RADŹASTHANI – POCZĄTKI JĘZYKA I LITERATURY

The paper presents a general introduction to Rajasthani – the language used in North-Western India – the development of the language and the beginnings of Rajasthani literature. It also draws attention to the complexity of linguistic nomenclature used for Rajasthani and to its relation with other North Indian languages, with a special regard to Hindi. The rise of literary tradition in vernacular of North-Western India and its connection with history of Hindi literature has been analysed. Rajasthani is considered to be the first vernacular of North India in which literature has evolved, and hence it is at least two hundred years older than the oldest works from the region known as Hindi belt. Rajasthani and Gujarati had one linguistic form, which split into two languages only after the 15th century and then Rajasthani got its modern form, which is still used today, and Gujarati developed on its own. The claims of some scholars to include the initial literary period of North-Western India, i.e. until the 15th century, into history of Hindi literature have also been given in the paper.