Thursday, October 15, 2009

AN INDIAN JOURNEY IN PALACE ON WHEELS



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: gajendra singh <kgajendrasingh@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 4:32 AM
Subject: AN INDIAN JOURNEY ON PALACE ON WHEELS
To: Gajendra Singh kgajendrasingh@gmail.com


 A JOURNEY THROUGH THE LEGENDRY  FORTS , PALACES, CITIES, BIRD & TIGER SANCTUARIES OF RAJASTHAN AND AGRA'S TAJ MAHAL

                                                                                                      IN THE COMFORTS OF YOUR                                 

                                                                       PALACE  ON  WHEELS  

                                               

                              ( Published in Turkish Daily News, Ankara, in 1997 )

 

We reached early in the evening the less crowded Cantonment Railway station of India's capital city Delhi for a week long sweep through Rajasthan's historic cities, legendary forts and magnificent Palaces, bird and tiger sanctuaries, savoring its traditional hospitality and culture capped with a visit to Taj Mahal in our "Palace on Wheels". At the entrance itself there was  festive atmosphere with guests being  received with  garlands by smiling former khadims of Maharajas . In all about seventy, we were escorted with traditional hospitality to our ethnically decorated but air conditioned bedrooms, mostly with two beds, hot and cold running water, shower, wash basin and WC. We quickly opened out our suit-cases , arranged our things and then strolled along the inter-connected  saloons  into a period bar  where a handlebar mustachioed Rajput offered us a welcome cocktail .After meeting some fellow guests ,we spent some time in the library with its many books on travel and then walked over to the period dining car. Most guests were settling down. Yes, there were some Indians too, NRIs, one with his US spouse , retired Ambassadors , businessmen ,executives and others. Making polite conversation and sizing each other up, exchanging information and visiting cards. With whom to group with and spend more time. Soon the Palace on Wheels (POW) started rolling out towards its first destination ; Jaipur,  Rajasthan's pink coloured capital. We settled down to gourmet food, with Indian, Western and Chinese delicacies to choose from and  found it better fare than at India's topmost hotels during our stops .Being a little tired but excited in anticipation, we returned to the luxury cabin to sleep early to accustom ourselves to early morning schedules. On the way liveried bearers attached to each carriage of  4 bedrooms and a cozy lounge  inquired when could the bed tea be served in the morning -an old Indian tradition. We had to be ready by 0730 hours

                       

                                               2nd Day - Jaipur, the Pink city

            .After tea in bed at 630 hrs with POW lined at the Jaipur station and a quick shower we went to the lounge for breakfast of juice ,omlettes, toasts, butter , jam , with tea or coffee. But at 630 hrs an assistant of  the state Chief Secretary ML Mehta,  had come to fetch us. Mehta and I had spent a year at New Delhi's National Defence College in1976 and have remained friends since then. We passed by the other POW guests being welcomed at the station in the traditional Indian ceremoney with shehnai music, garlands and caprisoned elephants .Mehta's car took us to his sprawling residence for breakfast with him and his family with all buildings and shops  on the way painted in the regulation rose pink. His son after a business degree exports  Rajasthan silks, handlooms and handicrafts ,famous for its exquisite workmanship and beautiful bright colours. Meeting after 7/8 years we exchanged news and views and after a sumptuous breakfast  left to join the group which after a drive through Jaipur city, planned with straight grid roads in 1727 by Maharaja Jai Singh would have reached Amber Palace , residence of Kachhwaha Rajput rulers since 11th century till the construction of the City Palace.

            On the way we  passed by  Hawa Mahal, ( Hall of breeze and wind), built for the women inside to watch in privacy processions outside. It  photographs impressively but is not so in reality. Because of  advance publicity many monuments donot measure  up to the expectations. Yes , Taj Mahal, Pyramids , Cappadoccia and Petra the pink Nabattean  city did. But not Abu Simbel, London's Thames bridge. Conveniently at Hawa Mahal there was a monkey dancing and a snake charmer too making a reptile sway to music.On way to Amber we passed by a shallow lake on the right I had first seen the lake and the city in 1967 as we drove down south through the hills from Delhi here.It was like passing through  Khyber Pass ,the Cilician gates or from the Syrian gates onto Issos where Alexander defeated  Darius III. We drove many times through it  when my daughter Bulbul was studying at the  Maharani Gayatri  Devi School, Jaipur and later Tinoo was sent in 1975 from Paris where I was posted ,to Mayo College Both the schools were established primarily to educate the children of ruling families. Rajasthan has many other good schools .

         Reaching Amber we  mounted the last of the wheeling and swinging up and down elephants to go up to the Palace. The panoramic view from the  Palace , one can see for scores of miles (ie enemy approaching )overlooking the lake is fantastic. We visited a replica of Moti Mahal, palace of mirrors with the guide demonstrating  with a candle its  multi-image stars effect. After the Palace  many went to the State Handicrafts Emporium for shopping but we drove down to Hotel Ram Bagh Palace , the last of the Royal Jaipur residences , a wing still occupied by the current Maharajah of Jaipur, (whose polo playing father and beautiful step mother Gayatri Devi were popular celebrities on French Riveira and the exclusive salons of Paris and London) We ate from  a lavishly laid out bufffet lunch. I found it spicy and hot but many in the group just lapped it up.

                After lunch  we saw the observatory, built by Maharajah Jai Singh , a great astronomer and the  City Palace, mostly in yellow and white -an exception to the rule ,which now as a museum displays Royal arms, textiles, jewelery, carpets  and has the usual shopping center  for tourists. We returned to POW only to freshen up and were driven up to hilltop Nahargarh Fort ,one of the Maharajah's resting places, from where the twinkling lights of the city below enhance the feeling of being in a dreamland. Till 1942 it used to be the treasury and it was rumoured that soon before India's independence  plane loads of jewlels were flown out to Europe. While we were having drinks before dinner a programme of folkloric dance, music and fire breathing magic tricks was arranged .The lead dancer thought herself no less than courtesan Umrao Jan from whose film she enacted some dance numbers. By this time everyone looking after us knew about me .The Rajputs were very proud that one of them was India's Ambassador .They refused to accept any money for drinks. We were  happy to meet them. We returned to POW and our beds. It had been a tiring day , but already we were dreaming of the Chittorgarh Fort , with its hoary legends of Rajput valour and sacrifice and the marble palace in Pichola lake of Udaipur.

                       

                                            Day 3; Chitorgarh Fort and Udaipur.

            Another early start. After breakfast we got into buses at 0730 hrs to drive up the hill through the seven massive fort gates( called Pols in Rajasthan )to Chitorgarh.- a stronghold of Sisodia Rajputs, who established their rule here in 6th cent AD and built up this highest Fort at 500 ft on this oblong hill .Three times they were attacked ; first in 1303 by the  forces of Turkish Sultan Allauddin  Khilji, then Bahadur Shah of Gujarat in 1534/35 and finally by Moghul Emperor Akbar  in 1567/68 .But each time they refused to submit and tens of thousands died while fighting  to the last man, with their women immolating themselves in fire( called Jauhar). After the last defeat they shifted to Udaipur .Unlike Jaipur Rajputs they  refused to give their daughters in marriage to the Moghuls. So the Maharanas of Udaipur ie  Mewar are ranked highest among the Rajputs .Of the many legendry and hallowed spots is  the 125 ft high Tower of Victory, a masterpiece in Jain architecture, built to celebrate victory over Gujarat ruler. Here we drank coconut  juice ,visited the Kali temple, which Rana Kumbha had built in 14 th century, after the 6 th century Sun Temple was destroyed by the Khiljis and the palace of legendry Queen Padmini who had refused to give in to the Khilji Sultan and  instead prefered to immolate herself . After a comfortable but non-descript 110 kms bus drive we reached Udaipur, surrounded by hills providing  strategic protection and artificial lakes dug  for drinking water and agriculture, When hard pressed Maharanas Partap and Udai Singh even left it to subsist on grass leaves but would not submit to the Moghuls even symbolically.

