PAKISTAN CULTURE AND EDUCATION SYSTEM

Custom Search

URDU LANGUAGE
|name={{ISOtranslit|Urdu|ur}}
|nativename={{lang|ur|{{Nastaliq|اُردو}}}}
|familycolor=Indo-European
|pronunciation=[ˈʊrd̪uː]
|image=[[Image:Ordu.jpg|160px]]
|caption='''Urdu''' in [[Perso-Arabic script|Persian-Arabic]] script ([[Nasta`liq script|Nasta`liq]] style)
|states= [[Pakistan]], [[India]], [[United Kingdom]], [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[Australia]], [[United Arab Emirates]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Hong Kong]], [[Australia]], [[Suriname]], [[Guyana]]
|region=[[South Asia]], [[Greater Middle East]] <ref name="University of London-Urdu">{{cite web|url = http://www.soas.ac.uk/southasia/languages/urdu/| title = Urdu|publisher = University of London|accessdate = 2008-05-20}}</ref>
|rank=19–21 (native speakers), in a near tie{{Dubious|date=March 2008}} with [[Italian language|Italian]] and [[Turkish language|Turkish]]
|speakers=130 million A){{Dubious|date=March 2008}} 270 million total{{Dubious|date=March 2008}} (2007)Alanguages|Indo-Iranian]]
|fam3=[[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]]
|fam4=[[Central Indo-Aryan languages|Central zone]]
|fam5=[[Hindi languages|Western Hindi]]<ref name="Ethno">[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_lang_family.asp?code=urd Linguistic Lineage for Urdu - Ethnologue]</ref>
|fam6=[[Khariboli]]
|script=[[Urdu alphabet]] ([[Nasta'liq script]]), [[Devanagari]] (Indian Muslims)
|nation={{PAK}}; {{IND}} ( [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Bihar]], [[National Capital Territory of Delhi|Delhi]], [[Jammu and Kashmir]],[[Uttar Pradesh]]) {{FJI}} (as [[Fiji Hindi|Hindustani]])
|agency=[[National Language Authority]], (Pakistan); [http://www.urducouncil.nic.in/ National Council for Promotion of Urdu language], (India)
|iso1=ur|iso2=urd|iso3=urd}}

'''Urdu''' ({{Audio|hi-Urdu.ogg|pronunciation}}, {{lang|ur|'''{{Nastaliq|اردو}}'''}}, trans. ''Urdū'', historically spelled '''Ordu''') is a [[Central_Indo-Aryan_languages#Central_Zone_.28Madhya_or_Hindi.29|Central]] [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan language]]<ref name="Omniglot-Urdu">{{cite web|url = http://www.omniglot.com/writing/urdu.htm| title = Urdu (اُردو)|publisher = Omniglot|accessdate = 2008-05-20}}</ref><ref name="Ethno"/> of the [[Indo-Iranian languages|Indo-Iranian branch]], belonging to the [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] family of languages. It is the official language of [[Pakistan]]. Its vocabulary developed under [[Sanskrit]] and [[Persian language|Persian]] and to a lesser degree the [[Arabic Language|Arabic]] and [[Turkic languages|Turkic]] influence on [[apabhramsha]]s. It began to take shape during the [[Delhi Sultanate]] and [[Mughal Empire]] (1526–1858 AD) in [[South Asia]].<ref name="National Council for Promotion of Urdu language 2">{{cite web|url = http://www.urducouncil.nic.in/pers_pp/index.htm| title = A Historical Perspective of Urdu|publisher = National Council for Promotion of Urdu language|accessdate = 2007-06-15}}</ref>.

Urdu is a standardised [[register (linguistics)|register]] of [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]]<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Urdu">{{cite web|url = http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/619612/Urdu-language| title = Urdu language|publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate = 2008-05-20}}</ref><ref name = "Random House Dictionary-Urdu"/><ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Hindustani">{{cite web|url = http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/619612/Urdu-language|http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/266468/Hindustani-language#ref=ref66957| title = Hindustani language|publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate = 2008-05-20}}</ref> termed the [[standard dialect]] [[Khariboli]].<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Hindustani">{{cite web|url = http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/266468/Hindustani-language#ref=ref66957| title = Hindustani language|publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate = 2008-05-20}}</ref> The grammatical description in this article concerns this standard Urdu. In general, the term "Urdu" can encompass dialects of Hindustani other than the standardised versions.The original language of the Mughals had been Turkish, but after their arrival in South Asia, they came to adopt Persian and later Urdu. The word Urdu is believed to be derived from the Turkish, word 'Ordu', which means army encampment. It was initially called Zaban-e-Ordu or language of the army and later just Urdu. It obtained its name from [[Urdu Bazar]], i.e. encampment (Urdu in Turkish) market, the market near Red Fort in the walled city of Delhi<ref>Ghalib, 1797-1869: In 2vols .Vol.1, Life and Letters,
By Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, Ghalib, Asad-Allāh Ḫān Mīrzā Ġālib, Ralph Russell, Khurshidul Islam
Published by Allen & Unwin, 1969</ref>. The word 'Ordu' was later anglicised as 'Horde'. Urdu, though of South Asian origin, came to be heavily influenced by Persian and Arabic. Urdu speakers have been speaking this language as their Mother tongue for several centuries. Urdu has been the medium of the literature, history and journalism of South Asian Muslims during the last 200 years. Most of the work was complemented by ancestors of native Urdu speakers in South Asia. Persian language which was the official language during the Mughals was then slowly starting to loose ground to Urdu during the reign of Shah Jahan. It was after the devastating invasion by Nadir Shah of Persia in 1738 that gave death blow to Mughal empire in South Asia, that the Mughals adopted Urdu instead of Persian as the official language of the empire. Then Urdu with official patronage developed high literature

Standard Urdu has approximately the twentieth largest population of native speakers, among all languages. It is the [[national language]] of [[Pakistan]] as well as one of the [[List of national languages of India|23 official languages]] of [[India]].

Urdu is often [[Hindi#Hindi and Urdu|contrasted with Hindi]], another standardised form of [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]].<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Hindi">{{cite web|url = http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/266241/Hindi-language| title = Hindi language|publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate = 2008-05-20}}</ref> The main differences between the two are that Standard Urdu is conventionally written in [[Nastaliq script|Nastaliq calligraphy style]] of the [[Perso-Arabic script]] and draws vocabulary more heavily from Persian and Arabic than Hindi,<ref name="Language in India-Bringing Order to Linguistic Diversity: Language Planning in the British Raj">{{cite web|url = http://www.languageinindia.com/oct2001/punjab1.html| title = Bringing Order to Linguistic Diversity: Language Planning in the British Raj|publisher = Language in India|accessdate = 2008-05-20}}</ref> while Standard Hindi is conventionally written in [[Devanāgarī]] and draws vocabulary from [[Sanskrit]] comparatively<ref name="Sikmirza">{{cite web|url = http://www.geocities.com/sikmirza/arabic/hindustani.html| title = A Brief Hindi - Urdu FAQ|publisher = sikmirza|accessdate = 2008-05-20}}</ref> more heavily.<ref name="Random House Dictionary-Urdu">{{cite web|url = http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/urdu| title = Urdu|publisher = Random House Unabridged Dictionary|accessdate = 2008-05-20}}</ref> Some linguists nonetheless consider Urdu and Hindi to be two standardized forms of the same language;<ref name=UC Davis-Linguists">{{cite web|url = http://mesa.ucdavis.edu/hindiurdu/index.html| title = Hindi/Urdu Language Instruction|publisher = University of California, Davis|accessdate = 2008-05-20}}</ref><ref name = "Ethnologue Report for Hindi"/> however, others classify them separately due to [[sociolinguistic]] differences.<ref name="South Asian Voice">{{cite web|url = http://india_resource.tripod.com/Urdu.html| title = Urdu and it's Contribution to Secular Values| publisher = South Asian Voice| accessdate = 2008-02-26}}</ref>

== Speakers and geographic distribution ==
{{seealso|Languages of India|Languages of Pakistan}}
[[Image:Zaban urdu mualla.png|right|thumb|The phrase ''Zaban-e Urdu-e Mualla'' ("The language of the exalted camp") written in [[Nasta'liq]] script.]]
There are between 60 and 80 million native speakers of standard Urdu (''Khari Boli''). According to the [[SIL International|SIL]] [[Ethnologue]] (1999 data), Hindi/Urdu is the fifth most spoken language in the world.<ref name=Saint Ignatius">{{cite web|url = http://www2.ignatius.edu/faculty/turner/languages.htm| title = Most Widely Spoken Languages|publisher = Saint Ignatius|accessdate = 2007-06-23}}</ref> According to George Weber’s article ''Top Languages: The World’s 10 Most Influential Languages'' in ''Language Today'', [[Hindi/Urdu]] is the fourth most spoken language in the world, with 4.7 percent of the world's population, after [[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]], [[English language|English]], and [[Spanish language|Spanish]].<ref name="Weber">{{cite web|url = http://www.andaman.org/BOOK/reprints/weber/rep-weber.htm| title = The World's 10 most influential Languages| publisher = Language Today|accessdate = 2008-02-26}}</ref>

Because of Urdu's similarity to [[Hindi]], speakers of the two languages can usually understand one another, if both sides refrain from using specialized vocabulary. Indeed, linguists sometimes count them as being part of the same language [[diasystem]]. However, Urdu and Hindi are socio-politically different, and people who describe themselves as being speakers of Hindi would question being counted as native speakers of Urdu, and vice-versa.

In [[Pakistan]], Urdu is spoken and understood by a majority of urban dwellers in such cities as [[Karachi]], [[Lahore]], [[Rawalpindi]]/[[Islamabad]], [[Abbottabad]], [[Faisalabad]], [[Hyderabad (Pakistan)|Hyderabad]], [[Multan]], [[Peshawar]], [[Quetta]], [[Gujranwala]], [[Sialkot]], [[Sukkur]] and [[Sargodha]]. Urdu is used as the official language in all provinces of [[Pakistan]]. It is also taught as a compulsory subject up to higher secondary school in both the English and Urdu medium school systems. This has produced millions of Urdu speakers from people whose mother tongue is one of the regional languages of Pakistan such as [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], [[Hindku]], [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]], [[Pashtu]], [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]], [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], [[Balochi language|Balochi]], [[Siraiki language|Siraiki]], and [[Brahui language|Brahui]]. Urdu is the [[lingua franca]] of Pakistan and is absorbing many words from the regional languages of Pakistan. This variety of Urdu is now called [[Pakistani Urdu]]. This facet changes the basis of language censuses, i.e. An Urdu speaker is one who speaks Urdu, though he may be a native speaker of other indigenous languages. The regional languages are also being influenced by Urdu vocabulary. There are millions of Pakistanis whose mother tongue is not Urdu, but since they have studied in Urdu medium schools they can read and write Urdu but can now speak both Urdu and their mother tongue. Most of the nearly five million [[Afghan refugees]] of different ethnic origins (such as [[Pathan]], [[Tajiks|Tajik]], [[Uzbeks|Uzbek]], [[Hazara people|Hazarvi]], and [[Turkmen people|Turkmen]]) who stayed in Pakistan for over twenty-five years have also become fluent in Urdu. All of them will be counted as Urdu speakers. A great number of newspapers are published in Urdu in [[Pakistan]], including the [[Daily Jang]], [[Nawa-i-Waqt]], [[Millat]], among many others (see [[List of newspapers in Pakistan]]).

In [[India]], Urdu is spoken in places where there are large Muslim minorities or cities which were bases for Muslim Empires in the past. These include parts of [[Uttar Pradesh]] (namely [[Lucknow]]), [[Delhi]], [[Bhopal]], [[Hyderabad (India)|Hyderabad]], [[Bangalore|Bangaluru]], [[Kolkata]], [[Mysore]], [[Patna]], [[Ajmer]], and [[Ahmedabad]].<ref>[https://www.indiatravelite.com/holyplaces/ajmerint.htm India Travelite: Holy Places - Ajmer]</ref> Some Indian schools teach Urdu as a first language and have their own syllabus and exams. Indian [[madrasahs]] also teach [[Arabic]] as well as Urdu. India has more than 3,000 Urdu publications including 405 daily Urdu newspapers. Newspapers such as [[Sahara Urdu]] [[Daily Salar]], [[Hindustan Express]], [[Daily Pasban]], [[Siasat Daily]], [[Munsif Daily]] and [[Inqilab]] are published and distributed in Bangaluru, Mysore, Hyderabad, and [[Mumbai]] (see [[List of newspapers in India]]).

