HINDI, EASTERN, one of the "intermediate" Indo-Aryan languages. It is spoken in Oudh, Baghelkhand and Chhattisgarh. It is derived from the Apabhramsa form of Ardhamagadhi Pra krit (see PRAKRIT), and possesses a large and important literature. Its most famous writer was Tulsi Das, the poet and reformer, who died early in the 17th century, and since his time it has been the North-Indian language employed for epic poetry. Eastern Hindi has been an Intermediate language since, at least, the insti tution of Jainism (say, Soo B.c.), and is much less subject to the influence of the Midland than is Punjabi. To its east it has Bihari, and, to the south Marathi as its neighbour, both Outer languages.
Tulsi Das was one of the greatest writers that India has produced, and his influence on the language has been as great as that of Shakespeare on English. The peasantry are continually quoting him without knowing it, and his style, simple and yet vigorous, thoroughly Indian and yet free from purism, has set a model which is everywhere followed except in the large towns where Urdu or Sanskritized Hindi prevails. Eastern Hindi is writ ten in the Nagari alphabet, or in the current character related to it called "Kaithi" (see BIHARI) .