      After reaching Udaipur City Palace , one of the largest in India, we saw  marble Jug Niwas Palace floating on lake Pichola , now a hotel, one of the prettiest and most entrancing sights in the world ; its Maharani suite being very popular with honeymooners .We were taken there by a motorboat and received with garlands and Aarti by two comely Rajput maidens in true Rajasthani traditional welcome .The Palace has an atmosphere of langurous haze and relaxation.You feel like doing nothing ,just relax and gaze at the surroundings including another red sand stone Jag-mandir Palace on the lake and the reflection of the City Palace on the shore. A fabulous buffet lunch was laid out. Hungry, we did justice  quickly and rushed to see my elder brother Prof Virendra Singh ,who has been teaching  there since mid 1960s . So  whenever I go to India I visit him. We surprised them as the telegram of my arrival had not reached them . His wife Vishya is the daughter of Ramkot Rajah and grand daughter of Dulha House of Jaipur ,where  in 1968, when we first went there I was outdrunk by her mother in law and some other ladies, although most ladies donot drink. It was a chastening experience as at that time I could outdrink Turks , Sikhs and many others .Vishya was most hospitable and distressed that we would stay but  an hour or so as we wanted to see the City Palace  with its terrace gardens and penthouse suites for the Maharanas and their consorts .           

                        We caught the POW group and went round the city Palace  with its long and glorious history, its rulers claiming descent from the Sun god and saw the  costumes , armoury and other belongings of the Maharanas..We then walked over to the neighboring Palace with Chandeliers with a marvelous view. One of the Maharajahs had ordered from London everything made in crystal; tables ,chairs, sofas and even beds. Some of those Maharajas were really crazy. In the audience hall sitar and tabla provided soothing music while we had pastries, sand-witches, pakoras, cold drinks and tea.We went out to the balcony  to watch once again the beautiful ethereal view of the lake Palace as the dusk  was descending. We then rushed to Sahelion ki Bari, a garden created by Maharajah Sangram Singh for his daughter to stroll around with her friends. The illuminated fountains, run on water head differential , piped from Fatehsagar Dam, made it like the Hassasins paradise  in medieval times. To please the princess, in one corner the fountain showers created the tip-tip sound and a feeling of rainfall ,so rare in a desert. After this we made the return journey and at a tea stop I could not help but eat some hot crisp Kachchoris risking infection .We were  back into the POW , which soon starts rolling. We showered  and had drinks in the bar and  a leisurely dinner with most passengers animated and excited. Next stop was Swai Madhopur, hunting lodge of Jaipur Maharajah with its tiger and animal sanctuary and the tenth century Ranthambore fort , for which we must start early to see the birds and animals waking up.

And catch the tigers going out for the morning drink.

                        Fourth Day ; Sawai Madhopur and Tiger Sanctuary at Ranthambore.

                        While having bed tea ,through the dark windows of the still POW we could see the still life at Sawai Madhopur station coming to slow animation as if in a surrealist tableau. People  waking up, yawning and  tousling up their hair ,slowing walking to the water hydrant , brushing teeth with neem twigs. A new wave film director would have to just  let the camera roll on.We got up from our reverie , gulped down our tea and were the last to join the waiting jeeps which were  ready to drive us to the sanctuary to look for tigers. We passed by normal scenes of village life , with people going about their business  leisurely ,  water buffalows lolling in water ponds,  birds  chirping etc.  After entering through the gates of the sanctuary ,on right hand side 250 mtrs up ,we could see the ruins and  ramparts of the Ranthambore fort. When Alauddin Khilji stormed it in 1303, twenty thousand women commited suicide (jauhar). We drove across the fields along miles and miles of the lake ,hanging onto the jeep railings. We saw various kinds of birds ,deers, chinkaras and other animals.Other groups like us guided us to where a tiger had been spotted.We looked for normal tiger signatures - the panicky reaction of  birds and baying of terrified Sambal deer, tiger's most favorite meal. It appeared to be a wild goose chase going up and down till finally we saw one from quite a distance.(It can be seen in its video captured glory  filmed with  telescopic lense ) Everyone was happy and we returned to the POW for a late breakfast. Our next destination was the golden city of Jaisalmer in the middle of Thar desert, not far from the Pakistani border. I tried to read about  what we had seen and what was to come .We were excited and drawing on our adreline flow, now we realised how fatigued we were  after 3 hectic days of sightseeing ,drinking and eating  well and not getting enough sleep. We had a few pre-lunch drinks in the restaurant car with fields, villages and many forts in distance passing us by .After a  leisurely lunch a hazy languor took  over and we returned for a long siesta. It was Diwali day, the festival of lights to celebrate the victory of virtue over evil ,so as the dusk fell , we could  see fireworks in the sky and lamps and candles being lighted up in the villages and hamlets along the rail track.. Late in night for a little while we stopped at the deserted Jaipur station for the change of the POW service personnel and then proceeded on to Jaisalmer .We needed to sleep well to recuperate ;for the next three days schedule was equally exciting and physically hectic.

 

                   Fifth Day; Jaisalmer of Golden Castle, carved stone mansions and  camel ride

                        The early morning golden sun , which has inspired poets and laid the foundation of religions through millenia was just bathing the ramparts of  99 bastion massive sandstone castle founded by Rawal Jaisal in 1156 AD, with many additions of later date, making it aglitter like a giant gold jewel. Coming out of the POW we looked at it, photographed it and continued to gaze at it from the dining car while savoring the special Indian breakfast of puries and curry  Inspite of reading and seeing prints the sight was awesome in grandeur.We were given a very a  warm reception, as Jaisalmer located on trade routes in ancient and medieval times has little going for it now except tourists , with tens of thousands coming here every year and charmed by its castle and Havelis and doing word by mouth publicity. It enchanted Indira Gandhi when she visited it. It gets attention being near the Pakistani border ; the other reason for its fame is nearby Pokharan, where  India conducts its nuclear explosions.

                        But we first went to Gadi Sagar lake ,into which a rainfed desert river empties ,which sustains the citizens and animals year round .Lack or failure of rainfall can be catas-trophic . Around the lake are places of worship and pleasure with their myths and legends ,of rich courtesan and recalcitrant Rajah.The musicians serenading the guests welcomed us with local tribal women hawking  silver trinkets. We had another magnificent view of the castle looking  like a barnackled Noah's Ark .But first we went to the Havelis ( mansions) of rich traders and Viziers, who using local golden yellow sandstone and abundant local artisan talent have constructed beautiful buildings with carved balconies, latticed windows called Jharokas and designer facades.They were just magnificent and  open to public viewing.The bazars were just like my birthplace Bhiwani on the edge of the desert. I had a cold so I bought cough syrup to keep it at bay for a few more days .I was tempted to eat juicy sweets , but was afraid of getting infection. We then went to the giant castle , built on a triangular hillock on the advice of an oracle. My own ancestors although originating from another state  Karauli  belonged to the same clan of Jadon Rajputs. We went up passing by the gates , listening to myths and legends of chivalry and romance .At some spots  young turbanned kids (as also near the Havelis) on the approach of tourists broke into singing and dancing .Cute little boys they were ,joyous and colorfully dressed .We listened to the  history of Jaisalmer and passed by  living quarters, some still being used .At the end we reached a cluster of Jain temples, a pacific vegetarian sect of Budha days vintage but popular among traders of West India , particularly in Rajasthan and Gujerat. Exquisite and intricate carvings of various incarnations of its founder Mahavir Jain could be seen along with his life story depicted in beautiful stone carvings. We had lunch in a new hotel and some rest in POW.

