How Did Colonization Impact India’s Linguistic Diversity?

Pre-colonization, India had over 700 languages, seven language families, and thousands of dialects. This intense diversity created fluidity amongst languages depending on the region, situation, and purpose. This all changed with colonization, as a linguistic hierarchy was created that threatened the ease of switching between languages.

Although Britain did not ban the use of Indian languages, they imposed bureaucratic and educational rules. These policies led to some languages being categorized as “official” and therefore superior to the others. Languages were no longer as interchangeable before; some became recognized when others did not. 

A new hierarchy was created with English at the top. It became the language of government, higher education, economic advancement, and social status. Regional languages that were officially recognized became a second priority. They still had institutional support but only in designated territories. This led to the language being positioned as inferior to English, as there was limited possibility for communication when compared to the fluidity that existed before. Additionally, dialects and other smaller languages became devalued and were not given any institutional support. This also created class divides between people that had access to English-medium education and those that only had access to regional language-based education. Being educated in English allowed individuals to migrate for professional jobs, enter corporate workspaces, and more. This growing dependence on English and the harms it causes in the loss of culture as well as social inequality show one of the most debatable effects of colonization on India. Many argue that by introducing English in India, India was able to grow its economy, build a corporate and professional presence, and play an important role in global economies. 

Religion also played an important role in language identities. Hindi and Urdu, once considered varieties of the same language, became separated into a Hindu language and a Muslim language, respectively. Pre-colonization, individuals spoke various languages, and it had no bearing on their caste, religion, or occupation. Post-colonization, the language you spoke became a vital marker of your ethnic and religious identity. This stratification of religion through languages turned this symbol of culture and diversity into a political battleground for the Partition and independence movements.

One of the most important effects of colonialism was the psychological damage that colonialism did to Indians when speaking their own languages. The languages spoken at home differed from those spoken in the community, which differed from those spoken at someone’s job. What makes this unique from other experiences is that Indians did not travel or migrate to a new place to have this experience of linguistic displacement; the stratification happened around them.