Draft:Theories about the Origin of Urdu Language

Introduction

The origin of the Urdu language has been a subject of debate among scholars for centuries, resulting in various theories that attempt to trace its beginnings. While some argue that Urdu’s roots can be found in the interactions between Muslim conquerors and the local populations of the Indian subcontinent, others suggest that its origins are tied to more ancient linguistic traditions. These theories differ in their focus, some emphasizing the influence of Persian and Arabic, while others highlight the role of regional languages like Punjabi and Sindhi. Despite these differences, a common thread among most theories is the acknowledgment of the significant role played by historical, cultural, and linguistic interactions in shaping the Urdu language as we know it today.

Among scholars, there is a general consensus that the Urdu language's origins are closely linked to the arrival of Muslim conquerors in the Indian subcontinent. This belief is grounded in the notion that the interactions between these conquerors—who brought with them Persian, Arabic, and Turkish languages—and the local populace led to the formation of a new, hybrid language. Over time, this language, enriched by the cultural and linguistic influences of the Muslim rulers and the native languages, evolved into what we now recognize as Urdu. This theory underscores the idea that Urdu is not merely a regional dialect but a product of a complex interplay of linguistic and cultural exchanges during the medieval period of India.

The Aryan Roots of Urdu

Theory That Puts Forward the Proposition that Urdu Originates from Ancient Aryans

Outlandish as it may sound, one theory regarding its origins is that Urdu has a basis in the ancient Aryan civilization. Advocates of this theory posit that just like many other Indo-European languages, Urdu may have developed from Aryan tongues spoken by migrants to Indian subcontinent several millennia ago.

According to this theory, the linguistic structure and vocabulary of Urdu can be seen as having come from Sanskrit, another Aryan language; such languages have influenced many North Indian ones. In their view, the core components of Urdu—its grammatical rules, syntaxes and basic words—might have been borrowed or derived from these foregone ages’ dialects before Muslims arrived in India.

However, due to its limited historical and linguistics evidence such notion is not supported by majority of linguists. Although some scholars concede that along with other north Indian tongues also included certain elements inherited from earlier Aryans there appearance as a separate language had more to do with direct socio-political and cultural influence which went on during their emergence.

Urdu in the Deccan

Nasiruddin Hashmi traces the origins of the Urdu language to the Deccan region. His main argument is that long before the rise of Islam, Arabs used to come to the Malabar coast of India for trade. In the course of their trade, they undoubtedly interacted with the local people, and in daily conversations and transactions, they must have faced language barriers. Based on this interaction and blending, Nasiruddin Hashmi formulated the theory that the language which emerged as a common means of communication between the Arabs and the local people of the Deccan during that ancient time was the early form of Urdu. However, in light of modern research, this theory is not considered acceptable. Dr. Ghulam Hussain, refuting this theory, states:

Arabic is a Semitic language, while Urdu belongs to the Aryan family. Therefore, the question of Urdu's origins in the Deccan becomes irrelevant. Urdu came to the Deccan with the Khalji and Tughlaq dynasty from North India, and under the patronage of the Muslim Sultans of the region, poetry and literature were created in it. However, this relates to the evolution of Urdu rather than its origin.

Similarly, when we look at the relationships between the Arabs and the local people of South India (Deccan), it is evident that these interactions were quite basic and primarily of a commercial nature. The Arab traders never settled permanently in the region; they came for trade, purchased some goods, and then returned. With the rise of Islam, these Arab traders began not only trading goods but also spreading the message of Islam. This certainly deepened their relationships, but not to the extent where their interactions became so essential and strong that they formed unbreakable bonds of unity. It is clear that under such circumstances, the closeness and familiarity required for the languages to blend and reduce foreignness could not develop. Therefore, it can be said that these commercial and local interactions between the Arabs and the locals did not lay the foundation for any major linguistic revolution. However, the impact of these interactions on an intellectual level cannot be denied.

Urdu in the Sindh

This theory is attributed to Syed Suleiman Nadvi, who believes that when Muslim conquerors invaded Sindh and established their rule there for some time, the language that emerged from the interaction with the local people was an early form of Urdu. According to him:

"Muslims were the first to arrive in Sindh, so it is reasonable to assume that the language we now call Urdu must have been formed in the Sindh Valley."