                        We then drove out to Sam Sand Dunes 80 km into the desert for the piece de resistance ; a camel ride. It was fantastic for first timers; the undulating ride , rows of colorful camels riding on pure Sahara like  sand. For real enthusiasts there are camel safaris  all over Rajasthan.  Midway  there were musicians singing and playing on harmonium, Indian version of accordian. Far away from everywhere , tourists feeling liberated , high spirited  and happy spontaneously broke out into a celebration of dancing . A pure  expression  of joy and abandon . Many were taken up and danced with gusto. Private enterprise provided hiked up cola and water, even for your camel .By the time we returned to the starting point, a welcome cup of steaming tea was waiting and across miles of  sheer desert sand horizon the Sun was about to set in. So we  sat down to relax and watch it go down slowly with the sky slowly becoming orange red and crim-son.. Only a desert sunset is like that. So different from sunsets of  mountain tops , hills, lakes and seas. We returned to POW to wash up and change .Most ladies dressed  to kill and even men were all dolled up for an evening fare of local folk music and dances in the serene surroundings of Moomal Tourist Bangalow under a clear desert sky. We were in a partying  mood ; out to enjoy and dance.. First some  ladies joined in with  the local dancers and then almost everyone did and what an enjoyable evening it turned out to be .In the end it was disclosed that one of the sinuous dancers was infact a boy.  It had been a long and exhilarating but a tiring day. We were awed ,satiated, amused  and entertained and returned to POW to go on to Jodhpur of  Mehrangarh fort, one of the most picturesque forts to be seen anywhere in the world.

 

                                 Day 6, Jodhpur , Marwar stronghold of  Rathores.

              Today morning we did not have to hurry up, so after a leisurely breakfast, we boarded the bus for the Mehrangarh fort of Jodhpur, founded in 1459 by Rao Jodha , his  dynasty at its zenith of  glory, although it had begun in 1212.. We slowly walked up its various gates , as usual welcomed by groups of musicians . The ramparts and balconies were  high and there are legends of chivalry , love , bravery and sacrifice. In 1679 when Aurangzeb tried to convert its citizens to Islam, Jodhpur with Jaipur which had supported he Moghul dynasty joined up with  Udaipur and successfully defeated his designs. Like  Mediterenean coastal  cities which are white colored, or cream / white stone Amman, Jodhpur buildings and houses have  light blue color wash. They  must look dreamy on full moon nights. Romantic and ethereal. We saw the private premises of Maharajas , their ornate bed rooms , the creche rooms and other places with fantastic views and a hazy Taj Mahal like silhouette far away of Umaid Bhavan Palace, the only palace built in the 20th century. We were shown  how a Rajasthani turban was tied It is not easy. I had carried two tied ones to Dakar ( Senegal ) in 1978 for my  first credential ceremonies (also for Banjul,  Bamako, Praha and Guinea-Bissau).The Rajputana Rifles had sent their professional turnbanmen to do the job. Jodhpur fort even has a mosque. We then drove to white marble Chhatris, the Hindu crem-ation cenotaph of the Royal family. It was quite some thing with  the tourist guide exagge-rating the similarity between  names Christ and Krishna , the latter propounded Bhagvat Gita, the essence of Hindu philosophy. Never mind that ,we drove through the city to the Umaid Bhavan Palace, now a hotel with a wing occupied by the Royal family. The Maharani personally ensures the cleanliness and upkeep of the Mehrangarh fort  and when in residence the Maharaja , who  was once  Ambassador in the Carribean, comes down to mingle with the guests and see that they are happy. Umaid Bhavan in light pink sandstone with a beautiful garden at the back and an excellent view of Mehrangarh is massive but modern. Its architect Lancaster was influenced by Lutyens, who designed New Delhi residence of the English Viceroy, now occupied by Republican India's President. It was built as a famine relief project to provide employment to the ryaya of the kingdom in 1930s. After an excellent  lunch laid out for us , we returned to our POW to relax and some  went for shopping. The train started early to reach at 0600 hrs next day morning at Fateh-pur  Sikri , the  exquisite capital built by Moghul Emperor Akbar, but he was not destined to  stay there. We were very fortunate. The epicenter of full Sun eclipse was around the nearby Bharatpur bird sanctuary.

 

                           Day 7;Bird sanctuary, Fatehpur  Sikri, TAJ MAHAL and Agra Fort.

                                   

         ' --Only let this one teardrop, the Taj Mahal, glisten spotlessly bright in the cheek of heaven                                                                      for ever and ever-- '    Rabindra Nath Tagore

                       

                                    It was as well that we had an early night, although being the penultimate day, beginning to feel nostalgic of new friendships we had celebrations. After a few drinks , I opened  Champagne bottles and there was a special dinner .We thanked the dining car staff and room attendants .As an Ambassador ,belonging to the Rajput caste I had all along been given great respect and pride of place. I made a short  speech thanking the POW staff  for their  warmth and hospitality . They were superb.

                    But  the last day was going to be  tough. After quick  bed tea, we got into the luxury bus at Fatehpur Sikri to drive to Keoladeo Ghana National bird sanctuary, excavated out of a swamp to form a large fresh water lake in 1902 by the Maharajah of Bharatpur. Around 350 bird species are sighted every year including during peak winter season  Siberian cranes. We reached in time for the eclipse to commence. A large number of people from all over India have come to witness the total Sun eclipse; for this was a rare chance , as it was for us also. We looked at the flights of birds , of so many kinds. This was going to be  my first fully photographed and video-taped total eclipse. How the Sun's rays and light dimmed slowly The birds started making unusual noises , fearful and uneasy. It was not the usual chirping  we had heard on arrival. This was an unusual change of light for them. Soon it was almost total darkness early in the  morning. around 0830 hrs. It looked weird and we felt weird. No wonder our ancestors thousands of years ago gave such different and  fanciful meanings ,religious imputations and forecasts to such events in which many still continue to believe. And who knows , there may be some truth in them. Then the Sun emerged slowly from the shadow of the Moon and the Sunlight became normal. Once again peace returned , the birds were calm  and chirping quietly .With many hundreds others in the Park  we had collectively gone through a unique almost mystic experience.

                   We then realised  that we were hungry so we were taken to a Garden restaurant and enjoyed a buffet breakfast and moved on to Fatehpur Sikri, architecturally a beautifully designed city , near a permanent water source river Jamuna . Begun in 1567 it took 7 years to build but it didnot flourish. Akbar had to spend most of his time around Lahore to guard against attacks from the North West. and the Jamuna's course shifted away. Now situated in between the towns of Fatehpur (named after Akbar's victory in Gujarat) and Sikri, it is a marvel of city and palace planning. There are separate Mahals and suites for Akbar's many queens from different countries and religions, including one for Rumi Sultana from Turkey ,another for his chief Queen, a Rajput princess, mother of his son and heir ,Emperor Jahangir and a Christian one, all with their places of worship. After him it became a common practice to have Rajput princesses as queens , with in laws playing important role in successions and  holding key posts, like Commanders of Armies and bringing in the fiercely loyal Rajput warrior community into the Moghul fold ,which helped in laying the foundations of the Empire and its expansion .We also visited the Dargah of Shiekh Salim Chisti, who predicted birth of 3 sons to Akbar ;where people still flock to get their  wishes fulfilled. It is located in a large Mosque, whose courtyard of 110 and 140 mtrs can accomodate thousands of faithfuls and is entered through a magnificently carved Islamic style high gate called Bulend Darwaza. We then drove to Taj View Hotel for lunch.

                        Taj Mahal was built by Moghul Emperor Shahjahan in memory of his favourite queen MumTAJ ,whose death left him inconsolable and wherein the two now repose in peace. With generations of peace and accumulated wealth ,during Shahjahan's reign, the Mughal Empire reached its zenith of creativity .It took two decades and up to 20,000  workers, artisans and artists at a time to shape his dream into an everlasting luminous poetry in marble. The famous Peacock Throne was also created during Shahjahan's reign. First timers have  anticipation of encountering one of the  wonders of the world The first dazzling view should be seen from the main entrance and not the side one. We had some argument about taking my cameras inside, but the attendants were dimwitted. So I gave up. The group oohed and aahed and admired it from far and from near, from this angle and that and from all distances  It is one human  creation which more than fulfills all your expectations and transcends it . It is a different vision at different times of the day and  night ,month, season and year. It is beyond description .One has to see it to appreciate it and be seduced by its everlasting  rapturous beauty , height of human endevour in architecture  to chizzle an Emperor's dream into a shimmering vision in marble .Shahjahan was perhaps the guiding light as few authentic names of  architects are mentioned ; although among others one Isa Effendi Bey in Persian accounts is mentioned.

