Punjabis
 |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 120 million (estimated) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Pakistan | 76,335,300[1] |
 India | 29,109,672[2] |
 United Kingdom | 2,300,000[3] |
 Canada | 800,000[4] |
 United Arab Emirates | 720,000 |
 United States | 640,000 |
 Saudi Arabia | 620,000 |
 Hong Kong | 260,000 |
 Malaysia | 185,000 |
 South Africa | 140,000 |
 Russia | 120,000 |
| Languages | |
| Punjabi | |
| Religion | |
•  Islam •  Sikhism •  Hinduism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| • Indo-Aryans • Khatri • Rajputs • Gujjar • Arora •Jatts •Aheers. Hindkowans • Seraikis • Indo-Scythians | |
The Punjabi people (Punjabi: پنجابی (Shahmukhi), ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Gurmukhi), Hindi: पंजाबी (Devanagari)) Urdu: پنجابی, also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the the Indus Valley Civilization. Traditionally, Punjabi identity was primarily cultural and linguistic, with Punjabis being those for whom the Punjabi language was their first language.[5] However, in recent times, the definition has been broadened to include emigrants of Punjabi descent who maintain Punjabi cultural traditions, even when they no longer speak the language.
Punjabis are primarily found in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan, which forms the present Indian state of Punjab and Pakistan province of Punjab. Following independence from Britain, the Punjab region was divided between the two nations. In Pakistan, Punjabis are the largest ethnic group, comprising roughly 44% of the total population of the country. They reside predominantly in the province of Punjab and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. In India, Punjabis represent about 3% of the population. The majority of Punjabi-speaking people in India can be found in the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, as well as in Delhi and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Large communities of Punjabis are also found in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir and the states of Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
Punjabi is the dominant language in Pakistan, and fourth most common language in India. According to the Ethnologue 2005 estimate,[6] there are 88 million native speakers of the Punjabi language, which makes it the twelfth most widely spoken language in the world. According to the 2008 Census of Pakistan,[7] there are approximately 76,335,300 native speakers of Punjabi in Pakistan, and according to the Census of India, there are over 29,102,477 Punjabi speakers in India.[8] Punjabi is also spoken as a minority language in several other countries where Punjabis have emigrated in large numbers, such as the United Kingdom (where it is the second most commonly used language[9]) and Canada, in which Punjabi has now become the fourth most spoken language after English, French and Chinese, due to the rapid growth of immigrants from Pakistan and India.[10] There are also sizable communities in the United States, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Persian Gulf countries, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.
Punjabis are linguistically and culturally related to the other Indo-Aryan peoples of South Asia. There are an estimated 120 million Punjabis around the world.
History
 | This section may contain material not related to the topic of the article. (June 2010) |
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 centre of early civilization from around 3300 BC. Numerous settlers including the Proto-Indo-Aryans, Persians, Mauryans, Scythians, Greeks, various Central Asians, Guptas, Palas, Arabs, Afghans, and the British have all invaded and ruled the region, giving the Punjab a unique culture as the gateway to South Asia and Central Asia but this has not had a genetic impact on the region as the host population has always been far larger than the migrating or invading populations.[citation needed] Historically attested events, such as invasions by Huns, Greeks, Kushans, Moghuls, Muslims, and modern Europeans, have had negligible genetic impact.[citation needed] Despite centuries of Greek rule in Northwest India, for example, no trace of either the M170 or the M35 genetic markers associated with Greeks and Macedonians have been found.[11]
Ancient history
The original Punjab region is now divided into several units: West Punjab (now in Pakistan) including the Gandhara region, the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh and the Indian Union territory of Chandigarh. The regions of Azad Kashmir and Jammu have also been historically associated with the Punjab.
The Punjab is the 'Sapta Sindhu' region mentioned in the Rig Veda, the seven rivers are:
- Saraswati (thought to be the present day Ghaggar),
- Satadru/Shutadri (Sutlej),
- Vipasa (Beas),
- Asikani, Chandrabhaga (Chenab),
- Iravati (Ravi),
- Vitasta/Vet (Jhelum) and
- Sindhu (Indus).
The modern name of the Vipasa,'Beas' is thought to be a corruption of Veda Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata.
The region came to be known as Punjab only in the Mughal period. It was one of the cradles of Indian civilization and Hinduism.
Among the classic books that wholly or partly composed in this region are the following.
- Rigveda
- Grammar of Sakatayana
- Ashtadhyayi of Pāṇini
- Nirukta of Yaska
- Charaka Samhita
- Mahabharata along with the Bhagavad Gita
- Brihatkatha of Gunadya
- The Bakhshali Manuscript
The world's oldest university Takshashila flourished here, even before the Buddha's birth.
