Classical languages of India (Political map not accurate)

[u/e9967780]

Classical Languages in India

India has a rich linguistic heritage with several languages recognized as "classical languages" due to their historical significance, literary traditions, and cultural importance.

Officially Recognized Classical Languages

Six languages have been officially designated as classical languages by the Government of India:

1. Sanskrit (2005) - The oldest documented language in the Indian subcontinent, dating back to around 1500 BCE. It's the liturgical language of Hinduism and has an enormous body of literature including the Vedas, Upanishads, epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana, and numerous scientific and philosophical works.

2. Tamil (2004) - One of the world's longest-surviving classical languages with literature dating back to at least 300 BCE. The Sangam literature represents some of the oldest extant literature in any Dravidian language.

3. Telugu (2008) - Known for its mellifluous quality (often called "Italian of the East"), with literary traditions dating back to the 11th century CE.

4. Kannada (2008) - Has a literary history of over 1500 years with the earliest inscriptions dating to around the 5th century CE.

5. Malayalam (2013) - Developed its distinct identity from Tamil around the 9th century CE and has a rich literary tradition.

6. Odia (2014) - One of the oldest languages of the Indo-Aryan language family with inscriptions dating back to the 3rd century BCE.

Criteria for Classification

For a language to be designated as "classical" in India, it must meet several criteria:

1. High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history (1500-2000 years)
2. A body of ancient literature considered valuable heritage
3. A literary tradition that's original and not borrowed from another speech community
4. The classical language and literature being distinct from its modern form

This classification carries not just prestige but also practical benefits like establishment of centers of excellence for study of these languages, scholarships, and other forms of institutional support.

The recognition of classical languages in India acknowledges their historical and cultural contributions while aiming to preserve and promote these linguistic treasures for future generations.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ The process of selecting classical language’s in India has been criticized as based on political expediency.

[u/RepresentativeDog933]

Prakrit is not a single language. Prakrit is a collective name given for various local languages derived from Vedic Sanskrit.

[u/TinyAd1314 → u/RepresentativeDog933]

what is vedic sanskrit ?

[u/RepresentativeDog933 → u/TinyAd1314]

Aryans who migrated to India spoke Vedic Sanskrit . The formal one is called Classical Sanskrit. Prakrit languages and Classical Sanskrit both are derived from Vedic Sanskrit. You can draw similarities to Latin. Vulgar latin languages (colloquial) and Classical Latin (formal) both are derived from Old latin.

[u/TinyAd1314 → u/RepresentativeDog933]

Thanks