Wanderers, Kings, Merchants ~ Peggy Mohan 112 of 2024

 A 300 pages book having 8 chapters was the BOTM by CBC.. As the first and the last chapters are comparatively short, we can plan our milestones to be easy for anyone who starts late or lags in their reading to catch up. And we also have 5 weeks to finish our book this time. So we can keep the below milestones for Wanderers, Kings, Merchants:

Chapter 1 : 16/11

Chapters 2 & 3 : 23/11

Chapters 4 & 5:  30/12

Chapters 6 & 7: 7/12

Chapter 8 : 14/12.

On 11th Nov. loved Chapter 1 and very tempting. I think I will continue reading and not wait for next week

12th finished chapter 2 giving so much of clarity to the open questions I had in my mind. On the evolution,  growth and death of languages in parallel to the chapter title. 🙏

Finished 3rd chapter on 14th Nov. amidst the story of loosing the book in the morning. It's a human story as much as the story of language. Story of how culture and civilisation change over a period of time. How two rivers meet to form a new one and flow ahead in a new avatar.

Wanderers, Kings, Merchants: The Story of India through Its Languages by Peggy Mohan is an exploration of India's history through the lens of its many languages. Mohan, a linguist, traces the evolution of Indian society by examining how language influences—and is influenced by—migrations, social changes, and cultural exchanges over thousands of years.

The book is structured around the journeys of languages as they enter, adapt, and sometimes fade from the subcontinent. Mohan connects the linguistic threads of Sanskrit, Persian, Dravidian languages, and the influence of English, creating a narrative that spans ancient civilizations, the medieval period, colonial rule, and modern India. She explores how language functions as a marker of power, identity, and migration, and explains how social dynamics—such as caste, trade, and colonization—have shaped the way people speak and communicate.

One of the book’s strengths is its accessibility. Although the subject could be dense, Mohan writes in a conversational style, making complex linguistic theories understandable. She also includes historical anecdotes and stories that bring to life the abstract concepts of language development. The book invites readers to think about how language influences cultural identity and personal connections across generations.

Moreover, Wanderers, Kings, Merchants draws attention to the fluidity and resilience of languages, emphasizing that no language is static or pure, but rather a constantly evolving entity shaped by the lives of its speakers. This perspective is especially relevant in India, where multilingualism is common, and language is a key part of both personal and regional identity.

The book is suitable for readers interested in linguistics, history, and South Asian studies. Its unique perspective makes it an engaging read for anyone curious about how the languages we speak connect us to a shared, complex past. Mohan’s narrative is not just a story of languages, but of the people who speak them, making Wanderers, Kings, Merchants a fascinating journey through the cultural and linguistic landscape of India.

The chapters in the book:

The book delves into several key themes:

The book begin with a note on Diacritics and Symbols. Chapter 1 is on the Tiramisu Bear, and how it was formed.  Peggy Mohan introduces the concept of the "Tiramisu bear" to illustrate the layered and hybrid nature of India's linguistic evolution. She describes this rare creature as having cream-colored fur and coffee-brown paws, embodying features of both a polar bear and a grizzly bear—a result of a male grizzly bear migrating and mating with a female polar bear. Mohan uses this metaphor to explain how Indian languages have developed through layers of influences, much like the dessert tiramisu, which consists of multiple layers of flavors and textures. This analogy underscores the complex interplay of migrations, cultural exchanges, and environmental changes that have shaped the linguistic landscape of India over time.

She speaks about her journey as well. Formation of Creole languages and the impact.  The pidgin phase. 

Chapter 2 The Hidden story of Sanskrit

Origins of Sanskrit: Exploring the beginnings and evolution of Sanskrit in the Indian subcontinent.

It also speaks about the Influence of Dravidian Languages: Discussing the impact of Dravidian languages on the linguistic landscape of India.

Facts about Sanskrit:

1. Sanskrit did not exist 5000 years ago except in political imagination.

2. Vedic Sanskrit is different from Ramayana Sanskrit, spoken by Ravana and Hanuman. 

3. Sanskrit is famous for fiction stories like Vikram-Vetal and secular plays like Mrichhakatika

4. In Sanskrit plays written by Brahmins, women and servants spoke Prakrit, deemed inferior language. 

5. Sanskrit is not the mother of all Indian languages. It is probably the daughter of Harappan and Aryan languages. 

6. Dravidian languages are not derived from Sanskrit.

7. Languages of Northeast Indian tribes are not derived from Sanskrit. 

8. Sanskrit language is not universal as it does not capture clicking sounds of African languages nor intonations of Chinese language 

9. Sanskrit knowledge is not critical to Hinduism. It is the source of Brahmin supremacy.

10. Most Hindus learn about their gods from their mother tongues not Sanskrit. 

11. Many Buddhists and Jains wrote in Sanskrit, as this became the language of the elite, a way to show caste superiority. 

