Causes of the Marginalization of the Punjabi Language during the British Colonial Period

برطانوی نوآبادیاتی عہد میں پنجابی زبان کی بے توقیری کے اسباب:  تحقیق و تجزیہ

Abstract

This study critically examines the colonial language policies in 19th-century Punjab under British rule, highlighting the deliberate marginalisation of the Punjabi language. While English was reserved for the elite and Urdu imposed on the general populace, Punjabi-despite being the region’s native tongue, was excluded from official, educational, and scholarly domains. The British administration favoured Urdu due to its familiarity among officials and its administrative legacy in North India, sidelining Punjabi as a “rustic dialect.” Historical evidence, however, affirms Punjabi’s rich literary tradition and widespread cultural significance. Missionary translations of the Bible and early judicial use of Punjabi underscore its vitality. The paper argues that this linguistic displacement was not merely administrative but a calculated colonial strategy to weaken indigenous identity and foster dependency. The silence of Punjabi elites and the lack of organised resistance further entrenched this decline. The research calls for a reevaluation of linguistic equity, asserting that restoring Punjabi is not just a cultural imperative but a matter of educational justice and human dignity. It advocates for the recognition of mother tongue education and the revitalisation of local languages as essential to intellectual autonomy, cultural continuity, and social cohesion in postcolonial societies.