Gurmukhi and the Future of Punjabi: Why Script Matters
A writing system is essential for the survival of any language. A language can only truly endure and flourish when it is written, documented, and supported by a body of literature. While popular culture, songs, films, and digital media, can sustain a language’s visibility, it cannot ensure its long-term preservation on its own.
A useful comparison can be drawn with Bhojpuri. Despite having a vibrant presence in films and music, Bhojpuri lacks a strong contemporary literary tradition. Its last major literary figure, Bhikhari Thakur, passed away in 1971. Since then, the production of significant literature in Bhojpuri has declined sharply. The language also does not appear in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, reflecting a lack of institutional recognition. Combined with the absence of a standardized script and limited state support, this has contributed to younger generations increasingly distancing themselves from the language.
Turning to Punjabi, it occupies a unique position as one of the few languages in the world with two established scripts: Gurmukhi in Eastern (Indian) Punjab and Shahmukhi in Western (Pakistani) Punjab. In Indian Punjab, Punjabi written in Gurmukhi enjoys official language status and is supported through education, administration, and literature. This institutional backing has played a crucial role in maintaining its vitality.
In contrast, Punjabi in Pakistani Punjab, although widely spoken, does not enjoy the same level of official recognition or standardized promotion in Shahmukhi. As a result, its literary and educational presence remains comparatively limited.
This contrast highlights a broader point: the strength of a language is closely tied to the strength of its script, institutional support, and literary ecosystem. For Punjabi, the continued use and promotion of Gurmukhi, alongside a conscious effort to produce and preserve literature, remains central to safeguarding its future.
It is often said that the Gurmukhi script was created by Guru Angad Sahib Ji, and that before it, Baba Farid Ji wrote in Shahmukhi. Therefore, Shahmukhi is considered older, and Gurmukhi is seen as a later, newer script. However, research shows that the letters of Gurmukhi had existed on the land of Punjab for centuries.
Gurmukhi script is indeed an ancient script of Punjab.
E. P. Newton states that out of the 35 letters of the Gurmukhi script, about 21 letters—with slight variations—are found in ancient inscriptions of Punjab. Six letters are found from the 10th century, twelve from the 3rd century BCE, and three from the 5th century BCE. From this, it becomes clear that these letters were not newly introduced in Punjab; they had already existed there.
Of the pre-existing Takri script in Punjab, 27 out of the 35 Gurmukhi letters correspond with it. Among these, 15 letters are exactly the same, while the remaining 12 show minor differences.
Guru Nanak Sahib Ji used the commonly prevalent letters of his time in his composition Patti. These letters were essentially the same as those of the Gurmukhi script. It is likely that Guru Angad Sahib Ji refined or standardized this script. In History of Indigenous Education in Punjab, G. W. Leitner writes that Guru Angad may have prepared a Gurmukhi primer:
“Guru Angad did not consider it beneath his dignity to write primers for children, and he accordingly composed a number of mottos and moral maxims which accompany the letters of the alphabet.”
It is fairly clear that the name “Gurmukhi” came into use during the time of the Guru. In the Janam Sakhis, the word “Gurmukhi” is used for both words and letters. For example:
“Guru Angad said, Bhai Lalo’s son! You are a Sikh, a Gurmukh; go with Bhai Bala to Talwandi and bring Guru Nanak’s horoscope.”
In another example, the Guru says to Bhai Paira:
“Paira, write these letters for us in Gurmukhi.”
Thus, it becomes evident that these letters already existed, and the term “Gurmukhi” began to be used during the time of the Guru.
So it is worth contemplating why Gurmukhi was reduced to being the language of the Sikhs. Why can’t eastern and western Punjab use the same script just like West Bengal and Bangladesh use the same script for Bengali? Even without going very deep into historical references, a simple glance makes it clear that this script has existed in Punjab for centuries.
