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{{short description|Linguistic region within India where Hindi dialects are spoken}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2016}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox language
| name = Hindi Belt
| image = Hindi belt.png
| imagecaption = The Hindi Belt in red
| altname =
| states = [[Bihar]], [[Chhattisgarh]], [[Delhi]], [[Haryana]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[Jharkhand]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Rajasthan]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Uttarakhand]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM50thReport.pdf |title=Report of the Commissioner for linguistic minorities: 50th report (July 2012 to June 2013)|publisher=Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India|access-date=27 November 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160708012438/http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM50thReport.pdf|archive-date=8 July 2016}}</ref>
| speakers = 528 million
| date = 2011
| ref = <ref>{{cite web|title=Scheduled Languages in descending order of speaker's strength - 2011|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/Language-2011/Statement-4.pdf|publisher=[[Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India]]|date=29 June 2018}}</ref>
| speakers2 =
| familycolor = Indo-European
| fam2 = [[Indo-Iranian languages|Indo-Iranian]]
| fam3 = [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]]
| script = [[Devanagari]] for [[Hindi]] [[Braille]] ([[Hindi Braille]]) [[Kaithi]] (historical) [[Latin script]]
| nation = {{flag|India}} ([[Hindi]], [[Urdu]]) {{flag|Pakistan}} ([[Urdu]]) {{flag|Fiji}} ([[Fiji Hindi]])
| minority = {{flag|Nepal}} {{small|(all language spoken as mother tongue are language of nation)}}<ref>Article 6 and 7 of Part 1 of the [[Constitution of Nepal]] and the [[2011 Nepal census]]</ref> 
}}

[[File:Language region maps of India.svg|thumb|320px|States and union territories of India by the most commonly spoken first language.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM50thReport.pdf |title=Report of the Commissioner for linguistic minorities: 50th report (July 2012 to June 2013) |publisher=Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India |access-date=26 December 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160708012438/http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM50thReport.pdf |archive-date=8 July 2016 }}</ref><ref group="lower-alpha">Some languages may be over- or underrepresented as the census data used is at the state-level. For example, while Urdu has 52 million speakers (2001), in no state is it a majority as the language itself is primarily limited to Indian Muslims.</ref>]]

The '''Hindi Belt''' is a linguistic region encompassing parts of [[North India|northern]], [[Central India|central]], [[East India|eastern]] and [[Western India|western]] India where various [[Central Indo-Aryan]] languages subsumed under the term '[[Hindi (disambiguation)|Hindi]]' (for example, by the [[Indian census]]) are spoken.<ref name="sukhwal1985">{{Citation | title=Modern Political Geography of India | author=B.L. Sukhwal | year=1985 | publisher=Stosius Inc/Advent Books Division | isbn=9780865906082 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HemAAAAAIAAJ | quote=... In the Hindi heartland ...}}</ref><ref name="allan2004">{{Citation | title=Reporting war: journalism in wartime | author=Stuart Allan, Barbie Zelizer | year=2004 | isbn=0-415-33998-7 | publisher=Routledge | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=skdoYDs1e8AC | quote=''... located in what is called the "Hindi heartland" or the "Hindi belt" of north and central India ...''}}</ref><ref name="kesavan1997">{{Citation | title=Origins of printing and publishing in the Hindi heartland (Volume 3 of History of printing and publishing in India : a story of cultural re-awakening) | author=B.S. Kesavan | year=1997 | isbn=81-237-2120-X | publisher=National Book Trust | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8JDgAAAAMAAJ}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/battle-for-the-hindi-heartland-will-it-favour-the-bjp-again-50031/?amp|title=Battle for the Hindi heartland: Will it favour the BJP again?|website=www.orfonline.org}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/congress-revival-in-hindi-patti|title=Congress' revival in Hindi patti|website=www.nationalheraldindia.com}}</ref> The Hindi belt is sometimes also used to refer to nine Indian states whose official language is ''[[Standard Hindi]]'', namely [[Bihar]], [[Chhattisgarh]], [[Haryana]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[Jharkhand]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Rajasthan]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Uttarakhand]] and the union territory of [[Chandigarh]] and the National Capital Territory of [[Delhi]].<ref name="fulllangdatacensus 2011">{{cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/how-languagesintersect-in-india/story-g3nzNwFppYV7XvCumRzlYL.html|title=How languages intersect in India|publisher=Hindustan Times|date=22 November 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/static/iframes/language_probability_interactive/index.html|title=How many Indians can you talk to?|website=www.hindustantimes.com|access-date=22 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/perspective/hindi-and-north-south-divide-696931.html|title=Hindi and the North-South divide|date=9 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thediplomat.com/2018/07/indias-evolving-linguistic-landscape/|title=India's Evolving Linguistic Landscape|first=Akhilesh|last=Pillalamarri|website=thediplomat.com|access-date=22 December 2019}}</ref> It is also referred as the '''Hindi-Urdu Belt''' by some writers.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nH1HBxdA1UIC&q=urdu+belt&pg=PA313|title=Urdu/Hindi: An Artificial Divide: African Heritage, Mesopotamian Roots, Indian Culture & Britiah Colonialism|last=Khan|first=Abdul Jamil|date=2006|publisher=Algora Publishing|isbn=9780875864389|language=en}}</ref>

