The Department of Indian Philology was established in 1983 and is one of the centers for training specialists in Oriental Studies, with a focus on the languages and literatures of India and Pakistan. The department’s faculty includes graduates of Oriental Studies from Saint Petersburg University, such as Professor H. Rajabov, and the late instructors M.A. Usmonov and I. Nurov. In addition, Candidates of Philological Sciences and Indologists Nelli Bobozhonova from Moscow and Valentina Sobirniyazova from Tashkent were invited to teach Indian literature and the Urdu language. Thanks to their efforts, local specialists were trained in a short period and are now actively teaching in the department.
The department’s faculty regularly upgrade their qualifications through retraining courses and research programs in India and also participate in academic conferences in India and Pakistan. With the support of the Indian Embassy in Tajikistan, faculty members including H. Rajabov, K. Kurbonov, S. Yorova, and A. Latifov have been sent to India for practical training courses. Every year, top senior students are sent to Indian universities for language practice, including the Indian Language Learning Center in Agra.
Although relatively young, the Department of Indian Philology has made a significant contribution to training a new generation of scholars and specialists in this field and has earned respect and influence throughout the republic. Graduates of the department are successfully employed in various sectors across the country.
The current environment, new administrative practices, state policies, and official visits of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan to India and Pakistan demonstrate the country’s need for highly qualified specialists fluent in Indian and Urdu languages. The political, economic, scientific, and cultural changes in the country challenge the department’s faculty to prepare future professionals who will represent Tajikistan on the international stage.
Currently, the department employs five instructors in Indian and Urdu languages, including one Doctor of Science and three Candidates of Science.
A “Scientific Center of Pakistan” was established within the department in 2009, followed by the “India Study Center” in 2017. It is worth noting that the department’s faculty and students actively use materials from these centers. Thanks to the books and journals in Indian and Urdu, as well as news from Indian and Pakistani TV channels, they stay well-informed, which enhances both academic and educational work.
Additionally, for the past four years, the department has hosted a lecturer from India who teaches Urdu and Hindi. Under a bilateral agreement between the Tajik National University and the Embassy of India in Tajikistan, from January 2019 to June 2021, Dr. Rafiuddin from Aligarh Muslim University taught elective courses in Hindi and Urdu. In September 2021, he was succeeded by Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad, also from the same university. Classes taught by Indian professors have proven to be especially beneficial for students, particularly graduates of the Hindi and Urdu programs, who actively apply the knowledge they have gained.
From 1983 to 2006, the department was headed by Professor Habibullo Rajabov; from 2006 to 2008 – by Senior Lecturer Mumtoz Usmonov; from 2008 to 2012 – by Associate Professor Mairambibi Nurova; and from 2013 to 2018 – by Associate Professor Zarina Rahmatulloyeva.