12. Bhakti saints gave up Sanskrit as they did not want to be elite snobs and they wanted to reach out to common people. 

13. Sanskrit was used to create a sense of superiority amongst kings who therefore turned Sanskrit into a court language, forbidden to 'lower' and 'common' folks.

14. Sanskrit lost its power 1000 years ago when Muslims introduced Persian. Local languages (Bengali, Odia, Kannada, Hindavi, Assamese) rose in popularity as the Sanskrit eclipse was gone. 

15. Sanskrit is seen as superior to  Pali and Prakrit because Sanskrit is language of Brahmins while Pali and Prakrit are languages of Buddhism and Jainism. 

16. Sanskrit became popular in Europe as the language of the Aryan Master Race. 

17. Sanskrit has no script of its own. Original Brahmi script was used for Pali and Prakriti. 

18. Harappan emojis do not contain Sanskrit words. They do not contain sounds, in fact. 

19. Sanskrit was used to write both spiritual and erotic texts. But Sanskrit scholars ignore the erotic texts like Amaru-Shataka out of embarrassment. 

20. Indian Knowledge System is captured in hundreds of Indian languages. Sanskrit is a tiny part of it.

The term "Aryan" comes from the Sanskrit word ā́rya, meaning "noble" or "honorable." It was originally used in ancient Indian texts like the Vedas to refer to a group of people who were part of the Indo-Aryan culture.

Linguists use the term "Indo-Aryan" or "Indo-Iranian" to describe a branch of the Indo-European language family, which includes Sanskrit, Persian, and related languages.

Historically, the Aryans were believed to have migrated into the Indian subcontinent around 1500 BCE, bringing their language and culture, which influenced the development of Vedic civilization.

Today, the term is primarily used in linguistic and historical studies to refer to the ancient Indo-Iranian-speaking peoples.

It is not used to denote a race or ethnicity in scientific contexts, as modern genetics and anthropology have debunked the concept of distinct "racial groups" like the "Aryan race."

In short, Aryans historically refer to a linguistic and cultural group associated with ancient Indo-Iranian peoples, but the term has been misused in modern history, leading to its association with pseudoscientific and racist ideologies.

Sanskrit, one of the world's oldest and most influential languages, originated in the Indian subcontinent. Its development is closely tied to the migration and evolution of the Indo-Aryan peoples and their languages. Here's a detailed overview of its origins:

1. Proto-Indo-European Roots

Sanskrit belongs to the Indo-European language family, which is believed to have originated from a hypothetical language called Proto-Indo-European (PIE), spoken around 4000–2500 BCE.

PIE speakers likely lived in the Pontic-Caspian Steppe (modern-day Ukraine and southern Russia) before spreading to various regions of Europe and Asia.

2. Indo-Aryan Branch

One branch of the Indo-European family, known as Indo-Iranian, split into Indo-Aryan and Iranian sub-branches.

The Indo-Aryan speakers migrated southward into the Indian subcontinent around 1500 BCE, interacting with the indigenous Harappan/Indus Valley Civilization and their languages.

3. Emergence of Vedic Sanskrit

The earliest form of Sanskrit is Vedic Sanskrit, the language of the Rigveda (ca. 1500–1200 BCE). This is the oldest known text in the Sanskrit language and one of the world's earliest texts.

Vedic Sanskrit was used in the oral composition and transmission of hymns, rituals, and religious philosophy in the Vedic tradition.

4. Transition to Classical Sanskrit

By around 500 BCE, Sanskrit underwent standardization by the grammarian Pāṇini, who wrote the Aṣṭādhyāyī, a comprehensive and highly systematic grammar of Sanskrit.

Pāṇini's work formalized Classical Sanskrit, the standardized version of the language used for literature, science, philosophy, and administration in ancient India.

5. Cultural and Geographic Spread

Sanskrit became the liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and its influence spread across South Asia and beyond, reaching Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and East Asia.

It played a foundational role in the development of many modern languages in the Indo-Aryan family, such as Hindi, Bengali, and Marathi.

Key Points:

Original Region: Sanskrit's direct predecessor, Vedic Sanskrit, emerged in the northwestern Indian subcontinent, influenced by the Indo-Aryan migration.

