Linguistic Survey of India- Vol.IX Indo-Aryan Family Central Group Part-II, 1908.

Abstract

Rajasthani means literally the language of Rajasthan, or' Rajwara, the country Name of language, where of the Rajputs. The name, as connoting a language, has spoken been invented for the purposes of this Survey, in order to distinguish it from Western Hindi on the one hand, and from Gujarati on the other. Europeans have hitherto included the various dialects under the loose term of ‘ Hindi,’ just as they have also used that name for Biharl and for the Eastern Hindi of Oudh. Natives do not employ any general name for the language, but content' themselves with referring to the various dialects,\ Marwarl, Jaipur!, Malvi and so forth. Rajasthani is spoken by an estimated number of more than fifteen millions of people, and covers an area which may be roughly estimated at 180,000 square miles. The number of speakers is that estimated in the returns made for this Survey, which were based on the returns of the Census of 1891. The figures for Rajasthani in the Census for 1901 are much* less,—i.e., 10,917,712. The difference* is no doubt due to the uncertain line which lies between Rajasthani and Western Hindi, and between Rajasthani and Sindhl. In 1891 many speakers of Western Hindi and Sindhl were included in the figures which were, for the Survey, interpreted as representing Rajasthani. On the other hand, a large reduction was to be expected in 1901, owing to the lamentable famines which have prevailed in the preceding decade over the area in which Rajasthani is spoken. The figures for 1901, therefore, though* more accurate for the time at which they were recorded, cannot- be taken as representing the normal number of persons who might be expected to speak this language. This I am inclined to put down at about twelve millions. As, however, the whole of the Linguistic Survey is founded on estimates which are derived from the figures of the Census of 1891,1 am compelled to adhere to the larger estimated total in the following pages. No other figures which give the necessary details are available. The total given must, therefore, be received with great reserve. We may compare the estimated number of speakers, and the area in which Rajasthani is spoken with the population and area of Spain, which are, in each case, a little larger.