            The last visit was to magnificent Agra fort , built by Akbar in 16th century, Moghul's first opulent residence  before  Aurengzeb permanently shifted the capital to Delhi .It is a marvelous example of Moghul planning , garden landscaping ,architecture and construction with its Jahan-giri Mahal ,suites and chambers for the queens , concubines , harem girls, khadims and Halls for private and public audiences ,its beautiful pearly Moti Masjid, all framed  among lovely gardens and green spaces. Situated on river Jamuna it has a  panoramic sweep over the river bend  with a clear view of Taj Mahal from a distance .Alas Shahjahan, its builder ,was imprisoned here by his son and successor ,Emperor Aurangzeb and could only philosophise at the tragic turn of events.

            Educated ,entertained and dined on gourmet dinners , treated  like a Maharajah for a hassle free  week , but exhausted  we returned to our Palace on Wheels to recall , ponder,  assimi-late , think  and savor these memories for ever. It was some trip ,to be able to see so much in so little time. To see  what we did will take at least twice the time and twice the money with  the hassles of transferring to hotels and airports , hustling for taxis, queuing for Palace and fort entrance tickets, looking for Guides or  tea, mineral water or soft drinks and right restaurants for lunches and dinners .When the Chairman of Indian Railways was planning to bring out the moth-balled old Royal railway saloons and carriages used by erstwhile Maharajas and Nawabs of the Indian princely states for these travels, he was being so demanding that his adviser on tourism RK Puri, exclaimed "What you want is a Palace on Wheels." And that is what they have created. The  original saloons  having done duty the current ones while less luxurious are  more comfortable and functional with attendants at your service all the time .Tour escorts like Atul Jhala, scions of old ruling families with their grace ,quiet charm, dignity and politesse of nobility ensure air-conditioned coaches with professional tourist guides, many professors or experts in arts and culture, awaiting  you, without any worry of entrance fees ; cool drinking water or tea when you might wish for , escorting you to the best of shopping ; silks ,handicrafts , gifts for the loved ones and souvenirs .The comforts of a Maharajah created in a Republican India. What more can one dream and wish for ?.

 

                                                                           Amb.(Retd) K. Gajendra Singh   Ankara ,1997

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Wednesday, October 14, 2009

CONTRIBUTION OF TURKIC LANGUAGES IN THE EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF HINDUSTANI LANGUAGES

      CONTRIBUTION OF TURKIC LANGUAGES IN THE EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT ...
CONTRIBUTION OF TURKIC LANGUAGES IN THE EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENTOF HINDUSTANI LANGUAGES. K.Gajendra Singh. 1. The term
Hindustan ...
www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/turkish.html - 42k -
Cached - Similar pages                                        

Türk İşbirliği Ve Kalkınma İdaresi Başkanlığı
... Ahmet Mutahir, Avrupa-Orta Asya İlişkileri. Singh K. Gajendra, Türki
Dillerin Hindustani Dillerin Evrimi ve Gelişmesine Katkısı. ...
www.tika.gov.tr/yayinlar_etudler2.asp?ID=5 - 22k -
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CONTRIBUTION OF TURKIC LANGUAGES IN THE

EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF HINDUSTANI

LANGUAGES

 

K.Gajendra Singh

 

1. The term Hindustan has been used consciously so as to include Pakistan in it, by which name

the Sub-continent was known before its partition in 1947. This paper concentrates mainly on

languages as spoken by the masses, with their natural variations and not so much the written and

the literary forms. We will consider the two major languages, Hindi and Urdu, which are widely

spoken in Hindustan, although claims have been made that Urdu evolved out of Hindi and that

Hindi is only Urdu written in Devanagari script. But the fact of the matter is that both Urdu and

Hindi have evolved from the same colloquial base of Hindustani which was the lingua franca of

Hindustan till its partition. As the well- known scholar and outspoken historian Khushwant

Singh says, since then the Indians have made Hindi more Sanskritised and Pakistanis Urdu more

Persianised, with the result that it is difficult for a common man to understand either Hindi or

Urdu, specially their Radio and TV broadcasts. However, in spite of politically motivated and

necessary corrective measures which new ruling elites usher in to change the complexion of the

official language, if not the language itself, as has happened both in India as well as in Pakistan,

the lingua-franca spoken by the common man in Hindustan, specially those who are illiterate or

semi-literate has not changed that much since 1947. The best proof of this is the language

employed in Hindustani films made in Bombay (India) which really represents the spoken

language of the masses in most of India, and which also remains equally popular in Pakistan.

Whenever the film language became too Sanskritised, the films have not been very popular. At

the same time, when a film on 'Razia' (a Turkish Queen of Delhi) utilised too Persianised Urdu,

its lack of popularity could in some ways be attributed to the difficulty of the masses in

understanding it. Hindustani with its vast vocabulary, form and literary variety provides the lyric

and dialogue writer all the richness, elegance and nuances to express himself. Incidentally,

according to Encyclopedia Britannica (1990 Edition), more than 35 million Indians declared

Urdu as their mother-tongue while in Pakistan the number was less than one- fifth i.e. 6.7

million. (The compilation is old and estimates conservative.) Various forms of Hindustani are

spoken or understood by over 70% of Indian population. The Bombay films have played a major

role in spreading Hindustani in non-Hindi/Urdu speaking areas of South India and North-East.

 

2. The name Hindustani written as Hindoostanee was coined by an Englishman, Mr. J. B.

Gilchrist (1759-1841), who was the first President of the Fort Christian College, Calcutta which

trained British Civil Servants for service in India. Mr. Gilchrist also wrote a dictionary of

Hindustani and its grammar. As mentioned earlier, from Hindustani have emerged two literary

languages, Hindi in Devanagari script with literary and vocabulary borrowings from Sanskrit

and Urdu in modified Arabic script with borrowings from Persian. Hindustani is much older

form than Hindi or Urdu and many times it referred rather to the region and not so much to the

race or religion. As a matter of fact before the advent of Muslims and others in India, the

languages spoken in Hindustan were known as various Bhashas or Bakhas. Hindustani evolved

out of a score of dialects which are inter-related among themselves and to it. Some of these

dialects and languages are Hindwi, Khariboli, Brij Bhasha, Awadhi, Bagheli, Chhatisgari,

Bundeli, Kanauji, Bhojpuri, Maithili, Gujari, Rajsthani and when it was spoken in South it was

known as Deccani That these languages are dialects of Hindi as claimed by some is not strictly

true. Brij Bhasha was an important literary medium in 15th to 17th century. Both Brij Bhasha

and many other dialects are genetically of different Prakritic origin than Khariboli. All earlier

Hindi literature is in dialects other than Khariboli which became standardised and popular by

the end of the 17th century and language of literature only in 19th century. Brij Bhasha continued

as a medium of poetry till late 19th century. Thus, strictly speaking, the language of modern

Hindi literature is different from that employed in earlier period. The same can be said about the

Urdu which came to be written in the present form from 19th century onwards, although Urdu

poerty flourished much earlier.

 

3. One of the earlier writers of Hindustani was Amir Khusarao (1253 - 1325) a remarkable

scholar of Persian and Arabic but of Turkish origin. He is claimed both by the Hindi as well as

Urdu protagonists. His dictionary, Khaliq-bari, in verse, of, Persian, Arabic and Hindi words

helped spread Persian and Arabic words and development of Hindustani. In recent times,

writers like Premchand have been claimed both by Hindi protagonists as well as Urdu

spokesmen. The only difference was that the same writer wrote some times in modified Arabic

(Persian) script and some times in Devanagari script. In this paper we would use the word

Hindustani to include Hindi, Urdu and the other forms like Khariboli, Hindvi, etc.

 

4. The general perception is that Hindustani and its earlier forms evolved out of interaction,

since 11th century AD, between Muslim invaders, rulers, traders and religious men and others

who had come and settled in Hindustan from the north-west and the local Indian population.

