Braj Bhasha

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Braj
Brij Bhasha
ब्रजभाषा
Native to India
Region Braj
EthnicityBrajwasi
Native speakers
1,600,000 (2011 census) [1]
Census results conflate some speakers with Hindi. [2]
Devanagari
Language codes
ISO 639-2 bra
ISO 639-3 bra
Glottolog braj1242
Braj Bhasha Region.png
Braj-speaking region

Braj [a] is a language within the Indo-Aryan language family spoken in the Braj region in Western Uttar Pradesh centered on Mathura. Along with Awadhi, it was one of the two predominant literary languages of North-Central India before gradually merging and contributing to the development of standardized Hindi in the 19th century. It is spoken today in its unique form in many districts of west Uttar Pradesh, often referred to as 'Central Braj Bhasha'.

Contents

The language was historically used for Vaishnavite poetry dedicated to Krishna, whose life was associated with sites in the Braj region. There were also early prose works in terms of the hagiographical vārtā literature of the Vallabha sect. [3]

Braj is considered by scholars to be a more conservative example of the Central Indo-Aryan languages compared to the Hindustani language, which has been influenced by Panjabi and intermediate dialects. [4]

Story of Camel and Jackal in Braj language

Geographical distribution

Braj Bhasha is spoken in the nebulous Braj region centred on Mathura & Agra in Uttar Pradesh and Bharatpur, Karauli, Gangapur & Dholpur in Rajasthan. It is the predominant language in the central stretch of the Ganges-Yamuna Doab in the following districts:

It is also spoken in the western areas of Uttar Pradesh, mainly in Mathura district and southern areas of Palwal district

In Madhya Pradesh it is spoken in the districts of :


It is spoken in several villages of Mathura, specially in Vrindavan, Madhuvan, Kaman, Kosi Kalan, Chhata, Baldeo, and all other villages belongs to Braj Area with Bajna, Surir, Bhidauni,

Literature

Most Braj literature is of a mystical nature, related to the spiritual union of people with God, because almost all of the Braj Bhasha poets were considered God-realised saints and their words are thus considered as directly emanating from a divine source. Much of the traditional Northern Indian literature shares this trait. All traditional Punjabi literature is similarly written by saints and is of a metaphysical and philosophical nature.

Another peculiar feature of Northern Indian literature is that the literature is mostly written from a female point of view, even by male poets. This is because the saints were in a state of transcendental, spiritual love, where they were metaphorically women reuniting with their beloved. (In its inversion of the conventional genders of worshipper and worshippee, Maulana Da’ud's Chandayan departs from this tradition.)

Important works in Braj Bhasha are:

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ commonly called Braj Bhasha, also known as Vraj Bhasha or Brij Bhasha or Braj Boli

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Braj literature is literature in Braj Bhasha, one of the Western Hindi languages developed as a literary language during the 15th century, Bhakti Movement as a form of devotional songs in praise of Krishna. It is often mystical in nature, related to the spiritual union of people with God, because almost all of Braj poets were considered God-realised saints and their words are thus considered as emanating from a divine source. Much of the traditional Northern Indian literature shares this trait. It literary tradition is a celebration of Krishna. The Braj region has a rich legacy and the medium was mainly the literary vehicle for the poets viz. Surdas, Tulsidas, Acharya Ram Chandra Shukla, Raskhan, Amir Khusrau among others.

Kotwan is a village in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is the site where according to Hinduism, Krishna spent his childhood and is one of the main places in the Braj Bhoomi region. The Village is about 100 km away from Agra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shri Babu Ram Paliwal</span>

Shri Babu Ram Paliwal was an accomplished poet and writer in Hindi and Braj languages. He was best known for his early work ‘Karyalaya Nirdeshika’ for which he received awards by the Government of India and Uttar Pradesh Government. He contributed as Hindi expert in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Communications, the Government of India. He made significant contributions towards the development of Hindi language. He was the producer of the 'Braj-Bharati' program of Aakashwani, All India Radio, New Delhi. He had a multifaceted personality and had extensive knowledge of Hindi, Braj and English languages.

References

  1. ↑ "Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues - 2011". www.censusindia.gov.in. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 7 July 2018.[ dead link ]
  2. ↑ "Census of India: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues –2001". censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  3. ↑ Masica, Colin P. (1991). The Indo-Aryan Languages. Cambridge University Press. pp. 53, 57, 62.
  4. ↑ Masica 1991, p. 197-198.
  5. ↑ Frawley, William (May 2003). International Encyclopedia of Linguistics. ISBN   9780195139778 . Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  6. ↑ "Google Notebook". google.com. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  7. ↑ Atre, Shubhangana (2019). History. Maharashtra: Maharashtra state textbook bureau.
  8. ↑ Sujit Mukherjee (1998). A Dictionary of Indian Literature: Beginnings-1850. Orient Blackswan. pp. 425–. ISBN   978-81-250-1453-9.

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