- Classical Languages are languages with original, independent literary traditions and a large body of ancient written literature.
- India recognizes eleven classical languages: Tamil (declared in 2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013) and Odia (2014), Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali have been included in the prestigious category in 2024.
- All the Classical Languages are listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian constitution.
- In 2024, the Union Cabinet dropped a key provision for the selection of classical language, and the dropped provision mandated that the language must have original literary tradition.
Criteria for declaring a language as ‘Classical.’
The Ministry of Culture provides guidelines regarding Classical languages. They are:
- High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over 1500-2000 years.
- A body of ancient literature/texts is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers.
- Classical language and literature are distinct from modern, but there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or offshoots.
Benefits of being a Classical Language
The Ministry of Education provides specific benefits to promote the classical languages:
- Two major annual international awards for scholars of eminence in classical Indian languages.
- Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Languages.
- The University Grants Commission is requested to create several professional chairs for classical languages in the Central Universities.
Different Classical Languages in India
Eleven languages in India have a Classical Language status; these are:
Tamil
- It was declared a classical language in 2004.
- It is a classical Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, and various other parts of Southeast Asia.
- Sangam literature constitutes the earliest period of Tamil literature.
- It is one of the 22 languages in the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution.
Sanskrit
- It was declared a classical language in 2005.
- It belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of Indo-European languages.
- It is one of the 22 languages in the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution.
- It is a language of classical Hindu philosophy.
- It spread to the northwest part of the subcontinent during Bronze Age.
Kannada
- It was declared a classical language of India in 2008.
- It is one of the 22 languages in the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution.
- It is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Karnataka and southwest India.
- It is written in Kannada script which was evolved from the Kadamba script during the 5th century.
Telugu
- It was declared a classical language of India in 2008.
- It is one of the 22 languages in the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution.
- It is a Dravidian language spoken by people in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
- It traces its origin from proto-Dravidian spoken during the third millennium BCE.
Malayalam
- It was declared as a classical language of India in 2013.
- It is one of the 22 languages in the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution.
- It is a Dravidian language spoken in Kerala, Puducherry, Lakshadweep.
- Its oldest literature work is from between the 9th and 11th centuries.
- Vatteluttu script was the earliest script used to write Malayalam.
Odia
- It was declared a classical language of India in 2014.
- It is one of the 22 languages in the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution.
- It is an Indo-Aryan language, spoken in the Indian states of Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand.
- It has a wide literary history and is less borrowed from other languages.
- The earliest known inscription in Odia dates back to the 10th century CE
5 languages Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali were included in the prestigious category in 2024.