Outside South Asia, it is spoken by large numbers of migrant South Asian workers in the major urban centers of the [[Persian Gulf]] countries and [[Saudi Arabia]]. Urdu is also spoken by large numbers of immigrants and their children in the major urban centres of the [[United Kingdom]], the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[Germany]], [[Norway]] and [[Australia]].

Countries with large numbers of native Urdu speakers:
{| valign=top
|
* [[languages of India|India]] (51,536,111 [2001], 5.1%)<ref name="Census of India- Languages">{{cite web|url = http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_Data_Online/Language/Statement1.htm| title = Abstract of speakers’ strength of languages and mother tongues – 2001|publisher = [[Government of India]]|accessdate = 2008-05-10}}</ref>
* [[Languages of Pakistan|Pakistan]] (10,800,000 [1993], 7%)<ref name="Ethnologue - Pakistan">{{cite web|url = http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=pk| title = Ethnologue Report for Pakistan|publisher = [[SIL Ethnologue]]|accessdate = 2007-10-07}}</ref>
* [[United Kingdom]]
* [[Bangladesh]] (650,000, 0.4%)<ref>[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=Bangladesh Ethnologue Report for Bangladesh]</ref>
* [[United Arab Emirates]] (600,000, 13%{{Fact|date=January 2008}})
* [[Saudi Arabia]] (382,000, 1.5%)<ref>[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=SA Ethnologue Report for Saudi Arabia]</ref>
* [[Nepal]] (375,000, 1.3%)
* [[United States]] (350,000, 0.1%)
* [[Afghanistan]] (320,000, 8%)
* [[South Africa]] (170,000 [[South Asian]] Muslims, some of which may speak Urdu)<ref>[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=South+Africa Ethnologue Report for South Africa]</ref>
* [[Canada]] (156,415 [2006], 0.5%)<ref>[http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/analysis/language/tables/table2.htm Canada:The most common non-official mother tongues, 1971, 2001 and 2006]</ref>
* [[Oman]] (90,000, 2.8%)
* [[Bahrain]] (80,000, 11.3%{{Fact|date=January 2008}})
* [[Mauritius]] (74,000, 5.6%)
* [[Qatar]] (70,000, 8%)
* [[Germany]] (40,000)
* [[Norway]] (27,700 [2006])<ref>[http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/02/sa_innvand_en/arkiv/sa87/immigrant_population.pdf Statistics Norway]</ref>
* [[France]] (20,000)
* [[Spain]] (18,000 [2004])<ref>[http://www.pakistanlink.com/Letters/2004/July04/02/10.html Pakistan Link: Desi Salsa in Barcelona]</ref>
* [[Sweden]] (10,000 [2001])<ref>[http://www.answers.com/topic/demographics-of-sweden Answers.com: Demographics of Sweden]</ref>
* [[List of languages by number of native speakers|World Total]]: 60,503,578<ref>[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=urd Ethnologue Report for Urdu]</ref>

== Official status ==

Urdu is the national language of [[Pakistan]] and is spoken and understood throughout the country. It shares [[official language]] status with English. It is used in [[Education in Pakistan|education]], [[Pakistani literature|literature]], office and court business,<ref>It should be noted that in the [[lower court]]s in Pakistan, despite the proceedings taking place in Urdu, the documents are in English. In the higher courts, ie the High Courts and the [[Supreme Court of Pakistan|Supreme Court]], both the proceedings and documents are in English.</ref> [[List of Pakistani television and radio channels|media]], and in religious institutions. It holds in itself a repository of the [[Culture of Pakistan|cultural]] and [[Pakistan#Society and culture|social]] heritage of the country.<ref name=”zia”>Zia, Khaver (1999), [http://www.cicc.or.jp/english/hyoujyunka/mlit4/7-10Pakistan/Pakistan2.html "A Survey of Standardisation in Urdu". 4th Symposium on Multilingual Information Processing, (MLIT-4)], [[Yangon]], [[Myanmar]]. CICC, [[Japan]]</ref> Although English is used in most elite circles, and [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] has a plurality of native speakers, Urdu is the [[lingua franca]] in Pakistan.

Urdu is also one of the officially recognised languages in [[official languages of India|India]]<ref>see [http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_762510380/Urdu.html Urdu] at [[Encarta Encyclopedia|Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia]]</ref> and has official language status in the [[States and territories of India|Indian states]] of [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Bihar]],<ref name="Language in India - Urdu">{{cite web|url = http://www.languageinindia.com/feb2003/urduinbihar.html| title = Urdu in Bihar|publisher = Language in India|accessdate = 2008-05-17}}</ref> [[Jammu and Kashmir]], and [[Uttar Pradesh]], and the national capital, [[Delhi|New Delhi]].

Urdu is also spoken and written in Saudi Arabia by a limited number of Arabs. In the holy cities of [[Makkah]] & [[Medina]] several important sign boards are written in Urdu along with Arabic & English.

{{see also|States of India by Urdu speakers}}

== Classification and related languages ==

Urdu is a member of the [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]] family of languages, which is in turn a branch of the [[Indo-Iranian languages|Indo-Iranian group]] (which comprises the Indo-Aryan and the Iranian branches), which itself is a member of the [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] linguistic family. Urdu (along with [[Hindi language|Hindi]]) is considered to be a part of a [[dialect continuum]] which extends across eastern Iran, Afghanistan and modern Pakistan<ref>Phukan, 2000.</ref>—right into eastern India. These idioms all have similar grammatical structures and share a large portion of their vocabulary. Punjabi, for instance, is very similar to Urdu; Punjabi written in the [[Shahmukhi]] script can be understood by speakers of Urdu with little difficulty, but spoken Punjabi has a very different [[phonology]] (pronunciation system) and can be harder to understand for Urdu speakers.

== Dialects ==

Urdu has four recognised dialects: [[Dakhini]], Pinjari, [[Rekhta]], and Modern Vernacular Urdu (based on the [[Khariboli]] dialect of the Delhi region). Sociolinguists also consider Urdu itself one of the four major variants of the [[Hindi]]-Urdu dialect continuum.<ref name="Ethnologue Report for Hindi">{{cite web|url = http://www.ethnologue.org/show_language.asp?code=hin| title = Ethnologue Report for Hindi | publisher = Ethnologue | accessdate = 2008-02-26}}</ref>

Modern Vernacular Urdu is the form of the language that is least widespread and is spoken around [[Delhi]] and [[Lucknow]] while the Pakistani variant of the language spoken in [[Karachi]] and [[Lahore]]; it becomes increasingly divergent from the original form of Urdu as it loses some of the complicated Persian and Arabic vocabulary used in everyday terms.

[[Dakhini]] (also known as Dakani, Deccani, Desia, Mirgan) is spoken in [[Deccan]] region of southern India. It is distinct by its mixture of vocabulary from [[Marathi language|Marathi]] and [[Telugu|Telugu language]], as well as some vocabulary from Arabic, Persian and Turkish that are not found in the standard dialect of Urdu. In terms of pronunciation, the easiest way to recognize a native speaker is their pronunciation of the letter "qāf" (ﻕ) as "kh" (ﺥ). Dakhini is widely spoken in all parts of [[Maharashtra]], [[Karnatka]], [[Andhra Pradesh]] and [[Tamil Nadu]]. Urdu is read and written as in other parts of India. A number of daily newspapers and several monthly magazines in Urdu are published in these states.

In addition, [[Rekhta]] (or Rekhti), the language of Urdu poetry, is sometimes counted as a separate dialect.Abdul Jamil Khan writes in his book "The Politics of Language"Urdu/Hindi ; an artificial divide, Algora Publishing US, 2006, That The origin of Urdu is Dravidian and ancient Indian Munda language, the authentic ethnic language root of present day Sanskrit that came to India from Meditranian /Sumerian root.Some how the evolution of Urdu during the Mughal times has made it a foreign language to India where it really belongs.

== Phonology ==
{{Main|Hindi-Urdu phonology}}

{|
|-
|
:{|class="wikitable" border="2"
!
! colspan="2" | [[Bilabial consonant|Bilabial]]
! colspan="2" | [[Labiodental consonant|Labio- dental]]
! colspan="2" | [[Dental consonant|Dental]]/ [[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! colspan="2" | [[Retroflex consonant|Retroflex]]
! colspan="2" | [[Post-alveolar|Post-alv.]]/[[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! colspan="2" | [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! colspan="2" | [[Uvular consonant|Uvular]]
! colspan="2" | [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|- align=center
! [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| colspan="2" | {{IPA|m}}
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" | {{IPA|n}}
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
|- align=center
! [[Plosive consonant|Plosive]]
| {{IPA|p pʰ}}
| {{IPA|b bʱ}}
| colspan="2" |
| {{IPA|t̪ t̪ʰ}}
| {{IPA|d̪ d̪ʱ}}
| {{IPA|ʈ ʈʰ}}
| {{IPA|ɖ ɖʱ}}
| colspan="2" |
| {{IPA|k kʰ}}
| {{IPA|g gʱ}}
| {{IPA|q}}
| 
| colspan="2" |
|-align=center
! [[Affricate consonant|Affricate]]
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
| {{IPA|tʃ tʃʰ}}
| {{IPA|dʒ dʒʱ}}
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
|- align=center
! [[Fricative]]
| colspan="2" |
| {{IPA|f}}
|
| {{IPA|s}}
| {{IPA|z}}
| colspan="2" |
| {{IPA|ʃ}}
|
| {{IPA|x}}
| {{IPA|ɣ}}
|
|
|
| {{IPA|ɦ}}
|- align=center
! [[Flap consonant|Tap or Flap]]
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" | {{IPA|ɾ}}
| colspan="2" | {{IPA|(ɽ) (ɽʱ)}}
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
|- align=center
! [[Approximant]]
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" | {{IPA|ʋ}}
| colspan="2" |{{IPA|l}}
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" | {{IPA|j}}
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
|}
|
{|
|-
|+'''[[Vowel]]s'''
|
[[Image:Hindi vowel chart.png|200px]]
|}
|}
== Grammar ==
{{Main|Hindi-Urdu grammar}}

== Levels of formality ==
Urdu in its less formalised [[register (linguistics)|register]] has been referred to as a ''[[rekhta]]'' (ریختہ, {{IPA|[reːxt̪aː]}}), meaning "rough mixture". The more formal register of Urdu is sometimes referred to as ''zabān-e-Urdu-e-mo'alla'' (زبانِ اردوِ معلہ, {{IPA|[zəba:n e: ʊrd̪uː eː moəllaː]}}), the "Language of Camp and Court".

The [[etymology]] of the word used in the Urdu language for the most part decides how polite or refined your speech is. For example, Urdu speakers would distinguish between پانی ''pānī'' and آب ''āb'', both meaning "water" for example, or between آدمی ''ādmi'' and مرد ''mard'', meaning "man". The former in each set is used colloquially and has older [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]] origins, while the latter is used formally and poetically, being of [[Persian language|Persian]] origin.

If a word is of [[Persian language|Persian]] or [[Arabic]] origin, the level of speech is considered to be more formal and grand. Similarly, if [[Persian language|Persian]] or [[Arabic]] grammar constructs, such as the [[izafat]], are used in Urdu, the level of speech is also considered more formal and grand. If a word is inherited from [[Sanskrit]], the level of speech is considered more colloquial and personal.<ref name="University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill">{{cite web|url = http://www.unc.edu/| title = About Urdu| publisher = Afroz Taj (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|accessdate = 2008-02-26}}</ref>

That distinction has likenesses with the division between words from a French or Old English origin while speaking English.

=== Politeness ===

Urdu is supposed to be a subtle and polished language; a host of words are used in it to show respect and politeness. This emphasis on politeness, which is reflected in the vocabulary, is known as '''adab''' and to some extent as '''takalluf''' in Urdu. These words are generally used when addressing elders, or people with whom one is not acquainted. For example, the English pronoun 'you' can be translated into three words in Urdu the singular forms ''tu'' (informal, extremely intimate, or derogatory) and ''tum'' (informal and showing intimacy called "apna pan" in Urdu) and the plural form ''āp'' (formal and respectful). Similarly, verbs, for example, "come," can be translated with degrees of formality in three ways:
# '''آ‏ئے''' āiye/{{IPA|[aːɪje]}} or '''آ‏ئیں''' āen/{{IPA|[aːẽː]}} (formal and respectful)
# '''آ‏و''' āo/{{IPA|[aːo]}} (informal and intimate with less degree)
# '''آ''' ā/{{IPA|[aː]}} (extremely informal, intimate and potentially derogatory).

