Discussion on languages of the Purvanchal region of UP and Urdu

This is a discussion about the language and language varieties spoken in the districts of the Pūrvānchal region of the state of Uttar Pradesh, such as Maū, Balliā, and Āzamgaṛh. The speaker Mr. Maqsood Khan initiates with a short monologue on the election season in his mother tongue Bhojpuri spoken in his village Jogarī. He then proceeds to the varieties spoken in the region as he seems to have excellent knowledge on the same. The monologue then turns into a discussion about the differences of culture and language of Āzamgaṛh and Maū. It then shifts to the state of Urdu in India.
Date: November 22, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
System: The UNT Digital Library

Conversation at an agricultural farm

This is a video recording of a conversation between Aquil Ahmad and two women farm laborers who can be seen braiding the stalks of paddy in someone's farms while others are heaping the stalks in the background. The conversation starts with Mr. Aquil discussing a laborer who had ditched him. Then he talks about the current year's weather condition and the farm produce.
Date: November 26, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
System: The UNT Digital Library

Video recording of a monologue on Pardhānī (village head) elections in Rāmpūr and about Rāmpūr village

This is a monologue on the Pardhaani (village head) elections in Rampur in the Bhojpuri language. The elections were approaching closer at the time of recording, and the speaker Mr. Jameel who was the ex- village headman of Rampur, was contesting this time. He speaks on the history of these elections and his contesting of the same. He then moves on to give information on Rampur village and nearby villages.
Date: November 22, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
System: The UNT Digital Library

Video recording of a conversation on the demands in the Pardhānī (village head) election in Rāmpūr

This is a conversation where Mr. Satsri Mangal, a resident of Chaudhrīpūr in Rāmpūr village, places his demands before Mr. Jameel, the former and currently contesting Pardhān (village head) of Rampur. Mr. Jameel listens to his demands, and then Mr. Satsri Mangal narrates some incidents. After that, Mr. Jameel starts a conversation with the village children who were playing cricket a while ago and gathered around the recording place after noticing some recording taking place.
Date: November 22, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
System: The UNT Digital Library

Video recording of a conversation on the languages of Rāmpūr village and the nearby Muslim-dominated villages of the region (in Urdu)

This is a conversation primarily with Mr. Jameel, the former and currently contesting Pardhān (village head) of Rampur village. Mr. Jameel gives the researcher information regarding the presence of dichotomy in speech among the population of Azamgarh and the variety spoken in Rampur and other nearby Muslim-dominated villages. In the last part of the recording, Mr. Jameel talks with a villager who passes by.
Date: November 22, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
System: The UNT Digital Library

Video recording of a personal narrative of Mr. Sahngi's son

This is a personal narrative by the son of Sahngi. Sahngi and Mahngi were two brothers who worked on the farms of Sadruddin, Maaz’s great grandfather. Mr. Toofani first introduces Maaz to Mr. Sahngi’s son and his relative and then leaves for work. Mr. Sahngi’s son narrates some incidences of Sadruddin and his contesting of the Pardhānī (village head) elections. He then talks about Maaz’s family members and his relationship with them. After that, he narrates his early adulthood time spent in Delhi, old times in Sonwārā village, and changing times.
Date: November 25, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
System: The UNT Digital Library

Conversation with a child while he is writing Arabic letters on a wooden writing board

This is a video recording of a conversation between Nazneen Shaikh — a semi-speaker of the Azamgarhi language — and Safwan Shaikh, a native Azamgarhi speaking child. Safwan is practicing writing the Arabic alphabet on a wooden writing board as homework given by his Maulānā of the Madrasāh. Nazneen seems interested in this and keenly observes his writing while making a video of him. She asks a few questions to Safwan and directs him. Safwan — still a beginner — struggles with writing and messes up while each time laughing at his own mistakes. Nazneen guides him through. Finally, the disconnection of the electricity supply puts an end to the video.
Date: November 13, 2015
Creator: Shaikh, Nazneen
System: The UNT Digital Library

Traditional narrative about a poor old lady and a magician

This is a story of a destitute old lady who had two sons, and she could barely feed them. After some time, an aged man comes to that old lady and asks her to hand over her sons to him to raise them. The old woman agrees to this while saying that she’ll keep one of them when they became adults, whereas he can take the other one. The old man — who was a magician — takes care of them. He educates one, whereas he keeps the other for household chores, who later learns magic from him. The latter is desperate to be reunited with his mother, but the magician wants to keep him with himself. This story narrates how by using magic, the boy tries to return.
Date: November 26, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
System: The UNT Digital Library