“When a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison.” Can you think of examples in history where a conquered people had their language taken away from them or had a language imposed on them?

Yes, throughout history, there have been numerous examples where conquered peoples had their language suppressed, taken away, or imposed upon them by their conquerors. Some notable examples include:

1. Colonialism and Imperialism: During the era of European colonialism and imperialism, many indigenous peoples in Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Oceania experienced the suppression of their languages by colonial powers. Colonial authorities often imposed the language of the colonizers, such as English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese, as the official language for governance, education, and administration, while marginalizing or even banning the use of indigenous languages.

2. Forced Assimilation Policies: In various historical contexts, conquerors or ruling powers implemented forced assimilation policies aimed at eradicating the languages and cultures of conquered peoples. For example, during the Soviet era, the Russian government imposed the Russian language on the diverse ethnic groups within the Soviet Union, suppressing their native languages and cultures in favor of Russian cultural hegemony.

3. Cultural Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing: In extreme cases, conquerors engaged in cultural genocide and ethnic cleansing, systematically targeting the languages and cultures of conquered peoples for eradication. For instance, during the colonization of the Americas, European settlers and colonial authorities sought to eradicate indigenous languages and cultures through policies of forced assimilation, residential schools, and violence.

4. Religious Conquest: In some instances, religious conquests led to the imposition of a dominant language associated with the religion of the conquerors. For example, during the spread of Islam in the medieval period, Arabic became the language of administration, scholarship, and religious worship in many regions conquered by Muslim armies, leading to the suppression of indigenous languages.

5. Modern-Day Language Policies: Even in contemporary times, there are examples of governments imposing or suppressing languages for political, economic, or cultural reasons. For instance, China's policies toward Tibetan and Uighur languages, or the suppression of Kurdish language and culture in Turkey, are examples of ongoing language suppression by ruling powers.

In each of these examples, the suppression or imposition of language was a deliberate strategy aimed at asserting control, undermining cultural identity, and facilitating domination over conquered peoples. Despite such attempts, many communities have persevered in preserving and revitalizing their languages as symbols of resistance, resilience, and cultural heritage.