== Hindi as a dialect continuum ==
{{Refimprove section|date=February 2021}}

Hindi is part of the [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]] [[dialect continuum]] that lies within the cultural Hindi Belt in the northern plains of India. Hindi in this broad sense is a sociolinguistic rather than an ethnic concept.

This definition of Hindi is one of the ones used in the [[Indian census]], and results in more than forty percent of [[demographics of India|Indians]] being reported to be speakers of Hindi, though Hindi-area respondents vary as to whether they call their language Hindi or use a local language name to distinguish their language from Hindi. As defined in the 1991 census, Hindi has a broad and a narrow sense. The name "Hindi" is thus ambiguous. Before being identified as a separate language [[Maithili language|Maithili]] was identified as a Hindi dialect. Many such languages still struggle for recognition.

The broad sense covers a number of [[Central Indo-Aryan languages|Central]], [[East Central Indo-Aryan languages|East-Central]], [[List of Eastern Indo-Aryan languages|Eastern]], and [[List of Northern Indo-Aryan languages|Northern]] Zone languages, including the [[Bihari languages]] except [[Maithili language|Maithili]], all the [[Rajasthani languages]], and the [[Central Pahari languages]].<ref name="auto"/> This is an area bounded on the west by [[Panjabi language|Punjabi]] and [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]; on the south by [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], [[Marathi language|Marathi]], and [[Odia language|Odia]]; on the east by Maithili and [[Bengali language|Bengali]]; and on the north by [[Nepali language|Nepali]], [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]], [[Western Pahari]] and [[Tibetic languages]]. The varieties of this belt can be considered separate languages rather than dialects of a single language.

In a narrower sense, Hindi is equated with the [[Central Zone Indic languages]]. Based on their linguistic features, these are divided into [[Western Hindi]] and [[Eastern Hindi]]. The narrowest definition of Hindi is that of the official language, [[Modern Standard Hindi]] or ''Mānak Hindi'', a [[Standard language|standardised]] [[Register (sociolinguistics)|register]] of [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]], one of the varieties of Western Hindi. Standardised Hindustani—including both Mānak Hindi and Urdu—is historically based on the [[Dehlavi dialect|Khariboli]] of 17th-century [[Delhi]].

Also, in many provinces like [[Himachal Pradesh]], Hindi is the official language but many oppose the [[Hindi Belt]] tag due to the region being part of the [[Western Pahari]] linguistic Belt which also includes [[Jammu]] areas of the [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)]] further extending to Pakistan's [[Pothohar Plateau]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sharma |first1=Vishal |title=Hindi Belt's Imposition Sparks Resistance in Himachal Pradesh |url=https://www.thequint.com/voices/blogs/hindi-belt-imposition-resistance-himachal-pradesh |access-date=23 August 2020 |work=TheQuint |date=14 September 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sharma |first1=Vishal |title=Dreaming of Peace Dividends: Revival of Shimla-Murree Linkages |url=https://thewire.in/culture/india-pakistan-peace-shimla-murree-corridor |access-date=23 August 2020 |work=The Wire |date=7 June 2019}}</ref>

