Languages & Dialects of UP

Hindi — The Official Language

Hindi is the official language of Uttar Pradesh under the UP Official Language Act, 1951. Written in the Devanagari script, it serves as the medium of government, education, and courts across the state. However, the linguistic landscape of UP is far richer than a single standardised tongue — the state is home to at least six major dialect groups, each with a distinct literary tradition spanning centuries.

The Linguistic Survey of India, first conducted by George Abraham Grierson (1898-1928), classified Hindi dialects into two broad sub-groups: Western Hindi (Khari Boli, Braj Bhasha, Kannauji, Bundeli) and Eastern Hindi (Awadhi, Bhojpuri). This classification remains the standard reference for competitive examinations.

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The Six Major Dialects

1. Awadhi

Awadhi is the dialect of the Awadh region, spoken across Lucknow, Ayodhya (Faizabad), Rae Bareli, Sultanpur, Barabanki, and Pratapgarh. It belongs to the Eastern Hindi group and is characterised by soft, melodic vowel sounds.

• Greatest work: Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas — composed in Awadhi, it remains the most widely recited Hindi-language text in India.
• Other notable work: Padmavat by Malik Muhammad Jayasi — a Sufi allegorical poem also in Awadhi.
• Awadhi has its own folk theatre tradition called Nautanki and Ramlila.

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2. Bhojpuri

Bhojpuri is spoken in eastern UP — Varanasi, Azamgarh, Gorakhpur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Jaunpur, and Mau — and extends into western Bihar and Jharkhand. It is the largest dialect by number of speakers in UP, with over 5 crore speakers.

• Bhojpuri has a thriving film and music industry and was recommended for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution (demand pending).
• The dialect has rich folk traditions — Biraha, Chaita, and Kajri songs originate from the Bhojpuri belt.

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3. Braj Bhasha

Braj Bhasha is the language of the Braj region — Mathura, Agra, Aligarh, Hathras, and Etah. It was the dominant literary language of Hindi poetry from the 14th to 19th centuries.

• Surdas composed the Sur Sagar in Braj Bhasha — celebrating Krishna’s childhood and Radha-Krishna devotion.
• The Ashtachhap poets (eight poets designated by Vallabhacharya and Vitthalnath) all wrote in Braj Bhasha.
• Braj was the court language of poetry even in Mughal-era courts until Khari Boli replaced it in the 19th century.

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4. Bundeli

Bundeli (also called Bundelkhandi) is the dialect of the Bundelkhand region — Jhansi, Banda, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Lalitpur, and Chitrakoot. It bridges UP and Madhya Pradesh.

• Famous folk traditions include Alha-Udal ballads celebrating the Chandel warriors.
• Bundeli has a distinctive vocabulary drawn from both Hindi and Marathi influences due to the region’s historical connections.

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5. Khari Boli

Khari Boli is spoken in western UP — Meerut, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, and parts of Delhi. Despite having fewer literary classics in its original form, Khari Boli holds a unique distinction:

• It is the basis of Modern Standard Hindi and Urdu.
• The standardisation of Khari Boli into formal Hindi (Devanagari script, Sanskrit vocabulary) and Urdu (Nastaliq script, Persian-Arabic vocabulary) occurred during the 19th century Fort William College era.
• Bharatendu Harishchandra championed Khari Boli as the standard for modern Hindi prose.

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6. Kannauji

Kannauji is spoken in the central Doab region — Kannauj, Farrukhabad, Etawah, Mainpuri, and Hardoi. It is sometimes classified as a transitional dialect between Braj Bhasha and Awadhi.

• Kannauj was historically the seat of Emperor Harshavardhana and a centre of classical Sanskrit learning.
• Kannauji is the least documented of the six major UP dialects.

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Dialect Region Map (Summary Table)

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Urdu in Uttar Pradesh

Urdu holds co-official status in certain districts and is widely spoken across UP. The state has historically been a cradle of Urdu literature — Lucknow and Varanasi were major centres of Urdu poetry (the Lucknow School of Urdu ghazal). The UP Urdu Academy promotes the language through awards and publications.

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Key Takeaways

• UP has 6 major dialects: Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Braj Bhasha, Bundeli, Khari Boli, and Kannauji.
• Bhojpuri has the largest number of speakers; Khari Boli is the basis of modern Hindi and Urdu.
• Grierson’s Linguistic Survey of India is the foundational classification reference.
• Awadhi gave India the Ramcharitmanas; Braj Bhasha gave the Sur Sagar tradition.

Summary Cheat Sheet