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Classical languages of India

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This article is about officially recognised classical languages in India. For general classical languages, see classical language.
This article contains Indic text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks or boxes, misplaced vowels or missing conjuncts instead of Indic text.

The Indian Classical languages, or the Śāstrīya Bhāṣā or the Dhrupadī Bhāṣā (Assamese, Bengali) or the Abhijāta Bhāṣā (Marathi) or the Cemmoḻi (Tamil), is an umbrella term for the languages of India having high antiquity, and valuable, original and distinct literary heritage.[1] The Government of India declared in 2004 that languages that met certain strict criteria could be accorded the status of a classical language of India.[2] It was instituted by the Ministry of Culture along with the Linguistic Experts' Committee. The committee was constituted by the Government of India to consider demands for the categorisation of languages as Classical languages. In 2004, Tamil became the first language to be recognised as a classical language of India. As of 2024, 11 languages have been recognised as classical languages of India.

Criteria

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In the year 2004, the tentative criteria for the age of antiquity of "classical language" was assumed to be at least 1000 years of existence.[2]

Central government have revised the criteria multiple times.

Criteria in 2004

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The following criteria were set during the time Tamil was given the classical language status by the government of India:[3]

A. High Antiquity of its early texts/ recorded history over a thousand years.

B. A body of ancient literature/ texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generation of speakers.

C. The literary tradition must be original and not borrowed from another speech community.[3]

Criteria in 2005

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The following criteria were set during the time Sanskrit was given the classical language status by the government of India:[3]

I. High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years.

II. A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers.

III. The literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech community.

IV. The classical language and literature being distinct from modern, there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.[3]

The antiquity was increased from 1000 years to 1500-2000 years in this criteria. This criteria were kept unchanged for further selections of Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia.[3]

Criteria in 2024

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The following criteria were set by the Sahitya Akademi:[3]

i. High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years.

ii. A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a heritage by generations of speakers.

iii. Knowledge texts, especially prose texts in addition to poetry, epigraphical and inscriptional evidence.

iv. The Classical Languages and literature could be distinct from its current form or could be discontinuous with later forms of its offshoots.[3]

The concept of “the literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech community” was replaced in the new criteria. Under these criteria, Assamese, Bengali, Marathi, Pali and Prakrit were given the classical language status.[3][4]

Upon dropping the criteria for "original literary tradition", the Linguistic Expert Committee justified their decision by stating the following:[5]

“We discussed it in detail and understood that it was a very difficult thing to prove or disprove as all ancient languages borrowed from each other, but recreated the texts in their own way. On the contrary, archaeological, historical and numismatic evidence are tangible things”

— Linguistic Expert Committee[6]

Benefits

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Academic opportunities

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As per Government of India's Resolution No. 2-16/2004-US (Akademies) dated 1 November 2004, the benefits that will accrue to a language declared as a "Classical Language" are:[7]

  1. Two major international awards for scholars of eminence in Classical Indian Languages are awarded annually.
  2. A Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Languages is set up.
  3. The University Grants Commission will be requested to create, to start with at least in the Central Universities, a certain number of Professional Chairs for Classical Languages for scholars of eminence in Classical Indian Languages.[7]

Job employment opportunities

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The recognition of these classical languages will give job employment opportunities, especially in academic and research areas. Moreover, the preservation, documentation, and digitization of ancient texts of these languages will provide employment opportunities to people in archiving, translation, publishing, and digital media.[3]

Officially recognised classical languages

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Note that Sanskrit is considered living in the Indian classical context due to its widespread popularity and use, although it is extinct in the linguistic sense that it no longer has native speakers.

