The Indian classical languages, or the Shastriya Bhasha or the Semmozhi, is an umbrella term for the languages of India having high antiquity, and valuable, original and distinct literary heritage.[1]The Republic of India officially recognises six languages as the Classical languages of India. In 2004, the Government of India declared that languages that met certain strict criteria could be accorded the status of a "Classical Language" of India.[2] It was instituted by the Ministry of Culture along with the Linguistic Experts' Committee. The committee was constituted by the Government of India to consider demands for the categorisation of languages as Classical languages.
Criteria
In the year 2004, the tentative criteria for the age of antiquity of "classical language" was assumed to be at least 1000 years of existence.[3]
In a 2006 press release, Minister of Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni told the Rajya Sabha the following criteria were laid down to determine the eligibility of languages to be considered for classification as a "Classical Language",[4][1]
- High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500–2000 years.
- A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers
- The literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech community.
- The classical language and literature being distinct from modern, there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.
Benefits
As per Government of India's Resolution No. 2-16/2004-US (Akademies) dated 1 November 2004, the benefits that will accrue to a language declared as a "Classical Language" are:[5]
- Two major international awards for scholars of eminence in Classical Indian Languages are awarded annually.
- A Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Languages is set up.
- The University Grants Commission will be requested to create, to start with at least in the Central Universities, a certain number of Professional Chairs for Classical Languages for scholars of eminence in Classical Indian Languages.[6]
Officially recognised classical languages
| Language | Earliest attestation | Date recognised |
|---|---|---|
| தமிழ், Tamil | 450 BCE[7] | 12 October 2004[8] |
| संस्कृतम्, Sanskrit | Not attested in writing until the 1st century BCE.[9] | 25 November 2005[8] |
| ಕನ್ನಡ, Kannada | 370 CE[10][11] | 31 October 2008[12] |
| తెలుగు, Telugu | 575 CE[13] | 31 October 2008[12] |
| മലയാളം, Malayalam | 830 CE[14] | 23 May 2013[15] |
| ଓଡ଼ିଆ, Odia | 10th-11th century CE[16] | 20 February 2014[17] |
Demand from other languages
Demands have been made for other languages to be officially accorded Classical status, including Pali,[18] Bengali,[19][20] Marathi,[21][22] Maithili[23] and Manipuri.[24][25][26]
Pali
Pali language is a classical language which is liturgical to the Theravada Buddhism. Originated from the Northern India, it is closely related to the Old Indo-Aryan, Vedic Sanskrit but is not considered to be an offshoot or a direct descendent of Sanskrit. Historically, Pali came to widespread usage because Buddha taught that the vernacular should be used for writings of Buddhism. Pali writings existed as early as 1st century BCE, and oral transmission is considered to be in existence since 3rd century BCE.[27]
Meitei
Meitei, or Manipuri, is a classical language of Sino-Tibetan linguistic family, having a literary tradition of not less than 2000 years.[28][29]