Persian was then the language brought by sophisticated Muslim ruling elite from abroad, which

was used for administration, courtly intercourse, etc. Thus the main interaction was between

Persian and the Apbhramsa variation of Prakrit in North and West India, in particular the

Suraseni variety spoken around Delhi and later with the Dravidian languages in Deccan, out of

which Hindustani evolved and developed slowly and unevenly. Many of the books on the

evolution and development of Hindustani were written by the Englishmen in 18th/ 19th century,

who learnt and used it for administration as officers of the East India Company and the British

Empire. It is doubtful if any of them knew Turkish as by the time they arrived on the scene, the

pre-ponderence of Persian during the latter stages of Mughal empire was well established,

although some Turkish was still taught in some Medrasas and households. Persian and Arabic

continued to be taught at universities and schools during the British rule. Therefore, no credit at

all except for some vocabulary is given to Turkish languages in the history of development of

Urdu, Hindi or Hindustani. It is, of course, conceded that the word Urdu (Ordu in Turkish) itself

is of Turkish origin and it means army or military establishment, which was inducted into

Persian by 9l -Khanid historians and accepted in India by Sayyed ruler Khizr Khan for use by

his army and the Court, under the Timurid influence. By 17th century, during the Mughal rule, the

term, Urdu was generally applied to the imperial camp. The language Urdu/Lashkar

Bhasha/Hindustani perhaps started developing seriously as a means of communication from

end-12th century AD between the incoming Muslim rulers, soldiers, traders etc. and local

population, for use in administration, for trading with native shop-keepers, in harems, where

women and attendants were mostly of Hindustani origin. While Turks yielded to Persian words

in matters of administration, poetry and social intercourse, they retained many Turkish words for

military titles, weapons, military commands and organisations. Turkish derivations also exist in

the hunt and hunting, also in terms expressing relationships and conduct in court among the ruling

classes. We must not overlook the role played by Sufi saints in spreading Islam among the

masses by using the new evolving Hindustani. Even today, tombs of Sufi saints are revered

equally among Hindus. The objective of the paper is to advance the view that the Turkic

languages apart from vocabulary, have contributed much more than is acknowledged, both in the

basic structure as well as in the development of Hindustani languages.

 

5. The vast stretch of area comprising Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, north-west Hindustan,

Anatolian Turkey, Northern Iraq etc. has seen intermingling of various races, cultures and

languages throughout history. At least since the days of Mauryan Empire in India (4th century

BC) many rulers with their capital in Hindustan had Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia in

their domains. Therefore, the language of these rulers and their religion spread into Afghanistan,

Central Asia and Eastern Iran. Mauryan Emperor Ashoka and others sent Buddhist preachers up

to Central Asia and many of the tribes there became Buddhists. Turkic tribes like Sakas,

Kushanas, when they settled on India's borders and inside it also adopted languages and

religions of Hindustan. They also adopted Indian scripts which were also transferred to Central

Asia, specially Eastern Turkistan. The way for exchanges was well-known, through the valley of

Kabul river, Peshawar, Jalalabad and through well known routes to Tarim basin. As a matter of

fact this area provided links for commercial, cultural and political exchanges between China on

one hand and India, Central Asia and Western Asia on the other, where intermingling of people

with diverse culture, race, ethnicity, religion such as Indians, Turks and others took place. In this

area, Budhist stupas and shrines, a large number of Bhudhist writings in Prakrit and writings in

Sanskrit as well as in local languages of Central Asia, in Indian scripts like Brahmi and

Devanagari have been discovered, apart from a large number of secular documents, written on

wooden tablets, leather, paper and silk. There are also translations from Sanskrit in Kharosti

script. Translations include astronomical and medicinal subjects. Documents discovered in 10th

& 11th century from Turfan region which can be seen in Berlin cover subjects like medicines &

calendar based on Indian sources. Of course, the Turkish in these documents is quite different

from the present day Turkic languages (Uighur and Cagtai group) spoken in Eastern Turkistan i.e

Kazakhstan, Kyrghystan, Uzbekistan and the Sinkiang region of China. As many philosophical,

spiritual and religious terms of Bhudhism and even Hinduism did not exist, they were inducted

from Pali & Sanskrit into Turkish. Thus Turkish acquired many words of Pali and Sanskrit

origin, some of which have even gone into other languages; Ratan becoming Ardhani is an

example. An example how words change is illustrated from the Budhist word Dhyan

(meditation), which became Jhan in Chinese and Zen in Japanese.

 

6. Although the influence of the Turkic languages on Indian languages began in all seriousness

from 11th century AD onwards to which we will come to later, various Turkic tribes began their

interaction with Hindustan much earlier than that. After the collapse of Mauryan Empire in 3rd

century BC, a number of Central Asian Turkic tribes, known as Sakas in India and Scythians in

West, came to Hindustan and settled down there. Sakas were actually forced towards Hindustan

by Central Asian tribes, Yueh-chih, who also later entered Hindustan. Sakas ruled from Mathura

(South East of Delhi) and their well-known Kings in 1st century BC were Rajuvala and Sodasa.

They then shifted west to Rajasthan and Malwa. Yueh-chih's chief, Kujula-kara Kadphises

conquered North India in 1st century AD. He was succeeded by his son Vima, after whom came

famous Kanishka. Kanishka's tribe is known as Khushanas in Indian history. Their kingdom

based with Peshawar as capital extended as far as Sanchi in Central India and Varanasi in East

and also included large parts of Central Asia. Not surprisingly, administrative and political

terms from north and west India influenced similar terms in Central Asia. Kushanas became

Budhists and Kanishka spread this religion in Central Asia and elsewhere. Other major tribe

which entered later in 6th Century AD were Huns, a branch of Hephthalis or white Huns, whose

first king came to be known as Toramana in early 6th century and whose son Mihirakula was a

patron of Shavism, a branch of Hinduism. It has been said that these and other tribes which had

come earlier moved into Western and Central India i.e. in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Western

Madhya Pradesh, especially after the break-up of the Gupta Empire. Many historians claim that

by virtue of their valour and other qualities, these tribes were able to get themselves

incorporated into the hierarchy of the Hindu caste system i.e. Khatriyas and are known as

Rajputs (sons of Kings). It is no wonder that the Mongols and other Turkic speaking people

were able to form relationships with Rajputs so very easily. It is possible that some words of

Turkic languages might have been then absorbed in dialects or languages spoken in Rajasthan,

Gujarat and Central India, where these tribes settled. A common word is 'kara' which in Turkish

means 'black' and used for the same colour in West India and as 'Kala' in the rest of the country.

It is a moot point whether the word 'bai' which is written in Turkish as 'baci' and pronounced as

'baji' which means sister or elder woman has persisted from those days. But it was in areas of

Rajasthan and nearby, closer to Delhi where the seeds for the development of Hindustani

languages were sown.

 

7. After the expansion of Islam into Iran this religion soon spread to Central Asia. The Turks as

they advanced towards Anatolia and Hindustan via Iran and Afghanistan were also Islamised.

Being a simple but hardy people from the Eurasian steppes, where life was austere and without

frills, once the Turks acquired kingdoms, they also acquired along with it symbols and ways of

culture and civilisation, including the use of more sophisticated Persian (and Arabic), the

language of the people they conquered. (To begin with Omayands had also taken over Byzantine

system lock stock and barrel in Damascus). It is noteworthy that except in Central Asia, which

remains the home of Turks and Anatolia i.e. Republic of Turkey (and Azeri areas), in most of the

other areas they ruled, the Turks adopted the language of the ruled, albeit they introduced some

of their own vocabulary and influenced the grammar of the language of their subjects.

