Punjab

Coordinates: 31°N 74°E / 31°N 74°E / 31; 74

Punjab پنجاب ਪੰਜਾਬ Panjāb
Region
Nickname(s):  Land of the five rivers
Location of Punjab in South Asia
Countries	India  Pakistan
Areas	See below
Area
• Total	358,354.5 km2 (138,361.4 sq mi)
Population  (2011 and 2017)[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
• Total	c. 190 million
Demonym(s)	Punjabi
Demographics
• Ethnic groups	Punjabis Minor: Haryanvis, Himachalis, Dogras, Saraikis, Pashtuns, Muhajirs, Kashmiris, Biharis[8]
• Languages	Punjabi and others
• Religions	Islam (60.1%) Hinduism (28.5%) Sikhism (9.5%) Christianity (1.4%) Others (0.3%)
Time zones	UTC+05:30 (IST (India))
	UTC+05:00 (PKT (Pakistan))
Population, area and religious figures based on Punjab province borders

Part of a series on
Punjabis
History Folklore Language Dialects Punjab Punjabis Nationalism
Diaspora Asia Punjabis in Afghanistan Europe British Punjabis North America Punjabi Americans Punjabi Canadians Oceania Punjabi Australians
Culture Clothing Cuisine Dance Festivals Literature Media Music Religion Sport Television
Language Eastern dialects Doabi Majhi Malwai Puadhi Western dialects Shahpuri Jhangochi Jangli Pothwari Dhani
Punjab portal
v t

Punjab (/pʌnˈdʒɑːb, -ˈdʒæb, ˈpʌn-/; Gurmukhi: ਪੰਜਾਬ; Shahmukhi: پنجاب; Punjabi: [pənˈdʒaːb] (listen); also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb)^[a] is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of eastern Pakistan and northern India. The boundaries of the region are ill-defined and focus on historical accounts.

The geographical definition of the term "Punjab" has changed over time. In the 16th century Mughal Empire it referred to a relatively smaller area between the Indus and the Sutlej rivers.^[10] In British India, until the Partition of India in 1947, the Punjab Province encompassed the present-day Indian states and union territories of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, and Delhi and the Pakistani regions of Punjab and Islamabad Capital Territory. It bordered the Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa regions to the west, Kashmir to the north, the Hindi Belt to the east, and Rajasthan and Sindh to the south.

The predominant ethnolinguistic group of the Punjab region is the Punjabi people, who speak the Indo-Aryan Punjabi language. Punjabi Muslims are the majority in West Punjab (Pakistan), while Punjabi Sikhs and Punjabi Hindus are the majority in East Punjab (India). Other religious groups are Christianity, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, and Ravidassia. The Punjab region was the cradle for the Indus Valley Civilisation. The region had numerous migrations by the Indo-Aryan peoples. The land was later invaded and contested by the Persians, Mauryans, Indo-Greeks, Indo-Scythians, Kushans, Macedonians, Ghaznavids, Turkic, Mongols, Timurids, Mughals, Marathas, Arabs, Pashtuns, British, and other peoples. Historic foreign invasions mainly targeted the most productive central region of the Punjab known as the Majha region,^[11] which is also the bedrock of Punjabi culture and traditions.^[12] The Punjab region is often referred to as the breadbasket in both India and Pakistan.^[13][14][15]

Etymology[]

The origin of the region's name can probably be traced to the Mahabharata, which calls one of the regions in Sanskrit: पञ्चनाद, romanized: pañca-nāda, lit. 'five rivers'.^[16][17] The later name for the region, pañjāb (English spelling: Punjab), is a Persian translation and is similarly composed of پنج‎, panj, 'five'; and آب‎, āb, 'water'.^[9][18] The word pañjāb thus means 'The Land of Five Waters', referring to the rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas.^[19] All are tributaries of the Indus River, the Sutlej being the largest.

The ancient Greeks referred to the region as Pentapotamía (Greek: Πενταποταμία),^[20][21][22] which has the same meaning as the Persian word.

