Braj Bhasha
| Braj Bhasha | |
|---|---|
| Brij Bhasha | |
| ब्रजभाषा بْرج بھاشا Braj Bhāṣā | |
| Native to | India |
| Region | Braj |
| Ethnicity | Brajwasi |
Native speakers | 1,600,000 (2011 census)[1] Census results conflate some speakers with Hindi.[2] |
| Devanagari | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-2 | bra |
| ISO 639-3 | bra |
| Glottolog | braj1242 |
 Braj bhasa speaking region | |
The Braj language, commonly called Braj Bhasha, also known as Vraj Bhasha or Brij Bhasha or Braj Boli, is a language within the
Braj is spoken by people in the vaguely defined region of
A substantial amount of Bhakti or devotional poetry is in the Braj language. Some devotional poems for Krishna are also composed in Braj. Braj is also the main language of Hindustani classical music compositions.
The Hindavi poet Amir Khusrau (1253 – 1325) wrote some of his poetry in Braj Bhasha, as did the Sikh scribe Bhai Gurdas (1551-1636). Braj folk songs and poems include Chhaap Tilak Sab Chheeni by Amir Khusrau, and the devotional song Main Naahin Maakhan Khaayo by Surdas.
Geographical distribution
Braj Bhasha is spoken in the nebulous
- Hathras
- Mathura
- Agra
- Aligarh
- Firozabad
- Auraiya
- Etah
- Mainpuri
- Etawah
- Farrukhabad
- Kasganj
- Badaun
- Palwal
- Karauli
- Gangapur
- Bharatpur
- Deeg
It is also spoken in the western areas of Uttar Pradesh, mainly in Mathura district and southern areas of Palwal district
In Madhya Pradesh it is spoken in the districts of :
It is spoken in several villages of
Literature
Most Braj literature is of a mystical nature, related to the spiritual union of people with God, because almost all of the Braj Bhasha poets were considered God-realised saints and their words are thus considered as directly emanating from a divine source. Much of the traditional Northern Indian literature shares this trait. All traditional Punjabi literature is similarly written by saints and is of a metaphysical and philosophical nature.
Another peculiar feature of Northern Indian literature is that the literature is mostly written from a female point of view, even by male poets. This is because the saints were in a state of transcendental, spiritual love, where they were metaphorically women reuniting with their beloved. (In its inversion of the conventional genders of worshipper and worshippee, Maulana Da’ud's Chandayan departs from this tradition.)
Important works in Braj Bhasha are:
- “ pushtimargiya kiratan of ashtachhap.
- Yugala Shataka by Swami Sri Sribhatta Devacarya; known as the first 'Vani' book in Vraja Bhasha composed in the 14th Century AD as a part of Nimbarka Sampradaya tradition of Radha Krishna worship.
- Vinaya Patrika by Tulsidas
- Sur Sagar by Surdas[4]
- Buddha Charit by Acharya Ram Chandra Shukla
- Amir Khusro
- Eulogies by Kavi Bhushan
- Nayikabhed, Nakhshikh and satasattak by Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.[5]
- Vrind Satsai by Vrind (1643 - 1723), court poet of ruler of Kishangarh[6]
See also
References
- ^ "Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues - 2011". www.censusindia.gov.in. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
- ^ "Census of India: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues –2001". censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
- ^ ISBN 9780195139778. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
- ^ "Google Notebook". google.com. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
- ^ Atre, Shubhangana (2019). History. Maharashtra: Maharashtra state textbook bureau.
- ISBN 978-81-250-1453-9.
Further reading
- Snell, Rupert. 1991. The Hindi Classical Tradition: A Braj Bhāṣā Reader ISBN 0728601753
- Snell, Rupert. 2016. Braj in Brief: An introduction to literary Braj Bhāṣā