Language Earliest attestation Language family Language branch Living or Dead Date recognised
தமிழ், Tamil Between 300 BCE–100 CE[8] Dravidian South Dravidian
Middle Tamil 		Living 12 October 2004[9]
संस्कृतम्, Sanskrit 1500 BCE[10][11] Indo-European Indo-Aryan Living 25 November 2005[9]
ಕನ್ನಡ, Kannada 450 CE[12] Dravidian South Dravidian
Kannada dialects 		Living[13] 31 October 2008[14]
తెలుగు, Telugu 575 CE[15] South-Central Dravidian
Early Telugu
മലയാളം, Malayalam 850 CE[16] South Dravidian 23 May 2013[17]
ଓଡ଼ିଆ, Odia Between 600-700 CE[18] Indo-European Eastern Indo-Aryan 20 February 2014[7]
অসমীয়া, Assamese Between 600-700 CE[19][20][21] 3 October 2024[3]
বাংলা, Bengali Between 600-800 CE[22][23]
मराठी/𑘦𑘨𑘰𑘙𑘲, Marathi Between 300-200 BCE[24][25][26] Southern Indo-Aryan
𑀧𑀸𑀮𑀺/ 𐨤𐨫𐨁/ បាលី/ ပါဠိ/ପାଳି/บาลี/ පාලි/ পালি/ पालि, Pali  Between 200-100 BCE[27] Middle Indo-Aryan Dead[13]
Prakrit Between 200-100 BCE[28]

The declared Classical languages (Sashtriya Bhasa) of the Republic of India: Assamese, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Pali, Prakrit, Sanskrit, Tamil, and Telugu. Classical language means a language more than 1500 years old i.e. most senior (very rich) language.

Demand from other languages

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This section is about the languages which are described as "classical" by scholars but still not officially recognised as "classical" by the Government of India. These languages may either have administrative "official language" or "scheduled language" statuses, but these should not be confused with the official "classical language" status.

Meitei

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Further information: Ancient Meitei literature and Meitei classical language movement

Meitei, or Manipuri, is a classical language of Sino-Tibetan linguistic family, having a literary tradition of not less than 2000 years.[29][30]

Maithili

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Further information: Maithili literature and Maithili music

Maithili is an Eastern Indo-Aryan language with a literary tradition that traces its roots back to the 7th and 8th centuries. The earliest known example of Maithili can be found in the Mandar Hill Sen inscription from the 7th century, which provides evidence of its ancient lineage.[31] Additionally, the Charyapada, a collection of Buddhist mystical songs from the 8th century, also reflects the early development of Maithili.[32] The language is predominantly spoken in the Mithila region, encompassing parts of present-day Bihar, Jharkhand and Nepal. Maithili's rich literary heritage includes epic poetry, philosophical texts, and devotional songs, such as the works of the 14th-century poet Vidyapati. Though it has a distinct script, Tirhuta, Devanagari is commonly used today. Despite its profound historical and cultural significance, Maithili has yet to be recognized as a "classical language" by the Government of India, leading to ongoing demands for such recognition.[33][34]

Government funding

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Languages Money granted (in million pounds) in 2011-2012[35] Money granted (in million pounds) in 2012-2013[35]
Kannada 0.072 0.25
Telugu 0.072 0.25
Tamil 1.55 0.745
Sanskrit 19.38 21.22

Politics

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Besides the literary achievements, the status of classical language is granted, sometimes influenced by the political parties of the states or union territories of the respective languages where these are spoken or are based in, or the national parties, advocating for the certain languages to be accorded the demanded status.[36]

Languages declared as "classical" Political parties (involved in advocacy) State/UT/National level parties Notes/Ref.
Tamil Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and UPA Government Tamil Nadu and national [37][38]
Telugu Telugu Desam Party and
UPA Government 		United Andhra and National [39]
Kannada Bharatiya Janata Party and UPA Government Karnataka and national [40]
Odia UPA Government and Biju Janata Dal National and Odisha [41]
Bengali Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party West Bengal and national [42]
Bengali Amra Bangali Tripura [43]
Marathi Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Shiv Sena Maharashtra [44][45]
Marathi Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress National [46][47][48]

