LANGUAGE IN INDIA

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Volume 25:5 May 2025
ISSN 1930-2940

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The British Attitude Towards Language and the
Linguistic Background of 19th Century Assam

Monmi Kalita, Research Scholar
Professor Subasana Mahanta, Supervisor

Abstract

Assamese is one of the principal languages among the eastern branches of modern Indo-Aryan languages. Recognized under the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, Assamese is the state language of Assam. From the 14th century onwards, the language has been enriched by a continuous tradition of literary writing. In the context of the formation and development of the modern form of Assamese, the role of non-Assamese people is worth considering from various perspectives.

The Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826 liberated Assam from the long-standing Burmese oppression. However, it was only about twelve years after this treaty that the British brought the entire region of Assam under their control. Even before the Yandaboo Treaty, the British had a preconceived notion that Assamese was merely a dialect. After the treaty, the British made no real effort or took no responsibility to examine and establish Assamese as a distinct and independent language.

Overall, the colonial period was a transitional era for the entire Indian subcontinent. In Assam too, colonial rule had a profound influence on society, literature, and language. Specifically, in terms of language, the British attitude toward Assamese, the language policies implemented by them in Assam, and the removal of Assamese from schools and courts significantly affected the language's developmental trajectory. The approach of the ruling class toward Assamese and the promotion of Bengali in Assam instilled a particular attitude among the Assamese people toward their own language - an attitude that continues to influence the course of the language's evolution to this day. The colonial rulers, Christian missionaries who came to spread their religion and the Assamese writers of that time all contributed in their own ways to the development of the Assamese language.

This research work will explore the British rulers' attitude towards the Assamese language, the language policies they implemented in the context of Assam, and their role in shaping the linguistic landscape of 19th-century Assam.

Keywords:19th century, language attitude, language policy, linguistic background, Assamese language.

Introduction

Assamese is one of the major languages among the Eastern branches of the New Indo-Aryan languages. Recognized under the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, it is the official language of the state of Assam. Written literary records of the Assamese language can be traced back to the 14th century AD. Since then, the Assamese language has retained its unique characteristics. For the purpose of linguistic analysis based on the developmental trajectory of its linguistic features, the history of the Assamese language is generally divided into three stages. The final stage among these is termed as the "Modern Assamese Language."

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

MonmiKalita
Research Scholar
Department of Assamese, Dibrugarh University
Monmikalita098@gmail.com

Professor Subasana Mahanta
Supervisor
Department of Assamese, Dibrugarh University
Subasanam9@gmail.com

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