History[]

Taxila in Pakistan is a World Heritage Site

The Punjab region of India and Pakistan has a historical and cultural link to Indo-Aryan peoples as well as partially to various indigenous communities. As a result of several invasions from Central Asia and the Middle East, many ethnic groups and religions make up the cultural heritage of the Punjab.

In prehistoric times, one of the earliest known cultures of South Asia, the Indus Valley Civilisation, was located in the region.

Classical period[]

The epic battles described in the Mahabharata are described as being fought in what is now the state of Haryana and historic Punjab. The Gandharas, Kambojas, Trigartas, Andhra, Pauravas, Bahlikas (Bactrian settlers of the Punjab), Yaudheyas, and others sided with the Kauravas in the great battle fought at Kurukshetra.^[23] According to Dr Fauja Singh and Dr. L. M. Joshi: "There is no doubt that the Kambojas, Daradas, Kaikayas, Andhra, Pauravas, Yaudheyas, Malavas, Saindhavas, and Kurus had jointly contributed to the heroic tradition and composite culture of ancient Punjab."^[24]

Menander I Soter (165/155 – 130 BCE), conqueror of the Punjab, carved out a Greek kingdom in the Punjab and ruled the Punjab until his death in 130 BC.^[25][26]

In 326 BCE, Alexander the Great invaded Pauravas and defeated King Porus. His armies entered the region via the Hindu Kush in northwest Pakistan and his rule extended up to the city of Sagala (present-day Sialkot in northeast Pakistan). In 305 BCE the area was ruled by the Maurya Empire. In a long line of succeeding rulers of the area, Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka stand out as the most renowned. The Maurya presence in the area was then consolidated in the Indo-Greek Kingdom in 180 BCE.

Menander I Soter ("Menander I the Saviour"; known as Milinda in Indian sources) is the most renowned leader of the era, he conquered Punjab and made Sagala the capital of his Empire.^[25] Menander carved out a Greek kingdom in the Punjab and ruled the region till his death in 130 BCE.^[26] The neighbouring Seleucid Empire rule came to an end around 12 BCE, after several invasions by the Yuezhi and the Scythian people.^{[citation needed]}

Medieval period[]

Early (600s to 1206)[]

In 711–713 CE, the 18-year-old Arab general Muhammad bin Qasim of Taif, a city in what is now Saudi Arabia, came by way of the Arabian Sea with Arab troops to defeat Raja Dahir. Bin Qasim conquered parts of present-day Sindh and southern Punjab for the Umayyad Caliphate. The newly created state of Sind, encompassing part of Punjab, brought Islamic rule to the region for the first time. Sind would later be governed by the Abbasid Caliphate, before fragmenting into five smaller kingdoms, one of which was based in Multan. The remainder of Punjab at this time was governed by the Hindu Shahis and local Rajputs.

A section of the Lahore Fort built by the Mughal emperor Akbar

In 1001, Mahmud of Ghazni began a series of raids which culminated in establishing Ghaznavid rule across the Punjab by 1026. The Ghaznavids, a Persianate Muslim dynasty of Turkic mamluk origin,^[27][b][28] reigned until 1186 when they were defeated and replaced by the Ghurid dynasty, of Iranian descent from the Ghor region of present-day central Afghanistan.^[29]

Late (1206–1526)[]

Following the death of Muhammad of Ghor in 1206, the Ghurid state fragmented and in northern India was replaced by the Delhi Sultanate. The Delhi Sultanate ruled the Punjab for the next three hundred years, led by five unrelated dynasties, the Mamluks, Khalajis, Tughlaqs, Sayyids and Lodis.

Modern period[]

Early (1526–1858)[]

In 1526, the Delhi Sultanate was conquered and succeeded by the Turko-Mongol Mughal Empire. The Mughals established prosperity, growth, and relative peace, particularly under the reign of Jahangir. The period was also notable for the emergence of Guru Nanak (1469–1539), the founder of Sikhism.

