Odtnhj

Punjab پنجاب‬ .mw-parser-output .noboldfont-weight:normal ਪੰਜਾਬ
Region
Location of Punjab in south Asia
Countries	India Pakistan
Areas	see below
Area
• Total	355,591 km2 (137,294 sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Punjabi
Time zones	UTC+5 (PKT (Pakistan))
	UTC+05:30 (IST (India))
Language(s)	Punjabi

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

The Punjab (/pʌnˈdʒɑːb/ (listen), /-ˈdʒæb/, /ˈpʌndʒɑːb/, /-dʒæb/), also spelled Panjab (from Persian panj, "five" + āb, "water" or "river", thus land of "five rivers";^[1]Punjabi: پنجاب‬ (Shahmukhi); ਪੰਜਾਬ (Gurumukhi)), 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.

Until the Partition of Punjab in 1947, the British Punjab Province encompassed the present-day Indian states and union territories of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, and Delhi; and the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Islamabad Capital Territory. It bordered 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.

The people of the Punjab today are called Punjabis, and their principal language is Punjabi. The main religions of the Punjab region are Islam, Sikhism, and Hinduism. Other religious groups are Christianity, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, and Ravidassia. The Punjab region has been inhabited by the Indus Valley Civilisation, Indo-Aryan peoples, and Indo-Scythians, and has seen numerous invasions by the Persians, Greeks, Kushans, Ghaznavids, Timurids, Mughals, Pashtuns, British, and others. Historic foreign invasions mainly targeted the most productive central region of the Punjab known as the Majha region,^[2] which is also the bedrock of Punjabi culture and traditions.^[3] The Punjab region is often referred to as the breadbasket in both India and Pakistan.^[4][5][6]

Etymology

The region was originally called Sapta Sindhu,^[7] the Vedic land of the seven rivers flowing into the ocean.^[8] The Sanskrit name for the region, as mentioned in the Ramayana and Mahabharata for example, was Panchanada which means "Land of the Five Rivers", and was translated to Persian as Punjab after the Muslim conquests.^[9][10] The later name of the region, Punjab, is a compound of two Persian words,^[1][11]Panj (five) and āb (water), introduced to the region by the Turko-Persian conquerors^[12] of India, and more formally popularised during the Mughal Empire.^[13][14] Punjab thus means "The Land of Five Waters", referring to the rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas.^[15] All are tributaries of the Indus River, the Chenab being the largest.

Political geography

There are two main definitions of the Punjab region: the 1947 definition and the older 1846–1849 definition. A third definition incorporates both the 1947 and the older definitions but also includes northern Rajasthan on a linguistic basis and ancient river movements.

1947 definition

The 1947 definition defines the Punjab region with reference to the dissolution of British India whereby the then British Punjab Province was partitioned between 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,^[16] and Himachal Pradesh.

Using the 1947 definition, the 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.

Present day maps

• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Punjab, Pakistan
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Punjab, India, 2014
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Haryana, India
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Himachal Pradesh, India
  

  
  

  
  

Major cities

• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Badshahi Mosque, Lahore
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Golden Temple, Amritsar
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Clock Tower, Faisalabad
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Aerial view of Multan Ghanta Ghar chawk
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Open Hand monument, Chandigarh
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Faisal Masjid (Margalla Hills)
  

  
  

  
  

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

Older 1846–1849 definition

The Punjab, 1849

The Panjab, 1880

Punjab Province (British India), 1909

The older 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 Pakistan, Azad Kashmir including Bhimber and Mirpur^[17] and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (especially Peshawar^[18] known in the Punjab region as Pishore).^[19] In India the wider definition includes parts of Delhi and Jammu Division.^[20][21][22]

Using the older definition of the Punjab region, the Punjab region covers a large territory and can be divided into five natural areas:^[1]

• the eastern mountainous region including Jammu Division and Azad Kashmir;


• the trans-Indus region including Peshawar;


• the central plain with its five rivers;


• the north-western region, separated from the central plain by the Salt Range between the Jhelum and the Indus rivers;


• 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 the 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 the 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.^[23]

Major cities

According to the older definition, some of the major cities include Jammu, Peshawar and parts of Delhi.

• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Bahu Fort, Jammu, India
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Peshawar Museum
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Jama Masjid, Delhi
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  City view, Mirpur
  

  
  

  
  

Greater Punjab

The third definition of the Punjab region adds to the definitions cited above and includes parts of Rajasthan^{[24][25][26][27]} on linguistic lines and takes into consideration the location of the Punjab rivers in ancient times. In particular, the Sri Ganganagar and Hanumangarh districts are included in the Punjab region.^[28]

• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  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 the Punjab. It is not uniform over the whole region, with the sections adjacent to the Himalayas receiving heavier rainfall than those at a distance.^[29]

There are three main seasons and two transitional periods. During the hot season, from about 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.^[30]

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.

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.^[31] 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".^[32]

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.^[33][34]

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 "The Saviour" (known as Milinda in Indian sources) is the most renowned leader of the era, he conquered the Punjab and made Sagala the capital of his Empire.^[33] Menander carved out a Greek kingdom in the Punjab and ruled the region till his death in 130 BCE.^[34] The neighbouring Seleucid Empire rule came to an end around 12 BCE, after several invasions by the Yuezhi and the Scythian people.^{[citation needed]}

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 then led his troops to conquer the Sindh and Punjab regions for the Islamic Umayyad Caliphate, making him the first to bring Islam to the region.