There is no doubt that the impact of Muslim civilization, culture, and heritage on Sindh was profound. The local language, dress, and way of life underwent significant and lasting changes, and the influence of Arabic language and culture can still be seen and felt in Sindh today. The number of Arabic words in the Sindhi language is greater compared to other languages in Pakistan and India, and its script is directly influenced by Arabic. The depth of Arabic influence can also be gauged by the fact that in some historical accounts, where indigenous words are used in other languages, Arabic words appear in Sindhi, for example, "jabal" for mountain and "basil" for onion. However, these influences did not extend beyond the inclusion of individual words in the language, and thus no new language emerged. This is why Syed Suleiman Nadvi could not provide convincing proof for his claim. According to Dr. Ghulam Hussain:

"Nothing can be said with certainty about this. The early conquerors were Arabs whose families settled here. When the Saffarids rose to power in Iran in the 9th century, Iranian influences were felt in Sindh and Multan. During this period, some Arabic and Persian words were likely absorbed into the local language, but this does not suggest the beginning of a new language."

Some travelers of the time mentioned the prevalence of Arabic, Persian, and Sindhi, but these statements do not clarify whether a new hybrid language existed. However, it can be speculated that there might have been a blending of Arabic and Persian in Sindhi and Multani. Determining the nature of this blend is challenging without sufficient material.

Urdu in the Punjab

Hafiz Mahmood Sherani established, based on his extensive linguistic study and solid research foundations, the theory that Urdu originated in Punjab. According to him, Urdu began during the time when Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni and Shihabuddin Ghori repeatedly invaded India. As a result of these invasions, a Persian-speaking Muslim administration was established in Punjab government, and these conquerors remained there for nearly two hundred years, up until the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate. During this long period, the fundamental structure of the language took shape. To support the validity of this theory, Sherani presented works of many poets from the region, showing the early form of a new language influenced by Punjabi, Persian, and local dialects. Dr. Ghulam Hussain Zulfiqar writes in this context:

"With the conquests of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni, a new era in the history of the subcontinent began. These conquests lasted from 1000 to 1026 AD and extended beyond Punjab and Sindh to Kannauj, Gujarat (Somnath), Mathura, and Kalinjar. However, Mahmud Ghazni did not include these conquered areas in his empire. Instead, in 1025, he appointed a deputy in Lahore and incorporated Punjab into his domain. The new conquerors included Turks and Afghans. During the Ghaznavid era, a large number of Muslims settled in Punjab. Scholars and Sufis established centers for growth and guidance and began spreading Islam, resulting in local inhabitants converting to Islam in groups. This social revolution impacted the local language. Since the conquerors settled in Punjab, they adopted the local language for daily communication. Thus, during the Ghaznavid period, the characteristics of a Hindu language were evident alongside the Muslims' own languages of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish."

Muslims ruled Punjab, including the present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, for nearly one and a half centuries. In 1193 AD, the armies of Qutbuddin Aibak advanced towards Delhi, and within a few years, Muslims had established control over the whole of North India. When Delhi replaced Lahore as the capital, the language, which had already achieved the status of a vernacular language, naturally traveled with the Muslims to Delhi.

In addition to historical and political events and evidence, Professor Mahmood Khan Shirani emphasizes the credibility of his theory by highlighting the close linguistic connections and similarities between Urdu and Punjabi. He states: "Urdu is very close to Punjabi and Multani in its grammar and syntax. Both languages have a similar system for endings of nouns and verbs, and they share common methods of forming plurals. In both languages, not only the key components of sentences but also their derivations and attachments follow a regular pattern. The rules for gender and compound verbs are unified in both languages, and more than sixty percent of the words in Punjabi and Urdu are shared.”

Briefly, if we look at the analogies and similarities provided by Professor Shirani, the linguistic relationship between the two languages ​​is explained and it is revealed that Urdu is very close to Punjabi language due to its structure and grammatical features. And this further strengthens the argument of the professor.

Professor Shirani's observations reveal that the linguistic connections between Urdu and Punjabi are strong, particularly in terms of grammatical structure and syntax. This supports his theory that Urdu's development is closely linked to Punjabi. For example:

1. Gender Rules: Both Urdu and Punjabi share similar rules for gender. For instance, in both languages, masculine nouns ending in "a" change to "i" for their feminine forms (e.g., Urdu: بکرا (bakra) – بکری (bakri); Punjabi: بکرا (bakra) – بکری (bakri)).