The Afghan forces of the Durrani Empire (also known as the Afghan Empire), under the command of Ahmad Shah Durrani, entered Punjab in 1749 and captured Kashmir and Punja, with Lahore governed by Pashtuns. In 1758, Punjab came under the rule of Marathas, who captured the region by defeating the Afghan forces of Ahmad Shah Abdali. Following the Third Battle of Panipat against Marathas, the Durranis reconsolidated their power and dominion over the Punjab region and Kashmir Valley. Abdali's Indian invasion weakened Maratha influence.

After the death of Ahmad Shah, Punjab was freed from Afghan rule by Sikhs for a brief period between 1773 and 1818. At the time of the formation of the Dal Khalsa in 1748 at Amritsar, Punjab had been divided into 36 areas and 12 separate Sikh principalities, called Misl. From this point onward, the beginnings of a Punjabi Sikh Empire emerged. Of the 36 areas, 22 were united by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The other 14 accepted East India Company sovereignty. After Ranjit Singh's death, assassinations and internal divisions severely weakened the empire. Six years later, the British East India Company was given^[who?] an excuse to declare war, and in 1849, following the first and Second Anglo-Sikh Wars, Punjab was annexed by the East India Company. In the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the Sikh rulers backed the East India Company, providing troops and support.^[30] However, in Jhelum, 35 British soldiers of HM XXIV regiment were killed by the local resistance, and in Ludhiana, a rebellion was crushed with the assistance of the Punjab chiefs of Nabha and Malerkotla.

1858 to present[]

The British Raj had political, cultural, philosophical, and literary consequences in the Punjab, including the establishment of a new system of education. During the independence movement, many Punjabis played a significant role, including Madan Lal Dhingra, Sukhdev Thapar, Ajit Singh Sandhu, Bhagat Singh, Udham Singh, Kartar Singh Sarabha, Bhai Parmanand, Choudhry Rahmat Ali, and Lala Lajpat Rai. At the time of partition in 1947, the province was split into East and West Punjab. East Punjab (48%) became part of India, while West Punjab (52%) became part of Pakistan.^[31] The Punjab bore the brunt of the civil unrest following partition, with casualties estimated to be in the millions.^{[32][33][34][35]}

Timeline[]

• 3300–1500 BCE: Indus Valley Civilisation
• 1500–1000 BCE: (Rigvedic) Vedic civilisation
• 1000–500 BCE: Middle and late Vedic Period
• 326 BCE: Alexander's Invasion of Punjab
• 322–298 BCE: Chandragupta I, Maurya period
• 273–232 BCE: Reign of Ashoka
• 125–160 BCE: Rise of the Sakas (Scythians)
• 2 BCE: Beginning of Rule of the Sakas
• 45–180: Rule of the Kushans
• 320–550: Gupta Empire
  • 500: Hunnic Invasion
• 510–650: Vardhana's era
• 711–713: Muhammad bin Qasim conquers Sindh and a small part of Punjab region
• 713–1200: Rajput states, Kabul Shahi and small Muslim kingdoms
• 1206–1290: Mamluk dynasty established by Mohammad Ghori
• 1290–1320: Khalji dynasty established by Jalal ud din Firuz Khalji
• 1320–1413: Tughlaq dynasty established by Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
• 1414–1451: Sayyid dynasty established by Khizr Khan
• 1451–1526: Lodhi dynasty established by Bahlul Khan Lodhi
  • 1469–1539: Guru Nanak
• 1526–1707: Mughal rule
  • 1526–1530: Zaheeruddin Muhammad Babur
  • 1530–1540: Nasiruddin Muhammad Humayun
  • 1540–1545: Sher Shah Suri of Afghanistan
  • 1545–1554: Islam Shah Suri
  • 1555–1556: Nasiruddin Muhammad Humayun
  • 1556–1556: Hem Chandra Vikramaditya
  • 1556–1605: Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar
  • 1605–1627: Nooruddin Muhammad Jahangir
  • 1627–1658: Shahaabuddin Muhammad Shah Jahan
  • 1658–1707: Mohiuddin Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir
  • 1539–1675: Period of 8 Sikh Gurus from Guru Angad Dev to Guru Tegh Bahadur
  • 1675–1708: Guru Gobind Singh (10th Sikh Guru)
    • 1699: Birth of the Khalsa
• 1708–1713: Conquests of Banda Bahadur
• 1714–1759: Sikh chiefs (Sardars) war against Afghans and Mughal governors
  • 1722: Birth of Ahmed Shah Durrani, either in Multan in the Mughal Empire or Herat in Afghanistan
  • 1739: Invasion by Nader Shah and defeat of the weakened Mughal Empire
• 1747–1772: Durrani Empire led by Ahmad Shah Durrani
  • 1756–1759: Sikh and Maratha Empire cooperation in the Punjab
  • 1761: The Third Battle of Panipat, between the Durrani Empire and the Maratha Empire.
  • 1762: 2nd massacre (Ghalughara) from Ahmed Shah's 2nd invasion
• 1765–1801: Rise of the Sikh Misls, who gained control of significant swathes of Punjab
• 1801–1839: Sikh Empire, also known as Sarkar Khalsa, ruled by Maharaja Ranjit Singh
• 1845–1846: First Anglo-Sikh War
• 1846: Jammu joined the new state of Jammu and Kashmir
• 1848–1849: Second Anglo-Sikh War
• 1849: Complete annexation of Punjab into British India
• 1849–1947: British rule
  • 1901: Peshawar and adjoining districts separate from the Punjab Province
  • 1911: Parts of Delhi separate from Punjab Province
• 1947: The Partition of India divided Punjab into two parts: the Eastern side, with two rivers, became the Indian Punjab; and the Western side, with three rivers, became the Pakistan Punjab.
• 1966: Indian Punjab divided into three parts: Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh
• 1973–1995: Punjab insurgency

