Why Maithili Deserves Classical Language Status

The campaign for classical language status for Maithili has recently gained renewed momentum, especially following the Union Cabinet's approval of classical language recognition for five new languages including Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Pali, and Prakrit.

- Ashutosh Kumar Thakur

Spoken by over 70 million people across India and Nepal, Maithili has a rich literary heritage, unique script, and cultural significance, yet lacks official classical recognition, which would honour its historical value and support preservation efforts.

According to the ministry of culture, classical status must meet the criteria of antiquity, unique literary tradition, and script. Maithili meets each of these requirements. Ancient texts, some over 1,500 years old, are part of its rich literary tradition.

Rooted in the Mithila region and associated with King Janaka of the Ramayana, Maithili emerged as an independent language in 800-900 CE, evolving from Magadhi apabhramsha. It progressed through stages like Proto-Maithili and Early Maithili, with works traditionally written in scripts like Tirhuta and Kaithi, though now mostly in Devanagari.