===Number of speakers===
Population data from 2011 Indian Census is as follows:
*[[Central zone]] (Hindi proper)
**[[Western Hindi]] (West Central zone)
***240 M [[Hindustani language|Hindustani excluding Urdu]]
***9.8 M [[Haryanvi]]
***1.5 M [[Braj Bhasha]]
***9.5 M [[Kanauji]]
***5.6 M [[Bundeli language|Bundeli]]
**[[Eastern Hindi]] (East Central zone)
***4.5 M [[Awadhi language|Awadhi]]
***16.2 M [[Chhattisgarhi language|Chhattisgarhi]]
***2.6 M [[Bagheli]]
***1.7 M [[Surgujia]]
*[[Bihari languages]] apart from [[Maithili language|Maithili]] (East Central Zone)
**51 M: [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]]
**13 M: [[Magahi language|Magadhi]]
**8 M: [[Khortha language|Khortha]]
**5.1 M: [[Sadri language|Nagpuri]]
**0.5 M: [[Kurmali language|Kurmali]]
*[[Rajasthani language|Rajasthani]] (part of Western Zone, which also includes [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] and [[Bhili language|Bhili]])
**7.8 M [[Marwari language|Marwari-Merwari]]
**5.2 M [[Malvi language|Malvi]]
**2.3 M [[Nimadi language|Nimadi]]
**1.5 M [[Lambadi language|Lambadi]]
**2.9 M [[Harauti language|Harauti]]
**3 M [[Godwari]]
**2 M [[Bagri language|Bagri]]
*[[Central Pahari languages]]
**2.2 M [[Kumaoni language|Kumaoni]]
**2.4 M [[Garhwali language|Garhwali]]

According to the 2001 Indian census,<ref name="censusindia.gov.in">{{Cite web|url=http://censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_Data_Online/Language/Statement1.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029190612/http://censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_Data_Online/Language/Statement1.htm|url-status=dead|title=Census of India: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues –2001|archive-date=29 October 2013|website=censusindia.gov.in|access-date=22 December 2019}}</ref> 258 million people in India (25% of the population) regarded their [[first language|native language]] to be "Hindi", however, including other Hindi dialects this figure becomes 422 million Hindi speakers (41% of the population). These figures do not count 52 million Indians who considered their mother tongue to be "Urdu". The numbers are also not directly comparable to the table above; for example, while independent estimates in 2001 counted 37 million speakers of Awadhi,<ref>USCWM</ref> in the 2001 census only 2½ million of these identified their language as "Awadhi" rather than as "Hindi".

There have been demands to include [[Awadhi]], [[Bhojpuri]], [[ Kumaoni language|Kumaoni]], [[Bundeli]], [[Chhattisgarhi]], [[Garhwali language|Garwali]], [[Kurmali]], [[Magahi]], [[Sadri language|Nagpuri]], and [[Rajasthani language|Rajasthani]] in the [[Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India|Eighth Schedule]]; these are otherwise regarded as Hindi dialects.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/38-languages-stake-claim-to-be-in-eighth-schedule/|title=38 languages stake claim to be in Eighth schedule|website=www.dailyexcelsior.com|date=15 August 2013}}</ref> Some academics oppose inclusion of Hindi dialects in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution as full-fledged Indian languages. According to them recognition of Hindi dialects as separate languages would deprive Hindi of millions of its speakers and eventually no Hindi will be left.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Dont-add-Hindi-dialects-in-Eighth-Schedule-say-academics/article17064058.ece/amp/|title=Don't add Hindi dialects in Eighth Schedule, say academics|newspaper=The Hindu|date=20 January 2017|last1=Pathak|first1=Vikas}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/pti-feed/story/linguists-divided-over-inclusion-of-bhojpuri-in-8th-schedule-877480-2017-02-17|title=Linguists divided over inclusion of Bhojpuri in 8th Schedule|website=www.indiatoday.in}}</ref>

===Outside the Indian subcontinent===
{{Refimprove section|date=February 2021}}
Much of the Hindi spoken outside of the subcontinent is distinct from the Indian standard language. [[Fiji Hindi]] is a derived form of Awadhi, Bhojpuri, and including some English and very few native [[Fijian language|Fijian]] words. It is spoken by majority of [[Indo-Fijians]]. Mauritian [[Bhojpuri]], once widely spoken as a mother tongue, has become less commonly spoken over the years. According to the 2011 census, Bhojpuri was spoken by 5% of the population compare.