 

8. In the medieval history of Hindustan, the Turkic tribes played a major role among the Muslim

conquers and rulers who came and made India their home. The Turkic raids began in the first

half of 11th century starting with Sabuktgin and the process of establishment of their kingdoms in

North & West of Hindustan started from late 12th century. Although Sindh was conquered by the

Arabs, soon after the establishment of the Abbassid Khalifate in 8th Century AD, this played

directly only a marginal role in influencing the culture and civilisation of Hindustan. It is

interesting that in Malayalam (language of Kerala), Hindustani is known as Tuluk Bhasha and the

word Tulukan used for Muslims and Tulukachi for Muslim woman. The languages spoken by the

people of Turkey is called Tuluk Bhasha. This is interesting because the relations between the

Kerala coast and the Arab world predate Islam and there has been constant interaction between

the Malabar coast of Kerala and the Arab world but still the word for a Muslim is Tulukan.

 

9. The impact and embedding of Islam and Islamic and Turkish culture into Hindustan took place

during the Turco-Afghan period of India's history from end-12th century to early l6th century

(and continued during the Mughal period). Even if some of the Sultans and rulers claimed

Arabic or Afghan descent, the majority of the elite consisted of people of Turkic & Turanian

origins ( not many of these tribes and individuals came from the Rumi Seljuk or Ottoman

territories.) Many of them came as simple soldiers and some period chieftains. From the very

early days of the Islamic history (second half of Abbassid period), many non-Turkish kings and

Sultans maintained Turkish households of slaves brought over from Central Asia which

provided them loyal soldiers and military leaders. Many of them rose by hard work and merit

and reached the top ranks of the ruling elite and King makers. Some even became Sultans.

 

10. Some of the prominent names of Turkish rulers in Hindustan are Mahmud of Ghazni,

Muhammad Gori, Kutubuddin Aybak, Iltutmish, Balban, and of course, Khiljis (known as

Halach, in Turkish kh becomes h) and Tughlaks. According to some estimates, the Turks

comprised up to 60% or more of the ruling elite during the medieval period of Indian history. It

should also be noted that Timurid King, Babar, founder of the Mughal dynasty, was a Cagtai

Turk and wrote his Babarname in Cagtai and not in Persian. So did his sons Humayun and

Kamran write poetry in Turkish. However, by the time of Akbar's reign the percentage of Turkish

chieftains in the ruling elite had been reduced to one-fourth. It was a conscious political

decision, as Turks and specially Mongols, nomad by life style, are more independent by nature

and believe in equality and freedom. The Turanian/Mongolian concept of ruler ship is vested in

the family and not in an individual. Humayun and Akbar had great trouble in subduing and

disciplining their Turanian/Mongol origin nobles. Preference was given to Persians, Afghans &

converts.

 

11. It has been rightly claimed by many scholars in South India that a considerable process of

development and even preservation of Hindustani took place in Deccan where it came to be

known as Deccani, although the seeds of the birth of the language had been sown in North India

from where it was taken to Deccan by Muslims conquers starting with Turkish Khilji (Halac)

rulers and later Tughlak (again Turkish) rulers; Muhammed Tughlak even shifted his capital to

the South for some time. Later a large number of kingdoms by Turkic tribes, in which they

formed a fairly large proportion of the elite, were established in South India, i.e Bijapur,

Golcunda, etc. When Allaudin Khilji conquered Deccan, the appointed Turks as chiefs for each

villa e to look after its security, safety and administration. Most of them called their relatives to

assist them. Thus both in the beginning of the evolution of Hindustani in the North and later in its

further development in Deccan, a majority of the elite was of Turkic origin who while using

Persian for administration must have used Turkish at inter-personal level and thus helped

continue evolution of Hindustani in its various forms. The Deccani period also saw influx into

Hindustani of not only Dravadian words but also its influence on its grammar and syntax and

vice versa. We might even say that the Deccani period probably saved Hindustani from

becoming totally Persianised as perhaps happened to it at many places in North India,

 

12. It has been estimated that Hindustani and Turkish have thousands of words in common,

mostly from Persian and Arabic, Some estimates put them around three to four thousand, with

over five to six hundred words of Turkish origin in Hindustani. The comparison is basically

with the Republic of Turkey's Turkish (of Oguz family), which since 1930s has been purged of

many Arabic and Persian words. Perhaps the number of common words between Hindustani and

Turkish as spoken in East, i.e. Uzbekistan and East (Uighur and Cagtai family) could, perhaps,

be more. Some examples of Turkish words in Hindustani are: Top, Tamancha, Barood, Nishan,

Chaku, Bahadur, Begum, Bulak, Chadar, Chhatri, Chakachak, chikin (embroidery), Chamcha,

Chechek, Dag, Surma, Bavarchi, Khazanchi, Bakshi (accountant), Coolie, Kanat, Kiyma, Kulcha,

Korma, Kotwal, Daroga, Koka, Kenchi, Naukar, etc. Obviously, the number of Turkigh words in

Hindustani is not as large as that of Persian and Arabic, because, the latter was the language of

the Holy Koran (although Seljuk Turk rulers in Asia Minor and Iran had discouraged use of

Arabic except for religion), which exercised influence over all believers and the former was the

language of administration and aristocracy. I presume studies on the influence of Turkish on the

Persian language and Arabic, have been done.

 

13. Hindustani has surprising similarity in Grammar and Syntax structure with Turkish, though

origins of both the languages are from different language families. For example, normally both in

Hindustani and in Turkish first comes the subject, then the object etc. and finally tie verb, i.e.

SOV order unless emphasis is to be given, with somewhat similar stem endings. There are

considerable resemblances in the declensions of the verb in Turkish and Hindustani. But,

Turkish has only one gender while Hindustani has two. As I know soma Arabic, I can say that

there appears no similarity at all between Hindustani and Arabic syntax and grammar. I know

little Sanskrit or Persian grammar, but both languages belong to the same family of Indo-Iranian

group and my feeling is that their syntax is also closer to Hindustani. While Persian like Turkish

has one gender, Sanskrit has three, i.e. male, female and neuter. Sanskrit also allows more

flexibility in the placing of subject, object, etc. It may be admitted that human beings while

evolving speech patterns did not have much choice in shuffling subject, object, verb, etc. Still

that Sanskrit/Persian syntax is somewhat similar to Turkish, is a somewhat strange coincidence,

the latter belonging to the Ural-Altay group of languages. With Hindustani the similarity is

further accentuated. It may also be noted that the areas from where Turkish and Indo-European

languages emerged in Central Asia were not far from each other. Some similarities with Sanskrit

are: dvihyrdaya (carrying two hearts, pregnant), in Turkish "iki canli" means, the same, two

lives. In Hindi/Sanskrit, we have Chitrakar (painter), Murtikar. In Turkish we have "Sanatkar"

(Artist), Curetkar (courageous). Sun in Sanskrit/Hindi is Dinesha, while in Turkish it is

"Gunes." First segment in both "din" and "gun" means day - perhaps linked with sunrise in cold

climate. We may also note that the syntax of Germanic languages is quite different from Sanskrit

and Persian, which are supposed to belong to the same family of Indo-European languages. We

may now look at more similarities between Hindustani and Turkish. (Please note that in Turkish

C is pronounced as J and C as Ch, G is silent when placed between vowels, which it

accentuates. H: stands for Hindustani and T: for Turkish.)

 

14. There are no articles or declensions in Turkish or Hindustani; the relationship of the words

are expressed through 'case endings' as well as post-positions. (It would be interesting to study

if Turkish helped speedy change-over from declensions to post-positions from Apbhramsh to

Hindustani). The infinite noun functions as nominative and as indefinite. The accusative has thus

two forms: the definite (with accusative ending) and the indefinite (the same as the nominative).

Thus, "call a girl" - H: "ek larki bulao" T: "bir kiz çagir" but "call my servant", H: "mere naukar

ko bulao"- T: "Benim hizmetciyi çagir". The word order in Turkish and Hindustani is same

(This is also so in the following examples).

 

15. The genitive comes before the agent e.g. 'the son of the teacher' T: 'ustanin oglu' H: 'ustad ka

beta'. The genitive also expresses possession: 'whose house is this?' T. "Bu ev kimindir?", H:

'Woh ghar kiska hai?'. If a noun is in present, it goes into the genitive. It must therefore be

constructed as: 'the man(he) has a house', T: "Adamin bir evi var", H: "Adami ka ek ghar hai".

