User:Hindustanilanguage/Urdu Wikipedia - On the Path of Innovation, Reforms, Expansion and Inclusiveness

The Urdu Wikipedia, a linguistic edition under the Wikimedia Foundation, has evolved into a valuable and resourceful Urdu encyclopedia. Accessible globally, this volunteer-driven project draws contributors from across South Asia, predominantly Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, albeit with limited participation from the latter two countries. It also attracts individuals of regional descent living overseas; I once had the pleasure of interviewing a Urdu Wikipedian Czech-origin Urdu Wikipedian. Additionally, there have been sporadic contributions from native users in countries like Japan and South Africa, although their input has been brief.

Commencing in 2004, the project initially appealed to a handful of language enthusiasts, resulting in strict linguistic, ideological, and religious regulations. Administrators favored a purist language approach, discouraging many newcomers with esoteric terminology such as جالبین for internet, موقع روئے حبالہ for browser, زبر اثقال for upload, زیر اثقال for download, and شمارندی اشتغالی نظام for operating system. This deterred potential contributors, shaping a rigid environment until around 2013-14 when pragmatic administrators took over. They recognized the need for a more accessible language, encouraging intermediate-level Urdu users to contribute.

Reaching 100,000 articles in 2016, Urdu Wikipedia underwent a shift from being solely an Islamic encyclopedia to a comprehensive one. While it continues to feature Muslim religious topics, efforts have been made to incorporate diverse perspectives, evident in articles like the Urdu versions of Ahalya and Agastya, both recognized as featured articles. Furthermore, comprehensive articles on Hindu Family Laws in India showcase a parallel with their English Wikipedia counterparts.

Urdu Wikipedia expanded its scope beyond Islam, now encompassing articles on Christianity, Judaism, and other religious subjects. Initially hostile toward the Ahmadiyya community, the administrators’ stance evolved, emphasizing the objective study of notable religious figures. A contributor based in Germany significantly contributed to documenting this community and their geographical context.

Recognizing the importance of community collaboration, Urdu Wikimedia stands out as perhaps the only Indian language project to host three consecutive foreign collaboration projects.


 * Urdu-Ukrainian Community Collaboration (2016)
 * Project Peace Spirits (Urdu-Hebrew Collaboration) (2018)
 * Chinese-Urdu Community Collaboration (2019)

Engaging in various editathons and events like Wikipedia Asian Month, the community actively participates in fostering collaboration.

Urdu Wikipedia stands as a repository of comprehensive information on famous Gujarati novels, filling a gap that exists in Gujarati Wikipedia. Proposing collaborations with Gujarati and Hindi counterparts, Urdu Wikipedians seek to expand content and foster mutual growth.

The surge in Indian contributors has led to an influx of India-specific content, elevating articles like the Flag of India and biographies such as that of freedom fighter Ram Prasad Bismil to featured status on Urdu Wikipedia.

Despite these positive strides, expanding the user base, content generation, ensuring neutrality, and continuous improvement remain challenges. With over a decade's worth of articles susceptible to random edits, the 14 administrators work tirelessly to elevate the project, aspiring for a level akin to other South Asian linguistic Wikipedias. Like any human endeavor, there’s always room for enhancement, and Urdu Wikipedia holds the promise of an even brighter future within the Wikimedia ecosystem. Inshallah!

Related essays

 * Assuming Good Faith on Wikipedia and in real life (Hindi)
 * Exploring Inter-Wiki Collaborations (Urdu)