History of Sindhi language

History of Sindhi language

      Sindhi is spoken by about 25 million people in the province of Sindh. It is written in modified Arabic script in Pakistan. The largest Sindhi-speaking city is Hyderabad, Pakistan. The religion of Sindhi speakers in Sindh is Islam but Hindu Sindhis who migrated to India after partition of 1947 are still Hindus and they still register their mother tongue as Sindhi.

Key dialects: Kachchi, Lari, Lasi, Thareli, Vicholo (Central Sindhi), Macharia, Dukslinu (Hindu Sindhi), and Sindhi Musalmani (Muslim Sindhi).

      There is a big conflict between heirs of Sindh and experts of language about Sindhi Language history. It is said that in ancient period of Mohenjo Daro people apt to write on leather and cloth pieces and also used wood to write on. As period passed these writings destroyed and vanished away in earth and when the discovery was made they found no sign of these writings. And thus there is less evidence of these writings. Writings made on stones and rocks were discovered which are half discoveries, many of these coins and other proofs of language are less and some are broken.

      Before reading or trying to understand writings on Mohenjo Daro seals, picture and other discoveries experts of language declared relationship of Sindhi Language to other languages. Some experts said it a part of Samma's languages and some announced it a duaghter of Sanskrit language. But it is neither a Sanskrit language nor a part of it. This conflict took bitter position when religious groups involved in it. They become firm on there evidence and refuse to accept it as a pure language. One of them were Hindus, who called Sindhi language as a language made from Sanskrit and some other languages and other were Muslims who started joining its relationship to Arabic and Samma's period.

      About 800 seals and writings have been found in Mohenjo Daro, on which different pictures, drawings and signs are drawn, About 400 of them were understood and that was old Sindhi alphabet of that time. According to Hinter Brahmi, Sibain, Safain, Saipret & Foneshen arise from Sindhi Language.(1) In 1970, 4 scientists of Finland, Askoparpola, Sipo Coskeneamy, Semopoparpola & Pinete asserted that they have understood language of Mohenjo Daro and they declared it Drawari language because some words of Sindhi Language were present in Drawari languages. But they could not reach the truth that old Sindhi language has impacts on Drawari language and language of Mohenjo Daro is Sindhi not Drawari.

      Doctor Parpola, Semoil & other scholars of Russia verified that they have been successful in reading writings of Mohenjo Daro. According to them "Language of Mohenjo Daro is mother of Drawari languages. From which Drawari languages took birth."(2) They also gave some proofs by showing those seals. Some of these words are present in Sindhi Language. Some words are shown below:

(1) ڪنواٺي (2) ڦڻي (3) ڪوڙي (4) چڪر (5) مُٺيو (6) طبل (7) مٽ (8) مڇي (9) ڪوٽ (10) نارُ (11) ڌمال (12) کٽ

      Experts of language are united on that point that this is the language of Indus Civilization and this is the language of Sindh and it has impact on Indian languages. Found of signs in Babul and Mesopotamia shows that when people of Sindh went there for trade they spread their language. And signs matched to signs of Mohenjo Daro are a proof.

      Everyone has to accept that Sindhi is the production of Sindh, Sindh is its only heir & it bears its individual cultural and historical position. Sindhi is older then Sanskrit.

1) Hunter, “Script of Harapa and Mohenjo Daro”, P-22

2) The Daily Dawn, Karachi, Sunday, July 20^th, 1969, P-17

For detailed information Read:

Civilization - سنڌو سڀيتا جي وارثن جي ٻولي ۽ لپي (Ruk Sindhi)

Tareekh Je Lat - سنڌي ٻولي رت رتولي (Ruk Sindhi)

Books Available on Ruk Sindhi’s Website

Sarang Mangi - Wednesday, March 23, 2011

just_sbm07@yahoo.com