Also 'to have' as incidental possession is similarly expressed: "I have a book", T: 'Ben de bir

kitab var', H: 'mere pas ek kitab hai'. The ablative is also used to express the comparative case:

'the elephant is larger than the horse' T: 'Fil attan buyuktur', H: 'Hathi ghore se bara hai'. For

emphasis both languages use the Arabic adverb 'ziada' - for more. 'In addition it can be rendered

as in T: 'daha' or in H: 'bhi'. The adjective is before the active or passive voice and does not

change except in the case of (in H) adjectives ending with a. "The/a good girl, T: "iyi kiz", H:

Achhi lardki". The adjective can be strengthened in both languages through simple repetition as

well as through the adverb "very much " T:( pek çok); H:( bahut).In H:' Ahista ahista' (slowly),

T:' yavas yavas'. Quickly becomes, T: "çabuk çabuk", H: 'Jaldi Jaldi'( not used in Arabic and

Sanskrit perhaps). Sometimes alliteration is used, for example, H: 'ulta multa' mixed up. The

alliterations are found especially in the passive or active voice (substantive) e.g.;. H: "kitab

mitab" - books and suchlike and "bartan wartan"- dishes and suchlike, "Hara bhara"(Green),

"Chota mota"(small). In Turkish, 'kötu mötu' (so-so), 'çocuk mocuk'(children etc), 'tabak mabak',

(plates and suchlike). Popular in both languages are doubled substantives: Turn by turn or "again

and again", becomes in T: "dizi dizi" and in H: 'bari bari'.

 

16. Distributive are also thus expressed: "each man", T: "bir bir (or tek tek) adam," H: "ek ek

adami", the interrogative further contains the meaning of the indefinite: "whoever", T: "kim kim",

H: "jo jo". With number it is, T: "iki defa" H: "do dafa" (twice); 40 doors, in H: "Chalis

darwaza", T: kirk kapi. In both languages numbers are preferably expressed without 'and/or' e.g.

'five or ten', H: panch das, T: bes on. Post positions are characteristic in both languages; 'for the

dog'in H: 'kutte ke vaste', T: 'köpek için'; and towards the house', H: 'ghar ke taraf', T: 'evin

tarafina'. As mentioned earlier, the verb is always found at the end of the sentence. The normal

sentence structure SOV is illustrated as follows: 'I give this thick book with pleasure to that

good child', T: ben sevincle, o iyi çocuga bu kalin kitabi veriyorum, H: 'main khushi se us achhe

bacche ko yeh moti kitab deta hun'. In Turkish, verbs are often used with a Substantive or

Participle e.g. 'etmek' to make and 'olmak' to be, in H: 'karna'- to do, and 'hona' -being. For

'search' T: 'telaÿ etmek', H: 'talas karna'. Or 'be present', T: 'dahil olmak' H: 'dakhil hona'.

Factual verbs are also similarly constructed. H: 'bana' (made), 'banana' (make), 'banwana' ( have

it made); in T: 'Yapmak' (make), 'yaptirmak'( have it made), ;yapilmak'(to bo made); H:

'Badalna'(to change oneself), 'badlana'(changing), badalwana (to have it changed) becomes in T:

'degismek' (to change onself), 'degistirmek' (to change) and 'degistirtmek (to have it changed).

 

17. Indirect speech is made direct 'tell him to come here', H: 'Idhar ao usko bolo', T: 'buraya

gelsin diye ona söyleyin'. The verb root ending - ip in Turkish and the simple verb root in

Hindustani attached to the principal verb show the order of occurrence of an event. For example,

'they saw the thief and held him fast', H: 'chor ko dekh umon ne usko pakra', T: 'Hirsizi görup

yakaladilar'. The constructed verbal form (in Turkish)- arak and (Hindustani)-kar, -arke serves

in the rendering of Subordinate or dependant clauses - 'in which, during' e.g. 'taking a vessel, he

went to the well' H: 'bartan lekar kuan par gaya, T: 'Canak alarak kuyuya gitti'. Also common

adverbial expressions such as 'he came running', T: 'Kosarak geldi', H: 'daurkar aya'. As in

Turkish the twice repeated verb root plus e shows repeated or continuous action, as does the

twice repeated verb of the present participle, H: 'main tairte tairte thak gaya', T: 'Yuze yuze

yoruldum'. Both languages have a number of vowel compositions, (in Hindustani) as when the

root as well as the (in Turkish) root plus a are set together with the declenated infinitive e.g. 'to

be able to speak' T: 'konusabilmek', H:'bol sakna', 'he began to say' H: 'woh bolne laga', T:

'Söylemege basladi'. Some similarities in idiomatic expressions are: the showing of suffering is

pointed out through the expression of 'eating'- e.g. H: 'lakri or mar khana'; T: 'Sopa yemek' - to

eat the stick - to get a beating. Endure suffering or to grieve, becomes in T: 'Gam yemek', H:

'gham khana'. (Note: Many of the above mentioned examples have been taken from a 1955

article by Otto Spies on the subject - the only paper on the subject I have come across since I

published my earlier paper on 1.6.1994.)

 

18. The examples quoted above on the similarities of syntax, vocabulary, etc. Between Turkish

and Hindustani are based on comparison with the Ottoman and the present- day Turkish i.e. Oguz

branch as spoken in the Republic of Turkey. Syntax etc. of Turkish is quite similar to Eastern

Turkish i.e. Uighur branch although there are variations. But certainly the Eastern Turkish must

be closer to Hindustani as most of the Turkic tribes who came to Hindustan belonged to that

area. It may also be mentioned that of the common words in Turkish and Hindustani, whether of

Turkish origin or otherwise, 20% have quite different meanings and nuances when used in

Hindustani. This, of course is, true of even languages which have developed and evolved in

separate regions and are influenced by the environment and other factors and become quite

different from the original. Even in Turkic countries, the same words have different meaning e.g.

in Turkey or say in Sinkiang, Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan. It is for this reason that the Turkic

governments have set up Commissions consisting of scholars from Turkic speaking countries of

Central Asia, Turkey and Azerbaijan to prepare a comparative dictionary and grammar. (last

such attempt was made by Mahmud AI Kashghari in the 11th century AD.) The newly

independent countries in Central Asia feel that they must harmonise the syntax, grammar and

vocabulary of their languages. This has been the objective of many get togethers of Turkic

people, scholars and academicians, which have started taking place. Perhaps some Sanskirt,

Hindustani and Persian scholars could also join and discover further resemblance between

Turkish and Hindustani languages.

 

19. We will leave it to linguists and philologists to work out how Hindustani languages evolved

and developed but to a layman it is clear that people learn or try to learn the ruler's language or

of a dominating power. It is for this reason that we see the dominance of English and French in

their former colonies and the lasting influence of these languages on the languages of the latter.

And it is for this reason alone that English continues to dominate international communications,

earlier because of the British influence and now on account of ths USA. I believe that even

whene languages were imposed, it is not as such the movement of races, as claimed, but only of

the powerful elites; military, political or economic. There were Copts and Berbers in North

Africa when the Arabs came and Byzantine Christians when Turks entered Asia Minor. Turkey

sent over 1.5 million Christians to Greece in 1920s out of a population of over 11 million, in

exchange for Muslim Turks; this was after 6 centuries of Islamisation and Turkification.

(Ironically, these included many thousand Christian Turks, who had come to Asia Minor earlier

than the Muslim Turks and had remained Christians.) Moldova's Turks called Gagaoz are

Christians. Thus the languages and religions of the ruled do not change quickly and continue to

interact and affect each other. So was the case in Hindustan and elsewhere.