Development Timeline: From 1500 BCE (Vedic Sanskrit) to 500 BCE (Classical Sanskrit).

Cultural Role: Sanskrit became the language of religion, philosophy, and science in ancient and classical India.

Sanskrit’s linguistic ancestry and historical development illustrate its deep connections to both the Indian subcontinent and the broader Indo-European language family

Chapter 3 is on how the  Namboodiri Brahmin's arrival shaped Malayalam. 

focusing on the significant influence of Sanskrit on this Dravidian language. She explores how the Namboodiri Brahmins, upon settling in Kerala, integrated Sanskrit vocabulary into the existing Dravidian linguistic framework, thereby enriching and transforming Malayalam. This process illustrates the broader theme of linguistic amalgamation resulting from cultural and social interactions.

Malayalam took in tatsama Sanskrit words in Manipravalam. 

Chapter 4 is on Development of Indo-Aryan Languages: 

Marathi within the broader context of Indo-Aryan languages. She highlights that while Marathi, along with other northern languages like Hindi, has incorporated vocabulary from Prakrits and Sanskrit, its grammatical structures and syntax reveal influences from pre-existing local languages. This suggests a complex linguistic evolution shaped by interactions between incoming and indigenous linguistic traditions. 

Languages came up as slow pickled food. There were local scripts for writing like Kaithi in the north and Mahajani and Modiya in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharastra, all of which looked almost like Prakrit forms of Devanagari.  Devanagair came into use during the British time. Braj and Awadi were older, and had important literature, but the newcommer privailed. Bhojpuri is closer to Bengali than Hindi. Marwari and Gujrathi looks like cousins and are closer. 

Grammars of the creole language, similar from one to another but different from European language like Latin,  Roman, German, had come from a non European source: Africa. 

All words trace back the origin to a local Prakrit and ultimately Sanskrit. Indo-Aryan, Romance and Caribbean languages are all creoles. 

Chapter 5 delves into Urdu and Hindi via Turki - Very young Dehlavi dialect influenced by migrants from Central Asia. 

Chapter 6  named 'Nagamese and the Magadhans' covers language Formation in the Northeast: Analyzing the unique linguistic developments in India's northeastern regions.

Chapter 7 is on rise of English Post-Independence: Investigating how English gained prominence after India's independence and its effects on native languages.

Chapter 8 on Confluence speaks about the book's central themes, emphasizing the intricate interplay between migration, cultural exchange, and language evolution in India. She underscores how historical movements of people—be they wanderers, kings, or merchants—have continually shaped and reshaped the linguistic landscape of the subcontinent. Mohan also reflects on the dynamic nature of languages, highlighting their capacity to adapt and transform through contact and convergence. This chapter serves as a comprehensive summary, encapsulating the complex processes that have contributed to India's rich linguistic heritage. 

These themes are interwoven to present a comprehensive narrative of India's linguistic history, highlighting the interplay between migration, culture, and language evolution.

The book makes fascinating reading.  The history of India is dissected from the evolution of its languages. The book puts forth theories which are well elucidated . 

Speaking of Malayalam and Kerala, apart from the well researched and presented theories of this author, another opinion is worth mentioning for the interest of readers. There is a writer by the name of Manjula Wariyam. She has written a bunch of articles arguing the case that Keralites are descendants of ancient Egyptians. May seem outlandish at first, but it's worth knowing about.

And then say in instagram, 'Mala' is mountain, from which comes Malayalam and malayalee...

Written by Peggy Mohan,  born in Trinidad, West Indies she has taught linguistics, been an expert witness in terrorism trials, and made television programmes for children, besides creating animated calligraphs, painting, writing songs and doing stone mosaics. She is married and has a daughter, and teaches music at the Vasant Valley School, New Delhi. Peggy has also authored the novels Jahajin and The Youngest Suspect and Wanderers, Kings, Merchants. Peggy Mohan was born in Trinidad, West Indies. Her father was an Indian from Trinidad, her mother was from Corner Brook, Newfoundland. She studied linguistics at the University of the West Indies, Trinidad, and at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she wrote her PhD dissertation on Trinidad Bhojpuri, the ancestral language of most Trinidad Indians, based on her recordings of the speech of old Indo-Trinidadians during the 1970s.In 1979 she moved on to India, following her husband, first to teach linguistics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, then to teach Mass Communications, then to produce a television series in Hindi for pre-school children, after which she did cartoon animation, oil painting, served as an expert witness assessing confessions in terrorism trials, trained as a (soprano) opera singer, to end up spending her days teaching Western music in Vasant Valley School (voice and orchestra).