Even if it were assumed that it was created by the Guru, it would still consist of letters belonging to this land and would fully meet all the needs of the language of this region. Therefore, it should have been adopted—and even now, it should be adopted.
If we have no difficulty in adopting the Nastaliq script that came from outside, then these, surely, are the letters of our own land.
Partition of 1947 and Shahmukhi
In reality, this is simply writing Punjabi using Persian letters. The same set of letters was later used to write the Hindustani language, which was then named Urdu. This is essentially a convenient method—just like today when we chat on WhatsApp using Roman letters to write Punjabi. Similarly, Punjabi used to be written using Persian script.
It is often said that Baba Farid wrote his verses using such Shahmukhi letters. However, there is neither any solid historical reference nor any original manuscript to support this claim. The only verses of Baba Farid that have survived are those which Guru Nanak received from his successor Sheikh Ibrahim near Pakpattan, at the place known as Tikka Nankasar, and which were later included in the Guru Granth Sahib. No other written work of Baba Farid has been found. It is largely an assumption that since he was Muslim, he must have used these letters.
Later, many other Sufi poets certainly used this script. A manuscript of Heer by Waris Shah from 1860 has been found. When the poet Qadir Yar wrote praises of Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa and Akali Baba Phula Singh, he began his si-harfis with “alif, be, pe…”, so those writings were likely in this script.
As Bulleh Shah says:
“ਅਲਫ਼ ਅੱਲਾਹ ਰੱਤਾ ਦਿਲ ਮੇਰਾ,
ਬੇ ਦੀ ਖ਼ਬਰ ਨਾ ਕਾਈ।
ਐਨ ਤੇ ਗ਼ੈਨ ਦਾ ਫ਼ਰਕ ਨਾ ਜਾਣਾ,
ਗੱਲ ਅਲਫ਼ ਸਮਝਾਈ।”
Undoubtedly, they too must have used these letters while writing.
However, this was merely writing Punjabi in those letters; it did not have any distinct or standardized form, nor did it have a specific name. Even in Mahan Kosh by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha, there is no mention of the term “Shahmukhi.”
After the Partition of India 1947, Gurmukhi script was almost completely eliminated from West Punjab. After some time, the term “Shahmukhi” was coined, but even then, no real effort was made to adapt it according to the needs of the Punjabi language.
For example, there are no letters in Shahmukhi for core Punjabi sounds like “ṅ” (ਙ) and “ñ” (ਞ), making it difficult to represent these sounds accurately. Two additional letters have, however, been included for “ṇ” (ਣ) and “ḷ” (ਲ਼), which do not exist in Urdu or Persian.
Punjabi has 10 vowel sounds. In Gurmukhi, vowel signs (like kanna, sihari, bihari, etc.) represent these sounds clearly and precisely. In Shahmukhi, the vowel markers (zabar, zer, pesh) do not perform this function with the same level of clarity. Moreover, in Shahmukhi, a single sound may be represented by multiple letters, or one letter may represent multiple sounds,something that is not required in Punjabi. In contrast, each letter in Gurmukhi has its own distinct form and sound, well-suited to the needs of the Punjabi language.
Consider this: in West Punjab, the largest Punjabi-speaking population in the world resides,over 130 million people. Yet, only a handful of people can read Gurmukhi. Even when it comes to Shahmukhi, many people are not aware that it is a distinct script; they simply think they are writing Punjabi using Urdu letters. It is unlikely that even one in a thousand out of 130 million knows what “Shahmukhi” actually is. Its usage remains limited to a very small circle.
For people in West Punjab, learning Gurmukhi is a question of the survival of Punjabi identity. On the other hand, for people in East Punjab, learning Shahmukhi is not directly tied to linguistic survival. However, if they wish to read the great Sufi poets of Punjab in their original script—as they were written,then they should certainly learn it. At the same time, Shahmukhi is essential for anyone who wants to learn Persian or study Sikh historical sources written in Persian. Learning Shahmukhi first makes the journey toward Persian easier.