Punjabis: Difference between revisions

Punjabis
	File:Punjabis.JPG
Regions with significant populations
	Pakistan: 72,000,000 ; India: 30,056,000 ; United Kingdom: 1,051,000 ; Saudi Arabia: 526,000 ; Canada: 298,000 ; Myanmar: 119,000 ; UAE: 110,000 ; United States: c. 100,000 ; Malaysia: 83,000 ; Australia: 78,000 New Zealand: 12,000 Singapore: 10,000 ;
Languages
	Punjabi
Religion
	Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
	• Indo-Aryans; • Dogras ; • Gujaratis; • Hindkowans; • Kashmiris; • Pakistani Muhajirs; • Seraikis; • Sindhis; • Roma people;

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The Punjabi people (Punjabi: Shahmukhi: پنجابی; Gurmukhi: ਪੰਜਾਬੀ also Panjabi people) are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group from South Asia. Their region, the Punjab, has been host to some of the oldest civilizations in the world. The Punjabi identity is primarily linguistic, with Punjabis being those whose first language is Punjabi, an Indo-Aryan tongue. In recent times, however, the definition has been broadened to include also emigrants of Punjabi descent who maintain Punjabi cultural traditions, even when they no longer speak the language.

Punjabis are found primarily in the Punjab region of Pakistan and Northern India. In Pakistan, Punjabis comprise the largest ethnic group at roughly 44% of the total population and reside predominantly in the province of Punjab. In India, ethnic Punjabis can be found across the greater Punjab region which now comprises the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Besides these, large communities are also found in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir and the states of Rajasthan, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh.

There are also a number of Punjabi emigrant communities scattered around the world, especially in the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Persian Gulf countries, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

Punjabis are ethnically, linguistically and culturally related to the other Indo-Aryan peoples of South Asia. There are an estimated 120 million Punjabis around the world.

History

The exact point at which the Punjabis formed a distinct ethnic group remains speculative. The region having been the site of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization centered at Harappa became a center of early civilization from around 3300 BCE. Numerous invaders including the Indo-Aryans, Persians, Greeks, various Central Asians, Arabs, Afghans, and the British have all invaded and ruled the region, giving the Punjab a unique culture as the gateway to South Asia. An early Indo-Aryan-speaking people conquered the region and imparted their language and merged with the local population that some speculate as having been either an Elamo-Dravidian (a hypothesized parent family) or Dravidian-speaking group, but this also remains speculative since the Indus script remains undeciphered. The Indo-Aryans are believed to have arrived in the region between 2000 and 1250 BCE and eventually disseminated their languages throughout South Asia. An early Vedic civilization is believed to have emerged in the region and helped shape many aspects of northern Indian culture. Over time, the Greater Punjab region fragmented as various Eurasian invaders conquered sections of the region with the west (Pakistan) bearing the brunt of most invasions.

Various religious influences shaped the region and people as Buddhism emerged as an important faith in the region, due to the efforts of Ashoka, along with early Hinduism. Ultimately, two later religions largely supplanted both of these earlier faiths, Sikhism in Punjab and Islam in Pakistan. The Case of the Punjab the only entirely indigenous Punjabi faith has been Sikhism founded in the 15th century CE. Muslim invaders may have forcefully converted much of the western regions to Islam following the invasion of Arabs in 711 CE (see Muhammad bin Qasim) and Turkic tribes in the 11th century. However, a number may have also converted willingly through the spread of Sufism, poetic Islamic mysticism. For example, Memons are Sunni Hanafi Muslims, and they originated when a group of Hindus from Sindh belonging to the Kshatriya Lohana caste converted to Islam by Sufi missionaries of the Qadiri order.

Following the partition of British India into the states of India and Pakistan, a process of population exchange and ethnic cleansing took place in 1947 as significant minorities of Muslims either left or were forced out of East Punjab and Hindus and Sikhs either left or were driven out of West Punjab^[11] As a result of these population exchanges pakistan is largely a monoculture.

Diversity

The Punjab region, due to its location near Central Asia and the Middle East has been prone to numerous invasions that have left imprints upon the local Punjabi population that remain present in the numerous sub-groups. The Punjabi people are a heterogeneous group and can be subdivided into a number of tribal groups in Pakistan called qaums while they adhere to caste identities in India, each having their own subtle differences.

