subject: Penetration of Urdu Language among the Masses [print this page] Penetration of Urdu Language among the Masses
The Urdu language is hundreds of years old. This language was made up by the junior ranked soldiers; however, it found acceptability in the royal courts. The Urdu language is not the mother tongue of the most of the people of the Indian subcontinent. Yet it is an interesting phenomenon how it has penetrated among the masses, which never used to speak anything other than their mother tongue.
Initial penetration of Urdu Language
Initially Persian was the language of the royal courts. However, the Mughals found special interest in Urdu for the sole reason that it was a mix of several languages. Their vision let them see that if they promote Urdu, it would become a source of harmony for so many people from different ethnicities in the subcontinent.
Urdu poetry
In the times of the Mughals, the Urdu poetry was always promoted. The royals found a special affinity for the poetry. They used to allocate resources separately for the scholarships of the poets. Thus, more and more people used to attempt at the Urdu poetry.
Urdu prose
In the British Raj, along with Urdu poetry, the Urdu journalism was also a way to reach the masses. In those times, the poetry too was dominantly regarding the current affairs and the state of Muslims in the subcontinent. The first Urdu novel came out in 1868. It was an instant hit.
Current penetration of Urdu language
Times are changing rapidly. The Urdu poetry saw a peak in the 18th and 19th century. However now it is of mediocre nature. Other than that, the Urdu journalism and novel contributed towards the development of Urdu before. Now the language is developed. The means of entertainment mostly contribute to the spread and promotion of Urdu language.
Urdu popular fiction
In Pakistan, there have been various digests for the fiction. These digests have contributed a lot on spreading Urdu to different regions of Pakistan. Their stories are always very interesting and gripping. Therefore, people read them profusely.
Urdu songs, Ghazals and Qawalis
The Urdu songs, Ghazals and Qawalis have always been a great source of the spread of Urdu. The credit goes to the poets, singers and the musicians who work hard on every piece. Even internationally, the Urdu Ghazal and Qawali are renowned. People love them so much and naturally, they pick Urdu words from these melodies.
Urdu movies
In all the regions of the Indian subcontinent (including Pakistani and Bengali regions), the Bollywood movies have a huge fan base. These movies are in Hindi language, which is just a slight variation of the Urdu language. Resultantly people pick up words. The regular viewers can even converse in Urdu with great ease.
Ismail Merchant once gave a very wise statement regarding the language used in the Bollywood movies.
He said, "A few words of Hindi appear here or there, but it's all Urdu. I feel that if the popular culture, which is what Hindi films are, uses Urdu, it's not going to diminish".