== Vocabulary ==

Urdu has a vocabulary rich in words with [[Indo-Aryan|Indic]] and [[Middle Eastern]] origins. The language's Indic base has been enriched by borrowing from [[Persian language|Persian]] and [[Arabic language|Arabic]].<ref name="Infoplease">{{cite web|url = http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0850180.html| title = Urdu| publisher = The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. |accessdate = 2008-02-26}}</ref> There are also a small number of borrowings from [[Turkish language|Turkish]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], and more recently [[English language|English]]. Many of the words of Arabic origin have different nuances of meaning and usage than they do in Arabic. Other words have exactly the same pronunciation, spelling, and meaning. For instance, the words "Sa'waal" (lit. "Question") and "Ja'waab" (lit. "Answer") are exactly the same in both Urdu and Arabic.

== Writing system ==
{{main|Urdu alphabet}}
{{further|[[Hindustani orthography]]}}
{{further|[[Uddin and Begum Urdu-Hindustani Romanization]]}}
[[Image:Urdu alphabets.png|thumb|265px|The Urdu Nasta’liq alphabet, with names in the Devanāgarī and Latin alphabets]]
{{IPA notice}}

Nowadays, Urdu is generally written right-to left in an extension of the [[Persian alphabet]], which is itself an extension of the [[Arabic alphabet]]. Urdu is associated with the ''[[Nasta'liq|Nasta’liq]]'' style of Arabic calligraphy, whereas [[Arabic language|Arabic]] is generally written in the modernized ''[[Naskh (script)|Naskh]]'' style. ''Nasta’liq'' is notoriously difficult to typeset, so Urdu newspapers were hand-written by masters of calligraphy, known as ''katib'' or ''khush-navees'', until the late 1980s.

Historically, Urdu was also written in the [[Kaithi]] script. A highly-Persianized and technical form of Urdu was the ''lingua franca'' of the law courts of the British administration in [[Bengal]], [[Bihar]], and the North-West Provinces & Oudh. Until the late 19th century, all proceedings and court transactions in this register of Urdu was written officially in the Persian script. In 1880, [[Ashley Eden|Sir Ashley Eden]], the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal abolished the use of the Persian alphabet in the law courts of [[Bengal]] and [[Bihar]] and ordered the exclusive use of [[Kaithi]], a popular script used for both Urdu and [[Hindi]].<ref>King, 1994.</ref> Kaithi's association with Urdu and [[Hindi]] was ultimately eliminated by the political contest between these languages and their scripts, in which the Persian script was definitively linked to Urdu.

More recently in India, Urdu speakers have adopted Devanagari for publishing Urdu periodicals and have innovated new strategies to mark Urdū in Devanagari as distinct from Hindi in Devanagari.<ref>Ahmad, R., 2006.</ref> The popular Urdu monthly magazine, महकता आंचल (''Mahakta Anchal''), is published in Delhi in Devanagari in order to target the generation of Muslim boys and girls who do not know the Persian script. Such publishers have introduced new orthographic features into Devanagari for the purpose of representing Urdu sounds. One example is the use of अ (Devanagari ''a'') with vowel signs to mimic contexts of ع (''[[ayin|‘ain]]''). To Urdu publishers, the use of Devanagari gives them a greater audience, but helps them to preserve the distinct identity of Urdu when written in Devanagari.

A list of the Urdu alphabet and pronunciation is given below. Urdu contains many historical spellings from Arabic and Persian, and therefore has many irregularities. The Arabic letters ''yaa'' and ''haa'' are split into two in Urdu: one of the ''yaa'' variants is used at the ends of words for the sound [i], and one of the ''haa'' variants is used to indicate the [[Aspiration (phonetics)|aspirated]] consonants. The [[retroflex consonant]]s needed to be added as well; this was accomplished by placing a superscript ط (''to'e'') above the corresponding [[dental consonant]]s. Several letters which represent distinct consonants in Arabic are conflated in Persian, and this has carried over to Urdu. The National Language Authority of the Government of Pakistan has finalized the list and collating order of Urdu letters.<ref>
Government of Pakistan, National Language Authority (Cabinet Division) [nla.gov.pk].</ref>

{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Letter !! Name of letter !! Phonemic representation (in [[help:IPA|IPA]])
|-
| {{lang|ur|ا}} || ''alif'' || {{IPA|/ɪ/,/ʊ/,/ɘ/,/ɑ/}} depending on diacritical marks
|-
| {{lang|ur|ب}} || ''be'' || {{IPA|/b/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|پ}} || ''pe'' || {{IPA|/p/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|ت}} || ''te'' || {{IPA|/t̪/}} (dental)
|-
| {{lang|ur|ٹ}} || {{Unicode|''ṭe''}} || {{IPA|/ʈ/}} (retroflex)
|-
| {{lang|ur|ث}} || ''se'' || {{IPA|/s/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|ج}} || ''jīm'' || {{IPA|/dʒ/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|چ}} || ''ce'' || {{IPA|/tʃ/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|ح}} || {{Unicode|''baṛī he''}} || {{IPA|/h/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|خ}} || ''khe'' || {{IPA|/x/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|د}} || ''dāl'' || {{IPA|/d̪/}} (dental)
|-
| {{lang|ur|ڈ}} || {{Unicode|''ḍāl''}} || {{IPA|/ɖ/}} (retroflex)
|-
| {{lang|ur|ذ}} || ''zāl'' || {{IPA|/z/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|ر}} || ''re'' || {{IPA|/r/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|ڑ}} || {{Unicode|''ṛe''}} || {{IPA|/ɽ/}} (retroflex flap)
|-
| {{lang|ur|ز}} || ''ze'' || {{IPA|/z/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|ژ}} || ''zhe'' || {{IPA|/ʒ/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|س}} || ''sīn'' || {{IPA|/s/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|ش}} || ''shīn'' || {{IPA|/ʃ/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|ص}} || ''su'ād'' || {{IPA|/s/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|ض}} || ''zu'ād'' || {{IPA|/z/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|ط}} || ''to'e'' || {{IPA|/t/}} (dental)
|-
| {{lang|ur|ظ}} || ''zo'e'' || {{IPA|/z/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|ع}} || ''‘ain'' || {{IPA|/ɑ/}} after a consonant; otherwise {{IPA|/ʔ/}}, {{IPA|/ə/}}, or silent.
|-
| {{lang|ur|غ}} || ''ghain'' || {{IPA|/ɣ/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|ف}} || ''fe'' || {{IPA|/f/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|ق}} || ''qāf'' || {{IPA|/q/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|ک}} || ''kāf'' || {{IPA|/k/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|گ}} || ''gāf'' || {{IPA|/g/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|ل}} || ''lām'' || {{IPA|/l/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|م}} || ''mīm'' || {{IPA|/m/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|ن}} || ''nūn'' || {{IPA|/n/}} or a [[nasal vowel]]
|-
| {{lang|ur|و}} || ''vā'o'' || {{IPA|/v/, /u/, /ʊ/, /o/, /ow/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|ہ, ﮩ, ﮨ}} || {{Unicode|''choṭī he''}} || {{IPA|/ɑ/}} at the end of a word, otherwise {{IPA|/h/}} or silent
|-
| {{lang|ur|ھ}} || ''do cashmī he'' || indicates that the preceding consonant is [[Aspiration (phonetics)|aspirated]] ({{IPA|/pʰ/, /t̪ʰ/, /ʈʰ/, /tʃʰ/, /kʰ/}}) or [[breathy voice|murmured]] ({{IPA|/bʱ/, /d̪ʱ/, /ɖʱ/, /dʒʱ/, /gʱ/}}).
|-
| {{lang|ur|ء}} || ''hamzah'' || {{IPA|/ʔ/}} or silent
|-
| {{lang|ur|ی}} || {{Unicode|''choṭī ye''}} || {{IPA|/j/, /i/, /e/, /ɛ/}}
|-
| {{lang|ur|ے}} || {{Unicode|''baṛī ye''}} || {{IPA|/eː/}}
|}

== Software ==

The [[Daily Jang]] was the first Urdu newspaper to be typeset digitally in ''Nasta’liq'' by computer. There are efforts underway to develop more sophisticated and user-friendly Urdu support on computers and the Internet. Nowadays, nearly all Urdu newspapers, magazines, journals, and periodicals are composed on computers via various Urdu software programmes. [[Microsoft]] has included Urdu language support in all new versions of Windows and both [[Vista]] and [[Office 2007]] are available in Urdu through [[Language Interface Pack]]<ref>http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/Browse.aspx?displaylang=ur&productID=38DF6AB1-13D4-409C-966D-CBE61F040027</ref> support.

=== Transliteration In English===

Urdu is occasionally also written in the Roman script. [[Roman Urdu]] has been used since the days of the [[British Raj]], partly as a result of the availability and low cost of Roman [[movable type]] for printing presses. The use of Roman Urdu was common in contexts such as product labels. Today it is regaining popularity among users of text-messaging and Internet services and is developing its own style and conventions. [[Habib R. Sulemani]] says, ''"The younger generation of Urdu-speaking people around the world are using Romanised Urdu on the Internet and it has become essential for them, because they use the Internet and English is its language. A person from Islamabad chats with another in Delhi on the Internet only in Roman Urdū. They both speak the same language but with different scripts. Moreover, the younger generation of those who are from the English medium schools or settled in the west, can speak Urdu but can’t write it in the traditional Arabic script and thus Roman Urdu is a blessing for such a population."''<ref>[http://mailgate.dada.net/soc/soc.culture.punjab/msg21165.html The News, Karachi, Pakistan: Roman Urdu by Habib R Sulemani]</ref>

Roman Urdu also holds significance among the Christians of [[North India]]. Urdū was the dominant native language among Christians of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan in the early part of twentieth century and is still used by some people in these Indian states. Indian Christians often used the Roman script for writing Urdū. Thus Roman Urdū was a common way of writing among Indian Christians in these states up to the 1960s. The Bible Society of India publishes Roman Urdū Bibles which enjoyed sale late into the 1960s (though they are still published today). Church songbooks are also common in Roman Urdū. However, the usage of Roman Urdū is declining with the wider use of Hindi and English in these states. The major [[Hindi-Urdu]] [[South Asian cinema|South Asian film industries]], [[Bollywood]] and [[Lollywood]], are also noteworthy for their use of Roman Urdū for their movie titles.

Usually, bare transliterations of Urdu into Roman letters omit many [[phoneme|phonemic]] elements that have no equivalent in English or other languages commonly written in the [[Latin alphabet]]. It should be noted that a comprehensive system has emerged with specific notations to signify non-English sounds, but it can only be properly read by someone already familiar with Urdu, Persian, or Arabic for letters such as:{{lang|ur|ژ خ غ ط ص}} or {{lang|ur|ق}} and [[Hindi]] for letters such as {{lang|ur|ڑ}}. This script may be found on the Internet, and it allows people who understand the language but without knowledge of their written forms to communicate with each other.