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

During the establishment and consolidation of the Muslim Turkic Mughal Empire prosperity, growth, and relative peace were established, particularly under the reign of Jahangir. Muslim empires ruled the Punjab for approximately 1,000 years. The period was also notable for the emergence of Guru Nanak (1469–1539), the founder of Sikhism.

In 1758, Punjab came under the rule of Marathas, who captured the region by defeating the Afghan forces of Ahmad Shah Abdali. Abdali's Indian invasion weakened the Maratha influence, but he could not defeat the Sikhs. After the death of Ahmad Shah, the Punjab was freed from the Afghan yoke by Sikhs between 1773 and 1818. At the time of the formation of the Dal Khalsa in 1748 at Amritsar, the 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. Out of the 36 areas, 22 were united by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The other 14 accepted British sovereignty. After Ranjit Singh's death, assassinations and internal divisions severely weakened the empire. Six years later the British East India Company was given an excuse to declare war, and in 1849, after two Anglo-Sikh wars, the Punjab was annexed by the British.

In the Indian Rebellion of 1857 the Sikh rulers backed the East India Company, providing troops and support,^[35] but 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.

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, Muhammad Iqbal, Chaudhary Rehmat 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.^[36] The Punjab bore the brunt of the civil unrest following the end of the British Raj, with casualties estimated to be in the millions.^{[citation needed]}

Timeline

• 3300–1500 BCE: Indus Valley Civilisation
  


• 1500–1000 BCE: (Rigvedic) Vedic civilisation
  


• 1000–500 BCE: Middle and late Vedic Period


• 599 BCE: Birth of Mahavira
  


• 567–487 BCE: Time of Gautama Buddha
  


• 550 BCE – 600 CE: Buddhism remained prevalent


• 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
  


• 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 small part of Punjab region


• 713–1200: Rajput states, Kabul Shahi & 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
  


• 1722: Birth of Ahmed Shah Durrani, either in Multan in Mughal Empire or Herat in Afghanistan


• 1714–1759: Sikh chiefs (Sardars) war against Afghans & Mughal Governors


• 1739: Invasion by Nader Shah and defeat of 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 against the Maratha Empire.


• 1762: 2nd massacre (Ghalughara) from Ahmed Shah's 2nd invasion


• 1765–1801: Rise of the Sikh Misls which gained control of significant swathes of Punjab


• 1801–1839: Sikh Empire also known as Sarkar Khalsa, Rule by Maharaja Ranjit Singh
  


• 1845–1846: First Anglo-Sikh War
  


• 1846: Jammu joined with 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 separated from the Punjab Province


• 1911: Parts of Delhi separated from Punjab Province


• 1947: The Partition of India divided Punjab into two parts. The Eastern part (with two rivers) became the Indian Punjab and the Western part (three rivers) the Pakistan Punjab
  


• 1966: Indian Punjab divided into three parts: Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh
  


• 1973–1995: Punjab insurgency
  

People

Ethnic Punjabis in Pakistan

Ethnic background

Ethnic ancestries of modern Punjabis include a mixture of Indo-Aryan and Indo-Scythian. Semitic ancestries can also be found in lesser numbers. With the advent of Islam, settlers from Turkestan, Afghanistan, and Kashmir have also integrated into the Muslim Punjabi society. However, the majority of Punjab is still made up of the Arains, Dalits, Gujjars, Jats, Khatris, Tarkhans, Brahmins, Bhats, Awans, Kambojs, Rajputs Sainis, Kumhars, and others.^{[citation needed]} In the past, the most densely populated area has been the Majha region of Punjab.

Languages

Dialects of Punjabi

The major language spoken in the Punjab is Punjabi. In the Indian Punjab this is written in the Gurmukhi script. Pakistan uses the Shahmukhi script, that is closer to Urdu script. Hindi, written in the Devanagri script, is used widely in the Indian states of Himanchal Pradesh and Haryana. Several dialects of Punjabi are spoken in the different regions. The Majhi dialect is considered to be textbook Punjabi and is shared by both countries.

Religions

The vast majority of Pakistani Punjabis are Sunni Muslim by faith, but also include large minority faiths mostly Shia Muslim, Ahmadi Muslim and Christians.

The Indian states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh are mostly Hindu-majority. Sikhism, founded in the late 15th century, 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.^[37] 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.^[38] Also, Kirpal Singh revered the Sikh Gurus as saints.^[39]

Punjabi festivals

Punjabis celebrate the following cultural, seasonal and religious festivals:

Punjabi clothing

Traditional Punjabi clothing includes the following:

Economy

Phulkari embroidery from Patiala

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.

The agricultural output of the Punjab region in Pakistan contributes significantly to Pakistan's GDP. Both Indian and Pakistani Punjab are considered to have the best infrastructure of their respective countries. Indian Punjab has been estimated to be the second richest state in India.^[42] Pakistani Punjab produces 68% of Pakistan's food grain production.^[43] Its share of Pakistan's GDP has historically ranged from 51.8% to 54.7%.^[44]

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.^[45] In 2001, it was recorded that farmers made up 39% of Indian Punjab's workforce.

See also

• Chak (village)


• Dhani (settlement type)


• Music of Punjab


• Punjabi culture


• Punjabi language


• Punjabi cuisine


• Punjabi dance


• Sikhism


• Jallianwala bagh

References

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Punjab region.

• Official website of Punjab, India


• Official website of Punjab, Pakistan


• 
  Punjab, India at Curlie
  


• 
  Punjab, Pakistan at Curlie
  

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