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Communication

Ancient India Language           Modern India Language

Communication in Modern India

There are four major language families in India.

          1. Indo-Aryan            2. Dravidian              3. Austro-Asiatic           4. Sino-Tibetan  
      
These four language families have given birth to hundreds of languages and dialects in every part of India.  The government of India recognizes about 20 languages, but it conducts its business in only two: English and Hindi. 
There was much resentment in India when Hindi became the second official language because that was mainly spoken in the central and northern part where the capital of New Delhi is located.  Most Dravidian speaking people in southern India did not know Hindi. 

English is the first official language and almost everyone speaks English.  It may seem odd that Americans and Indians both speak English but it is for the very same reason:  both India and America were British colonies before gaining independence. 
         
          Below is a map showing the various languages and where they are spoken in India.


 

Answer these questions in your SS notebook under the topic Communication.

What color is used to show Hindi?

How many provinces speak Hindi?

How many languages or dialects does the Indian government officially recognize according to this map?

Ask and answer one other question of your choice.

This site was created by Peggy Neligan at the NEH Summer Institute "Literatures, Religions, and Arts of the Himalayan Region," held at the College of the Holy Cross, Summer 2008.