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Language in Indenture compares the formation of a distinct South African Bhojpuri koine to similar koines that evolved among other groups of Indians indentured in South Africa between 1860 and 1911. Rajend Mesthrie traces the roots of South African Bhojpuri in north-east India, and examines the processes of adaptation and accomodation in a new continent, stressing the interplay between external history and internal linguistic development. He also addresses the process of language obsolescence by examining the current status of Bhojpuri and the socio-historical factors leading to its current demise, providing insights for creolists regarding the survival and eventual decline of immigrant languages in the post-slavery era. ... Read more

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This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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Divide and rulethe British were experts; and in creating out of one language the notion of a separate "Hindi" for Hindus in colonial India and "Urdu" for Muslims, they used even the definition of languages to set their colonial subjects against one another. Further, this language had its origin from Austric and Dravidian and not from the Indo-European Sanskrit, as is the dogma.
In a blow against the British Empire, Khan suggests that London artificially divided India s Hindu and Muslim populations by splitting their one language in two, then burying the evidence in obscure scholarly works outside the public view. All language is political and so is the boundary between one language and another. The author analyzes the origins of Urdu, one of the earliest known languages, and propounds the iconoclastic views that,

Hindi came from pre-Aryan Dravidian and Austric-Munda, not from Aryan s Sanskrit (which, like the Indo-European languages, Greek and Latin, etc., are rooted in the Middle East/Mesopotamia and not in Europe);
Hindi s script came from the Aramaic system, similar to Greek, and
In the 1800s, the British initiated the divisive game of splitting one language in two, Hindi (for the Hindus) and Urdu (for the Muslims). These facts, he says, have been buried and nearly lost in turgid academic works.
Khan bolsters his hypothesis with copious technical linguistic examples. This may spark a revolution in linguistic history!
Urdu/Hindi: An Artificial Divide integrates theout of Africalinguistic evolution theory with the fossil linguistics of Middle East, and discards the theory that Sanskrit descended from a hypothetical proto-IndoEuropean language and by degeneration created dialects, Urdu/Hindi and others.

It shows that several tribes from the Middle East created the hybrid by cumulative evolution. The oldest groups, Austric and Dravidian, starting 8000 B.C. provided the grammar/syntax plus about 60% of vocabulary, SKT added 10% after 1500 B.C. and Arabic/Persian 20-30% after A.D. 800. The book reveals Mesopotamia as the linguistic melting pot of Sumerian, Babylonian, Elamite, Hittite-Hurrian-Mitanni, etc., with a common script and vocabularies shared mutually and passed on to IE, SKT, DR, Arabic and then to Hindi/Urdu; in fact the author locates oldest evidence of SKT in Syria.

The book also exposes the myths of arevealedSKT or Hebrew and the fiction of linguistic races, i.e. Aryan, Semitic, etc. The book supports theone world conceptand reveals the potential of Urdu/Hindi to unite all genetic elements, races and regions of the Indo-Pakistan sub-continent.

This is important reading not only for those interested to understand the divisive exploitation of languages in British-led India s partition, but for those interested in

- The science and history of origin of Urdu/Hindi (and other languages)
- The false claims oflinguistic races and creation
- History of Languages and Scripts
- Language, Mythology and Racism
- Ancient History and Fossil Languages
- British Rule and India s Partition ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

MD in linguistics?
I agree with the author about linguistic racism and how it has influenced indopakistani politics and has resulted in a total division of the subcontinent. I would also agree with him on the false Aryan notion which has been firmly ingrained in the psyche of both Hindus and Muslims. However, the author -a pediatrician- is limited in his knowledge of linguistics as he has rightly admitted.

On page 75, on Arabic, he writes: "Mah or Ma as a suffix became quite common in Arabic as well, ie. Fatimah (great conqueror)...", where he erroneously assumes that the -mah ending means "great". He goes on to compare the name Salmah as having the same suffix -mah.
Anybody with some basic knowledge of Arabic and its root system -commonly triliteral- would have to giggle and shake his head, asking, "Why do doctors think they know it all!".
It reminds me of the shoddy linguistics of Ataturk in Geoffrey Lewis' TURKISH LANGUAGE REFORM: A CATASTROPHIC SUCCESS.

Despite these mistakes I did enjoy reading the book and it did open my mind and make me reassess the theory I had always believed, that the North Indian languages -including Urdu- evolved directly from Sanskrit and naturally adopted vocabulary from Persian and other languages.

It is difficult to write about linguistics and not makes mistakes, unless you are an expert on every language, so I would say that it was a good effort and deserves a read.
I cannot see Subcontinent Muslims having major issues with this book -despite the authors secular worldview- and the reviews here confirm that, but I suspect the North Indian Aryocentric Hindus might trash this book as "Muslim" propaganda.

Creationists challengend
Asthe author ,I do appreciate all comments with gratitude/thanks.Some

readers have really been distressed as the book delinks the linguistic

classification " Semitic/ Aryan-Indo-european "based on Noahs'three children/ or indian myth of Sanskrit as the mother of all ; these being the "matter of faith".The book really rekindles the cold war between the

priestology and scientific evolution which got started with the mesopotamian discoveries; The linguistic families meanwhile are believed

as a " FINAL scientific" discovery; the book has reopened the old wound and reignited the debate" REVELATION vs EVOLUTION". Feel embarassed to

give 5 stars to my own book but am convinced that Languages evolved in

africa ,polished in mideast and diseminated by the farmers; this is the

state of art in linguistics.

