Appendix 2
Punjabi language is the oldest language as against Urdu and Braj Bhasha
(Khari Boli, Hindvi/Hindi language)
It had a Granth with a scientific vocubalry and a grammer,
Sanskrit was not the mother of the Indian languages,
Prakrit was the first language based on grammer.
We may now say something about the Punjabi language.
It is obvious that historically Punjabi language is a very old language, older than both Urdu and Hindi - earlier known as Braj Bhasha, around 17th century Kharri Boli (KVI bolI), and from 18th century onwards as Hindvi followed by Hindi - languages.
Both Urdu and Hindi had a common ancestory. The father figure, or originator for both Hindi and Urdu was none other than Amir Khusrau, of 13th century (1253-1325) as part of process to evolve Hindustani. His father was a Persian Amir, or noble; he came over from Persia or Iran to India and married an upper caste Hindu woman who, of course, now got a Muslim name. After his father’s death, Amir Khusrau, then about 8 years of age, came under the influence of his mother who initiated him into various facets of Indian music or Hindu music, and Hindu classics including Sanskrit language. His Qawalis (of which he was the founder), Ghazals and other form of poetry in Persian, Turkish, Arabic and Indian languages (viz. Hindustani: Urdu and Braj) fully reflected his cosmopolitan upbringing. His being father figure for Urdu language is fully acknowledged by everyone. But because of fanaticism of Brahminical mind, having control over Sanskrit literature, his being father figure of Hindi-language is skipped over. They are not willing to acclaim anyone else either. Besides, it is falsely contended that Sanskrit is mother of all languages born in India. When Panini penned down his Sanskrit grammar, he drew heavily on Prakrit grammar (already in existence) and language, which were better developed. In the words of Nirad C. Chaudhuri (Hinduism : A Religion to Live By, Oxford, 1979), Sanskrit lacks words for conscience, soul, spiritual or spirituality (the word adhyatmik - concerning the self - was in his words ‘grotesque and illogical’), and even culture; or martyr. It has been an imperfect language.
Urdu and Hindi/Braj ran parallel for over five centuries with their separate scripts. Muslims like Malik Mohamad Jaisi, Abdur Rahim Khan-e-Khana, Qutuban, Majjan, Rasleen and others have played a prominent part in continued development of Braj/Kharri Boli/Hindi. A German Padri in 17th century wrote a grammar for Hindustani giving both the scripts: earlier he had penned down grammars for Tamil and Telugu languages also. All the three Grammars were used by East India Company for training of their employees sent to Hindostan. This continued till the very end.
The incoming of M. K Gandhi in 20th century and that of Golwalker did not help a rational mind; the modern day Hindu is ashamed to acclaim a Muslim to be the father of what they call their language or mother tongue.
After being declared India’s national language in 1949, Hindi got separated from Urdu only in 1950s when under Hinduistic influence it discarded Urdu vocabulary. Even now, its script is crude, as it lacks certain alphabets and, for instance, cannot decipher correctly Urdu or Punjabi characters, as we shall see.
As for Punjabi language, thanks mainly to Guru Nanak, we have a main composition of 12th century in absolutely pure (TyT) Punjabi, and two other compositions which spell out the distinct Punjabi characteristics. These help us to date the language, as well.
The first is Sheikh Farid’s composition in a very simple, fluent, pure and rich Punjabi language dating back to 12th century, preserved only in Guru Granth Sahib. Here, from the flow of Sheikh Farid’s compositions, it is very obvious that it was not only a fairly developed language, but also represented at least a couple of centuries old background.
By the time it was obviously a fully developed language. It also had a Punjabi alphabet V, later hard r for Urdu or hard d for Hindi. Hindi even now does not have an improvised alphabet for that, while the shape of Urdu alphabet in 17th century was which later developed into modern .
It is surmised that Punjabi language was a colloquial language of the people of Punjab and later had a place in the Taxila University. What Baba Farid picked up in 12th century was a fully grown, mature, and foolproof language, with a lot of background literature. It is unfortunate that not much is known about other such compositions before that.
The first Punjabi alphabet-composition is produced by Kabir in 14th century in his Bawan Akhri. This is reproduced in Guru Granth Sahib at pp. 340-43; according to Hew McLeod it appears in the same form in Kabir Bijak or Kabir’s compositions. Here, Kabir gives the sounds of Punjabi alphabets now also called Gurmukhi script. He does not mention only of alphabet V, because coming from Benaras, he was not in need of using this particular alphabet. As I mentioned at page 3 of this book, Brahmins of Benaras, a very fanatical lot, reacted very violently and took up wooden poles at Kabir’s use of Dev Nagri script to write his compositions, as they said it was a Dev Bhasha, the language of gods, and a weaver like Kabir could not use it. Kabir at the time, recited Punjabi alphabets (kakka, khakhkha, gagga &c) in his Bawan Akhri, as the script of his compositions; he had picked up the script on his way to numerous visits to Punjab on his way to Mecca, as he himself affirms in his compositions. Obviously, this script was much earlier in use, popular and widely prevalent.