== Examples ==

{| class="wikitable" style="width: 80%"
|-
! English
! Urdu
! Transliteration
! Notes
|-
| Hello
| السلام علیکم
| {{IPA|assalāmu ‘alaikum}}
| ''lit.'' "Peace be upon you." (from Arabic)
|-
| Hello
| و علیکم السلام
| {{IPA|wa'alaikum assalām}}
| ''lit.'' "And upon you, peace." Response to {{IPA|assalāmu ‘alaikum}} (from Arabic)
|-
| Hello
| (آداب (عرض ہے
| {{IPA|ādāb (arz hai)}}
| ''lit.'' "Regards (are expressed)", a very formal [[secular]] greeting
|-
| Good Bye
| خدا حافظ
| {{IPA|khudā hāfiz}}
| ''lit.'' "May God be your Guardian" (from Persian). Standard and commonly used by Muslims and non-Muslims, or ''al vida'' formally spoken all over
|-
| yes
| ہاں
| {{IPA|hān}}
| casual
|-
| yes
| جی
| {{IPA|jī}}
| formal
|-
| yes
| جی ہاں
| {{IPA|jī hān}}
| confident formal
|-
| no
| نا
| {{IPA|nā}}
| casual
|-
| no
| نہیں، جی نہیں
| {{IPA|nahīn, jī nahīn}}
| formal;jī nahīn is considered more formal
|-
| please
| مہربانی
| {{IPA|meharbānī}}
|
|-
| thank you
| شکریہ
| {{IPA|shukrīā}}
|
|-
| Please come in
| تشریف لائیے
| {{IPA|tashrīf laīe}}
| ''lit.'' "Bring your honour"
|-
| Please have a seat
| تشریف رکھیئے
| {{IPA|tashrīf rakhīe}}
|
|-
| I am happy to meet you
| اپ سے مل کر خوشی ہوئی
| {{IPA|āp se mil kar khushī hūye}}
|
|-
| Do you speak English?
| کیا اپ انگریزی بولتے ہیں؟
| {{IPA|kya āp angrezī bolte hain?}}
| ''lit.'' "Do you speak English?"
|-
| I do not speak Urdu.
| میں اردو نہیں بولتا/بولتی
| {{IPA|main urdū nahīn boltā/boltī}}
| ''boltā'' is masculine, ''boltī'' is feminine
|-
| My name is ...
| میرا نام ۔۔۔ ہے
| {{IPA|merā nām .... hai}}
|
|-
| Which way to [[Lahore]]?
| لاھور کس طرف ہے؟
| {{IPA|lāhaur kis taraf hai?}}
|
|-
| Where is [[Lucknow]]?
| لکھنؤ کہاں ہے؟
| {{IPA|Lakhnau kahān hai}}
|-
| Urdu is a good language.
| اردو اچھی زبان ہے
| {{IPA|urdū achchhī zabān hai}}
|}

=== Sample text ===
{{seealso|Hindi#Sample_Text}}
The following is a sample text in {{IPA|zabān-e urdū-e muʻallā}} (formal Urdu), of the Article 1 of the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]] (by the [[United Nations]]):

====Urdu text====
:'''دفعہ 1:''' تمام انسان آزاد اور حقوق و عزت کے اعتبار سے برابر پیدا ہوۓ ہیں۔ انہیں ضمیر اور عقل ودیعت ہوئی ہی۔ اسلۓ انہیں ایک دوسرے کے ساتھ بھائی چارے کا سلوک کرنا چاہیۓ۔

====Transliteration ([[Library of Congress|ALA-LC]])====
:{{IPA|'''Dafʻah 1:''' Tamām insān āzād aur ḥuqūq o ʻizzat ke iʻtibār se barābar paidā hu’e heṇ. Unheṇ zamīr aur ʻaql wadīʻat hu’ī he. Isli’e unheṇ ek dūsre ke sāth bhā’ī chāre kā sulūk karnā chāhi’e}}.

====[[IPA]] Transcription====
:{{IPA|'''d̪əfa ek:''' t̪əmam ɪnsan azad̪ ɔɾ hʊquq o ʔizət̪ ke ɪʔt̪ɪbaɾ se bəɾabəɾ pɛda hʊe hẽ. ʊnɦẽ zəmiɾ ɔɾ ʔəqəl ʋədiət̪ hʊi he. ɪslɪe ʊnɦẽ ek d̪usɾe ke sat̪ʰ bɦai tʃaɾe ka sʊluk kəɾna tʃahɪe}}.

====Gloss (word-for-word)====
:'''Article 1:''' All humans free[,] and rights and dignity *('s) consideration from equal born are. To them conscience and intellect endowed is. Therefore, they one another *('s) brotherhood *('s) treatment do must.

====Translation (grammatical)====
:'''Article 1:''' All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience. Therefore, they should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

'''Note:''' ''*('s) represents a possessive case which when written is preceded by the possessor and followed by the possessed, unlike the English 'of'.''

== Literature ==

Urdu has only become a literary language in recent centuries, as Persian and Arabic were formerly the idioms of choice for "elevated" subjects. However, despite its late development, Urdu literature boasts some world-recognised artists and a considerable corpus.

=== Prose ===
====Religious====

Urdu holds the largest collection of works on Islamic literature and [[Sharia]] after Arabic and Persian. These include translations and interpretation of [[Qur'an]], commentary on ''Hadith'', ''Fiqh'', [[history]], [[spirituality]], [[Sufism]] and [[metaphysics]]. A great number of classical texts from [[Arabic]] and [[Persian language|Persian]], have also been translated into Urdu. Relatively inexpensive publishing, combined with the use of Urdu as a [[lingua franca]] among Muslims of [[South Asia]], has meant that Islam-related works in Urdu far outnumber such works in any other South Asian language.{{Fact|date=June 2007}} Popular Islamic books, originally written in Urdu, include [[Qasas-ul-Anbia]], [[Fazail-e-Amal]], [[Bahishti Zewar]] the [[Bahar-e-Shariat]].

====Literary====

Secular prose includes all categories of widely known fiction and non-fiction work, separable into genres.

The ''dāstān'', or tale, a traditional story which may have many characters and complex plotting. This has now fallen into disuse.

The ''afsāna'', or [[short story]], probably the best-known genre of Urdu fiction. The best-known ''afsāna'' writers, or ''afsāna nigār'', in Urdu are [[Saadat Hasan Manto]], [[Qurratulain Hyder]] (Qurat-ul-Ain Haider), [[Munshi Premchand]], [[Ismat Chughtai]], [[Krishan Chander]],[[Bhupendra nath Kaushik"fikr"]] [[Ghulam Abbas]], [[Banu Qudsia]] and [[Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi]]. Munshi Premchand, became known as a pioneer in the ''afsāna'', though some contend that his were not technically the first as Sir Ross Masood had already written many short stories in Urdu.

[[Novel]]s form a genre of their own, in the tradition of the English novel.

Other genres include ''saférnāma'' (travel story), ''mazmoon'' (essay), ''sarguzisht''(account/narrative), ''inshaeya''(satirical essay), ''murasela''(editorial), and ''khud navvisht'' (autobiography).

=== Poetry ===

{{main|Urdu poetry}}

[[Image:Ghalib.gif|frame|right|[[Mirza Ghalib]] (1796–1869), a respected poet of Urdu.]]

Urdu has been the premier language of poetry in South Asia for two centuries, and has developed a rich tradition in a variety of poetic genres. The 'Ghazal' in Urdu represents the most popular form of subjective poetry, while the '[[Nazm]]' exemplifies the objective kind, often reserved for narrative, descriptive, didactic or satirical purposes. Under the broad head of the Nazm we may also include the classical forms of poems known by specific names such as '[[Masnavi]]' (a long narrative poem in rhyming couplets on any theme: romantic, religious, or didactic), '[[Marsia]]' (an elegy traditionally meant to commemorate the martyrdom of Hazrat [[Imam Hussain]], grandson of Muhammad, and his comrades of the [[Karbala]] fame), or 'Qasida' (a panegyric written in praise of a king or a nobleman), for all these poems have a single presiding subject, logically developed and concluded. However, these poetic species have an old world aura about their subject and style, and are different from the modern Nazm, supposed to have come into vogue in the later part of the nineteenth century.

Urdu poetry forms itself with following basic ingredients:

*'''[[Shayari|Bait]]''' (بیت)
*'''[[Shayari|Bait-ul-Ghazal]]'''
*'''[[Beher (poetry)|Beher]]'''
*'''[[Diwan (poetry)|Diwan]]''' (دیوان)
*'''[[Shayari|Husn-E-Matla]]'''
*'''[[Kalam (poetry)|Kalam]]''' (کلام)
*'''[[Kulyat]]''' (کلیات)
*'''[[Maqta]]'''
*'''[[Matla]]'''
*'''[[Mavra (poetry)|Mavra]]'''
*'''[[Shayari|Misra]]'''
*'''[[Mushaira]]'''
*'''[[Qaafiyaa]]
*'''[[Radif]]'''
*'''[[Shayari|Sher]]'''
*'''[[Shayar (poet)|Shayar]]'''
*'''[[Shayari]]'''
*'''[[Shayari|Tah-Tul-Lafz]]'''
*'''[[Takhallus]]'''
*'''[[Shayari|Tarannum]]'''
*'''[[Triveni (poetry)|Triveni]]'''

The major genres of poetry found in Urdu are:

* ''[[Doha (poetry)|Doha]]'' (دوہا)
* ''[[Shayari|Fard]]''
* ''[[Shayari|Geet]]'' (گیت)
* ''[[Ghazal]]'' (غزل), as practiced by many poets in the Arab tradition. [[Mir Taqi Mir|Mir]], [[Ghalib]], [[Daagh]], [[Jaun]] and [[Nasir Kazmi]] are well-known composers of ''ghazal''.
* ''[[Hamd]]'' (حمد)
* ''[[Shayari|Hazal]]'', [[Bhupendra nath Kaushik"fikr"]]
* ''[[Shayari|Hijv]]''
* ''[[Kafi]]''
* ''[[Shayari|Madah]]''
* ''[[Manqabat]] ''
* ''[[Marsia]]'' (مرثیہ)[[Meer Anees]] [[Mirza Dabeer]] and [[Naseem Amrohvi]] are known as the masters of Marsia writing.
* ''[[Masnavi]]'' (مثنوی)
* ''[[Shayari|Munajat]]''
* ''[[Musaddas]]'' (مسدس)
* ''[[Mukhammas]]''
* ''[[Naat]]'' (نعت)
* ''[[Nazm]]'' (نظم),[[Faiz]],[[Bhupendra nath Kaushik"fikr"]] and [[Rashid]] are known as great poets of this form.
* ''[[Noha]]'' (نوحہ)
* ''[[Qasida]]'' (قصیدہ)
* ''[[Shayari|Qat'ã]]'' (قطعہ)
* ''[[Qawwali]]''
* ''[[Rubai]]'' (a.k.a. Rubayyat or Rubaiyat) (رباعیات)
* ''[[Salam]]''
* ''[[Sehra]]'' (سہرا)
* ''[[Shayari|Shehr a'ashob]]''
* ''[[Soaz]]'' (سوز)
* ''[[Shayari|Wasokht]]''
Foreign forms such as the [[sonnet]], '''azad nazm''' or ([[Free verse]]) and [[haiku]] have also been used by some modern Urdu poets.

Probably the most widely recited, and memorised genre of contemporary Urdu poetry is ''[[naat|nāt]]''—panegyric poetry written in praise of the Prophet [[Muhammad]]. ''Nāt'' can be of any formal category, but is most commonly in the ''ghazal'' form. The language used in Urdu ''nāt'' ranges from the intensely colloquial to a highly Persified formal language. The great early twentieth century scholar Imam [[Ahmad Raza Khan]], who wrote many of the most well known ''nāts'' in Urdu (the collection of his poetic work is Hadaiq-e-Baqhshish), epitomised this range in a ''ghazal'' of nine stanzas (''bayt'') in which every stanza contains half a line each of Arabic, Persian, formal Urdu, and colloquial Hindi. The same poet composed a ''salām''—a poem of greeting to the Prophet Muhammad, derived from the unorthodox practice of ''qiyam'', or standing, during the ''[[mawlid]]'', or celebration of the birth of the Prophet—''Mustafā Jān-e Rahmat'', which, due to being recited on Fridays in some Urdu speaking mosques throughout the world, is probably the more frequently recited Urdu poems of the modern era.

Another important genre of Urdu prose are the poems commemorating the martyrdom of [[Imam Hussain]] Allah hiss salam and [[Battle of Karbala]], called ''[[noha]]'' (نوحہ) and ''[[marsia]]''. '''[[Anees]]''' and '''[[Dabeer]]''' are famous in this regard.
Indian film industry has long history of Urdu Poetry in the songs, in fact, popularity and success is some time song dependent. The quality of language and expression is much higher than Hindi language.

==== Terminology ====

'''Ash'ār''' (اشعار) (Couplet). It consists of two lines, [[Misra (Urdu)|Misra]] (مصرعہ); first line is called ''Misra-e-oola'' (مصرع اولی) and the second is called 'Misra-e-sānī' (مصرعہ ثانی). Each verse embodies a single thought or subject (sing) [[She'r]] (شعر).