The descendants of the Rishis, form the Brahmins of Hindu society. The Brahmins of this region are called 'Saraswata' after the legendary Saraswati river region, once known for the ashramas of the rishis.
Classic cities of the Punjab region
- Multan (Mulasthan), Punjab (Pakistan): Founded by first wave of invading Aryans and named Mul-Asthan (Base-Station)in Sanskrit also Pilgrimage site of the legendary Sun temple.
- Rawalpindi, Punjab (Pakistan): A city in Northern Punjab named after the Rawal Jogis
- Sialkot, Punjab (Pakistan): city founded by Sul (Shalya), emperor of Madradesa and brother of Madri, second wife of emperor Pandu and mother to Nakul and Sahadeva
- Kasur, Punjab (Pakistan): city founded by Kusha, son of Sri Rama according to the Bichitra Natak written by Guru Gobind Singh.
- Lahore,Punjab (Pakistan): city founded by Lava(Loh), son of Sri Rama according to the Bichitra Natak.
- Dipalpur, Punjab (Pakistan): The original name of this city was Siri Puria or Siri Nagar after the elder brother of Raja Salvahan of Sialkot (who was the explorer of Sialkot) Raja Depa Chand renamed Depalpur after his beloved son Raja Depa.
- Jhang, Punjab (Pakistan): city where lovely Chenab and Jhelum rivers meet founded in era of Sri Rama then remodeled by Sial chief. Famous Punjabi love stories of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiba belong to the soil of this particular city. That is why city is also referred to as "Land of Love" and "City of Bhangra"
- Amritsar, Punjab (India): Founded by the fourth Sikh guru Ram Das ji in 1574, it has two of the holiest places of worship for Sikhs, the Akal Takht Sahib and the Shri Harmandir Sahib.
- Jalandhar, Punjab (India): A historic city mentioned in the Puranas.
- Phagwara,Punjab (India): City of Hearts.
- Chandigarh,Punjab (India): The City beautiful.
- Kurukshetra, Haryana: The site of the Mahabharata war.
- Karnal, Haryana: city founded by Karna.
- Katasraj temple, Punjab (Pakistan): Classic temple complex in the Chakwal district, site of the 'enchanted pool' episode in the Mahabharata, where Yudhishtira is tested by his father Lord Yama/Dharma.
The historic Vedic religion had a great impact on the regions religions followed by modern Hinduism and Buddhism which influenced the entire region including modern day Afghanistan,Usbekistan,Tajikistan and the Balochistan region in Iran and Pakistan. Islam reached the region following the arrival of Arabs in 711 AD and Turkic tribes in the 11th century during this period of Islamic invasions some Hindu's clans converted to Islam.
The tribes present in the NWFP of Pakistan and Afghanistan are most probably descended from Huna, Kushans etc. They could be the modern day Hazaras, Pashtuns, Tajiks, Uzbeks and Nuristani and many more. The other theory is that, after the Islamic invasion of Sindh, all the tribes there broke off and came down lower into India and established their kingdoms; hence the name Rajput (son of a king). The Huna were defeated in 528 AD by Yasodharman and in 532 a coalition of Hindu kings drove the Huna out of Northern India.[12] Genetic analysis of Rajput clans found a close connection with the Punjabi Khatri/Arora clans, indicating that the Rajputs are not outsiders as most tend to believe.[13]
Following the independence of Pakistan and the subsequent partition of British India, a process of population exchange took place in 1947 as Muslims left East Punjab and headed to the newly created Pakistan, and Hindus and Sikhs left West Punjab[14] for the newly created state of India. As a result of these population exchanges, both parts are now relatively homogeneous, where religion is concerned.
The main site of the Indus Valley Civilization in Punjab was the city of Harrapa. The Indus Valley Civilization spanned much of what is today Pakistan and eventually evolved into Indo-Aryan civilization. The arrival of the Indo-Aryans led to the flourishing of the Vedic Civilization along the length of the Indus River. This civilization shaped subsequent cultures in South Asia and Afghanistan. Although the archaeological site at Harappa was partially damaged in 1857 when engineers constructing the Lahore-Multan railroad used stone from the Harappa ruins for track ballast, an abundance of artifacts have nevertheless been found. Punjab was part of the great ancient empires including the Gandhara Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, Kushans and Hindu Shahi. Agriculture flourished and trading cities (such as Multan and Lahore) grew in wealth.
