Correct Answer:
C. 1867
The Urdu-Hindi Controversy was a significant socio-political dispute in British India concerning the official language status and script, primarily in the United Provinces. This foundational conflict highlighted the growing cultural and political divide between Hindu and Muslim communities.
The controversy officially began in 1867 when prominent Hindus in the United Provinces demanded that Hindi, written in the Devanagari script, replace Urdu, written in the Perso-Arabic script, as the official language in courts and government offices. This demand directly challenged Urdu's established position and marked the formal start of the language dispute.
- 1837 is incorrect because while language policies were evolving, the specific political controversy did not commence then.
- 1851 is incorrect as no major event marks the start of the controversy in this year.
- 1877 is incorrect because by this time, the controversy was already well underway and had intensified, rather than just beginning.