Languages: Urdu and the Regional Languages

This handout covers the development and importance of Urdu, the reasons it was chosen as the national language, and the promotion of Sindhi, Punjabi, Pashto and Balochi since 1947. It belongs to Section 1 of the syllabus: the cultural and historical background to the Pakistan Movement.

Key dates

Date	Event
13th-14th century	Amir Khusrau writes poetry in an early form of Urdu in the Delhi Sultanate
17th century	Khushal Khan Khattak writes Pashto poetry
18th century	Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai (Sindhi), Bulleh Shah and Waris Shah (Punjabi) and Jam Durrak (Balochi) compose their poetry
1867	The Hindi-Urdu controversy begins at Benares
1947	Pakistan is created; Urdu is adopted as the national language
1948	Jinnah states in Dhaka that Urdu will be the state language; the Sindhi Literary Board is set up
1950	The University of Peshawar is founded
1954	The Pashto Academy is set up at Peshawar
1956	The first constitution recognises both Urdu and Bengali as national languages
1972	Sindhi is made the official language of Sindh province
1973	The constitution confirms Urdu as the national language of Pakistan

The development of Urdu

Urdu grew up in northern India over several centuries. When Muslim armies and rulers settled around Delhi, their soldiers, traders and officials spoke Persian, Turkish and Arabic. These mixed with the local speech of the area. The word "Urdu" comes from a Turkish word meaning army or camp.

• Delhi Sultanate. The poet Amir Khusrau is often named as one of the first to write verse in the early form of the language.
• Mughal period. Persian was the language of the court, but Urdu spread among ordinary people and in the army. In the later Mughal period it became a language of fine poetry. Mir, Sauda and Dard were leading poets, followed in the nineteenth century by Ghalib.
• British period. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan defended Urdu in the Hindi-Urdu controversy, and his Scientific Society translated modern books into Urdu. In the twentieth century Allama Iqbal used Urdu poetry to awaken the Muslims of the subcontinent.

Why was Urdu chosen as the national language?

1. Its link with the Pakistan Movement. Urdu had been defended by Muslim leaders since 1867. The Muslim League used it in its meetings and newspapers, and protecting Urdu was one of the League's demands. It had become a symbol of Muslim identity, so it was a natural choice for the new state.
2. It could unite the provinces. Pakistan had several regional languages. Urdu was not the mother tongue of any one province, so choosing it did not favour one region over another. It was already understood in towns across the country. Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah believed that one language would help to hold the nation together.
3. Its rich literature. Urdu had a long tradition of poetry and prose, and a large body of Islamic writing, including translations of and commentaries on the Holy Quran. It was already used in schools and the lower courts, so many educated Muslims knew it.

The choice was not accepted by everyone. Most people in East Pakistan spoke Bengali, and they objected strongly when Jinnah stated in Dhaka in 1948 that Urdu alone would be the state language. The 1956 constitution therefore recognised both Urdu and Bengali as national languages.

How Urdu has been promoted since 1947

• It is the medium of teaching in many schools and is a compulsory subject up to higher levels.
• It is the main language of radio, television, newspapers and films, which has spread it to all parts of the country.
• The 1973 constitution confirmed it as the national language and called for its use in official work.
• Government bodies have been set up to prepare dictionaries and to develop Urdu terms for science, law and administration.

The regional languages

Sindhi

Sindhi is one of the oldest languages of the region. After the Arabs came to Sindh in 712, it took in many Arabic words and came to be written in a script based on Arabic. Its best-known poet is Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, whose verses are collected in the "Shah Jo Risalo". Sachal Sarmast is another famous Sufi poet.

Promotion since 1947:

• The Sindhi Literary Board was set up in 1948. It has published many books on Sindhi literature, history and folk culture.
• A department of Sindhology was set up at the University of Sindh at Jamshoro for research on the language and culture of Sindh.
• In 1972 the provincial government made Sindhi the official language of the province. Sindhi is used in schools, newspapers, radio and television in Sindh.

Punjabi

Punjabi is the mother tongue of more people in Pakistan than any other language. Its literature is strongly linked with Sufi poets, including Baba Farid, Shah Hussain, Sultan Bahu and Bulleh Shah. Waris Shah wrote the best-known version of the love story "Heer Ranjha".