Influence
Due to its location, the Punjab region came under constant attack and influence from the east and the west. Invaded by the Mauryan Empire, Persians, Greeks, Kushans, Scythians, Turks, and Afghans. Its legacy is a unique culture that combines Hindu, Buddhist, Greek, Persian, Islamic, Sikhs and lastly British elements were also adopted during colonial rule.The city of Taxila was founded by the son of Taksh, who was the son of Bharat and who, in turn, was the brother of Ram. It was reputed to house the oldest university in the world, Takshashila University, one of the teachers was the great Vedic thinker and politician Chanakya. Taxila was a great centre of learning and intellectual discussion during the Maurya Empire. It is a UN World Heritage site, and revered for its archaeological and religious history.A legend based on oral traditions holds that Lahore, known in ancient times as Lavapuri (City of Lava in Sanskrit), was founded by Prince Lava, the son of Rama, while Kasur was founded by his twin brother Prince Kusha. To this day, Lahore Fort has a vacant temple dedicated to Lava (also pronounced Loh, hence Loh-awar or "The Fort of Loh").
Unique to central and western regions of Punjab (which form Pakistan's Punjab province) was that this area was incorporated into various central Asian, Greek and Persian empires, the area witnessed invasions by Alexander the Great, Mahmud of Ghazni and Tamerlane, to name a few. These were periods of contact between this region of Pakistan, the Persian Empire, and for a time this extended all the way to Greece. In later centuries, when Persian was the language of the Mughal government by force, Mughal architecture, poetry, art and music was an integral part of the region's culture. The official language of Punjab remained Persian until the arrival of the British in the mid 19th century, where it was finally abolished and the administrative language was changed over to Urdu written in the Perso-Arabic script which was only adopted by the Muslims as Hindu's retained their Devanagari script and the Sikhs Gurmukhi both are members of the Brahmi script and native to India.[15][16]
Punjabi Hindus
Punjabi Hindus are a group of people that follow the Hindu religion and have their roots in the erstwhile joint Punjab of greater Panjab (West Punjab/East Punjab).
Today they are distributed in most parts of the northern India and in some parts of western India like Mumbai. In India, most of the Punjabi Hindus are concentrated in Indian states of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. There has also been continuous migration of Punjabi Hindus to western world countries like USA, Canada and UK.
The oldest Hindu texts such as the Vedas, Upanishads and Mahabharata were composed in Punjab or nearby region and therefore indirectly influenced the entire South Asian region through time.In fact, Punjabi Hindus can trace their roots from the time of the Vedas. Many would later convert into Sikhism to fight the Mughals. Hindu Punjabi's used to send their oldest son to become a Sikh this was mostly seen in the Khatri and Arora communities and is still practiced today. In fact, Punjabi Hindus can trace their roots from the time of the Vedas. Many modern day cities in Indian Punjab and Pakistan Punjab are still named from that period like Lahore etc.
Punjabi Hindus have their unique culture which resembles in some ways very closely to the culture of Sikhs and also differs in lot of other ways. The Punjabi Hindus usually have a very liberal lifestyle and are famous for their lavish wedding parties. Like other Hindus,and Sikhs they are also divided into castes. The most common castes are Khatri (Kshatriya in Hindi), Jatt or Jat, Brahman, Baniya, Rajput etc. Punjabi Hindus go to Hindu temples for worship.
Arrival of Islam
The Punjabis were mainly Hindus with Buddhist and Zoroastrian minorities when the Umayyad Muslim Arab army led by Muhammad bin Qasim conquered the Punjab and Sindh in 711. Bin Qasim recorded that he so was overwhelmed by the gold in the Aditya Temple in the thriving trading city of Multan (known as Mulasthana then), that he recovered the expenses for his entire invasion.
During the reign of Mahmud of Ghazni, non-Muslims were ordered to pay the jaziya tax under Islamic law.[17][18][19] The province became an important centre and Lahore was made into a second capital of the Turk Ghaznavid Empire based out of Ghazni.
Mughals
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The Mughals controlled the region from 1524 until 1739 and would also lavish the province with building projects such as the Shalimar Gardens and the Badshahi Mosque, both situated in Lahore. Muslim soldiers, traders, architects, theologians and Sufis flocked from the rest of the Muslim world to the Islamic Sultanate in South Asia and some may have settled in the Punjab. Following the decline of the Mughals, the Shah of Iran and founder of the Afsharid dynasty in Persia, Nader Shah crossed the Indus and sacked the province in 1739. Later, the Afghan conqueror Ahmad Shah Durrani, incidentally born in Punjab, in the city of Multan made the Punjab a part of his Durrani Empire lasting until 1762.
