Review
`it is a relief to see the whole subject discussed in one place in the detail it had always deserved ... He has put together what is clearly the first authoritative account of languages in Pakistan. It is properly pegged to sources within the text and has an impressive bibliography and index that are truly helpful to anyone wanting to uncover the truth. Tariq Rahman has earned the gratitude of Pakistani readers for having written this extremely well researched book. It contains chapters on Balochi, Pashto and Punjabi too, which are no less informative. The author has done some real good work on the politics of Balochi and has also covered the extraordinary greenhouse of languages in the Northern Areas. The book easily qualifies as the best book written in Pakistan in the year 1996.' Khaled Ahmed, Friday Times
Despite the complexities of the topic and the widespan of history, the author maintains a clear focus: the association of language with power and the implications for group identity. His treatment is exhaustive and painstaking. The narrative remains absorbing and the reader is reassured by the empirical evidence on which the case is constructed. His progressive, imginative proposals deserve serious consideration. The book's organization makes for readability, with its summaries and conclusions at strategic points. An informed and nonpartisan study, this is an important work even for those with a general interest in Pakistan's fortunes. However, it will be particularly welcomed by socio-linguists with a special interest in issues of identity, language planning and English-language hegemony. Filling a gap too long empty, its value lies in the systematic collation and analysis of historical events surrounding language movements and language manipulation in British india and in modern day Pakistan.
`attempts to cover a vast span of time and space within one volume, drawing upon a massive body of mostly published evidence and also some new materials from each of the major linguistic units ... meticulous research ...' Ayesha Jalal, Harvard University, The Journal of Asian Studies --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Despite the complexities of the topic and the widespan of history, the author maintains a clear focus: the association of language with power and the implications for group identity. His treatment is exhaustive and painstaking. The narrative remains absorbing and the reader is reassured by the empirical evidence on which the case is constructed. His progressive, imginative proposals deserve serious consideration. The book's organization makes for readability, with its summaries and conclusions at strategic points. An informed and nonpartisan study, this is an important work even for those with a general interest in Pakistan's fortunes. However, it will be particularly welcomed by socio-linguists with a special interest in issues of identity, language planning and English-language hegemony. Filling a gap too long empty, its value lies in the systematic collation and analysis of historical events surrounding language movements and language manipulation in British india and in modern day Pakistan.
`attempts to cover a vast span of time and space within one volume, drawing upon a massive body of mostly published evidence and also some new materials from each of the major linguistic units ... meticulous research ...' Ayesha Jalal, Harvard University, The Journal of Asian Studies --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
This book is intended for all students, scholars, and enthusiasts in the fields of Scots language and history.
