TRACING THE BEGAMATI ZUBAN FROM NINETEENTH CENTURY INDO-MUSLIM CULTURE: AN OVERVIEW OF GAIL MINAULT’S FOCUS ON GENDER AND LANGUAGE

Gender and language is a subject matter to sociolinguists, linguists and now also growing in anthropology. The formal and informal use of words, phrases and sentences can be traced down to the structure, division of labor and delegation of power to different gender in the society. The present paper however focuses on the Begamati Zuban which is a voice of sub-culture, and its study have revealed a great deal about the way Muslim women lived, thought, felt and believed in Delhi and elsewhere in nineteenth century. Though Urdu both in spoken and written forms were considered flowery and polite, later contested as a colonial tool and national language of Pakistan. The Urdu language at that time was found in different dialects from Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Amroha and other cities. However the segregation in roles and responsibilities defined a completely new set of vocabulary away from the formal, decent and rhythmic Urdu in the purdha observing society of Delhi. The graphic, earthy and colorful tone of Begamati Zuban was due to women’s mostly conversation with women of different age groups and around the household activities, and observance of purdah both at father’s and husband’s place. The current paper has touched upon how this Begamati Zuban appeared in the heart of Indo-Muslim cultural history. It is interesting that the Begamati Zuban is withering away and has been changed due to the emergence of new material culture and abrupt socio-political wave collided in sub-continent. The partition of India and Pakistan along with migration have changed this sub-culture, however the begamati zuban is still a very much part of our darling literature, drama and movies and most above of all the mode of communication between old women and young girls.