ABSTRACT

Muslim Language Education in Pakistan and India

Language education has always been considered important by the Muslims of South Asia for utilitarian and identity-related reasons.

Persian was the major subject of education in medieval India as it conferred gentlemanly status and led to employment till 1835. Arabic, the primary language of Islam, was also part of education. Its script, which is common to most other Muslim languages, was, and still is, learnt without understanding the language by most Muslims. Urdu, associated with the Muslim identity both in India and Pakistan, is taught widely in Pakistan and at the upper level in India. English is acquired for utilitarian and status-conferring reasons by everybody. The indigenous languages, with few exceptions, are not media of instruction though there is popular reading material in them and they are studied for identity-related reasons.