A Historical Study of the Development of Urdu Language and Literature in Qatar

قطر میں اردو زبان و ادب کے فروغ کا تاریخی مطالعہ

Abstract

This article traces the arrival, growth and social standing of the Urdu language in the Gulf state of Qatar. It begins with a brief review of the regional theories on the origin of Urdu, which associate it with Punjab, the Deccan and Sindh, to show that interaction between Muslims and local populations was central to the formation of the language. It then outlines the geographical, demographic and economic background of Qatar, with particular attention to the migration of South Asian workers that followed the discovery of oil and gas. The main part of the study examines the channels through which Urdu took root in Qatar: Pakistani and Indian community schools, literary organizations, mushairas and seminars, radio broadcasts, religious gatherings and books published locally. The study concludes that, although Urdu has no official status in Qatar, it has become an effective lingua franca among diverse expatriate communities, making Qatar the second most important centre of Urdu in the Gulf after Saudi Arabia.