In terms of ancestry, the majority of Punjabis share many similar genes with other South Asian populations, but also show a significant relationship with West Eurasian groups. In a [2004] Stanford study conducted with a wide sampling from India, including 112 Punjabis, and selected other countries, displayed the following:

Results show that Indian tribal and caste populations derive largely from the same genetic heritage of Pleistocene southern and western Asians and have received limited gene flow from external regions since the Holocene. ^[12]

This study also found that roughly 20% of genetic markers in the Punjab were of West Asian origin, the highest amongst the sampled group of South Asians. Another study also showed that there has been limited gene flow in and out of South Asia, but the highest amount of genetic inflow from the west showed up in the Punjab region:

Broadly, the average proportion of mtDNAs from West Eurasia among Indian caste populations is 17% (Table 2). In the northern States of India their share is greater, reaching over 30% in Kashmir and Gujarat, nearly 40% in Indian Punjab. ^[13]

Some preliminary conclusions from these varying tests support a largely South Asian genetic base for most Punjabis accompanied by some of the highest degrees of West Asian admixture found in South Asia.

Geographic distribution

Punjabis in Pakistan

The Punjabis found in Pakistan are composed of clans and tribes (the aforementioned qaums) often with a correspondence with traditional occupations. Pre-Islamic Kambohs, Gujjars, Jats and Rajputs (such as the Janjuas), predominate with the Gakhars, Awans, and Arains, comprising the main tribes in the north, while Gilanis, Gardezis, Quraishi are found in the south. ^[14]

Punjabis have been traditionally farmers and warriors which has transferred into modern times with a dominance of agriculture and the military in Pakistan. In addition, Punjabis in Pakistan have been quite prominent politically having had many elected Members of Parliament. As the most ardent supporters of a Pakistani state, the Punjabis in Pakistan have shown a strong pre-dilection towards the adoption of Urdu, while still identifying themselves as ethnic Punjabis for the most part. Religious homogeniety remains elusive as a Sunni-Shia divide and a Christian minority have not completely wiped out diversity since the partition of British India. A variety of related sub-groups exist in Pakistan and are often considered by many Pakistani Punjabis to be simply regional Punjabis including the Seraikis (who overlap and are often considered transitional with the Sindhis) and Punjabi Pashtuns (which publications like Encyclopedia Britannica consider a transitional group between Punjabis and Pashtuns). These groups often display a predilection towards either independence or autonomy (see Seraikistan) from the main Punjabi groups.

Punjabis in India

Indian Punjabis tend to correspond to various caste criteria with the Sikhs showing more unity overall, while Hindu Punjabis sometimes remain stratified along caste lines. Some of the major subgroups of the Punjabis in India include: Ahirs, Aroras,Ramgarhias, Banias, Bhatias, Brahmins, Dalits, Gujjars, Jats, Kalals, Kambojs, Khatris, Labanas, Rajputs, Sainis, Sansis, Soods, and [[Ramgharia ]]s. Most of these subgroups can be further sub-divided into clans and family groups.

The Punjabi Sikh community remains the most prominent proponents of a Punjabi ethnic identity in India, while many Hindu Punjabis have shown a similar linguistic and cultural shift that corresponds with the Punjabis in Pakistan, as the identification of Hindi as a mother tongue rather than Punjabi has become more pronounced following political conflict between Sikhs and Hindus (see Khalistan movement for further details) that devolved into serious violence in the 1980s and early 1990s. However, most Hindu Punjabis do not claim this to be true, and still mantain a strong Punjabi heritage.

Most of East Punjab's (today's Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh) Muslims left for West Punjab in 1947. However, a small community still survives today, mainly in Malerkotla, the only Muslim princely state among the seven that formed the erstwhile Patiala and East Punjab States Union(PEPSU). The other six (mostly Sikh) states were: Patiala, Nabha, Jind, Faridkot, Kapurthala and Kalsia.

The Punjabi Diaspora

The Punjabi people have emigrated in large numbers to many parts of the world. The United Kingdom has a significant number of Punjabis from both India and Pakistan as does Canada and the United States. The Middle East has a large immigrant community of Punjabis, in places such as the UAE and Kuwait. There are large communities in East Africa including the countries of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Punjabis have also emigrated to Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia including Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Culture and society

Religion

Religion has played an important role in shaping Punjabi ethnic identity and it is not uncommon for Punjabis to generally treat their religious identity as synonymous with their ethnic identity or at least a combined identity that differentiates them from others. Punjabis belong largely to three major religions, Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism. The majority of Punjabis are Muslims, followed by Sikhs and Hindus, although a large number of Punjabis in Pakistan are also Christian. A small number in India are Jains. Although the Punjabi Sikhs are smaller in number than the Punjabi Muslims and Punjabi Hindus they are often thought of as the strongest supporters of a Punjabi identity due to their more frequent and visible use/display of the Punjabi language and traditional, non-religious aspects of the Punjabi culture. In addition, the Sikh community that has sought an independent course largely to preserve their religion and thus has resisted assimilation that Hindu Punjabis have readily adapted to.

