Punjabi is heavily used in Gurbani especially the Bani of Baba Farid Jee, Bhai Gurdas Dhiyaan Varaan and even Dasam Granth Banis like Chandi Di Vaar. Sikhs also should study Braj, Sant Bhasha and Farsi because those language have also been heavily used in Sikh scriptures. But if a Sikh is Punjabi he should be loyal to his language.

If Punjabi Sikhs decide to be disloyal to Punjabi language then who will be left to stand up for the Punjabi language? The Punjabi language is every Punjabi's responsibility whether he be Sikh, Hindu or Muslim but so far only Sikhs have largely taken up this responsibility on their shoulders.

Pashto, Sindhi, Balochi do have official status in their respective provinces. They are taught in all the schools and even spoken in their state parliaments while Punjabi has no such status because Punjabi Muslims think of Punjabi as an uncultured language while Urdu is thought of as a language of class, status and national unity.

[chatanga1]

Pakistan has a rising movement of the languages of the provinces. While Sindhi, Pashtun and Balochi are not official languages in their respective provinces,

South Punjabis (actually Balochi settlers in South Punjab) are wanting a seperate province, Seraikistan, this has woken up some Punjabis in Pak.

I dont know who told you that but its not true, Sindhi, Balochi and Pashtu are official languages in their own region as well as Urdu, which is the national language.

Seraiki is a dialect of Panjabi, as there are many dialects of panjabi, and the move to get seraiki recognised as an offical language has taken momentum.

About 3 months ago i met a guy from Pakistan, from hazara, who spoke Hindko, which is a dialect of Panjabi, and i could eunderstand most of what he was saying, even though i couldnt speak it and vice versa. Hindko is recognised as a seperate language in Pakistan, and this is what the seraiki speakers want for seraiki.

[SikhKhoj]

My mistake, I meant official country languages. They are recognised only on provincial level, national level only Urdu.

Seraiki is a dialect of Punjabi, but some people and politicans do want to divide Punjab. Since 1970s or so Pakistan has seperated Seraiki language from Punjabi, and now there are demands to seperate Seraiki Suba (south Punjab) from Punjab. This has also to do with economy, Southern Punjab is poor compared to the rest of Punjab.

Hazara is in Pakhtunkwa, Pathan region, they are calling for a seperate province of their own too. And Hindko is indeed a dialect of Punjabi (and so is Seraiki).

Edited May 19, 2011 by SikhKhoj

[SikhKhoj]

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/29-Apr-2011/I-was-not-included-in-PPPPMLQ-talks-Gilani

[Mithar]

My mistake, I meant official country languages. They are recognised only on provincial level, national level only Urdu.

Seraiki is a dialect of Punjabi, but some people and politicans do want to divide Punjab. Since 1970s or so Pakistan has seperated Seraiki language from Punjabi, and now there are demands to seperate Seraiki Suba (south Punjab) from Punjab. This has also to do with economy, Southern Punjab is poor compared to the rest of Punjab.

Hazara is in Pakhtunkwa, Pathan region, they are calling for a seperate province of their own too. And Hindko is indeed a dialect of Punjabi (and so is Seraiki).

The reasons you have pointed out why Saraiki is now being considered as a separate language are true. Otherwise in reality Saraiki is a just a dialect of Punjabi like Majhi, Doabi, Malwai, Pahari(Spoken in Himachal), Dogri(spoken in Jammu), Pothohari etc. Whenever I have met a person speaking Saraiki I could understand him and he can understand me.

If Pakistan will not give Punjabi language an official status, then I hope the Saraiki nationalists will be successful in creating their own province, atleast Punjabi in the indirect form of Saraiki dialect will survive and thrive which is a victory for the Punjabi language overall.

[SikhKhoj]

Yes, but Seraikis say they have nothing to do with Punjabis (not all, but the separatists).

Indeed.

Just a note, I have noticed that MOST Pak Punjabis that are proud to be Punjabi and speak the language are usual less orthodox (lets put it this way) than other Pakistani Muslims. I can be wrong too though.

BTW, Bagri spoken in northern Rajasthan can also be considered as a dialect of Punjabi.

Edited May 19, 2011 by SikhKhoj

[dalsingh101]

Just a note, I have noticed that MOST Pak Punjabis that are proud to be Punjabi and speak the language are usual less orthodox (lets put it this way) than other Pakistani Muslims. I can be wrong too though.

