A Punjabi cultural language
The history of the Punjabi language is a journey that spans over centuries, and it is closely intertwined with the cultural, social, and historical developments of the Punjab region, now divided between India and Pakistan. As an Indo-Aryan language, Punjabi shares its roots with other languages such as Hindi, Bengali, and Gujarati.
To trace its earliest origins, we go back to the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, one of the world’s oldest urban civilizations, which thrived in the region around 3300-1300 BCE. Over time, as various tribes and kingdoms settled in the area, the local languages merged and evolved, setting the stage for the development of Punjabi.
Moving forward to the medieval period, the Punjab region experienced the rise and fall of various empires and dynasties, including the Maurya, Gupta, and Mughal empires. These historical influences, coupled with interactions with Persian and Arabic, significantly enriched the vocabulary of Punjabi.
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During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Sikh gurus patronized and nurtured the flourishing of the Punjabi language, composing their sacred hymns in it. Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism, played a significant role in popularizing Punjabi as a language of spirituality and literature.
Moving forward to independent India, authorities recognized Punjabi as one of the 22 scheduled languages of the country. Consequently, the Punjabi language movement in India actively promoted its use in education, administration, and cultural spheres.
In Pakistan, Punjabi retained its importance as a regional language, particularly in the province of Punjab. However, the dominance of Urdu as the official language of the country posed challenges for the preservation and promotion of Punjabi.
Despite these challenges, Punjabi managed to maintain its significance, and today, it boasts over 100 million speakers worldwide.
Switching gears to Japan, the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-1868) ushered in a period of stability and isolation known as sakoku. During this era, Japan adopted a policy of sakoku, which resulted in a prolonged period of limited contact with the outside world.
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