====Urdu poetry example====
As in [[Ghalib]]'s famous couplet where he compares himself to his great predecessor, the master poet [[Mir Taqi Mir|''Mir'']]:<ref>[http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ghalib/036/36_11.html?urdu Columbia University: Ghazal 36, Verse 11]</ref>
<div style="direction: rtl;">
{{Unicode|ریختا کے تمہی نہیں ہو استاد غالب}} 
{{Unicode|کہتے ہیں اگلے زمانے میں کوئی میر بھی تھا}}
</div>
=====Transliteration=====
:''Rekhta ke tumhin nahīn ho ustād Ghālib''
:''Kahte hain agle zamāne men ko'ī Mīr bhī thā''

=====Translation=====
:You are not the only master of poetry O'Ghalib,
:They say, in the past; was also someone named Mir

=====Deewan-e-Ghalib =====
دیوانِ غالب

نقش فریادی ہے کس کی شوخیٴ تحریر کا؟

کاغذی ہے پیرہن ہر پیکرِ تصویر کا

کاؤ کاوِ سخت جانی ہائے تنہائی، نہ پوچھ

صبح کرنا شام کا، لانا ہے جوئی شِیر کا

جذبہٴ بے اختیارِ شوق دیکھا چاہیے

سینہٴ شمشیر سے باہر ہے دم شمشیر کا

آگہی دامِ شنیدن جس قدر چاہے بچھائے

مدعا عنقا ہے اپنے عالَمِ تقریر کا

بسکہ ہوں غالب اسیری میں بھی آتش زیرپا

موئے آتش دیدہ ہے حلقہ مری زنجیر کا

**********************************************

== History ==
{{main|History of Urdu}}

Urdu developed as local [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]] dialects came under the influence of the Muslim courts that ruled South Asia from the early thirteenth century. Its [[Indic]] vocabulary has been enriched by borrowings from [[Arabic]], [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Turkish language|Turkish]], [[English language|English]] and other [[Indian languages]].

The official language of the [[Delhi Sultanate]], the [[Mughal Empire]], and their successor states, as well as the cultured language of poetry and literature, was [[Persian language|Persian]], while the language of religion was [[Arabic language|Arabic]]. Most of the [[Sultan]]s and nobility in the Sultanate period were Turks from [[Central Asia]] who spoke [[Chagatai language|Turkic]] as their mother tongue. The [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]] were also from Central Asia, they spoke Turkish as their first language; however the Mughals later adopted Persian. Persian became the preferred language of the Muslim elite of north India before the Mughals entered the scene. Babur's mother tongue was Turkish and he wrote exclusively in Turkish. His son and successor Humayun also spoke and wrote in Turkish. Muzaffar Alam, a noted scholar of Mughal and Indo-Persian history, suggests that Persian became the ''lingua franca'' of the empire under Akbar for various political and social factors due to its non-sectarian and fluid nature.<ref>Alam, Muzaffar. "The Pursuit of Persian: Language in Mughal Politics." In ''Modern Asian Studies'', vol. 32, no. 2. (May, 1998), pp. 317–349.</ref> The influence of these languages on Indian [[apabhramsha]]s led to a [[vernacular]] that is the ancestor of today's Urdu. Dialects of this vernacular are spoken today in cities and villages throughout [[Pakistan]] and northern [[India]]. Cities with a particularly strong tradition of Urdu include [[Delhi]], [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]], [[Karachi]], [[Lucknow]] and [[Lahore]].

=== The name ''Urdu'' ===
The term Urdu came into use when [[Shah Jahan]] built the [[Red Fort]] in Delhi. The word ''Urdu'' itself comes from a [[Turkic languages|Turkic]] word ''ordu'',which means "camp", "tent" or "army", from which English also gets the word "[[horde]]". Hence Urdu is sometimes called "Lashkarī zabān", [[Persian language|Persian]] for "the language of the army". Furthermore, armies of India often contained soldiers with various native tongues. Hence, Urdu was the chosen language to address the soldiers as it abridged several languages.

Wherever Muslim soldiers and officials settled, they carried Urdu with them. Urdu enjoyed commanding status in the literary courts of late Muslim rulers and [[Nawab]]s, and flourished under their patronage, partially displacing [[Persian language|Persian]] as the language of elite in the then Indian society.

Urdu continued as one of many languages in Northwest India. In 1947, Urdu was established as the national language of Pakistan in the hope that this move would unite and homogenise the various ethnic groups of the new nation. Urdu suddenly went from a language of a minority to the language of the majority. It also became the official language of some of the various [[List of Indian state and union territory capitals|states of India]]. Today, Urdu is taught throughout Pakistani schools and spoken in government positions, and it is also common in much of Northern India. Hindi, which is very similar to Urdu, is the official language of India.

== Urdu and Hindi ==
{{Splitsection|Urdu and Hindi|date=August 2008}}
Because of their identical grammar and nearly identical core vocabularies, most linguists do not distinguish between Hindi and Urdu as separate languages—at least not in reference to the informal spoken registers. For them, ordinary informal Urdu and Hindi can be seen as variants of the same language ([[Hindustani]]) with the difference being that Urdu is supplemented with a Perso-Arabic vocabulary and Hindi a Sanskritic vocabulary. Additionally, there is the convention of Urdu being written in Perso-Arabic script, and Hindi in Devanagari. The standard, "proper" grammars of both languages are based on [[Khariboli]] grammar — the dialect of the Delhi region. So, with respect to grammar, the languages are mutually intelligible when spoken, and can be thought of as two written variants of the same language.

Hindustani is the name often given to this language as it developed over hundreds of years throughout India (which formerly included what is now Pakistan). In the same way that the core vocabulary of English evolved from Old English (Anglo-Saxon) but includes a large number of words borrowed from French and other languages (whose pronunciations often changed naturally so as to become easier for speakers of English to pronounce), what may be called [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]] can be said to have evolved from Sanskrit while borrowing many Persian and Arabic words over the years, and changing the pronunciations (and often even the meanings) of those words to make them easier for Hindustani speakers to pronounce. Therefore, Hindustani is the language as it evolved organically.

Linguistically speaking, Standard Hindi is a form of colloquial [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]], with lesser use of Persian and Arabic loanwords, while inheriting its formal vocabulary from Sanskrit; Standard Urdu is also a form of Hindustani, de-Sanskritised, with a significant part of its formal vocabulary consisting of loanwords from Persian and Arabic. The difference, thus is in the vocabulary, and not the structure of the language.

The difference is also sociolinguistic: When people speak Hindustani (i.e., when they are speaking colloquially) speakers who are Muslims will usually say that they are speaking Urdu, and those who are Hindus will typically say that they are speaking Hindi, even though they are speaking essentially the same language.

The two standardised registers of Hindustani — Hindi and Urdu — have become so entrenched as separate languages that often nationalists, both [[Muslim]] and [[Hindu]], claim that Hindi and Urdu have always been separate languages. However, there are unifying forces. For example, it is said that Indian [[Bollywood]] films are made in "Hindi", but the language used in most of them is Urdu.{{dubious|date=May 2008}} The dialogue is frequently developed in English and later translated to an intentionally neutral Hindustani which can be easily understood by speakers of most North Indian languages, both in India and in Pakistan.

Also see [[Hindi]].

== Urdu and Bollywood ==

The part of the Indian film industry based in [[Mumbai]] is often called [[Bollywood]] (بالی وڈ). The language used in Bollywood movies uses a vocabulary that could be understood by Urdu and Hindi speakers alike. The film industry wants to reach the largest possible audience, and it cannot do that if the vocabulary is too one-sidedly Sanskritized or Persianized. This rule is broken only for song lyrics, which use elevated, poetic language. Often, this means using poetic Urdu words of Arabic and Persian origin. A few films, like [[Jodha Akbar]], [[Umrao Jaan]], [[Pakeezah]], [[Heer Raanjha]], [[Mughal-e-Azam]], [[Dil Chahta Hai]] and [[The Chess Players]], have used vocabulary that leans more towards Urdu, as they depict places and times when Urdu would have been used.<ref name="University of Iowa-Bollywood">{{cite web|url = http://www.uiowa.edu/~incinema/Hindinote.htm| title = Hindi? Urdu? Hindustani? Hindi-Urdu?|publisher = University of Iowa|accessdate = 2008-05-20}}</ref> From the 1950s through the 1970s, Bollywood films displayed the name of the film in Hindi, Urdu, and Roman scripts. Most Bollywood films today present film titles in the [[Roman alphabet]] along with the Devanagari script, however sometimes Nasta`liq scripts are used as well.

== Footnotes ==
{{reflist}}

== Dictionaries ==
* [http://www.scribd.com/doc/8509778/English-to-Urdu-Dictionary Download complete English to Urdu dictionary, editable, 24000 words, urdu script]
* [http://www.ijunoon.com/urdudic/ Urdu Dictionary] English to Urdu Dictionary
* [http://www.ijunoon.com/urdudic/urdu.asp Urdu to English Dictionary] Urdu to English Dictionary
* [http://www.urduenglishdictionary.org/ English to Urdu to English dictionary]
* [http://www.urduseek.com/ English to Urdu to English dictionary]
* [http://www.urduword.com/ English to Urdu to English dictionary]
* [http://www.employees.org/~daftary/urdu.html Online Urdu-English Dictionary]

== References ==

* Ahmad, Rizwan. 2006. "Voices people write: Examining Urdu in Devanagari". http://www.ling.ohio-state.edu/NWAV/Abstracts/Papr172.pdf
* Alam, Muzaffar. 1998. "The Pursuit of Persian: Language in Mughal Politics." In ''Modern Asian Studies'', vol. 32, no. 2. (May, 1998), pp. 317–349.
* Asher, R. E. (Ed.). 1994. ''The Encyclopedia of language and linguistics''. Oxford: Pergamon Press. ISBN 0-08-035943-4.
* Azad, Muhammad Husain. 2001 [1907]. ''Ab-e hayat'' (Lahore: Naval Kishor Gais Printing Works) 1907 [in Urdu]; (Delhi: Oxford University Press) 2001. [In English translation]
* Azim, Anwar. 1975. Urdu a victim of cultural genocide. In Z. Imam (Ed.), ''Muslims in India'' (p. 259).
*Bhatia, Tej K. 1996. ''Colloquial Hindi: The Complete Course for Beginners''. London, UK & New York, NY: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-11087-4 (Book), 0415110882 (Cassettes), 0415110890 (Book & Cassette Course)
*Bhatia, Tej K. and Koul Ashok. 2000. "Colloquial Urdu: The Complete Course for Beginners." London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-13540-0 (Book); ISBN 0-415-13541-9 (cassette); ISBN 0-415-13542-7 (book and casseettes course)
* Chatterji, Suniti K. 1960. ''Indo-Aryan and Hindi'' (rev. 2nd ed.). Calcutta: Firma K.L. Mukhopadhyay.
* Dua, Hans R. 1992. "Hindi-Urdu as a pluricentric language". In M. G. Clyne (Ed.), ''Pluricentric languages: Differing norms in different nations''. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. ISBN 3-11-012855-1.
* Dua, Hans R. 1994a. Hindustani. In Asher, 1994; pp. 1554.
* Dua, Hans R. 1994b. Urdu. In Asher, 1994; pp. 4863–4864.
* Durrani, Attash, Dr. 2008. '' Pakistani Urdu''.Islamabad: National Language Authority, Pakistan.
* Hassan, Nazir and Omkar N. Koul 1980. ''Urdu Phonetic Reader''. Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages.
* Kelkar, A. R. 1968. ''Studies in Hindi-Urdu: Introduction and word phonology. Poona: Deccan College.
* Khan, M. H. 1969. Urdu. In T. A. Sebeok (Ed.), ''Current trends in linguistics'' (Vol. 5). The Hague: Mouton.
* King, Christopher R. 1994. ''One Language, Two Scripts: The Hindi Movement in Nineteenth Century North India''. Bombay: Oxford University Press.
* Koul, Ashok K. 2008. ''Urdu Script and Vocabulary''. Delhi: Indian Institute of Language Studies.
* Koul, Omkar N. 1994. ''Hindi Phonetic Reader''. Delhi: Indian Institute of Language Studies.
* Koul, Omkar N. 2008. ''Modern Hindi Grammar''. Springfield: Dunwoody Press.
* Narang, G. C. and D. A. Becker. 1971. Aspiration and nasalization in the generative phonology of Hindi-Urdu. ''Language'', ''47'', 646–767.
* Ohala, M. 1972. Topics in Hindi-Urdu phonology. (PhD dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles).
* [http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ghalib/index.html?urdu "A Desertful of Roses"], a site about Ghalib's Urdu ghazals by Dr. Frances W. Pritchett, Professor of Modern Indic Languages at Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
* Phukan, S. 2000. The Rustic Beloved: Ecology of Hindi in a Persianate World, The Annual of Urdu Studies, vol 15, issue 5, pp. 1–30
*Rahim, Rizwana. Urdu in India, 3-part review:
**http://www.pakistanlink.com/Opinion/2005/Sep05/30/02.HTM
[http://www.manaz.150m.com Urdu News web colaction by Maifnaz]