Seems like that to me too.

I think aspects of Panjabi culture (at least as it has become these days) is actually haram for the more orthodox. Especially the music.

I remember before hard Islam parchaar started in London and when there was a very popular 'asian' bhangra craze. One of the first things that sullay did was to preach against bhangra and very quickly a lot of Pakistanis (who formerly loved it), stopped listening to their Alaap, Heera, DCS cassettes.

I also remember the one and only Pak wedding I went to as a teenager and how the olders expressly forbade the playing of Bhangra to the disappointment of my school friend.

Edited May 19, 2011 by dalsingh101

[SikhKhoj]

Indeed.

Isn't it kind off forbidden in Sikhi too, all the Jattvaad (and now Chamarvaad too ), Sharaab, Kuri, Patoley songs.

I won't lie, I do listen to songs occasionaly and some lyrics do contain the above elements. I don't think we are another Islam forbidding songs here. Dirty songs however shouldn't be allowed, see all the bad that these songs (and movies) have done to the youth of Punjab. Couples elope in every second village in Punjab, aids, etc.

On a side note I feel that the film Khamosh Paani is quite well made, it shows how village Pakistani Punjabis were before and how they became lateron, after the Islamisation of Gen Zia Ul Haq. We see the Punjabi villager Saleem becoming a radicaled Muslim who at the end (30 years later or so) is preaching hatred while conversing in Urdu - I feel it quite nicely portrayed how radicalisation also 'eliminated' Punjabi (or maybe it is just because Pakistani TV don't have many Punjabi shows and the protagonist was on tv in the film, but I doubt that)

Edited May 19, 2011 by SikhKhoj

[SikhKhoj]

I know one thing for sure, Balochistan and some Sindhis are willing to seperate from Pakistan. Jihad is also going strong up in Pakhtunkhwa (they let it grow, now gone out of hand). So if ever Pakistan breaks, I will support West Pakistan as a country. I am seeing the demand of seperating from Pak, but they never express it openly because they are called kafirs, or told that they shouldn't listen to Hindu or Sikh propaganda. They brainwash them with the 'Muslim' thinking (Ummah). This ironically while Balochis and Sindhis also ask for a seperate country.

I once read in a Pakistanis article that it is only Punjabis and Pathans really supporting unity of Pak.

[dalsingh101]

because Pakistani TV don't have many Punjabi shows

When I see Panjabi films they seem comically unsophisticated and are usually just vehicles for the same old caste's agenda. Large chunks of Panjabi music isn't any better and pretty uncouth too, with drinking and kunjar behaviour being promoted.

Then we have this image of brightly coloured clothes wearing, smiling like Cheshire cats, dancing mindlessly......

When we have these things, and they are so visible, it only reinforces the idea that we are idiot pendus. I mean watch this and get an idea of how our culture is perceived.

Pendu productions.....

Edited May 19, 2011 by dalsingh101

[SikhKhoj]

Haha seen that clip.

Most Jatts-fighting-in-khets movies in our Punjab were copied from Pakistani Punjabi movies.

There are quite a few Pak Punjabi dramas and movies but not many channels (2-4)

[chatanga1]

One of the things I found interesting is the author's analysis of why the Brits initially tried to push Urdu as the formal state language for communication after their invasion.

One thing i discovered after seraching about Panjabi language was that it is at much older than Urdu. Urdu is only 2 or 3 centuries old. It was created in UP or Bihar, by the persian speakers mixing in thier vocubalary with the native hindi. Now this seems to me to be a good reason for what DalSingh is saying that why did the muslims take this language over their own mother tongue, and it seems to come down to a common theme amongst muslims, that you are either with the ummah or the kafir.

Also another reason may be that with this language being created by the muslim elite, those who eschew the notion of the ummah or khalifah it would be better digested. You know, it kinda like "their" language.

The panjabi pakistani who rubbished panjabi, said that Urdu was the original langauge of panjab and that panjabi developed from it. So if this is what they are taught in schools in pakistan, you can undersdtand the apathy towards panjabi language.

[SikhKhoj]

Urdu belongs to UP originally.

Problem is, our Punjabis are becoming Sanskritised while the Pakistanis are becoming Persianised/Arabicised in knowledge of the Punjabi language. We got to preserve our sabhyacharak pehchaan and ithaas (cultural identity and history).

