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Braj Bhasha

Not to be confused with with the other Indian literary languages of Brajabuli and Brajavali, or with the Brijbasi ethnic group.

Braj
Brij Bhasha
ब्रजभाषा
Native toIndia
RegionBraj
EthnicityBrajwasi
Native speakers
1,600,000 (2011 census)[1]
Census results conflate some speakers with Hindi.[2]
Devanagari
Language codes
ISO 639-2bra
ISO 639-3bra
Glottologbraj1242
Braj-speaking region

Braj[a] is a language within the Indo-Aryan language family spoken in the Braj region in Western Uttar Pradesh centered on Mathura. Along with Awadhi, it was one of the two predominant literary languages of North-Central India before gradually merging and contributing to the development of standardized Hindi in the 19th century. It is spoken today in its unique form in many districts of west Uttar Pradesh, often referred to as 'Central Braj Bhasha'.

The language was historically used for Vaishnavite poetry dedicated to Krishna, whose life was associated with sites in the Braj region. There were also early prose works in terms of the hagiographical vārtā literature of the Vallabha sect.[3]

Braj is considered by scholars to be a more conservative example of the Central Indo-Aryan languages compared to the Hindustani language, which has been influenced by Panjabi and intermediate dialects.[4]

Story of Camel and Jackal in Braj language
  1. ^ "Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues - 2011". www.censusindia.gov.in. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  2. ^ "Census of India: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues –2001". censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  3. ^ Masica, Colin P. (1991). The Indo-Aryan Languages. Cambridge University Press. pp. 53, 57, 62.
  4. ^ Masica 1991, p. 197-198.


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