Court cases against classical status

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A lawyer from the Madras High Court legally challenged against the official classical status of Malayalam and Odia, in 2015.[49] There was a long legal proceeding for almost one year. Later, the Madras High Court disposed the case against the mentioned languages' status of being officially "classical" in 2016.[50][51][52]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Reviving classical languages – Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis". Dnaindia.com. 13 August 2015. Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  2. ^ a b "India sets up classical languages". BBC. 17 September 2004. Archived from the original on 4 March 2007. Retrieved 1 May 2007.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Cabinet approves conferring status of Classical Language to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali languages". Press Information Bureau.
  4. ^ Chakrabarty, Sreeparna (2024-10-06). "Five languages got classical status after 'original literary tradition' norm was dropped". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  5. ^ Chakrabarty, Sreeparna (2024-10-06). "Five languages got classical status after 'original literary tradition' norm was dropped". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  6. ^ Chakrabarty, Sreeparna (2024-10-06). "Five languages got classical status after 'original literary tradition' norm was dropped". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  7. ^ a b c "Classical Status to Odiya Language". Press Information Bureau, Government of India. 14 August 2013. Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  8. ^ "Tamil language | Origin, History, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2023-11-03. Archived from the original on 2023-10-07. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  9. ^ a b "Notification" (PDF). 25 November 2005. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  10. ^ "Sanskrit language | History, Script & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-10-22. Retrieved 2024-11-21. Classical Sanskrit was elegantly described in one of the finest grammars ever produced, the Aṣṭādhyāyī ("Eight Chapters") composed by Pāṇini (c. 6th–5th century BCE).
  11. ^ J. P. Mallory; Douglas Q. Adams (1997). Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture. Taylor & Francis. p. 306. ISBN 978-1-884964-98-5.
  12. ^ "Kannada language | History, Script & Dialects | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2023-10-10. Archived from the original on 2020-01-02. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  13. ^ a b PTI (2024-10-04). "5 new Indian classical languages, 3 living and 2 dead". National Herald. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  14. ^ "Declaration of Telugu and Kannada as classical languages". Press Information Bureau. Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Government of India. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
  15. ^ "Telugu language | Origin, History, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2023-11-01. Archived from the original on 2024-09-21. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  16. ^ "Malayalam language | Dravidian, India, Scripts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Archived from the original on 2018-11-16. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  17. ^ "Classifying Malaylam as 'Classical Language'". PIB. 23 May 2013. Archived from the original on 19 August 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  18. ^ "Odia language | Region, History, & Basics | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2023-10-13. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  19. ^ "ASSAMESE (অসমীয়া)–THE HISTORY". www.protelostudios.com. 2024-10-24. Retrieved 2024-10-23. The Indo-Aryan language in Kamarupa had differentiated by the 7th-century, before it did in Bengal or Orissa.
  20. ^ "Assamese language | Assamese Dialects, Brahmaputra Valley & Eastern India | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-08-31. Retrieved 2024-10-03. Assamese literary tradition dates to the 13th century. Prose texts, notably buranjis (historical works), began to appear in the 16th century.
  21. ^ Deka, Joy Jyoti; Boro, Akashi Tara (2024-08-31). "Charyapads as the Oldest Written Specimen of Assamese Literature". International Journal of Health Sciences: 7028–7034. doi:10.53730/ijhs.v6nS1.6513. Charyapads are considered as the first written specimen of Assamese literature.
  22. ^ "Bengali language | History, Writing System & Dialects | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-08-31. Retrieved 2024-10-03. The Bengali linguists Suniti Kumar Chatterji and Sukumar Sen suggested that Bengali had its origin in the 10th century ce, deriving from Magahi Prakrit (a spoken language) through Magahi Apabhramsha (its written counterpart).
    The Bengali scholar Muhammad Shahidullah and his followers offered a competing theory, suggesting that the language began in the 7th century CE and developed from spoken and written Gauda (also, respectively, a Prakrit and an Apabhramsha).