==Geography and demography==
{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2015}}
[[File:Indo-Gangetic Plain.png|thumb|300px|The [[Indo-Gangetic Plain]].]]
The highly fertile, flat, alluvial Gangetic plain occupies the northern portion of the Hindi Heartland, the Vindhyas in Madhya Pradesh demarcate the southern boundary and the hills and dense forests of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh lie in the east. The region has a predominantly subtropical climate, with cool winters, hot summers and moderate monsoons. The climate does vary with latitude somewhat, with winters getting cooler and rainfall decreasing. It can vary significantly with altitude, especially in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

The Hindi Heartland supports about a third of India's population and occupies about a quarter of its geographical area. The population is concentrated along the fertile Ganges plain in the states of [[Uttar Pradesh]], Madhya Pradesh, [[Chhattisgarh]], Jharkhand and [[Bihar]].

Although the vast majority of the population is rural, significant urban cities include [[Chandigarh]], [[Panchkula]], [[Delhi]], [[Lucknow]], [[Kanpur]], [[Allahabad]], [[Jaipur]], [[Agra]], [[Varanasi]], [[Indore]], [[Bhopal]], [[Patna]], [[Jamshedpur]] and [[Ranchi]]. The region hosts a diverse population, with various dialects of Hindi being spoken along with other Indian languages, and multi-religious population including [[Hindus]], [[Muslims]], [[Sikhs]] along with people from various castes and a significant [[adivasi|tribal]] population. The geography is also varied, with the flat, alluvial Gangetic plain occupying the northern portion, the [[Vindhyas]] in Madhya Pradesh demarcating the southern boundary and the hills and dense forests of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh separate the region from [[West Bengal]] and [[Odisha]].

==Political sphere==
Over years political development in some of these states are dominated by [[Caste system in India|caste]] based politics, but this has changed somewhat in recent years.<ref>{{cite journal|jstor=2658585|title=The Rise of the Other Backward Classes in the Hindi Belt|first=Christophe|last=Jaffrelot|date=1 January 2000|journal=The Journal of Asian Studies|volume=59|issue=1|pages=86–108|doi=10.2307/2658585}}</ref> In [[2019 Indian general election|2019 election]], 226 members from the Hindi belt states had been elected to the Lok Sabha.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/2019-elections-may-have-no-precedent-in-terms-of-past-elections/article26230444.ece|title=2019 elections may have no precedent in terms of past elections|website=@businessline|access-date=22 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://theprint.in/opinion/hindi-heartland-holds-key-to-bjp-2019-electoral-fortunes-once-again/147096/|title=Why BJP is staring at a loss of nearly 100 seats from 2014 tally|date=9 November 2018}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Cow belt]]
* [[BIMARU states]]

==Bibliography==
*[[George Abraham Grierson|Grierson, G. A.]] ''Linguistic Survey of India'' Vol I-XI, Calcutta, 1928, {{ISBN|81-85395-27-6}}
*{{Citation
| last= Masica
| first= Colin
| author-link= Colin Masica
| year= 1991
| title= The Indo-Aryan Languages
| place= Cambridge
| publisher= Cambridge University Press
| isbn= 978-0-521-29944-2
| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=J3RSHWePhXwC&q=indo-aryan+languages
}}.
*{{Citation
|last=Shapiro
|first=Michael C.
|year=2003
|chapter=Hindi
|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jPR2OlbTbdkC&q=indo-aryan&pg=PA250
|editor1-last= Cardona
|editor1-first= George
|editor2-last= Jain
|editor2-first= Dhanesh
|title=The Indo-Aryan Languages
|publisher=Routledge
|isbn=978-0-415-77294-5
|pages=250–285
}}.

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://pd.cpim.org/2005/0403/04032005_nalini.htm On The Problems Of The Hindi Belt: A Seminar]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120601014029/http://charm.cs.uiuc.edu/~bhatele/hindi/hindi_intro.htm Bhatele, Abhinav: Introduction To Hindi] (Archived 1 June 2012)

{{coord missing|India}}
{{Hindi topics}}
{{Indo-Aryan languages}}
{{Language varieties}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hindi}}
[[Category:Belt regions]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Hindi languages| ]]

Hindi Belt - Revision history

Pranjal mishra: Page updated with relevant improvements

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