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Responding to Critiques of the role of Urdu as a Cultural Identity of Pakistan

In the circle of linguistic discussions and the political dispute of India and Pakistan, a common critique voiced by many Indian nationalists towards Pakistan is that Urdu essentially belongs to India, which Pakistan has adopted as its national language. But is this assertion accurate?


Undoubtedly, it holds true that Urdu originated in northern India, specifically in and around Delhi, during the Delhi Sultanate. At that time, Muslims chose Persian as their official language in India, while the local Hindu populace in northern India spoke languages like Khariboli, Braj Bhasha, Awadhi, and others. As Persian loanwords and vocabulary seeped into these languages, a new language emerged, which we now refer to as Urdu. However, this is merely a historical perspective.

When the British colonial rule took hold in India, a significant event occurred known as the Urdu-Hindi controversy (1867). This event played a crucial role in the establishment of Pakistan. At that time, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan also said that he have realized that Muslims and Hindus could no longer coexist harmoniously. Following this, the All India Muslim League was formed in 1906, advocating for the rights of Muslims who felt marginalized in comparison to Hindus. Barrister Muhammad Ali Jinnah's inclusion in this movement eventually led to the creation of Pakistan.

Prominent figures in the history of Pakistan, such as Sir Syed, Ali Brothers (Maulana Shaukat Ali and Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar), and Liaquat Ali Khan, were all Urdu-speakers. The Muslim population residing in present-day India at the time believed that areas like Delhi, areas of present-day Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Hyderabad State, would be part of Pakistan. However, these aspirations were thwarted by the tragic events of Partition, and then India also occupied the princely Hyderabad by Operation Polo. Before the inception of Pakistan, Urdu literature also thrived in the areas of present-day Pakistan, along with present-day India. Notable poets like Allama Muhammad Iqbal, who hailed from Sialkot in present-day Pakistan, is revered as a great Urdu poet. After the creation of Pakistan, many Urdu speakers migrated to this new land of them, and played vital roles in managing Pakistan's bureaucracy and finance departments. Urdu was also the second basis after Muslim identity, which played the major reason of the creation of Pakistan.

Thus, To claim that Urdu is not the language of Pakistan is akin to stating that Turkish is not the language of Turkiye. Just as Turkish evolved in Central Asia, because the Turkic people originated there, but following the Mongol invasions, many of them immigrated to Anatolia, and took their language with them, which is now way different to that Turkic language.

In short, Urdu is the identity, heritage, and history of Pakistan, and it is the national language and lingua franca of all Pakistanis (regardless of them being Urdu-speakers or not). But it 'also' holds significance in the Indian history, because the language developed in the areas which are now in present-day India, and the significant amount of Urdu literature grew in India. Also because many Urdu-speakers continued their residence in India, after the partition.

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