Political geography[]

16th century[]

In the 16th century, during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar, the term Punjab was synonymous with the Lahore province. It covered a relatively smaller area lying between the Indus and the Sutlej rivers.^[10]

19th century[]

The Punjab, 1849

The Punjab, 1880

Punjab Province (British India), 1909

The 19th-century definition of the Punjab region focuses on the collapse of the Sikh Empire and the creation of the British Punjab province between 1846 and 1849. According to this definition, the Punjab region incorporates, in today's Pakistan, Azad Kashmir including Bhimber and Mirpur^[36] and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (especially Peshawar,^[37] known in the Punjab region as Pishore).^[38] In India, the wider definition includes parts of Delhi and Jammu Division.^[39][40][41]

Using the older definition, the Punjab region covers a large territory and can be divided into five natural areas:^[9]

1. the eastern mountainous region including Jammu Division, Kangra-Bilaspur valley and Azad Kashmir;
2. the trans-Indus region including Peshawar;
3. the central plain with its five rivers;
4. the north-western region, separated from the central plain by the Salt Range between the Jhelum and the Indus rivers;
5. the semi-desert to the south of the Sutlej river.

The formation of the Himalayan Range of mountains to the east and north-east of Punjab is the result of a collision between the north-moving Indo-Australian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. The plates are still moving together, and the Himalayas are rising by about 5 millimetres (0.2 in) per year.

The upper regions are snow-covered the whole year. Lower ranges of hills run parallel to the mountains. The Lower Himalayan Range runs from north of Rawalpindi through Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and further south. The mountains are relatively young and are eroding rapidly. The Indus and the five rivers of Punjab have their sources in the mountain range and carry loam, minerals and silt down to the rich alluvial plains, which consequently are very fertile.^[42]

Major cities[]

Historically, Lahore has been the capital of the Punjab region and continues to be the most populous city in the region at 11 million cities' proper population. Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, and Chandigarh are all the other cities in Punjab with a city proper population of over a million.

• 

  Bahu Fort, Jammu, India

• 

  Peshawar Museum

• 

  Jama Masjid, Delhi

• 

  City view, Mirpur

1947 partition[]

The 1947 definition defines the Punjab region with reference to the dissolution of British India, whereby the then British Punjab Province was partitioned between what would become India and Pakistan. In Pakistan, the region now includes the Punjab province and Islamabad Capital Territory. In India, it includes the Punjab state, Chandigarh, Haryana,^[43] and Himachal Pradesh.