* Rai, Amrit. 1984. ''A house divided: The origin and development of Hindi-Hindustani''. Delhi: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-561643-X.
*Snell, Rupert ''Teach yourself Hindi: A complete guide for beginners.'' Lincolnwood, IL: NTC
*URDU Poetry by an Eminent Poet from INDIA - [http://www.geocities.com/BarqKadapavi Barq Kadapavi]

==See also==
{{Wikibooks}}

*[[Ghazal]]
*[[Languages of India]]
*[[Languages of Pakistan]]
*[[List of Urdu poets]]
*[[List of Urdu writers]]
*[[Persian and Urdu]]
*[[TIHUS - The International Hindi-Urdu Script]]
*[[Uddin and Begum Urdu-Hindustani Romanization]]
*[[Urdu Digest]]
*[[Urdu Informatics]]
*[[Urdu keyboard]]
*[[Urdu literature]]
*[[Urdu poetry]]
*[[Urdu phonology]]
*[[Badshah Munir Bukhari]]

== External links ==
{{sisterlinks}}
{{InterWiki|code=ur}}
* [http://www.scribd.com/doc/8509778/English-to-Urdu-Dictionary Download entire English to Urdu dictionary, editable, 24000 words, urdu script]
* [http://alvi.urdushare.net/blog/200811/download-alvi-nastaleeq/ Download Alvi Nastaliq fonts (unicode), a recent breakthrough]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/other/guide/urdu/ A Guide to Urdu], [[BBC]]
* [http://www.haroof.com/ Urdu Website]
* [http://www.urdu.zoonic.com/ A Good Urdu Site]
* [http://www.urdustuff.com/ Urdu Stuff]
* [http://www.nla.gov.pk/ National Language Authority], Pakistan
* [http://www.ajsoftpk.com/mutakallim/ Mutakallim - A Free Urdu Speaking Software], Pakistan
* [http://www.urduweb.org/wiki/UrduHome UrduWiki], reading and writing Urdu on the Web
* [http://www.minhajspain.org/atiq minhajspain.org/atiq] - اردو میں لکھنے کے لئے کلک کریں
* [http://www.urdu.saarim.com/ Online Aasaan Urdu Qaida for children], interactive and with colorful pictures
* [http://forum.chatdd.com/urdu-stuff/ Urdu Poetry]
* [http://www.ajsoftpk.com/urdunigarunicode/ Urdu Nigar Unicode - Free Urdu Text Editor (Word Processor)]

{{Urdu topics}}
{{Languages of India}}
{{Indo-Iranian languages}}

[[Category:Indo-Aryan languages]]
[[Category:Languages of India]]
[[Category:Languages of Pakistan]]
[[Category:National symbols of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Languages of Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Hindustani]]
[[Category:Urdu]]

{{Link FA|te}}

[[ar:أردو]]
[[an:Urdu]]
[[az:Urdu dili]]
[[bs:Urdu jezik]]
[[br:Ourdoueg]]
[[bg:Урду]]
[[ca:Urdú]]
[[cv:Урду]]
[[ceb:Pinulongang Urdu]]
[[cs:Urdština]]
[[cy:Wrdw]]
[[da:Urdu]]
[[de:Urdu]]
[[dv:އުރުދޫ]]
[[es:Urdu]]
[[eo:Urduo]]
[[eu:Urdu]]
[[fa:زبان اردو]]
[[fr:Ourdou]]
[[ga:Urdais]]
[[gl:Lingua urdú]]
[[ko:우르두어]]
[[hi:उर्दू भाषा]]
[[hsb:Urdušćina]]
[[bpy:উর্দু ঠার]]
[[id:Bahasa Urdu]]
[[ie:Urdu]]
[[it:Lingua urdu]]
[[he:אורדו]]
[[ka:ურდუ ენა]]
[[lt:Urdu]]
[[lij:Lengua urdu]]
[[hu:Urdu nyelv]]
[[ml:ഉര്‍ദു]]
[[mr:उर्दू भाषा]]
[[ms:Bahasa Urdu]]
[[nl:Urdu]]
[[ja:ウルドゥー語]]
[[no:Urdu]]
[[nn:Urdu]]
[[oc:Ordo]]
[[nds:Urdu]]
[[pl:Język urdu]]
[[pt:Língua urdu]]
[[ro:Limba urdu]]
[[ru:Урду]]
[[se:Urdugiella]]
[[simple:Urdu]]
[[sr:Урду]]
[[sh:Urdu]]
[[fi:Urdu]]
[[sv:Urdu]]
[[ta:உருது]]
[[te:ఉర్దూ భాష]]
[[th:ภาษาอูรดู]]
[[tg:Забони урду]]
[[tr:Urduca]]
[[uk:Урду]]
[[ur:اردو]]
[[yi:אורדו]]
[[zh:乌尔都语]]

EDUCATION SYSTEM IN PAKISTAN

{{Infobox Education
|country name = Pakistan
|agency image =
|agency = Federal Ministry of Education Provincial Education Ministries
|leader titles =
|leader names =
|budget = Rs.9556.442 million[http://www.moe.gov.pk/faqs.htm?#q7]
|budget year = 2007
|primary languages = [[Urdu]] and [[English language|English]].
|system type = Mainly public
|established events =
|established dates =
|literacy year = 2007
|literacy total = 56<ref>Ministry of Education [http://www.moe.gov.pk/faqs.htm?#q4 Literacy level]</ref>
|literacy men = 63<ref> UNICEF[http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/pakistan_pakistan_statistics.html#26 Literacy level - Men]</ref>
|li{{Infobox Education
|country name = Pakistan
|agency image =
|agency = Federal Ministry of Education Provincial Education Ministries
|leader titles =
|leader names =
|budget = Rs.9556.442 million[http://www.moe.gov.pk/faqs.htm?#q7]
|budget year = 2007
|primary languages = [[Urdu]] and [[English language|English]].
|system type = Mainly public
|established events =
|established dates =
|literacy year = 2007
|literacy total = 56<ref>Ministry of Education [http://www.moe.gov.pk/faqs.htm?#q4 Literacy level]</ref>
|literacy men = 63<ref> UNICEF[http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/pakistan_pakistan_statistics.html#26 Literacy level - Men]</ref>
|literacy women = 36<ref> UNICEF[http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/pakistan_pakistan_statistics.html#26 Literacy level - Women]</ref>
|enroll total =
|enroll primary = 87.3%<ref>Ministry of Education [http://www.moe.gov.pk/faqs.htm?#q5]</ref>
|enroll secondary = 44%<ref>Ministry of Education [http://www.moe.gov.pk/faqs.htm?#q5]</ref>
|enroll post-secondary = 4.6%<ref> World Bank [http://devdata.worldbank.org/edstats/SummaryEducationProfiles/CountryData/GetShowData.asp?sCtry=PAK,Pakistan Enrollment level]</ref>
|attain secondary = ?
|attain post-secondary = ?
|footnotes =
}}

'''Education in Pakistan''' is divided into five levels: [[Primary education|primary]] (grades one through five); [[Middle school|middle]] (grades six through eight); [[Secondary education|high]] (grades nine and ten, leading to the [[Secondary School Certificate]]); [[Secondary education|intermediate]] (grades eleven and twelve, leading to a Higher Secondary School Certificate); and [[university]] programs leading to [[undergraduate education|graduate]] and [[post-graduate education|advanced]] degrees.

All academic education institutions are the responsibility of the [[Government_of_Pakistan#Provincial_governments|provincial governments]]. The [[Government of Pakistan|federal government]] mostly assists in curriculum development, accreditation and some financing of research.

==Historical background==
When Pakistan gained independence in 1947, West Pakistan had only one institution of higher education[http://www.wes.org/ewenr/05jan/feature.htm], the [[University of the Punjab]]; East Pakistan had the [[University of Dhaka]]. Over the next 20 years, many private and public schools and higher education institutions were established to help fuel the country’s socio-economic development.

In the early 1970s, all of Pakistan’s educational institutions were nationalized under the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was committed to the idea of Islamic Socialism.

For the next decade, Pakistan’s entire system of education was state-run. However, the growing demand for higher education fast outpaced the establishment of new public universities. During that period, the system could accommodate only 25 percent of the high school graduates who applied to higher education institutions. The overcrowding prompted many wealthy Pakistanis to seek university degrees abroad in the United States, Great Britain and Australia, while others sought out private tutors at home or entered the job market without a degree.

[[Image:Cjm 34.JPG|thumb|right|250px|[[Convent of Jesus and Mary (Murree)|Convent of Jesus and Mary]] in [[Murree Hills]]]]
In 1979 a government commission reviewed the consequences of nationalization and concluded that in view of the poor participation rates at all levels of education, the public sector could no longer be the country’s sole provider of education. By the mid-1980s, private educational institutions were allowed to operate on the condition that they comply with government-recognized standards.

Until 1991, there were only two recognized private universities in Pakistan: Aga Khan University established in 1983; and Lahore University of Management Sciences established in 1985. By 1997, however, there were 10 private universities and in 2001-2002, this number had doubled to 20. In 2003-2004 Pakistan had a total of 53 private degree granting institutions.

The rapid expansion of private higher education is even more remarkable if we look at the number of institutions established on a year-by-year basis. In 1997, for instance, three private institutions were established; in 2001 eleven new private institutions were opened; and in 2002 a total of 29 private sector institutions sprung up.

The Government has decided to introduce 'English Medium Education' on a phased basis and to substantially end the right to 'Mother Tongue Education'. This new policy which is termed 'Education Sector Reforms (Policy decisions)', states that ''"English language has been made compulsory from Class-1 onwards." and the "Introduction of English as medium of instruction for Science, Mathematics, Computer Science and other selected subjects like Economics and Geography in all schools in a graduated manner."''<ref> Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Education [http://www.moe.gov.pk/]</ref>

Caretaker Minister for Education Mr. Shujaat Ali Beg declared [[Jan 25]], [[2008]] that eighteen colleges of the city of Karachi would be made ''"Model English Medium Colleges,"'' <ref>18 colleges declared 'English medium' [http://www.interface.edu.pk/students/Jan-08/English-medium-colleges.asp]</ref>

==Pre-school==
A child may begin his/her schooling at a pre-school at the age of 3. Over the last few years, many new kindergarten (sometimes called montessori) schools have also sprung up in Pakistan.

==Post-secondary==
[[Image:Educationsystempak.PNG|thumb|300px|right|Pakistani education system]]

Students can then proceed to a College or University for Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Science (BSc) or Commerce/Business Administration (BCom/BBA) degree courses. There are two types of Bachelor courses in Pakistan namely Pass or Honours. Pass constitutes two years of study and students normally read three optional subjects (such as Chemistry, Mathematics, Economics, Statistics) in addition to almost equal number of compulsory subjects (such as English, Pakistan Studies and Islamic Studies) whereas Honours are three or four years and students normally specialize in a chosen field of study such as Biochemistry (BSc Hons. Biochemistry). It is important to note that Pass Bachelors is now slowly being phased out for Honours throughout the country. Students may also after earning their HSSC may study for professional Bachelor degree courses such as engineering (B Engg), medicine (MBBS), vetrinary medicine(DVM) law (LLB), agriculture (B Agri), architecture (B Arch), nursing (B Nurs) etc. which are of four or five years duration depending on the degree.Further after passing the diploma of associate engineer(3-Year study after SSC)can take in admission in B.Tech engineering.B.Tech(Hon's) degree consists of four years.
mannan khan
Some Masters Degrees also consist of 1.5 years. Then there are PhD Education as well in selected areas. One has to choose specific field and the suitable university doing research work in that field. PhD in Pakistan consists of minimum 3-5 years.

