SV: Workshop on Islamicate Culture

[rohan.oberoi at CORNELL.EDU]

Swaminathan Maduresan wrote:

>I understand that Devanagari script was not created as a response to
>Urdu script, and it evolved from Ashokan Brahmi script.  The question
>is whether the Moghul rulers used Urdu or Devanagari script in their
>administration.  Pardon my ignorance. If devanagari was widely used
>say in 1600, 1700, 1800 & 1900 AD, why then was a big political
>movement to enforce Devanagari? Under the nominal headship of Kashi
>Maharaj, the Devanagari Pracharini Sabha in 19th century and its
>lobbying efforts and British support? Also then, why scholars refer
>to as "one language, two scripts"? The two scripts represent more of
>religious affliations than anything else.

I don't have references on hand right now, but British policy, I
believe, replaced Urdu in the Arabic script with Hindi in the Nagari
script around 1881-1882 in Bihar.  That seems to indicate that wide
use of Devanagari (as distinct from use of Devanagari for religious
purposes) significantly postdates the decline of Islamic political
power in northern India.

Regards,
Rohan.