Assamese: A timeless legacy honoured with classical language status

Dipak Kurmi

(The writer can be reached at dipakkurmiglpltd@gmail.com.)

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recently made a significant announcement that is set to bolster India's rich linguistic and cultural diversity. The Cabinet has officially conferred the prestigious status of "classical language" to five more languages: Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali. This decision recognizes the profound historical and cultural importance of these languages, which have been custodians of Bharat's ancient cultural heritage, serving as vessels for the historical milestones of their respective communities.

The Evolution of Classical Languages in India

The concept of "classical languages" is relatively new in India's linguistic policies, first introduced on October 12, 2004, when Tamil was designated as the first classical language. This move underscored the significance of preserving languages that boast a long, rich history. The criteria for conferring the status of classical language were laid out during the same period, which primarily include high antiquity, the existence of ancient literature or texts considered valuable by generations, and the originality of the literary tradition. The language should not have borrowed heavily from other speech communities, and there may also be a recognized discontinuity between its classical form and the modern usage.

Initially, Tamil was the first to be recognized under these criteria. Later, in 2005, Sanskrit was also declared a classical language. Over the years, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia joined this illustrious list. With the inclusion of Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali, the number of classical languages in India has expanded significantly, reflecting the importance of preserving linguistic diversity.

The Linguistic Experts Committee and Revised Criteria

The Linguistic Experts Committee (LEC), constituted by the Ministry of Culture under the Sahitya Akademi in November 2004, played a pivotal role in this process. After thorough examinations of language histories, the committee set out criteria for recognizing classical languages. Over time, the criteria were slightly revised, especially in November 2005, when Sanskrit was added to the list. The revised guidelines required that a language should have a recorded history of at least 1500-2000 years, ancient texts that have served as valuable heritage for generations of speakers, and a distinct literary tradition. Additionally, the classical form of the language should be distinguishable from its modern form.

In 2024, this committee met again to review the eligibility of languages such as Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali. During their meeting on July 25, 2024, the committee unanimously agreed that these languages fulfilled all the necessary criteria for classical language status.

The Journey of Assamese Towards Classical Status

One of the most prominent beneficiaries of this decision is Assamese, or Asamiya, a classical Indo-Aryan language spoken predominantly in the northeastern state of Assam. With over 15 million native speakers, Assamese is the official language of Assam and serves as the lingua franca for the wider region. On October 3, 2024, Assamese was formally designated as a classical language by the Government of India. This recognition was a significant milestone for the language, whose history dates back to ancient times and which boasts a unique literary and cultural tradition.

Assamese is an old language that evolved from the middle Indo-Aryan Magadhi Prakrit, along with other Eastern Indo-Aryan languages. Its close ties with languages like Bengali, Bishnupriya Manipuri, and Chakma highlight its historical linguistic significance. Over the centuries, Assamese developed its own script, an abugida system, which is written from left to right. It was the court language of the Ahom kingdom from the 17th century and has long been a vehicle for artistic, literary, and intellectual expression in the region.

Historical and Cultural Evolution of Assamese

The history of Assamese can be divided into various stages. The earliest forms of the language are traced to the 9th-century Buddhist verses called Charyapada, which bear strong affinities with Assamese as well as Bengali, Maithili, and Odia. This period, when the Prakrit was transitioning into distinct regional languages, marked the beginning of a unique linguistic tradition in the region.

The Charyapada are not just valuable as linguistic artefacts; they reflect the cultural and spiritual life of early Assam. The expressiveness found in these early verses has a lasting presence in Assamese folk songs, such as the Deh-Bicarar Git. As Assamese developed over the centuries, it became deeply intertwined with the region's religious and cultural history.

The 13th-century works of Hema Sarasvati, including his poem Prahl?da Carita, demonstrate the emergence of a distinctly Assamese literary form. In the 14th century, Madhava Kandali translated the Ramayana into Assamese, producing the famous Saptakanda Ramayana. This work, written in the court of the Kachari king Mahamanikya, solidified Assamese's role as a major literary language in eastern India.

One of the most important phases in Assamese literary history came in the 15th century with the rise of Sankardev and the Ekasarana Dharma movement. Sankardev's efforts to produce translated works and new literary forms such as Borgeets (devotional songs) and Ankia Naat (one-act plays) infused Assamese literature with new life. His work was further developed by his followers, particularly Madhavdev. During this period, Assamese prose also took a leap forward with Bhattadeva's translations of the Bhagavata Purana and Bhagavad Gita into Assamese prose. This was a pivotal moment in Assamese literature, as Bhattadev's prose was classical, elegant, and marked by a high usage of Sanskrit forms within an Assamese syntax.

Assamese During the Ahom Kingdom and Beyond

The Ahom kingdom, which ruled Assam for several centuries, played a significant role in promoting Assamese as the court language. During the 17th century, Assamese moved into the state's administrative domain, becoming a formal language of diplomacy and governance. The Buranjis-chronicles dealing with statecraft, administration, and history-became a major literary genre during this period, and their influence on the language's development was profound.

The Buranjis not only standardized the prose style of Assamese but also brought in elements of Arabic and Persian, reflecting the cosmopolitan nature of the Ahom court. It was during this period that eastern Assam's speech patterns became more homogeneous, leading to the establishment of a standard form of Assamese.

Modern Assamese and its Struggles

The modern period of Assamese began in the 19th century with the introduction of printing, most notably the publication of the Assamese Bible in 1813 by the Serampore Mission Press. However, after the British East India Company took over Assam in 1836, Assamese faced a setback. The British introduced Bengali as the official language in Assam's schools, courts, and offices. This decision was influenced by the British administration's earlier move to promote Bengali as a replacement for Persian in Bengal.

Amidst this linguistic displacement, a revival effort was led by the American Baptist Mission (ABM), which established a press in Sibsagar in 1846 and began publishing Orunodoi, an Assamese periodical. The ABM also produced the first Assamese grammar and dictionary, arguing strongly with British officials to reinstate Assamese. Eventually, Assamese was declared the official vernacular of Assam in 1873, just before Assam became a Chief Commissioner's Province in 1874.

The Future of Assamese

With its newly conferred classical language status, Assamese is poised for renewed growth and prominence. The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with Sahitya Akademi, has laid out an ambitious strategy for promoting classical languages, including Assamese. This plan involves preserving and digitizing ancient texts, promoting research, and offering university courses focused on classical languages.

The recognition of Assamese as a classical language is more than just an academic or cultural honour. It is an acknowledgement of the deep roots of Assamese history, literature, and identity. The status will also create new employment opportunities in fields such as academia, translation, publishing, and digital archiving. Assam, and indeed all of India, will benefit from this recognition as it brings national and international attention to the language.

The recognition of Assamese as a classical language marks a significant milestone in the history of Indian linguistics. It highlights the rich history and cultural significance of Assamese and acknowledges the immense contributions of the language to India's literary and cultural heritage. As Assamese joins the ranks of India's classical languages, it not only secures its legacy but also ensures its place in the future as a living, evolving language.