Using the 1947 definition, Punjab borders the Balochistan and Pashtunistan regions to the west, Kashmir to the north, the Hindi Belt to the east, and Rajasthan and Sindh to the south. Accordingly, the Punjab region is very diverse and stretches from the hills of the Kangra Valley to the plains and to the Cholistan Desert.^{[citation needed]}

Present-day maps[]

• 

  Punjab, Pakistan

• 

  Punjab, India, 2014

• 

  Haryana, India

• 

  Himachal Pradesh, India

Major cities[]

Using the 1947 definition of the Punjab region, some of the major cities of the area include Lahore, Faisalabad, Ludhiana and Amritsar.

• 

  Badshahi Mosque, Lahore

• 

  Golden Temple, Amritsar

• 

  Clock Tower, Faisalabad

• 

  Aerial view of Multan Ghanta Ghar chawk

• 

  Open Hand monument, Chandigarh

• 

  Faisal Masjid (Margalla Hills)

Greater Punjab[]

Another definition of the Punjab region adds to the definitions cited above and includes parts of Rajasthan on linguistic lines and takes into consideration the location of the Punjab rivers in ancient times.^{[44][45][46][47]} In particular, the Sri Ganganagar and Hanumangarh districts are included in the Punjab region.^[48]

• 

  Anupgarh fort in Anupgarh city

• 

  Bhatner fort in Hanumangarh city

Climate[]

The snow-covered Himalayas

The climate is a factor contributing to the economy of Punjab. It is not uniform over the whole region, with the sections adjacent to the Himalayas receiving heavier rainfall than those at a distance.^[49]

There are three main seasons and two transitional periods. During the hot season from mid-April to the end of June, the temperature may reach 49 °C (120 °F). The monsoon season, from July to September, is a period of heavy rainfall, providing water for crops in addition to the supply from canals and irrigation systems. The transitional period after the monsoon is cool and mild, leading to the winter season, when the temperature in January falls to 5 °C (41 °F) at night and 12 °C (54 °F) by day. During the transitional period from winter to the hot season, sudden hailstorms and heavy showers may occur, causing damage to crops.^[50]

Western Punjab[]

Central Punjab[]

Eastern Punjab[]

Demographics[]

Ethnic Punjabis in India and Pakistan

Languages[]

The major language is Punjabi, (Gurmukhi: ਪੰਜਾਬੀ; Shahmukhi: پنجابی) written in India with the Gurmukhi script, and in Pakistan using the Shahmukhi script.^[60] The Punjabi language has official status and is widely used in education and administration in Indian Punjab, whereas in Pakistani Punjab these roles are instead communicated by the Urdu language. Other major languages and Punjabi dialects spoken in the Punjab region include Hindustani, Mahasu Pahari, Kangri, Kullvi, Sirmauri, Chambaeli, Mandeali, Dogri, Haryanvi, Saraiki, Hindko, Pahari-Pothwari and Pashto.

• 

  Distribution of Punjabi in Pakistan

• 

  Map of the languages of Pakistan; Punjabi is in teal and Saraiki, commonly thought to be a dialect of Punjabi, is in light green

Religions[]

The Punjabi people first practiced Hinduism, the oldest recorded religion in the Punjab region.^[61] An ancient Indian law book called the Manusmriti, developed by Brahmin Hindu priests, shaped Punjabi religious life from 200 BC onward.^[62] The spread of Buddhsim and Jainism in India saw many Hindu Punjabis adopting the Buddhist and Jain faith though the decline of Buddhism in the Indian subcontinent resulted in Punjab becoming a Hindu society again, though Jainism continued as a minority religion.^[63][64] The arrival of Islam in medieval India resulted in the conversion of some Hindu Punjabis to Islam,^[65][62] and the rise of Sikhism in the 1700s saw some Punjabis, both Hindu and Muslim, accepting the new Sikh faith.^[62][66] A number of Punjabis during the colonial period of India became Christians, with all of these religions characterizing the religious diversity now found in the Punjab region.^[62]

In the present-day, the vast majority of Pakistani Punjabis are Sunni Muslim by faith, but also include large minority faiths, such as Shia Muslims, Ahmadi Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Christians.