Promotion since 1947:

• Punjabi is taught at degree level, and the University of the Punjab offers a Master's degree in it.
• Radio, television, theatre and films in Punjabi are popular and reach a wide audience.
• Books of poetry, novels, short stories and plays are published, and older Sufi poetry has been collected and printed.

Pashto

Pashto is spoken in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern Balochistan, and also in Afghanistan. Its literature goes back several centuries. Khushal Khan Khattak, a warrior poet of the seventeenth century, wrote about courage and the unity of the Pashtun tribes. Rahman Baba is loved for his Sufi poetry. Islamia College at Peshawar, founded in 1913, became a centre of learning in the region.

Promotion since 1947:

• The University of Peshawar was founded in 1950.
• The Pashto Academy was set up in 1954. It has prepared a Pashto dictionary and published works of literature.
• Pashto is taught in schools and colleges of the province, and postgraduate classes are held at the university.
• Radio and television stations at Peshawar broadcast in Pashto, and Pashto films, plays and newspapers are produced.

Balochi

Balochi is spoken in Balochistan. For most of its history its literature was oral: poems and folk tales were passed down by memory and were seldom written. Jam Durrak, a poet of the eighteenth century, is one of its best-known names. Before 1947 very little had been printed in Balochi.

Promotion since 1947:

• Radio Pakistan began broadcasts in Balochi, first from Karachi and later from Quetta.
• Weekly and monthly magazines began to appear in the language.
• The television station at Quetta shows programmes in Balochi.
• Modern poets and writers such as Gul Khan Nasir and Atta Shad have given the language a written literature.

How successful has the promotion of languages been?

Successes.

• Urdu is now understood in almost every part of Pakistan and works as a link between people of different provinces. This has helped national unity.
• Each regional language has gained institutions, such as academies, boards and university departments, and a place in the media. Balochi, which had almost no written literature in 1947, now has books and magazines.

Limits and problems.

• The decision to make Urdu the only state language caused deep resentment in East Pakistan. The language issue was one of the grievances that later led to the separation of East Pakistan in 1971.
• In Sindh there was tension between Sindhi and Urdu speakers, and the language law of 1972 was followed by riots.
• English has stayed the main language of higher government, the higher courts and much of higher education, so Urdu has not fully become the official working language.
• Support for the regional languages has been uneven. Punjabi, for example, is little used in schools although it has the most speakers.

Judgement. The promotion of Urdu has succeeded in giving Pakistan a common language, though the way it was introduced caused serious problems in East Pakistan. The regional languages have all developed since 1947, and Sindhi and Pashto in particular have strong institutions. The policy worked best where the national and regional languages were supported side by side.

Key terms and people

• National language: the language chosen to represent and unite the whole country.
• Regional language: a language spoken mainly in one province or area.
• Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai: greatest Sindhi poet, author of the "Shah Jo Risalo".
• Waris Shah: Punjabi poet of "Heer Ranjha".
• Khushal Khan Khattak and Rahman Baba: leading Pashto poets.
• Sindhi Literary Board and Pashto Academy: bodies set up to publish and promote literature.

Exam practice

1. Describe how Pashto has been promoted since 1947. [4]
2. Why was Urdu chosen as the national language of Pakistan in 1947? [7]
3. "The promotion of Sindhi has been more successful than the promotion of any other regional language of Pakistan since 1947." How far do you agree? Explain your answer. [14]

Outline answers

1. The University of Peshawar was founded in 1950. The Pashto Academy was set up in 1954 and prepared a Pashto dictionary. Pashto is taught in schools, colleges and at postgraduate level. Radio, television, films and newspapers use Pashto.

2. Three explained reasons: (a) it was closely linked with the Pakistan Movement and Muslim identity since the Hindi-Urdu controversy; (b) it belonged to no single province and was widely understood, so it could unite the country; (c) it had a rich literature and Islamic writing and was already used in education and administration.

3. Agree: Sindhi Literary Board 1948, Sindhology at the University of Sindh, official status in the province in 1972, wide use in schools and media. Disagree: explain the promotion of Pashto (university, academy, dictionary), Punjabi (degree courses, popular films, theatre and published literature) and Balochi (radio, television, magazines, a new written literature from a very low starting point). Judgement: Sindhi has the strongest official position, but Balochi may have made the greatest progress compared with where it began.