  23. ^ Mitra, Atri (8 October 2024). "Behind Bengali's classical language tag, a Kolkata institute's 2,000-page research document". The Indian Express. Kolkata. Retrieved 20 October 2024. …a Chinese-Sanskrit Dictionary compiled by Li-Yen bears testimony to the fact that at least 51 Bangla words made their way into that dictionary…The Chinese-Sanskrit dictionary, compiled in the 8th Century CE, included or rather was compelled to include words of a third language, i.e., Bangla.
  24. ^ "Classical Language status granted to Marathi". pib.gov.in. 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2024-10-04. The Marathi language's first known inscription dates back to around 2200 years ago, found in the Naneghata inscription, where the term "Maharathino" was used. This inscription, written in the Brahmi script, proves that the language must have existed at least a few centuries before.
  25. ^ "Marathi literature". www.britannica.com. 2024-08-31. Retrieved 2024-10-03. Marathi literature is the oldest of the Indo-Aryan literatures, dating to about 1000 ce.
  26. ^ Sūri, Uddyotana (1959). "'Kuvalayamālā: Prākr̥tabhāṣānibaddhā campūsvarūpā mahākathā, Part 2'".
  27. ^ "Pāli language | Theravada Buddhism, Pali Canon, India | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-08-29. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  28. ^ "Prakrit". www.ames.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  29. ^ "'Manipur language which belongs to Tibeto-Burma has touched the criteria of a classical language'". 2018-02-21.
  30. ^ "Manipuri is a classical language".
  31. ^ Choudhary, R. (1976). A survey of Maithili literature. Ram Vilas Sahu.
  32. ^ Barua, K. L. (1933). Early history of Kamarupa. Shillong: Published by the Author.
  33. ^ Jagran Team (9 July 2021). "बिहार की एक भी भाषा अब तक नहीं बनी शास्त्रीय भाषा, मैथिली हो सकता शामिल". Jagran.
  34. ^ Hindustan Team (26 July 2024). "मैथिली को शास्त्रीय भाषा के लिए नियमसंगत कार्रवाई होगी". Hindustan. Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  35. ^ a b Sharma, Abhimanyu (2022-08-12). Reconceptualising Power in Language Policy: Evidence from Comparative Cases. Springer Nature. p. 156. ISBN 978-3-031-09461-3.
  36. ^ Chavan, Akshay (2022-02-27). "Marathi and the Politics of 'Classical' Languages". PeepulTree. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  37. ^ Chavan, Akshay (2022-02-27). "Marathi and the Politics of 'Classical' Languages". PeepulTree. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  38. ^ Fishman, Joshua; Garcia, Ofelia (2011-04-21). Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity: The Success-Failure Continuum in Language and Ethnic Identity Efforts (Volume 2). Oxford University Press. p. 239. ISBN 978-0-19-983799-1.
  39. ^ Chavan, Akshay (2022-02-27). "Marathi and the Politics of 'Classical' Languages". PeepulTree. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  40. ^ Chavan, Akshay (2022-02-27). "Marathi and the Politics of 'Classical' Languages". PeepulTree. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  41. ^ Chavan, Akshay (2022-02-27). "Marathi and the Politics of 'Classical' Languages". PeepulTree. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  42. ^ "TMC, BJP spar over credit for Bengali getting 'classical language' recognition". The Indian Express. 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  43. ^ Today, North East (2024-10-05). "Tripura's Amra Bangali Party Pushes for Bengali Language Inclusion in Indian Constitution". Northeast Today. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  44. ^ Pandit, Vinaya Deshpande (2024-10-04). "Ahead of poll, credit war breaks out in Maharashtra over classical language status to Marathi". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  45. ^ PTI. "Classical language status to Marathi a result of collective efforts, not single party: Sanjay Raut". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  46. ^ Pandit, Vinaya Deshpande (2024-10-04). "Ahead of poll, credit war breaks out in Maharashtra over classical language status to Marathi". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  47. ^ "Will Give Classical Language Status To Marathi After Forming INDIA Govt, Announces Congress - www.lokmattimes.com". Lokmat Times. 2024-05-13. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  48. ^ PTI. "Classical language status to Marathi a result of collective efforts, not single party: Sanjay Raut". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  49. ^ "PIL in Madras HC opposes classical language status for Malayalam, Odia". The Times of India. 2015-03-04. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  50. ^ "Madras HC disposes of pleas challenging classical status to Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam". The Hindu. 2016-08-09. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  51. ^ "Madras High Court bats for classical languages". India Legal. 2016-09-07. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  52. ^ "Madras High Court disposes plea against classical status to non-Tamil languages". The Indian Express. 2016-08-08. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
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