Pakistani universities churn out almost 1.2 million skilled graduates annually. The government has announced a $1 billion spending plan over the next decade to build 6 state-of-the-art science and engineering universities. The scheme would be overseen by the Higher Education Commission. [http://www.scidev.net/content/news/eng/pakistan-plans-state-of-the-art-science-universities.cfm?&utm_source=feed-1&utm_medium=rss]

==Criticism==
An issue of National Geographic conveys the adversity poor families must face. Some schools are run so badly that few kids attend. {{cquote|It's not unusual in Pakistan to hear of public schools that receive no books, no supplies, and no subsidies from the government. Thousands more are 'ghost schools' that exist only on paper, to line the pockets of phantom teachers and administrators."}}
::::--National Geographic: ''Struggle for the Soul of Pakistan'', Don Belt<ref>{{Citation
|last=Belt
|first=Don
|date=September 2007
|title=Struggle for the Soul of Pakistan
|periodical=National Geographic
|publisher=
|issue=September 2007
|pages=59
|accessdate=2007-08-25
}}</ref>

===Madrassas===
Ever since the start of the [[War on Terror]], the attention of the world's media has been focused on the [[madrassa]]s operating in Pakistan which are mainly attended by children living in rural areas. Popular worldwide beliefs are that a significant number of students in Pakistan are a part of these religious schools. This myth was debunked by a [[Harvard University|Harvard]]/[[World Bank]] study that examined statistical data to more precisely determine madrassa enrollment in Pakistan.
<ref name="ReligiousSchoolEnrollmentInPakistan">Religious School Enrollment in Pakistan: A Look at the Data. by Asim Ijaz Khwaja (Harvard), Tristan Zajonc (Harvard), Tahir Andrabi (Pomona), and Jishnu Das (World Bank), 2005;
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/papers/MadrassaCERNov05.pdf PDF]; [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=667843 Abstract]</ref>
<ref name="MadrassaMaths">Madrassa Maths, Economist, May 2005 [http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/media/madrassa/Economist.pdf PDF].</ref>
The findings were that enrollment in Pakistani madrassas is relatively low, with less than 1 percent of all students enrolled in a school attending madrassas.
<ref name="ReligiousSchoolEnrollmentInPakistan">Religious School Enrollment in Pakistan: A Look at the Data. by Asim Ijaz Khwaja (Harvard), Tristan Zajonc (Harvard), Tahir Andrabi (Pomona), and Jishnu Das (World Bank)
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/papers/MadrassaCERNov05.pdf PDF] [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=667843 Abstract]</ref>
<ref name="MadrassaMaths">Madrassa Maths, [http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=3992265 Economist, summary for non-subscribers];
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/media/madrassa/Economist.pdf full article, PDF].</ref>
There are as much as 100 times as many children in public schools as there are in madrassas and almost 40 times as many children in private schools as there are in madrassas.
<ref name="ReligiousSchoolEnrollmentInPakistan">Religious School Enrollment in Pakistan: A Look at the Data. by Asim Ijaz Khwaja (Harvard), Tristan Zajonc (Harvard), Tahir Andrabi (Pomona), and Jishnu Das (World Bank)
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/papers/MadrassaCERNov05.pdf PDF] [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=667843 Abstract]</ref>
For the average Pakistani household, the choice of going to a madrassa is simply not a statistically significant option. Even in areas which surround Afghanistan, which are considered to be hotbeds of madrassa activity, madrassa enrollment is actually less than 7.5 percent.
<ref name="ReligiousSchoolEnrollmentInPakistan">Religious School Enrollment in Pakistan: A Look at the Data. by Asim Ijaz Khwaja (Harvard), Tristan Zajonc (Harvard), Tahir Andrabi (Pomona), and Jishnu Das (World Bank)
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/papers/MadrassaCERNov05.pdf PDF] [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=667843 Abstract]</ref>

Outside this region madrassa enrollment is thinly, but evenly, spread across the rest of the country. There was no evidence of a dramatic increase in madrassa enrollment in recent years.
<ref name="ReligiousSchoolEnrollmentInPakistan">Religious School Enrollment in Pakistan: A Look at the Data. by Asim Ijaz Khwaja (Harvard), Tristan Zajonc (Harvard), Tahir Andrabi (Pomona), and Jishnu Das (World Bank)
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/papers/MadrassaCERNov05.pdf PDF] [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=667843 Abstract]</ref>
<ref name="MadrassaMaths">Madrassa Maths, [http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=3992265 Economist, summary for non-subscribers];
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/media/madrassa/Economist.pdf full article, PDF].</ref>
<ref name="MadrassaMyth">The Madrassa Myth, by Peter Bergen and Swati Pandey, June 14, 2005 [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/14/opinion/14bergen.html?ex=1276401600&en=b6badbe6f72adb9b&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss New York Times]</ref>
Examining time trends it was found that madrassa enrollment actually declined in Pakistan from its creation until the 1980s.
<ref name="ReligiousSchoolEnrollmentInPakistan">Religious School Enrollment in Pakistan: A Look at the Data. by Asim Ijaz Khwaja (Harvard), Tristan Zajonc (Harvard), Tahir Andrabi (Pomona), and Jishnu Das (World Bank)
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/papers/MadrassaCERNov05.pdf PDF] [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=667843 Abstract]</ref>
It increased somewhat during the religion-based resistance to the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviets in 1979 and the subsequent rise of the Taliban. However, in the last few years, the data does not suggest that there is any dramatic increase in madrassa enrollment.<ref>[http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/ksgnews/KSGInsight/khwaja.htm Asim Ijaz Khwaja (Harvard)]</ref>
<ref name="ReligiousSchoolEnrollmentInPakistan">Religious School Enrollment in Pakistan: A Look at the Data. by Asim Ijaz Khwaja (Harvard), Tristan Zajonc (Harvard), Tahir Andrabi (Pomona), and Jishnu Das (World Bank)
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/papers/MadrassaCERNov05.pdf PDF] [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=667843 Abstract]</ref>
<ref name="MadrassaMaths">Madrassa Maths, [http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=3992265 Economist, summary for non-subscribers];
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/media/madrassa/Economist.pdf full article, PDF].</ref>

===Other criticisms===
Among other criticisms the Pakistani education system faces is the gender disparity in enrollment levels. However, in recent years some progress has been made in trying to fix this problem. In 1990-91, the female to male ratio (F/M ratio) of enrolment was 0.47 for primary level of education. It reached to 0.74 in 1999-2000, so the F/M ratio has improved by 57.44 percent within the decade. For the middle level of education it was 0.42 in the start of decade and increased to 0.68 by the end of decade, so it has improved almost 62 percent. In both cases the gender disparity is decreased but relatively more rapidly at middle level. But for whole of the decade the gender disparity remained relatively high at middle level, despite the fact that for the duration the F/M ratio for teachers and F/M ratio of educational institutions at the middle level remained better than at the primary level.[http://bzu.edu.pk/jrlanguages/Vol-5%202004/Tasnim%20Khan%20&%20Rana%20Ejaz-3.pdf]

The gender disparity in enrolment at secondary level of education was 0.4 in
1990-91 was 0.67 percent in 1999-2000, so the disparity has
decreased by 67.5 percent in the decade or at the average rate of 6.75 percent annually.
At the college level it was 0.50 in 1990-91 and it reached 0.81 in 1999-2000, so gender
disparity decreased by 64 percent with an annual rate of 6.4 percent. The gender disparity
has decreased comparatively rapidly at secondary school. The gender disparity in
educational institutions at the secondary level of education was changed from 0.36 in
1990-91 to 0.52 in 1999-2000 with a 44 percent change. The same type of disparity at the college level was 0.56 in 1990-91 and reached at 0.64 in 1999-2000 with 14 percent change in the decade. The disparity at the college level has improved much less than that at the secondary level.
[http://bzu.edu.pk/jrlanguages/Vol-5%202004/Tasnim%20Khan%20&%20Rana%20Ejaz-3.pdf]

==See also==
*[[Pakistan Studies]]
*[[Education in Karachi]]
*[[Education in District Dir Lower]]
*[http://www.tls.edu.pk Quality Education in Kasur District on non-profit basis by citizens themselves]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*K.K. Aziz. (2004) ''The Murder of History : A Critique of History Textbooks used in Pakistan.'' Vanguard. ISBN 969-402-126-X
*Nayyar, A.H. & Salim, Ahmad. (2003) ''The Subtle Subversion: The State of Curricula and Text-books in Pakistan - Urdu, English, Social Studies and Civics.'' Sustainable Development Policy Institute.
*[[Pervez Hoodbhoy]] and A. H. Nayyar. Rewriting the history of Pakistan, in ''Islam, Politics and the state: The Pakistan Experience'', Ed. Mohammad Asghar Khan, Zed Books, London, 1985.
*[[Mubarak Ali]]. In the Shadow of history, Nigarshat, Lahore; History on Trial, Fiction House, Lahore, 1999; Tareekh Aur Nisabi Kutub, Fiction House, Lahore, 2003.
*Rubina Saigol. Knowledge and Identity - Articulation of Gender in Educational Discourse in Pakistan, ASR, Lahore 1995
*Tariq Rahman, ''Denizens of Alien Worlds: A Study of Education, Inequality and Polarization in Pakistan'' Karachi, Oxford University Press, 2004. Reprint. 2006.
*Tariq Rahman, ''Language, Ideology and Power: Language learning among the Muslims of Pakistan and North India'' Karachi, Oxford UP, 2002.
*Tariq Rahman, ''Language and Politics in Pakistan'' Karachi: Oxford UP, 1996. Rept. several times. see 2006 edition.
*[http://www.worldbank.org/oed/education/pakistan.html World Bank Case Study on Primary Education in Pakistan]

== External links ==
* [http://www.moe.gov.pk Ministry of Education, Pakistan]
* [http://www.usip.org/events/2006/trip_report.pdf Islamic Education in Pakistan] by Christine Fair, [[U.S. Institute of Peace]]
* [http://www.eduvision.edu.pk Eduvision-All About Study In Pakistan, Pakistan]

{{Education in Asia}}
{{Pakistan topics}}

[[Category:Education in Pakistan| ]]
teracy women = 36<ref> UNICEF[http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/pakistan_pakistan_statistics.html#26 Literacy level - Women]</ref>
|enroll total =
|enroll primary = 87.3%<ref>Ministry of Education [http://www.moe.gov.pk/faqs.htm?#q5]</ref>
|enroll secondary = 44%<ref>Ministry of Education [http://www.moe.gov.pk/faqs.htm?#q5]</ref>
|enroll post-secondary = 4.6%<ref> World Bank [http://devdata.worldbank.org/edstats/SummaryEducationProfiles/CountryData/GetShowData.asp?sCtry=PAK,Pakistan Enrollment level]</ref>
|attain secondary = ?
|attain post-secondary = ?
|footnotes =
}}

'''Education in Pakistan''' is divided into five levels: [[Primary education|primary]] (grades one through five); [[Middle school|middle]] (grades six through eight); [[Secondary education|high]] (grades nine and ten, leading to the [[Secondary School Certificate]]); [[Secondary education|intermediate]] (grades eleven and twelve, leading to a Higher Secondary School Certificate); and [[university]] programs leading to [[undergraduate education|graduate]] and [[post-graduate education|advanced]] degrees.

All academic education institutions are the responsibility of the [[Government_of_Pakistan#Provincial_governments|provincial governments]]. The [[Government of Pakistan|federal government]] mostly assists in curriculum development, accreditation and some financing of research.

==Historical background==
When Pakistan gained independence in 1947, West Pakistan had only one institution of higher education[http://www.wes.org/ewenr/05jan/feature.htm], the [[University of the Punjab]]; East Pakistan had the [[University of Dhaka]]. Over the next 20 years, many private and public schools and higher education institutions were established to help fuel the country’s socio-economic development.

In the early 1970s, all of Pakistan’s educational institutions were nationalized under the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was committed to the idea of Islamic Socialism.

For the next decade, Pakistan’s entire system of education was state-run. However, the growing demand for higher education fast outpaced the establishment of new public universities. During that period, the system could accommodate only 25 percent of the high school graduates who applied to higher education institutions. The overcrowding prompted many wealthy Pakistanis to seek university degrees abroad in the United States, Great Britain and Australia, while others sought out private tutors at home or entered the job market without a degree.

[[Image:Cjm 34.JPG|thumb|right|250px|[[Convent of Jesus and Mary (Murree)|Convent of Jesus and Mary]] in [[Murree Hills]]]]
In 1979 a government commission reviewed the consequences of nationalization and concluded that in view of the poor participation rates at all levels of education, the public sector could no longer be the country’s sole provider of education. By the mid-1980s, private educational institutions were allowed to operate on the condition that they comply with government-recognized standards.

Until 1991, there were only two recognized private universities in Pakistan: Aga Khan University established in 1983; and Lahore University of Management Sciences established in 1985. By 1997, however, there were 10 private universities and in 2001-2002, this number had doubled to 20. In 2003-2004 Pakistan had a total of 53 private degree granting institutions.

The rapid expansion of private higher education is even more remarkable if we look at the number of institutions established on a year-by-year basis. In 1997, for instance, three private institutions were established; in 2001 eleven new private institutions were opened; and in 2002 a total of 29 private sector institutions sprung up.

