The Complex Linguistic Landscape of Ancient India
Ancient India was a melting pot of linguistic diversity, with several prominent languages contributing to its rich cultural heritage. This linguistic richness was influenced by geography, culture, and the movements of various peoples across the subcontinent.
Popular Languages of Ancient India
The most prominent languages of ancient India included Sanskrit, Prakrits, and Tamil. Sanskrit was an ancient Indo-Aryan language that served as the liturgical language of Hinduism and the language of numerous classical texts, such as the Vedas, Upanishads, and epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Prakrits, a collection of Middle Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from Sanskrit and were used in various forms of literature, including Jain and Buddhist texts. In the southern part of India, Tamil had a long literary tradition and was one of the oldest continuously spoken languages in the world, with its origins dating back to at least 300 BCE.
The Debate: Sanskrit vs. Tamil
The discussion on the origins of ancient Indian languages often centers around the relative ages and origins of Sanskrit and Tamil. It is a common misconception that Sanskrit is the oldest language of India or that it originated on Indian soil. However, evidence suggests the opposite, with Sanskrit being derived from Mittani, a language with a writing system as old as 1500 BCE, predating Sanskrit's reputed origins. Furthermore, Tamil is recognized as one of the oldest languages, with the earliest known Brahmi inscriptions in Tamil dating back to 250-232 BCE.
Proving Sanskrit's External Origin
Sanskrit's kinship with Mittani is evident through the similarity of Vedic gods, which include Indra, Varuna, Mitra, Soma, Rudra, Vishnu, and Agni. These gods are also found in Mittani's pantheon. Additionally, Sanskrit numerals are derived from Mittani numerals, indicating that Sanskrit adopted and modified Mittani's numerical system. These findings suggest that Sanskrit originated outside of India.
Proving Tamil's Ancient Origin
Tamil, on the other hand, is recognized as a language with a long and continuous tradition. Tamil had its script derived from the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) graffiti symbols, dating back to approximately 2000 BCE. Excavations at Porunthal and Keeladi have unearthed rock-cut edicts and potsherds with similar scripts, further dating the Tamil language and script to pre-6th century BCE.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the linguistic landscape of ancient India was rich and diverse, with Sanskrit and Tamil being two of the most prominent languages. However, Sanskrit's origins lie outside of India, while Tamil is recognized as one of the oldest languages, with a script that predates the Brahmi script by centuries.
References:
Sources for Mittani comparisons and grammar. Archaeological findings from Porunthal and Keeladi excavations. Documentation of Brahmi and Tamil script evolution.