The second Punjabi-alphabet is composed by Guru Nanak himself in 15th century in his composition Patti Likhi, writing the alphabets, as a child does in a school. Here one finds all the 35 alphabets alongwith acronyms used in the compilation of huge bani composed by Guru Nanak and other Sikh Gurus, Bhaktas from various denominations, Bhats, and certain Sikhs in the first recension of Pothis Sahib in 1604, now after insertion of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s hymns is known as Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Nanak’s alphabets include the word V which was later incorporated in Urdu language. At the end of Patti Likhi (pp. 440-42 of Guru Granth Sahib), Guru Nanak mentions himself as a shair, poet. The word shair comes in the compositions of Guru Nanak only thrice in the entire Guru Granth Sahib. There are certain other couplets (for instance at p. 991, koeI AwKY BUqnw ko khY byqwlw - some say Nanak was devilish in character, some say he had lost equilibrium) which indicate that those were also recited by Guru Nanak during the early period; he had refused to accept cotton-woven thread at his Janeu ceremony from the Brahmin, and wanted him instead to put on him something that would help him control his senses or his being sensuous. Guru Nanak admitted that he had become mad in his love for God. The Patti Likhi, writing of alphabets, was done by Guru Nanak obviously in his earlier life before he got revelation in 1499. Both Kabir and Guru Nanak do not name the script they were using.
Guru Granth Sahib has 22 Vars or long compositions, bulk of which were recited as per popular and secular compositions of the time, as mentioned therein. Fortunately, these compositions are available, but not the ones which preceded the compositions by Sheikh Farid. Apart from that, Punjabi Muslims recited a large body of popular lores known as kissas; this was written by them in Urdu script, known as Shahmukhi script. This made for the addition of five additional sounds in Punjabi language by putting a dot below five existing alphabets to give new sounds. This enabled a correct writing of the popular lores written by Muslims in Punjabi language. These new alphabets, added in 19th century, are S, ^, Z, z, & (sh, kh, gh, z, f as in father).
This enabled Gurumukhi script to stand parallel to Urdu or Shahmukhi script. Dev Nagri script cannot, for instance, write the common Muslim name Khan, or that of India’s first Muslim President Zakir, without corrupting it. Similarly it has no word Singh (isMG) the common Sikh name, and mentions every one as isMh (isMh) which is incorrect. Sanskrit has the word Singh (isMG) but not Hindi.
It is falsely mentioned by some thoughtless people that Guru Angad was originator of the Gurmukhi alphabets, as it contradicts the evidence that is contained within Guru Granth Sahib. What is needed is introspection. It is a product of ill informed mind, and needs to be corrected. Guru Granth Sahib or even Bhai Gurdas does not mention of the name of the script that was being used. The script for Punjabi was taken for granted as it was in existence for long. As I have said earlier (cf. p. 21 ante) when Guru Nanak gave the alphabets and the acrophils the final shape, he named it Gurmukhi; he meant to convey that it came from the mouth of the Guru, and in his case, God, to put it at a higher pedestal than Dev Nagri, the language of (minor) gods. He coined new vocabulary and in some cases used the old words giving them new meanings. He also played with the caste system by placing Khatri at No. 1, followed by Brahmin, Sudra and Vaishya. He placed Sudra for his constructive work above Vaishya. This playing with the caste system was designed to lay emphasis on the uselessness of caste in one’s advance in spirituality or position/place in life (Guru Nanak, SGGS, p. 878).
Guru Arjan Dev’s Bawan Akhri (Guru Granth Sahib, pp. 250-62) mentions an order of alphabets which does not follow either the current Dev Nagri or Gurmukhi order of alphabets. The current order of alphabets of both these scripts was obviously finalised later.
The reassertion of Punjabi language posed a threat to the dominance of Sanskrit. By the time both Braj Bhasha, precursor of Hindi, and Urdu were in their formative stages as against Punjabi which had blossomed into a full fledged language with its own Granth, a distinct grammar and an unambiguous philosophy vis-à-vis mumbo jumbo of creeds and rituals/incantations. As a result, Guru Nanak or Sikhism earned a lasting hostility of a section of Brahminical Hindus which has been and is a constant factor in their history.