1830.3 
for the Persian Language, 
197 
guage of business, there must be a continuance of the same fraud on the one 
side, and distrust on the other, Avhich constitute the evil at present to be got rid 
of. The plan which I would propose, has, I believe, been more than once sug- 
gested before. What the objections to it are, I really cannot conceive. So convinc- 
ed am I of the beneficial results likely to arise from it, that I am eager to make, 
before it is too late, the only effort in my power to get the project entertained. 
I allude to the introduction of the Hindustani language ; — not, however, written 
in the cumbrous and diversified character of the natives, but iu our own more 
fluent and easy form. The advantages in matters of business to be derived from 
the public use of Hindustani, as being the language spoken by the mass of the 
inhabitants, are so evident as to render recapitulation unnecessary. And as it is 
easily learned by Europeans, in the course of a few months’ residence, the Eng- 
lish is not likely, in many centuries, to be the means of so ready an intercourse 
between them and the natives. I feel confident that the substitution of the Eng- 
lish character would be attended with no difficulty. I know from experience, 
that a native, who already understands the use of the pen, will learn to write it 
with very tolerable facility in tlie course of a few days. There would probably 
be great difficulty in inducing the world voluntarily to agree in a common mode 
of orthography. I propose, therefore, that this point should be settled by authori- 
ty. A committee of competent persons might be appointed by Government to 
determine the matter, and their decision should be final*. Supposing this fixed, 
let us consider what would be the easiest means of communicating a knowledge 
of this mode of writing to the natives. In the first place, it would be necessary 
that an order should be promulgated by authority, requiring, that, from a certain 
future day, all public business shall be conducted in the Hindustani language, 
written in the prescribed form and character. At the same time, public schools 
should be established, at every station, for teaching this mode of writing at as 
low a cost as will repay the expenses. As I before said, I am persuaded that a 
few days only would be required to teach it to every native who already under- 
stands the use of a pen ; while, by those who are learning to read and write for the 
first time, there can be little doubt, I fancy, that it would be attained with in- 
finitely more facility than any native character. Again, all private persons should 
be requested to give the system their support, by employing those acquainted 
with it in preference to others. This, I do not doubt, would be willingly done. 
Every Englishman in this country understands Hindustani : very few have any 
knowledge of Persian. There are few men of business, who do not suffer much 
from having all their documents, their accounts, letters, bonds, receipts, &c. 
written in a language understood neither by themselves, nor, probably, by any 
party interested ; — an inconvenience, for which the clumsy expedient of keeping 
a Bengalli translator, also ignorant of Persian, ill compensates. All, I believe, 
would gladly give two or three rupees more per month to clerks who will write 
every thing in a language understood by themselves, and likely in a short time 
to be understood by every one, especially as the triple wages of the discharged 
Bengalli, thus saved, would more than pay such additional salaries. Fourthly, 
in order that those, who possess ordinary intelligence and industry, may be able 
to teach themselves, a book should be published, at as low a price as possible, 
which may contain every thing necessary to their instruction. In it the corres- 
ponding Persian, Hindi, Bengalli, and English characters, should be printed one 
1 The orthography adopted by yourself, in writing the names which occur in your 
papers, (the same, if I mistake not, as that employed by Shakespear, in his dictionary,) 
appears to be the most convenient, not only on account of its philosophical accuracy, 
but for its practical simplicity. I find an objection, however, to giving to the letter 
“ a” the sound which in English isattached to *■* u” in the words “ but,” “ rum.” 
It appears to me inconsistent with the broad sound, also given to the same vowel. 
As there would be difficulty in inventing a new letter, I would suggest, as preferable, 
leaving out the voicel , except at the beginning and end of words, when the “a” 
might be retained. This would be conformable to the practice of the natives ; nor do 
I perceive that it would be attended with any sort of inconvenience. In proper names, 
or words of rare occurrence, an apostrophe might be used, to mark its place, or, what 
would be better, a stroke below, after Gilchrist’s fashion, as the apostrophe might be 
confounded with the accent. I think also the mode of writing the guttural consonants, 
represented by “g/t” and “ M,” objectionable. There is no distinction between 
them and the g ana k merely aspirated. I will propose, instead, some distinguishing 
mark, — an inverted comma for instance, — overg and k , to make them gutturals. Thus 
I would write the Persian title, e /ran,’ instead of ‘ khan' ; and the Hindustani for a 
newspaper , according to my orthography, would he 4 kbr ka kag'z, or supplying all 
the points ka kag\z. 
