When Was Hindi Language Born in India?
Hindi is one of the most widely spoken languages in India today, with over 500 million speakers. It is also the official language of India and is used in government, education, and the media. But when exactly did Hindi language come into existence in India?
The origins of Hindi can be traced back to the 7th century AD when the Prakrit language was spoken in northern India. Prakrit was the language of the common people and was widely used in literature and religious texts. Over time, Prakrit evolved into Apabhramsa, which was a mix of various dialects and languages spoken in northern India.
It was during the medieval period that Hindi as we know it today began to take shape. The term Hindi comes from the Persian word Hind, which means “land of the Indus River”. The language was heavily influenced by Persian, Arabic, and Turkish, which were brought to India by the Mughal rulers.
During this time, Hindi was still a language of the common people and was not considered a literary language. However, with the rise of the Bhakti movement in the 15th century, Hindi gained more prominence as a language of literature and poetry. The Bhakti movement was a religious and social movement that emphasized devotion and love for God, and many of its followers wrote poetry in Hindi that expressed their beliefs and ideals.
It was during the 18th and 19th centuries that Hindi began to be standardized and codified. The first efforts to standardize Hindi were made by the British colonial government, who wanted to use Hindi as a means of communication with the Indian people. The first Hindi grammar book, called the Hindi Vyakaran, was published in 1805 by Nathaniel Halhed, a British linguist.
In the 19th century, many Hindi scholars and writers began to work on developing a standard written form of Hindi. One of the most famous Hindi writers of this time was Munshi Premchand, who wrote novels, stories, and essays in Hindi that are still widely read today.
After India gained independence in 1947, Hindi was declared the official language of the country. However, there was still a lot of debate about which form of Hindi should be used as the standard. Eventually, the Devanagari script was chosen as the official script for Hindi, and a standardized form of the language was developed.
In conclusion, Hindi language has a long and fascinating history that spans over a thousand years. From its origins in Prakrit to its development as a literary language during the Bhakti movement and its standardization in the modern era, Hindi has played a crucial role in the cultural and linguistic identity of India. Today, Hindi is spoken by millions of people in India and around the world, and it continues to evolve and grow as a language.