 

20. According to linguists the evolution of Hindustani or any other language is a result of contact

situation in which more than two languages interact on the basis of belonging to the ruler and the

ruled. The socio-linguistic forces give power and prestige to the languages of the ruler with the

result that it begins to exercise linguistic influence on the language of the ruled. First in the field

of vocabulary and later on in some vulnerable areas of syntax. But linguistic resemblance, apart

from common parentage, can also be based on geographical and physical proximity. Essentially

different but geographically and physically proximate languages are often known to exhibit

shared linguistic features. This probably explains similarities in Sanskrit and Turkish as these

languages originated around Central Asia. This also explains the similarities between

Indo-Aryan and Dravidian languages or Persian, Turkish and Hindustani. This feature was

studied in detail by Mr. Emeneau, which led him to develop the concept of linguistic areas.

perhaps Central Asia, Anatolia, lran, Afghanistan and North Hindustan could be said to belong

to overlapping linguistic areas, where languages belonging to different families have acquired

common traits following interaction, as a result of which, this vast area shows shared linguistic

features like word-order, reduplication, inter-relations, negations, compound words etc. This

also explains similarities between Deccani Hindi and Telgu in certain areas of syntax.

 

21. It is noteworthy that except for some inscriptions near Orhon river, which are in Turkish

Rhunic script, which itself was derived from Aramaic (a fact contested by many experts), the

mother script of Semitic languages, Turkish has been mostly written in the script of the ruled

people. Brahmi, Kharoshti and Devanagri scripts, though not of the ruled, are perhaps the

earliest of scripts used for writing Turkish as spoken by Uighur Turks in Eastern Turkistan. They

were used in spite of many difficulties in expressing the Turkish vowels (not easier to write in

Persian or Arabic script either) which do not exist in Hindustani languages. Brahmi script is of

Indian origin; it might have been inspired by the Aramaic script, but is not related to it and was

used widely in Hindustan even before the Budhist era and was used by Mauryan King Ashoka

for inscriptions in India and elsewhere. It was taken to Central Asia and other neighbouring

countries. Out of Brahmi have evolved most other North Indian scripts like Devanagari, Bengali,

Gujarati etc. Apart from the modified Arabic script, the other scripts used for writing Turkish

are Cyrillic, introduced by the Russians in what are now Central Asian Republics, although at

one time it was written in the Latin script. This change-over to Cyrillic perhaps took place both

because the Turkish Republic had adopted it in early 1930s and for reasons of state, i.e.

maintaining a scriptal cohesiveness. The Russians wanted its citizens in Central Asia to use the

same script as of the dominant Russian language for easy switch over. It has been alleged that

during the Soviet days, differences in meanings of Turkish words in different republics were

encouraged. Thus Turkic languages have evolved differently in Eastern Turkistan, i.e.

Uzbekistan, Kyrghystan Kazakhstan etc. Sinkiang Turkish with reduced contacts has perhaps

developed peculiarities of its own. To remedy the situation, the Government of Turkey has

granted tens of thousands of scholarships to students and teachers from Turkic Republics. A

large number of Turkish teachers have also gone to teach at schools and universities in these

countries. Students coming from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrghystan, etc. take a few months

before they can fully master the Turkish as spoken in the Turkish Republic. The Turkic

Republics have considered the question of change over from the Cyrillic to the Latin script.

Azerbaijan has already done so after adding three more alphabets to the script used by Turkey.

Turkmenistan had decided to switch over to the Latin script with some modifications from 1st

January 1995. Others have not decided yet. The choice is not easy as switch-over to Latin script

while opening a window to Turkey and all that Turkey has done through translations and

assimilation of knowledge from the West, would cut these Republics from their immediate past,

written in the Cyrillic script. Switch over to the Arabic script would be a political decision, as

it will make access to the Persian-Arab Islamic world easier. Those responsible for the

decision for the change-over have to consider political, cultural, religious, economic and other

ramifications.

 

22. It would appear that the Turkic rulers were much more statesmen-like and liberal in

interaction with those whom they ruled. They did not insist on their language being imposed on

the new subjects, notwithstanding the fact that the languages of some of the ruled were much

more developed than Turkish. (For beautiful, like, love; for example, Turkish has very few

synonymous, unlike say Persian, Sanskrit, Arabic, etc.) It has also been suggested that many

Turkish rulers became Muslim for political and state-reasons. It automatically combined the

powers of the Sultan and the Khalifa, thus making it easier to rule the domains. Of course, as

regards Turkish expansion of Ottoman Empire and into Hindustan, being a Gazi provided great

incentive and booty. Some have even raised doubts whether Ertugrul, father of Osman who

established the Ottoman (Osmanli) dynasty in Asia Minor (Anatolia) was Muslim by birth. It has

been suggested that he converted to Islam when he married the daughter of a powerful Islamic

Sheikh to strengthen his position. But there is no conclusive proof for this, notwithstanding the

fact that many Turks like Gagaoz and others have remained Christians. Some suggestions have

been made recently (Prof. Julian Raby of Oxford has done a PhD thesis on this subject) that

Fetih, the Conqueror of Constantinpole, seriously considered in 1450s embracing Orthodox

Christianity, as Westwards the population was mostly Christian and even in Asia Minor a fairly

large percentage of population might still have been Christian. lt was nearly 15% in as late as

1920s. The generosity of the Turkish rulers and their political wisdom and acumen is proved by

the fact that they allowed people of other religions i.e. Christians, Jews, Armenians to have their

own millets. As long as they paid their taxes, they were allowed to run their own affairs and

even contribute to the economic well-being of the state. As regards Turkey, then known as Asia

Minor, it was part of the Byzantine Empire and the Turkish blood (if one can measure it?) among

the residents of the present day Turkey may not be more than 20%. It may be recalled that the

Ottoman rulers themselves used the slave households system called Devsirme, through which,

for hundreds of years, they recruited young non- muslim Christian boys, mostly from Balkans.

Out of them emerged the Janissary corps and high level military and civilian leaders, including

grand veziers. Only one-third of grand veziers could claim Turkish descent. Barring a few,

mothers of most of the Ottoman Sultans were non-Turkish, a large number of them Christians.

The former were allowed to have their religious entourage and many Ottoman princes were

brought up almost as Christians. These examples have been given to state that Empires did not

change their religious, ethnic or linguistic character suddenly. There were long periods of

interaction between various religions, races, languages and cultures, one affecting the other. No

wonder, in Istanbul, Ankara and elsewhere in Turkey, many resemble the peoples of Balkans

and Yugoslavia who dominated the Ottoman elite. In fact, anthropologists have counted more

than 20 ethnic groups in Turkey.

 

23. Similarly in India, once the Turks had decided to settle down, they started inter-mingling and

inter-mixing. Allaudin Khilji and his sons married daughters of Hindu Kings and from the

earliest period set an example. Hindus occupied positions of power in his court. The practice of

marriages with families of Hindu Kings, especially in Rajasthan became very common after

Mughal Emperor Akbar. Akbar and his descendents gave full honour and positions to their

in-laws. Many of them were Mughal Commander-in-Chiefs and high officials. Accountants and

many Veziers like Birbal were Hindus. If Mehmet, the Conqueror, thought of embracing

Christianity, Akbar conversed with the sages of all religions, of which his populace consisted of

and even evolved a new religion 'Din-e-Elahi'. In contrast, Aurangzeb following fanatic policies

virtually destroyed the empire, built up by his forefathers. The inter-mixing and respect for

others' languages, religions and culture co-existed with some equality and were able to influence

each other.

 

24. The objective of this paper is to start discussions and further research on the question of

influence of Turkic languages on Hindustani languages, especially on Hindi and Urdu and their

various forms. Except from late 18th century till first half of 20th century there was constant

exchange and interaction between the peoples of Hindustan and Central Asia. (After India's

independence, she was able to maintain cultural and other contacts with Turkic people in the

former Soviet Union.) Now that, after the break-up of the Soviet Union, countries in Central

Asia like Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrghystan, Kazakhastan, have become independent, more

contacts and cultural and literary interaction can and should be established. The new era

provides an opportunity not only to discover old historical and cultural relationships between

the peoples of Hindustan and Turkic Republics and others, based on archives available in newly

emerged Turkic Republics and elsewhere and those lying unutilised and unread in the Hindustan;

but also to build on them further.                                                                                  

 

                                                                                                      

 

 

                                                                                                                   30 March ,1998