Edited May 24, 2011 by SikhKhoj

[Mithar]

Urdu belongs to UP originally.

Problem is, our Punjabis are becoming Sanskritised while the Pakistanis are becoming Persianised/Arabicised in knowledge of the Punjabi language. We got to preserve our sabhyacharak pehchaan and ithaas (cultural identity and history).

while Sankritised and Persianised is true for Punjabi in East and West Punjab, but in the diaspora, Punjabi language is increasingly becoming Englishised.

[dalsingh101]

Problem is, our Punjabis are becoming Sanskritised while the Pakistanis are becoming Persianised/Arabicised in knowledge of the Punjabi language. We got to preserve our sabhyacharak pehchaan and ithaas (cultural identity and history).

Truth is, I don't really see a strong will in the Sikh Panjabi community to preserve and use their language. I don't think the mass of young Panjabis think it important to learn the language to any significant depth even in Panjab. As one desi guy said to me in the Gurdwara, "Panjabis will employ one bhaiyya in their house and thee whole family will learn Hindi. Yet the bhaiyya will never bother to speak Panjabi.

I think our sabhyacharak pehchaan is in flux right now. I don't know where it will end. From what I see the language is likely to be dead here in the UK in 2/3 generations. Already hordes of the 3rd generation can't speak it or do so very poorly.

Unless we have something that makes learning Panjabi fashionable and enjoyable soon, I can't see this trend changing. I wonder ewhat the situation in Canada and the US is?

[chatanga1]

As one desi guy said to me in the Gurdwara, "Panjabis will employ one bhaiyya in their house and thee whole family will learn Hindi. Yet the bhaiyya will never bother to speak Panjabi.

lets revivie some old threads!!!

i worked at my mothers factory in the college holidays, and there was from the indian women, 8 panjabis and 1 gujrati. She spoke to me in hindi and i couldnt understand a flippin word she said. Then she scolded me for not understanding hindi. Of course i had to get all her nonsense interpreted for me by one of the panjabis, but she really pisssed me off, cos she would never talk in panjabi to all the other women there, but they would always talkin hindi to her. It felt to me like we were bending over backwards for her, but she couldnt care less about us.

I think that was the time i actually became a panjabi lingual activist, if there is such a term.

[SURYADEV]

I think that was the time i actually became a panjabi lingual activist, if there is such a term.

well you've coined the phrase now.

So what are the ideals of a PANJABI LINGUAL ACTIVIST?

What is the ultimate goal of the PLA? (sounds like some terror organisation)

By what methods does a PLA achieve their goals?

How do we go about creating awareness and then greater activism?

If you are the boss of the PLA how do I nominate myself for meeth-pardhan?

[SURYADEV]

One way we may be able to get wider audience for Panjabi is to publish high quality themed books on Panjabi poetry. I'm thinking along the lines of original love/philosophical poems in Panjabi translated into English. Think of the works of Rumi, Khalil Gibran, Tagore etc etc.

There must be an audience for this type of literature , whether Punjabis or non Indians. Once they fall in love with the translated works maybe they will want to study the original texts in its native language.

#Just look at the amount of love stories we have : Heer ranjah, Sassi Punno , the list goes on .

Then there is the works of Gurbani which is about the ultimate expression of love and passion. What a way to increase awareness and knowledge of Panjabi AND spread the spiritual message of Guru Nanak!

[SURYADEV]

Problem is, our Punjabis are becoming Sanskritised while the Pakistanis are becoming Persianised/Arabicised in knowledge of the Punjabi language. We got to preserve our sabhyacharak pehchaan and ithaas (cultural identity and history).

If panjabi is becoming sanskritised, then isn't it just going back to its original form; its own mother-tongue? That can only be a good thing IMO.

[SURYADEV]

another thing...

to start off with we can have local reading group get togethers where we recite panjabi poetry, stories even plays. Eventually , individuals can write and perform their own works.

Have fortnightly/monthly meet ups to perform; meet and greet new people - maybe find a wife (note to self)- , get the sikh channels to broadcast some of these programmes as opposed to the current obbsession with vasakhi nagar kirtans from around the world.

Once every year we can have a inter/national meet up........

Just think guys.....what could we achieve.......................