The need for Research on the Origin of ‘Sourashtri ‘ and the ‘Sourshtras’ to be undertaken by Competent Authorities/Institutions. Sourashtri is the spoken language of the modern ‘Migrant Silk Weavers of Tamil Nadu’ or the Sourashtra-Patnulkarans living all over Tamil Nadu and South India besides all over the world. These Sourashtras of Tamil Nadu having lost their original land are successfully keeping alive through centuries together since the days of the Old Indo Aryan (O.I.A) period or the Vedic period. People living on the soil of modern Saurashtra area wherein they have a University of their own also at Rajkot are able to maintain their soil but have lost their language. Sourashtras of Tamil Nadu preserve the glory of ancient Gujarat (The land of Saurashtra) till day by way of presenting the modern world the arts of ancient Silk Weaving, tie & dye besides their valuable and primitive INDEPENENT language. Their Origin remains obscure till days and scholars, Officials and the general public depend on the traditions prevailing among these people. Some of their traditions do not testify to logical thinking; yet people are still conservative in relying upon them for some unknown reasons and averse to any new logic in this matter. In the absence of historical evidences on their origin and migration it can be held that the linguistic history of a continuously migrating people may reflect the previous abodes attached to the linguistic elements present in their current language on the general principle that the history of a language and the people go together.. To one’s surprise the linguistic history of these people presents us a DISTORTED PICTURE ON RECORD ENDORSED BY THE WORLD RENOWNED LINGUIST LIKE G.A.GRIERSON (vide his report on Patnoli ) and as such the REALITY is unknown to many in India including the Govt. of India which has created its accounts on these people MISLED BY THE Linguistic Survey of India on its observation on the language spoken by these people and variously termed it as Surati, Patnuli or Khatri . One careful reader/scholar of the Report of the Linguistic Survey of India can discover the source for the grave blunder committed by this famous linguist Mr. G.A. Grierson. The true picture is/ will be: 1. Sourashtri is very much connected with the Prakrits of Old Indo Aryan languages of the Outer Band Aryans. It may be the same ‘Sourashtri’ dialect of Mahrashtri Prakrit of ancient days. (The traditional view derives it from Sauraseni Prakrit. We need not lose our main track of our arguments by taking up anymore discussion on this point- as it doesn’t matter for our main problem) 2. It was prevailing in West India even in the days of Panini (c.400 B.C.) who comments the Sourashtri word for ‘curd’ used in the Old Indian Aryan period. 3. The shortened form of the two vowels ‘e’ and ‘o’ are not due to the contact with the Dravidian people in South India after their supposed migration to these area after 1000 A.D but it is in the basic structure of Sourashtri ever since the origin of this language, as the land of Saurashtra was originally and possibly a non-Aryan soil (possibly connected to the Harappan people) subsequently ARYANISED by the outer band Aryans who settled in West India viz., the land of Saurashtra. Linguists like Surgeantm, Southworth and many others have discussed on this point. 4. It has certain unique sounds which are ABSENT IN ANY OF THE MODERN INDO ARYAN LANGUAGES. 5. It is Pre-Gujarati and in fact Gujarati is the GREAT GRAND DAUGHTER OF SOURASHTRI!. 6. Sourahtras don’t remember the word Gujarat because the term ‘Gujarat’ is not known to them, as they have left that soil before it got this name. 7. These people lived for a very long period in LATA, where, ASPIRATIONS is found predominantly. 8. A Sourashtri can feel that his language is similar to Sindhi, Gujarathi, Punjabi, Rajashtani Marathi, Konkani etc., It stands to indicate that these languages are born following the expansion of the O.I.A., languages -Sourashtri being the earliest and probably the source language. 9. It has lost all its contact with modern Gujarati and hence it is meaningless to term Sourashtri as a dialect of Gujarati and as Dr. A. Master has correctly judged it, Sourashtri is an INDEPENDENT LANGUAGE contrary to the earlier observation of Dr. H.N. Randle, Librarian, Indian Office Library, London who in 1944 studied this language and commented that Sourashtri was of the Old Western Rajasthani (Old Gujarati) type, perhaps following Mr.Grierson. 10. The Linguistic survey of India had not studied this ancient and unique language but had classified it as dialect of Gujarati! HOW? To quote The Linguistic Survey of India : Madras Census Report (1901) describes the language of the people as PATNULI or KHATRI- a dialect of Gujarati. This is an INFERNCE based on their Gujarat origin reported to these Census officials. The L S I which is supposed to be an AUTHORITY of the study of Indian languages says “Patnuli, also called SAURASHTRI (or the language of the SURAT) and KHATRI is the language of the silk weavers of the DECCAN AND MADRAS …..Patnuli was returned in the census of 1891 from the Presidencies of MADRAS AND BOMBAY and the state of MYSORE……THE LIGUISTIC SURVEY DOES NOT EXTEND TO MADRAS PRESIDENCY and NO FIGURE OR SPECIMEN OF PATNULI have been received from that province or from Mysore….on the other hand 6,550 speakers of PATWEGARI also a dialect employed by silk weavers have been returned from BELGAUM, DHARWAR and BIJAPUR. Specimen have been received from all these districts and an EXAMINATION OF THEM shows that the Patwegari of Bijapur is simply corrupt MARATHI while that of BELGAUM and DHARWAR IS PATNULI….….Patnuli is merely ordinary Gujarati and does not require that separate enumeration which is practically impossible to give….. Specimen of PATNULI or (PATWEGARI) has been received. As just stated, it is ordinary Gujarati…..NO SPECIMEN ARE AVAILABLE OF MADRAS PATNULI… (L S L Vol. IX .Pt. II pp 44to 48), but it too ACCORDING TO CENSUS REPORTS, is also of the standard Gujarati. WARNING NOTE ON THE FINDINGS OF THE L S I It is very significant to point out here that the findings of the L S I on ‘Patnuli’ is incorrect and only PARTIALLY RELATED TO THE LANGUAGE spoken by the SOURASHTRAS OF TAMILNADU. As the LINGUISTIC SURVEY OF INDIA have stated in its earlier part, it refers to the ‘Patnuli’ language as the language of the SILK WEAVERS OF DECCAN AND MADRAS. It is implied that it is the language spoken by all communities involved in Silk Weaving and not actually referring to the language os the Sourashtras of Tamil Nadu. Now, Sakthi Cultural & Educational Trust , Madurai wants to undertake the job of making competent authorities in India in the research on languages like the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL, Mysore) and Universities having faculties in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Pali, Old Gujarati, Old Marathi and Konkani etc., to assist in this task . The Managing Trustee, Prof. C. S. Krishnamoorthy, the author of the work-The Migrant Silk Weavers of Tamil Nadu will assist in all possible ways the scholars involve in it to make it a successful project as he has been already in touch with a number of Professors in various Universities in this matter. . We expect support from our Sourashtra friends living all over the world in this noble task to be undertaken by the trust.
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 05:24:51 +0000
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