2. Formation of Infinitives: The rule for forming infinitives is similar in both languages. Adding "na" to the imperative form creates the infinitive (e.g., Urdu: سیکھنا (seekhna) from سیکھو (seekho); Punjabi: سیکھنا (seekhna) from سیکھو (seekho)).

3. Verb Agreement: In both languages, verbs agree with the gender and number of their subjects (e.g., Urdu: گھوڑی آئی (ghodi aayi) and Punjabi: گھوڑا آیا (ghora aaya)).

4. Transitive and Intransitive Verbs: Both languages use similar rules to convert intransitive verbs into transitive ones (e.g., Urdu: بیٹھنا (baithna) to بٹھانا (bithana); Punjabi: بیٹھنا (baithna) to بٹھانا (bithana)).

Remembered that before the publication of "Urdu in Punjab", only the theory presented by Maulana Muhammad Hussain Azad was widely accepted, but Hafiz Sahib's book opened all the doors of research towards the land of Punjab. When Naseeruddin Hashmi presented his work "Urdu in Daccan" to Hazrat Allama Muhammad Iqbal himself, he said: "Perhaps there is some old masala in Punjab as well." If someone succeeds in collecting it, new questions will arise for the historian of Urdu.

Prof. Santikumar Chatterjee has also mentioned the social and ethnic mix of the Muslim conquerors in the Punjab and supports Dr. Zor's point of view. According to him, naturally the language adopted by the Muslims at the beginning would be the one that was spoken in Punjab at that time. There is no disagreement and this difference would be even less eight or nine hundred years ago. It is also likely that a similar dialect is currently in use in central and eastern Punjab and west UP. Further, he seems to agree with the opinion of Prof. Hafiz Mehmood Shirani that the linguistic influence of Punjab continued even later.

With the publication of "Urdu in Punjab" compiled by Hafiz Mahmood Sherani, Maulana Muhammad Hussain Azad's theory was refuted, in which he links Urdu to Braj Bhasha about the origin of the language. The idea of ​​Urdu was very popular in Punjab, but after the publication of "Kafiya" compiled by Pandit Brij Mohan and Tatria Kefi, this idea became a little doubtful. But the pundits themselves could not give any definite and final theory about the origin of Urdu. Thus, the importance of Hafiz Mahmood Sherani's theory did not decrease much.

Urdu in Delhi

Researchers who focus on Delhi and its surroundings, rather than Punjab, as the center of Urdu's origins, may be well-versed in linguistic principles but fail to consider Punjab's role in the language's inception. While Delhi and its surroundings are important for the development and evolution of Urdu, they may not be the place where Urdu first began. Prominent scholars like Dr. Masood Hussain and Dr. Shaukat Sabzawari argue that:

“It is unclear why the origins of Urdu should be connected to Muslims or their political power in India. Urdu is a language of Meerut and Delhi, which does not require further evidence. We know that Urdu is spoken with its full richness in Delhi and the western districts of UP, but we do not know if the language originated in these districts or was brought to them from another place.”

Additionally, figures like Mir Aman, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, and Muhammad Hussain Azad have proposed various theories about the origins of Urdu, but these theories are generally considered to be less accurate and lack thorough research.

Overall review

Professor Mahmood Sherani's argument regarding the origins of Urdu holds significant weight. He posits that an international language like Urdu could have emerged during the Ghaznavid period, which lasted for about one hundred and seventy years. Since Urdu originated in Punjab, it is expected to be either similar to or closely related to the current Punjabi language. It is evident that when Qutb-ud-Din Aibak's soldiers and other associates left Punjab, they took with them a language that enabled communication among Muslim communities as well as with Hindu communities, and which they continued to use during their time in Punjab.

Thus, the views of researchers make it clear that the early form of Urdu began around 1000 AD, coinciding with the rise of modern Aryan languages, when Muslim conquerors settled in West India (present-day West Pakistan) and Islamic influences rapidly spread.

To study further, click "Various Theories About the Origin of the Urdu Language”

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References

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