Urdu's Ambiguous Exile

Hostility toward Urdu-primarily toward script but more markedly in some contexts toward lexicon as well-is a noticeable feature of a "Hinduizing" India. However, the implicit Islamization of Urdu is a historical puzzle that has been normalized into becoming obvious. I seek to uncover the historical context of the emergence of this tragically consequential historical misunderstanding. But the story of Urdu in "new India" is incomplete without also incorporating the paradoxically pervasive presence of Urdu, the deep longing for Urdu and its tonalities, its emotional nuances and resonances, in our popular culture

Archaeology · Art · Context (archaeology) · Hostility · Islam · Islamization · Lexicon · Linguistics · Literature · Urdu · History · Philosophy · Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East · Psychology · Social Psychology · South Asian Cinema and Culture · South Asian Studies and Diaspora