Language

Cuisine

Music

Prominent Punjabis

Notes

References and further reading

Gilmartin, David. Empire and Islam: Punjab and the Making of Pakistan. Univ of California Press (1988), ISBN 0-520-06249-3.
Grewal, J.S. and Gordon Johnson. The Sikhs of the Punjab (The New Cambridge History of India). Cambridge University Press; Reprint edition (1998), ISBN 0-521-63764-3.
Ibbetson, Punjab Castes: Race, Castes and Tribes of the People of Punjab. Cosmo Publications, ISBN 81-7020-458-5.
Ibbetson, Denzil, (2002). Panjab castes. Low Price Publications. ISBN 81-7536-290-1.
Latif, Syed. History of the Panjab. Kalyani (1997), ISBN 81-7096-245-5.
Rose, H.A. and Ibbetson, Maclagan, (1990). Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province. Asian Educational Services, India, ISBN 81-206-0505-5.
Sekhon, Iqbal S. The Punjabis : The People, Their History, Culture and Enterprise. Delhi, Cosmo, 2000, 3 Vols., ISBN 81-7755-051-9.
Singh, Gurharpal. Ethnic Conflict in India : A Case-Study of Punjab. Palgrave Macmillan (2000).
Singh, Gurharpal (Editor) and Ian Talbot (Editor). Punjabi Identity: Continuity and Change. South Asia Books (1996), ISBN 81-7304-117-2.
Singh, Khushwant. A History of the Sikhs - Volume 1.Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-562643-5
Steel, Flora Annie. Tales of the Punjab : Told by the People (Oxford in Asia Historical Reprints). Oxford University Press, USA; New Ed edition (2002), ISBN 0-19-579789-2.
Tandon, Prakash and Maurice Zinkin. Punjabi Century 1857-1947, University of California Press (1968), ISBN 0-520-01253-4.

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Pakistan, India

External links

[1] Pakistan 1998 census - Population by mother tongue

[2] Indian 1991 census - Study of languages and mother tongues in census

[3] [1], [2]

[4] Joshua Project

[5] Canadian 2001 census - Population by mother tongue

[6] Joshua Project

[7] Joshua Project

[8] 2004-2005 Statistical abstract of the United States, Joshua Project

[9] Joshua Project

[10] Joshua Project

[11] .South Asia: British India Partitioned

[12] The Genetic Heritage of the Earliest Settlers Persists Both in Indian Tribal and Caste Populations

[13] Most of the extant mtDNA boundaries in South and Southwest Asia were likely shaped during the initial settlement of Eurasia by anatomically modern humans

[14] Country Studies - Pakistan

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@@ Line 71: / Line 71: @@
 ]]s. Most of these subgroups can be further sub-divided into clans and family groups.
-The Punjabi Sikh community remains the most prominent proponents of a Punjabi ethnic identity in India, while many Hindu Punjabis have shown a similar linguistic and cultural shift that corresponds with the Punjabis in Pakistan, as the identification of [[Hindi]] as a mother tongue rather than Punjabi has become more pronounced following political conflict between Sikhs and Hindus (see [[Khalistan]] movement for further details) that devolved into serious violence in the [1980]s and early [1990]s. However, most Hindu Punjabis do not claim this to be true, and still mantain a strong Punjabi heritage.
+The Punjabi Sikh community remains the most prominent proponents of a Punjabi ethnic identity in India, while many Hindu Punjabis have shown a similar linguistic and cultural shift that corresponds with the Punjabis in Pakistan, as the identification of [[Hindi]] as a mother tongue rather than Punjabi has become more pronounced following political conflict between Sikhs and Hindus (see [[Khalistan]] movement for further details) that devolved into serious violence in the [[1980]]s and early [[1990]]s. However, most Hindu Punjabis do not claim this to be true, and still mantain a strong Punjabi heritage.
-Most of East Punjab's (today's Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh) Muslims left for West Punjab in [1947]. However, a small community still survives today, mainly in [[Malerkotla]], the only Muslim princely state among the seven that formed the erstwhile Patiala and East Punjab States Union(PEPSU). The other six (mostly Sikh) states were: [[Patiala]], [[Nabha]], [[Jind]], [[Faridkot]], [[Kapurthala]] and [[Kalsia]].
+Most of East Punjab's (today's Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh) Muslims left for West Punjab in [[1947]]. However, a small community still survives today, mainly in [[Malerkotla]], the only Muslim princely state among the seven that formed the erstwhile Patiala and East Punjab States Union(PEPSU). The other six (mostly Sikh) states were: [[Patiala]], [[Nabha]], [[Jind]], [[Faridkot]], [[Kapurthala]] and [[Kalsia]].
 === The Punjabi Diaspora ===