The Government has decided to introduce 'English Medium Education' on a phased basis and to substantially end the right to 'Mother Tongue Education'. This new policy which is termed 'Education Sector Reforms (Policy decisions)', states that ''"English language has been made compulsory from Class-1 onwards." and the "Introduction of English as medium of instruction for Science, Mathematics, Computer Science and other selected subjects like Economics and Geography in all schools in a graduated manner."''<ref> Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Education [http://www.moe.gov.pk/]</ref>

Caretaker Minister for Education Mr. Shujaat Ali Beg declared [[Jan 25]], [[2008]] that eighteen colleges of the city of Karachi would be made ''"Model English Medium Colleges,"'' <ref>18 colleges declared 'English medium' [http://www.interface.edu.pk/students/Jan-08/English-medium-colleges.asp]</ref>

==Pre-school==
A child may begin his/her schooling at a pre-school at the age of 3. Over the last few years, many new kindergarten (sometimes called montessori) schools have also sprung up in Pakistan.

==Post-secondary==
[[Image:Educationsystempak.PNG|thumb|300px|right|Pakistani education system]]

Students can then proceed to a College or University for Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Science (BSc) or Commerce/Business Administration (BCom/BBA) degree courses. There are two types of Bachelor courses in Pakistan namely Pass or Honours. Pass constitutes two years of study and students normally read three optional subjects (such as Chemistry, Mathematics, Economics, Statistics) in addition to almost equal number of compulsory subjects (such as English, Pakistan Studies and Islamic Studies) whereas Honours are three or four years and students normally specialize in a chosen field of study such as Biochemistry (BSc Hons. Biochemistry). It is important to note that Pass Bachelors is now slowly being phased out for Honours throughout the country. Students may also after earning their HSSC may study for professional Bachelor degree courses such as engineering (B Engg), medicine (MBBS), vetrinary medicine(DVM) law (LLB), agriculture (B Agri), architecture (B Arch), nursing (B Nurs) etc. which are of four or five years duration depending on the degree.Further after passing the diploma of associate engineer(3-Year study after SSC)can take in admission in B.Tech engineering.B.Tech(Hon's) degree consists of four years.
mannan khan
Some Masters Degrees also consist of 1.5 years. Then there are PhD Education as well in selected areas. One has to choose specific field and the suitable university doing research work in that field. PhD in Pakistan consists of minimum 3-5 years.

Pakistani universities churn out almost 1.2 million skilled graduates annually. The government has announced a $1 billion spending plan over the next decade to build 6 state-of-the-art science and engineering universities. The scheme would be overseen by the Higher Education Commission. [http://www.scidev.net/content/news/eng/pakistan-plans-state-of-the-art-science-universities.cfm?&utm_source=feed-1&utm_medium=rss]

==Criticism==
An issue of National Geographic conveys the adversity poor families must face. Some schools are run so badly that few kids attend. {{cquote|It's not unusual in Pakistan to hear of public schools that receive no books, no supplies, and no subsidies from the government. Thousands more are 'ghost schools' that exist only on paper, to line the pockets of phantom teachers and administrators."}}
::::--National Geographic: ''Struggle for the Soul of Pakistan'', Don Belt<ref>{{Citation
|last=Belt
|first=Don
|date=September 2007
|title=Struggle for the Soul of Pakistan
|periodical=National Geographic
|publisher=
|issue=September 2007
|pages=59
|accessdate=2007-08-25
}}</ref>

===Madrassas===
Ever since the start of the [[War on Terror]], the attention of the world's media has been focused on the [[madrassa]]s operating in Pakistan which are mainly attended by children living in rural areas. Popular worldwide beliefs are that a significant number of students in Pakistan are a part of these religious schools. This myth was debunked by a [[Harvard University|Harvard]]/[[World Bank]] study that examined statistical data to more precisely determine madrassa enrollment in Pakistan.
<ref name="ReligiousSchoolEnrollmentInPakistan">Religious School Enrollment in Pakistan: A Look at the Data. by Asim Ijaz Khwaja (Harvard), Tristan Zajonc (Harvard), Tahir Andrabi (Pomona), and Jishnu Das (World Bank), 2005;
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/papers/MadrassaCERNov05.pdf PDF]; [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=667843 Abstract]</ref>
<ref name="MadrassaMaths">Madrassa Maths, Economist, May 2005 [http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/media/madrassa/Economist.pdf PDF].</ref>
The findings were that enrollment in Pakistani madrassas is relatively low, with less than 1 percent of all students enrolled in a school attending madrassas.
<ref name="ReligiousSchoolEnrollmentInPakistan">Religious School Enrollment in Pakistan: A Look at the Data. by Asim Ijaz Khwaja (Harvard), Tristan Zajonc (Harvard), Tahir Andrabi (Pomona), and Jishnu Das (World Bank)
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/papers/MadrassaCERNov05.pdf PDF] [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=667843 Abstract]</ref>
<ref name="MadrassaMaths">Madrassa Maths, [http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=3992265 Economist, summary for non-subscribers];
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/media/madrassa/Economist.pdf full article, PDF].</ref>
There are as much as 100 times as many children in public schools as there are in madrassas and almost 40 times as many children in private schools as there are in madrassas.
<ref name="ReligiousSchoolEnrollmentInPakistan">Religious School Enrollment in Pakistan: A Look at the Data. by Asim Ijaz Khwaja (Harvard), Tristan Zajonc (Harvard), Tahir Andrabi (Pomona), and Jishnu Das (World Bank)
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/papers/MadrassaCERNov05.pdf PDF] [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=667843 Abstract]</ref>
For the average Pakistani household, the choice of going to a madrassa is simply not a statistically significant option. Even in areas which surround Afghanistan, which are considered to be hotbeds of madrassa activity, madrassa enrollment is actually less than 7.5 percent.
<ref name="ReligiousSchoolEnrollmentInPakistan">Religious School Enrollment in Pakistan: A Look at the Data. by Asim Ijaz Khwaja (Harvard), Tristan Zajonc (Harvard), Tahir Andrabi (Pomona), and Jishnu Das (World Bank)
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/papers/MadrassaCERNov05.pdf PDF] [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=667843 Abstract]</ref>

Outside this region madrassa enrollment is thinly, but evenly, spread across the rest of the country. There was no evidence of a dramatic increase in madrassa enrollment in recent years.
<ref name="ReligiousSchoolEnrollmentInPakistan">Religious School Enrollment in Pakistan: A Look at the Data. by Asim Ijaz Khwaja (Harvard), Tristan Zajonc (Harvard), Tahir Andrabi (Pomona), and Jishnu Das (World Bank)
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/papers/MadrassaCERNov05.pdf PDF] [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=667843 Abstract]</ref>
<ref name="MadrassaMaths">Madrassa Maths, [http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=3992265 Economist, summary for non-subscribers];
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/media/madrassa/Economist.pdf full article, PDF].</ref>
<ref name="MadrassaMyth">The Madrassa Myth, by Peter Bergen and Swati Pandey, June 14, 2005 [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/14/opinion/14bergen.html?ex=1276401600&en=b6badbe6f72adb9b&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss New York Times]</ref>
Examining time trends it was found that madrassa enrollment actually declined in Pakistan from its creation until the 1980s.
<ref name="ReligiousSchoolEnrollmentInPakistan">Religious School Enrollment in Pakistan: A Look at the Data. by Asim Ijaz Khwaja (Harvard), Tristan Zajonc (Harvard), Tahir Andrabi (Pomona), and Jishnu Das (World Bank)
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/papers/MadrassaCERNov05.pdf PDF] [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=667843 Abstract]</ref>
It increased somewhat during the religion-based resistance to the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviets in 1979 and the subsequent rise of the Taliban. However, in the last few years, the data does not suggest that there is any dramatic increase in madrassa enrollment.<ref>[http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/ksgnews/KSGInsight/khwaja.htm Asim Ijaz Khwaja (Harvard)]</ref>
<ref name="ReligiousSchoolEnrollmentInPakistan">Religious School Enrollment in Pakistan: A Look at the Data. by Asim Ijaz Khwaja (Harvard), Tristan Zajonc (Harvard), Tahir Andrabi (Pomona), and Jishnu Das (World Bank)
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/papers/MadrassaCERNov05.pdf PDF] [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=667843 Abstract]</ref>
<ref name="MadrassaMaths">Madrassa Maths, [http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=3992265 Economist, summary for non-subscribers];
[http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~akhwaja/media/madrassa/Economist.pdf full article, PDF].</ref>

===Other criticisms===
Among other criticisms the Pakistani education system faces is the gender disparity in enrollment levels. However, in recent years some progress has been made in trying to fix this problem. In 1990-91, the female to male ratio (F/M ratio) of enrolment was 0.47 for primary level of education. It reached to 0.74 in 1999-2000, so the F/M ratio has improved by 57.44 percent within the decade. For the middle level of education it was 0.42 in the start of decade and increased to 0.68 by the end of decade, so it has improved almost 62 percent. In both cases the gender disparity is decreased but relatively more rapidly at middle level. But for whole of the decade the gender disparity remained relatively high at middle level, despite the fact that for the duration the F/M ratio for teachers and F/M ratio of educational institutions at the middle level remained better than at the primary level.[http://bzu.edu.pk/jrlanguages/Vol-5%202004/Tasnim%20Khan%20&%20Rana%20Ejaz-3.pdf]

The gender disparity in enrolment at secondary level of education was 0.4 in
1990-91 was 0.67 percent in 1999-2000, so the disparity has
decreased by 67.5 percent in the decade or at the average rate of 6.75 percent annually.
At the college level it was 0.50 in 1990-91 and it reached 0.81 in 1999-2000, so gender
disparity decreased by 64 percent with an annual rate of 6.4 percent. The gender disparity
has decreased comparatively rapidly at secondary school. The gender disparity in
educational institutions at the secondary level of education was changed from 0.36 in
1990-91 to 0.52 in 1999-2000 with a 44 percent change. The same type of disparity at the college level was 0.56 in 1990-91 and reached at 0.64 in 1999-2000 with 14 percent change in the decade. The disparity at the college level has improved much less than that at the secondary level.
[http://bzu.edu.pk/jrlanguages/Vol-5%202004/Tasnim%20Khan%20&%20Rana%20Ejaz-3.pdf]

==See also==
*[[Pakistan Studies]]
*[[Education in Karachi]]
*[[Education in District Dir Lower]]
*[http://www.tls.edu.pk Quality Education in Kasur District on non-profit basis by citizens themselves]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*K.K. Aziz. (2004) ''The Murder of History : A Critique of History Textbooks used in Pakistan.'' Vanguard. ISBN 969-402-126-X
*Nayyar, A.H. & Salim, Ahmad. (2003) ''The Subtle Subversion: The State of Curricula and Text-books in Pakistan - Urdu, English, Social Studies and Civics.'' Sustainable Development Policy Institute.
*[[Pervez Hoodbhoy]] and A. H. Nayyar. Rewriting the history of Pakistan, in ''Islam, Politics and the state: The Pakistan Experience'', Ed. Mohammad Asghar Khan, Zed Books, London, 1985.
*[[Mubarak Ali]]. In the Shadow of history, Nigarshat, Lahore; History on Trial, Fiction House, Lahore, 1999; Tareekh Aur Nisabi Kutub, Fiction House, Lahore, 2003.
*Rubina Saigol. Knowledge and Identity - Articulation of Gender in Educational Discourse in Pakistan, ASR, Lahore 1995
*Tariq Rahman, ''Denizens of Alien Worlds: A Study of Education, Inequality and Polarization in Pakistan'' Karachi, Oxford University Press, 2004. Reprint. 2006.
*Tariq Rahman, ''Language, Ideology and Power: Language learning among the Muslims of Pakistan and North India'' Karachi, Oxford UP, 2002.
*Tariq Rahman, ''Language and Politics in Pakistan'' Karachi: Oxford UP, 1996. Rept. several times. see 2006 edition.
*[http://www.worldbank.org/oed/education/pakistan.html World Bank Case Study on Primary Education in Pakistan]

== External links ==
* [http://www.moe.gov.pk Ministry of Education, Pakistan]
* [http://www.usip.org/events/2006/trip_report.pdf Islamic Education in Pakistan] by Christine Fair, [[U.S. Institute of Peace]]
* [http://www.eduvision.edu.pk Eduvision-All About Study In Pakistan, Pakistan]

{{Education in Asia}}
{{Pakistan topics}}

[[Category:Education in Pakistan| ]]