What is the history of the Urdu language? and is written from which direction?

What is the history of the Urdu language? and is written from which direction?

Urdu is a language spoken primarily in Pakistan and India, and it has a rich history that is closely tied to the region's cultural and political developments. The origins of Urdu can be traced back to the 12th century when it was a dialect of the local languages spoken in the region that is now modern-day India and Pakistan.

During the Mughal Empire, which ruled over much of the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the 18th centuries, Urdu began to develop as a distinct language. The Mughals brought with them Persian, which was the official language of the empire, and this had a significant influence on the development of Urdu. Many Persian words were adopted into the language and the script used to write Urdu was also derived from Persian.

In the 19th century, the British colonized India, and they also had a significant impact on the development of Urdu. During this time, Urdu literature began to flourish, with many poets and writers contributing to the language's rich literary tradition.

 

وطن لباس نہیں ہے بدل لیا جائے

(ظفرصہبائی)

How to separate the soul from the body

The country is not a dress to change.

(Zafar Sehbai)

خدا کے خوف سے میں کانپ کانپ جاتا ہوں

کہ جب بھی کوئی مؤذن اذان دیتاہے

سیفی سرونجی

I start feel trembling at the fear of God.
Whenever a muezzin gives the call to prayer

Urdu is written from right to left and uses the Perso-Arabic script, which is also used to write Arabic, Farsi and many other languages. The script is written using a combination of letters and diacritical marks to represent the sounds of the language.

In the 20th century, Urdu became an important language in the struggle for independence in India, with many leaders of the movement using it as a tool for political mobilization. After the partition of British India into India and Pakistan in 1947, Urdu became one of the official languages of Pakistan.

Today, Urdu is spoken by millions of people across the Indian subcontinent and is considered one of the most important languages of the region.

Urdu shayari, or Urdu poetry, is an important part of the Urdu literary tradition and has a rich history. It is known for its emotional and romantic themes, as well as its use of complex metaphors and imagery. Many famous poets and literary figures have contributed to the development of Urdu shayari over the centuries.

Here is an example of a famous Urdu shayari, with an English translation:

Shayari:

"Na tha kuch to khuda tha, kuch na hota to khuda hota
Duboya mujhko hone ne, na hota main to kya hota"

Translation: "If there was nothing, there was God, if there was nothing, God would be I was drowned by becoming, if I was not, what would I be"

This shayari by Faiz Ahmed Faiz is a contemplation on the existence and the role of God in our lives. It describes that God is present even in the absence of everything and the poet is questioning his own existence, if he wasn't there what he would be?

Another example of Urdu Shayari:

Shayari:
"Tum ko dekha to ye khayal aya,
Ki paani ko bhi tum ne piya hai"

Translation: "When I saw you, I thought, You must have even drunk water"

This shayari by Ghalib is a comparison of the beauty of the beloved with water. Water is essential for survival, similarly the beloved is essential for the poet's survival. The poet is saying that the beloved is so beautiful that it seemed as if the beloved had even drunk water, which is a metaphor for a pure and innocent beauty.

Both these examples illustrate how Urdu Shayari uses metaphor and imagery to convey deep emotions and thoughts, making it a rich and powerful literary tradition.