Urdu and regional languages

O Level Pakistan Studies History · Cultural and historical background to the Pakistan Movement: 1857, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and languages. A short explanation of the idea, the rules to remember, the mistake to avoid, a worked example and practice questions with answers.

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The idea

Urdu grew up in the subcontinent from the mixing of local languages with Persian, Arabic and Turkish. Its name comes from a Turkic word meaning camp or army. It developed a rich literature and became closely linked with Muslim identity and the Pakistan Movement.

In 1947 Urdu was chosen as the national language because it was widely understood and could unite people who spoke different mother tongues. The weakness was that few Pakistanis spoke it as their mother tongue, and in East Pakistan most people spoke Bengali. Protests followed, and the 1956 Constitution made both Urdu and Bengali national languages.

The provincial languages, Sindhi, Punjabi, Pushto and Balochi, have also been promoted since 1947.

Rules to remember

Common mistake

Urdu was not chosen because most people spoke it at home. It was the mother tongue of only a small share of Pakistanis; it was chosen for unity and its link with the Pakistan Movement.

Worked example

A question names a poet and asks for the language. How do you match Rahman Baba, Sachal Sarmast and Waris Shah?

  1. Rahman Baba wrote in the language of the Pathans, like Khushal Khan Khattak: Pushto.
  2. Sachal Sarmast was a Sufi poet of Sindh, like Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai: Sindhi.
  3. Waris Shah wrote 'Heer Ranjha', the famous love story of the Punjab: Punjabi.

Answer: Rahman Baba: Pushto. Sachal Sarmast: Sindhi. Waris Shah: Punjabi.

Practice questions

Try each one, then open the answer.

1. Why was Urdu chosen as Pakistan's national language?

  1. A
    it was the mother tongue of most people in Pakistan
  2. B
    it was the language spoken by most East Pakistanis
  3. C
    the British had made it the sole official language of India
  4. D
    it was linked to the Pakistan Movement and widely understood
Show answer

Answer: D. Urdu was a symbol of Muslim identity and a common link language across the provinces, although it was the mother tongue of only a minority.

2. How has the government helped promote Pushto since 1947?

  1. A
    by making Pushto a national language in 1973
  2. B
    by closing Urdu schools in the Frontier province
  3. C
    by requiring Pushto to be taught in Sindh
  4. D
    through the Pashto Academy and Pushto broadcasts
Show answer

Answer: D. The Pashto Academy at Peshawar supports research and publishing, and radio and TV reach Pushto speakers. The 1973 Constitution kept Urdu as the national language.

3. Jam Durrak is a celebrated poet of which language?

  1. A
    Pushto
  2. B
    Sindhi
  3. C
    Balochi
  4. D
    Punjabi
Show answer

Answer: C. Jam Durrak wrote Balochi poetry in the 18th century. Balochi has been promoted through an academy and broadcasts from Quetta.

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