Sikhism, founded by Guru Nanak is the main religion practised in the post-1966 Indian Punjab state. About 57.7% of the population of Punjab state is Sikh, 38.5% is Hindu, and the rest are Muslims, Christians, and Jains.^[67] Punjab state contains the holy Sikh cities of Amritsar, Anandpur Sahib, Tarn Taran Sahib, Fatehgarh Sahib and Chamkaur Sahib.

The Punjab was home to several Sufi saints, and Sufism is well established in the region.^[68] Also, Kirpal Singh revered the Sikh Gurus as saints.^[69]

Punjab region religious diversity as per (2011 and 2017 censuses)^[57][58][59]

Religion	Population	Percentage
Islam	114,144,607	60.13%
Hinduism	54,167,729	28.54%
Sikhism	18,038,910	9.5%
Christianity	2,715,273	1.43%
Others	635,095	0.33%
Total Population	189,821,807	100%

Culture[]

Festivals[]

Punjabis celebrate different festivals based on their following culture, season and religion:

Sikhism and Hinduism

• Maghi
• Lohri
• Maha Shivratri
• Holi
• Vaisakhi
• Teeyan
• Raksha Bandhan
• Diwali
• Gurpurab
• Hola Mohalla
• Mela Chiraghan
• Bandi Chhor Divas
• Dussehra
• Karwa Chauth
• Navratri
• Basant

Islam

• Basant
• Shab-e-Miraj
• Eid al-Fitr
• Eid al-Adha

Others

• Christmas

Clothing[]

Traditional Punjabi clothing differs depending on the region. It includes the following:

Economy[]

The historical region of Punjab is considered to be one of the most fertile regions on Earth. Both east and west Punjab produce a relatively high proportion of India and Pakistan's food output respectively. The region has been used for extensive wheat farming. In addition, rice, cotton, sugarcane, fruit, and vegetables are also grown.^[71]

The agricultural output of the Punjab region in Pakistan contributes significantly to Pakistan's GDP. Both Indian and Pakistani Punjab is considered to have the best infrastructure of their respective countries. The Indian state of Punjab is currently the 16th richest state or the 8th richest large state of India. Pakistani Punjab produces 68% of Pakistan's foodgrain production.^[72] Its share of Pakistan's GDP has historically ranged from 51.8% to 54.7%.^[73]

Called "The Granary of India" or "The Bread Basket of India," Indian Punjab produces 1% of the world's rice, 2% of its wheat, and 2% of its cotton.^[74] In 2001, it was recorded that farmers made up 39% of Indian Punjab's workforce.^[75] In the Punjab region of Pakistan, 42.3% of the labour force is engaged in the agriculture sector. ^[76]

Alternatively, Punjab is also adding to the economy with the increase in employment of Punjab youth in the private sector. Government schemes such as 'Ghar Ghar Rozgar and Karobar Mission' have brought enhanced employability in the private sector. So far, 32,420 youths have been placed in different jobs and 12,114 have been skill-trained.^[77]

• 

  Phulkari embroidery from Patiala

Environment[]

Three Punjab cities – Bathinda, Patiala and Ferozepur – featured in the list of top 100 clean cities of India in the Swachh Survekshan report released in August 2020.^[78]

See also[]

• Sattagydia
• Chak (village)
• Dhani (settlement type)
• Jallianwala bagh
• Music of Punjab
• Punjabi cuisine
• Punjabi dance

Notes[]

References[]

Further reading[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Punjab region.

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Punjab".

• Local website of Punjab, Pakistan
• Official website of Punjab, India
• Official website of Punjab, Pakistan
• Punjab, India at Curlie
• Punjab, Pakistan at Curlie