Excellent !
The Politics of Language is a book written in an interesting way in its centuries old historical prospective as the human societies developed and started integrating.
Language helped people to know each other irrespective of their faith and believe.
However, Britain , who ruled India after the fall of Mughal umpire , used language aspolitical weapon to dive Hindu and Muslim by getting their brain washed that Hindi is Hindu and Urdu is Muslim.
The political use of language by British India , as writer Abdul Jamail Khan has dwelt in length in his book, is a scientific analysishow the rulers divide the people to achieve their objective.
Dr Khan , s book is a valuable addition in the languages books written by
other writers but his book urges people all over the world to avoid hating each
on the basis of language as for centuries language has a great force in integrating the society.

An Impeccable Gem
Dr. Jamil Khan does not shy away from introducing a new theory: that the British Empire deliberately created an "artificial divide" in the language of the Indian Hindus and Muslims. Instead of going along with the masses, Dr.Khan painstakingly researches and questions what has been largely accepted for generations-and offers an answer that fits even better.

He discusses how, contrary to what the British said at the time, that people of Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi heritage are the descendants of common ancestors and share the same culture. Dr. Khan says that despite what others believe, Urdu was not derived from Arabic/Farsi, rather Urdu words were already in existence even before the Arab conquests in India. He traces Sanskrit back to Syria and Turkey.

Well-researched and well-written, the book gives in-depth information and creates a great deal of interest in a seemingly dry subject. Once begun, it is hard to put the book down. Simple, clear language and easy-to-read tables make the book even more enjoyable. This book is a gem for those who have even the remotest interest in history and linguistics: it is a must-read. The author must be congratulated and commended by linguists for his bold and unbiased effort to introduce a new-and perhaps more accurate-theory, challenging one that has been generally accepted for generations.

Revealing !
The book presents the science of the evolution of written language dating its origin some 6000 years ago to the Middle East/ Mesopotamia. The reader is guided through a wonderfully educational and eye-opening tour of the development of language and its migration and transformation as it traveled across continents. The early chapters are exquisitely detailed, defining a sound foundation on which the remainder of the book is developed. Moreover, by the time one traverses through these pages, the facts and messages become abundantly clear.

The author, backed by meticulously researched historical facts, provides example after example of the dating of selected Urdu words as far back as 3000 years bc ! Furthermore, the reader is educated of the ugly interests of the ruling British empire, and how it manipulated the psyche of its subjects by lending religious and nationalistic identities to one language over another. The book is sprayed with countless examples of the ways in which the British used the politics of manipulating language to weaken the bonds of this integrated, religiously diverse society and divided the population and ultimately the subcontinent by labeling Urdu as Foreign and Muslim while Hindi being Patriotic and Hindu.

The author boldly goes on to uncover and correctly describe how the British appealed to the psyche of the pseudoproud Indians by also claiming themselves as Aryan and thereby winning the hearts of their Indian Aryan "brethren." These energized fanatics pursued their agenda resulting in the loss of Urdu as the national language just after the tail end of British rule in 1947. The Phoenetic and Gene theories the author eloquently describes are also quite interesting and convincing.

This tragic history of the Partition was a personal childhood ordeal that the author vividly describes and has wonderfully translated to tangible emotions that the reader can comprehend. As we move along through the later chapters, the author describes an ambitious revival of Urdu and related cultural activities not only in India through arts, cinema and poetry, but also through the emigrating populations throughout the Middle East, Europe and the West.

The Politics of Language is a wonderfully articulate book that is both educational and a revealing commentary on the surreptitious manipulation by a foreign power to divide a once strong and unified society. The author should be congratulated for such a profound and elucidating piece of work.
... Read more

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The true biography of Shakespeare - and the only one we really need to care about - is in the plays. Sir Frank Kermode, Britain's most distinguished literary critic, has been thinking about them all his life. This book is a distillation of that lifetime's thinking. The great English tragedies were all written in the first decade of the seventeenth century. They are often in language that is difficult to us, and must have been hard even for contemporaries. How and why did Shakespeare's language develop as it did? Kermode argues that the resources of English underwent major change around 1600. The originality of Kermodes' writing, and the intelligence of his discussion, make this book a landmark. ... Read more

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hb. excellent text, used widely for classes, clear. written by a U. Wisconsin Professor ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

EXCELLENT INTERMEDIATE HINDI BOOK
Unlike the reviews might suggest from the previous reviewer, this Intermediate Hindi book is excellent.Many stories to help introduce new vocabulary and grammatical points.This book is also great for its focus on colloquial usage with many sayings and useful things.I would definitely recommend this to the student who knows script and is ready for intermediate materials.

Not a self study book
From the very first page in a chapter it starts with full devanagari text and no accompanying translation. The text ends abruptly to a glossary of the terms used. Then, it goes on like a vocabulary notebook that you'd keep in your pocket to memorize phrases. There are some exercises at the end of every chapter but no answer keys. This repeats in all the chapters.

Overall, if you study in the course with the author in the University in person, it may help. If you are looking for something for self-study to bridge the gap between beginner and intermediate level, dump this book. You're as good as the day you completed your beginner's course.

It just doesn't bridge the gap between beginner and intermediate level. ... Read more

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9th edn. ... Read more

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The Hindi Script - called Devanagari - is a beautifully logical writing system. Its phonetic arrangement makes it quite easy to learn, and once you know the basic four dozen (or so) characters, you will be well on your way to reading the signs, posters, notices, street names, signposts and advertisements that are part of the everyday scene in North India. "Beginner's Hindi Script" introduces Devanagari in the traditional order. The characters are introduced one by one in phonetic groups, steadily building up your ability to read and write. The book also gives you some information on the cultural orientation of the language, explaining where Hindi belongs in the history of Indian languages, and showing where its words come from. There are hints for authentic handwriting skills and plenty of exercises throughout so that you can practise what you've learnt. Examples from real-life signs, notices and advertisements show you the language in context. The book is intended for beginners who are starting to learn Hindi from scratch, and who need guidance in pronunciation as well as in reading and writing.But it can also be used by those who already know something of the spoken language - perhaps learned from family or from Hindi films - and who wish to add an ability to read and write. The leader in self-learning with more than 300 titles, covering all subjects. Be where you want to be with "Teach Yourself". ... Read more

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A fine guide to reading and writing Hindi, and useful for Sanskrit as well
Rupert Snell's TEACH YOURSELF BEGINNER'S HINDI SCRIPT is a friendly introduction to Devanagari, the script used to write Hindi and Sanskrit. Whenever learning a language with a different writing system, I personally always find it helpful to use a separate preliminary book to get up to speed with the writing system, that way when I'm working with my main textbook, I don't feel like my unfamiliarity with the writing system is holding me back from fully absorbing the lessons. Snell's book works quite well as this initial step. He introduces the components of Devanagari step by step, with plenty of exercises so that the student can apply his knowledge and internalize the script. There are photos of signs from India, including some with errors so that the student can see how the script works in daily life. There's even a bit on handwriting, which is a nice touch.

And it's not just about Hindi! Devanagari is used to write Sanskrit as well, and Snell does cover the letters found in Sanskrit. If you want to embark on a Sanskrit course like Coulson's TEACH YOURSELF SANSKRIT, I cannot recommend enough that you use this first.

My only complaint about this book--and it may well be the unrealistic expectations of a linguaphile--is that it doesn't talk about how the Hindi script differs from other Brahmi-derived scripts. A short appendix along the lines of "If you want to eventually learn Gujarati or Bengali, here are some ways you can apply your knowledge of Hindi script..." would have been nice. Snell does of course talk about how Hindi's relationship to Urdu in being a sometimes mutually intelligible language but written completely differently. ... Read more

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It embodies rare coinage of words,substitutions and popular literal rendering which speak of their denotations and connotations. ... Read more

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This book is a collection of stories about Sonu, a toddler and his various adventures. The book is bilingual in Hindi and English. It is an easy reader to introduce children to learn in either of the two languages. ... Read more

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An all-audio survival program for beginners that will get them conversing in no time!

Customer Reviews (1)

Let the Buyer Beware! Just a re-issued product with new title
LANGUAGELEARNERS( and the whole educational community ) BEWARE: This product and the entire "Speak with Confidence" series,as well as many other recent "releases by this company, "Teach Yourself" books, are just identical items to those released a couple of years ago ---with terribly misleading new covers, dramatic new titles ( accompanied by hype about how new , complete, etc. they are), but essentially no new content--in fact, in some cases, chapters are dropped and there is even significantly less content than in the slightly older releases , despite an "artful" repagination which makes it appear that these are no , more "complete" prducts. I ( a language teacher , retired UN interpreter and lifetime language learning fan) have been burned repeatedly by the company's deceptive advertising of these re-releases several times now ( wasting time and money buying them, after careful research and reading that the books involved were twice as long, etc.all of which was merely deceptive packaging), begging for refunds, etc. ---and complained to the company twice ---Once they "bought me off" by offering to send me a much shorter "freebie" and I accepted ---only to be taken in by a bigger, better disguised "new complete package " two weeks later---I contacted them on this one and their varioous replies consist of waffling , declarations about their new policy being a practice geared to ensure that the older products appear newer and fresher every few years, etc. ----but , as I stress to them repeatedly, all of this is simply , dishonest , a terrible disservice not only to customers but to standards in publishing , to the entire educational community and ultimately to civilization in general. I'm grateful that Amazon and other major marketers offer this review process as a means of warning the public and the world about such abuses: I told the company I would seek to expose these fraudulent practices and am now doing so__I hope this saves many the grieft that I and doubtless many others have experienced as a result of these misleading practices and the company's's continuing failure to correct them : If so the time and effort I've spent on this will not be in vain. sincerely, Joe Rodgers ( UN retired/teacher, Bridgeport,Ct USA ... Read more