Afghans
The founder of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Durrani, an ethnic Pashtun (Pathan), was born on the outskirts of Multan, southern Punjab where many of his descendants live to this day. After cementing his authority over various Afghan tribes, he went about to establish the first united Afghan Kingdom (Greater Afghanistan) that during its greatest extent included modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan and northeastern Iran. The Punjab was a cultural reservoir for the Afghans, and many where attracted to its lush fertile lands, a process that continues to this very day. It has been said that with the loss of the breadbasket regions of the Punjab and Sindh, Afghanistan has never been able to achieve a stable state ever since. Many ethnic Afghan or Pashtun tribes continue to live in Pakistan's Punjab province such as the Khugyanis known as Khakwanis, Alizais, Tareens, Durranis, Mullazais, Niazis, Khattaks, Lodhis, Kakars, Kakazais, and Barakzais to name a few.
Sikhs
At the beginning of the fifteenth century, the religion of Sikhism was born, and during the Mughal period its Misls gradually emerged as a formidable military force until assimilated under the expanding Sikh Empire. After fighting Ahmad Shah Durrani, the Sikhs wrested control of the Punjab from his descendants and ruled in a confederacy, which later became the Sikh Empire of the Punjab under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. A denizen of the city of Gujranwala, the capital of Ranjit Singh's empire was Lahore.[20] The Sikhs made architectural contributions to the city and the Lahore Fort. The Sikh empire was the first local power to rule the region since Muhammed Ghori's defeat of Prithvi Raj Chauhan in 1192.
British
The Maharaja's death in the summer of 1839 brought political chaos and the subsequent battles of succession and the bloody infighting between the factions at court weakened the state. Relationships with neighbouring British territories then broke down, starting the First Anglo-Sikh War; this led to a British official being resident in Lahore and the annexation of territory south of the Satluj to British India.
Some parts of Pakistani Punjab also served as the centre of resistance in the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Independence and its aftermath
In 1947 the Punjab province of British India was divided along religious lines into West Punjab and East Punjab. The western Punjabis voted to join the new country of Pakistan while the easterners joined India. This led to massive rioting as both sides committed atrocities against fleeing refugees.
The undivided Punjab, of which Punjab (Pakistan) forms a major region today, was home to a large minority population of Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus unto 1947 apart from the Muslim majority.[21]
Geographic distribution
Pakistani Punjabis
Punjabis make up almost 45% of the population of Pakistan. The Punjabis found in Pakistan belong to groups known as biradaris, which descend from a common male ancestor. In addition, Punjabi society is divided into two divisions, the zamindar groups or qoums, traditionally associated with farming and the moeens, who are traditionally artisans. Zamindars are further divided into qoups such as the Rajput, Aheers, Harals, Ghosi (tribe), Jat, Shaikhs or (Muslim Khatri), Kambohs, Gujjars, Dogars and Rahmani (Muslim Labana). Zamindar groups claiming Central Asian or Middle Eastern ancestry include the Gakhars, Khattar, Awan, Mughal and Arain, comprising the main tribes in the north of the province, while Khagga, Bodla, Jhandir, Daudpota, Gardezi, Syed and Quraishi are found in the south, all of whom claim Arab ancestry. Immigrants from neighbouring regions, such as the Kashmiri, Pashtun and Baluch, also form important element in the Punjabi population. Pashtun tribes like the Niazis and the Khakwanis, are integrated into Punjabi village life. Especially the members of the Niazi tribe, who see themselves as Punjabis first. They have big communities in Mianwali, Bakkar, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sahiwal and Toba Tek Singh. Major Moeen groups include the Lohar, Khateek, Rawal, Chhimba Darzi, Teli, Julaha, Mallaah, Mirasi, who are associated with a particular crafts or occupation.[22]
Punjabis have traditionally and historically been farmers and soldiers, which has transferred into modern times with their dominance of agriculture and military fields 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 predilection towards the adoption of the Urdu language but nearly all speak Punjabi, and still identify themselves as ethnic Punjabis for the most part. Religious homogeneity remains elusive as a predominant Islamic Sunni-Shia population 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 Pathans (which publications like Encyclopædia Britannica consider a transitional group between Punjabis and Pathans.
| Rank | State | Punjabi speakers | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Pakistan | 76,335,300 | 44.15 |
| 1 | Punjab | 70,671,704 | 75.23 |
| 2 | Sindh | 3,592,261 | 6.99 |
| 3 | Islamabad | 1,343,625 | 71.66 |
| 4 | NWFP | 396,085 | 0.97 |
| 5 | Balochistan | 318,745 | 2.52 |
| 6 | Fata | 12,880 | 0.23 |
Indian Punjabis
The population of Indian Punjab is divided into two major religious groups, the Sikhs and Hindus. It is further sub-divided into various tribal groups, social groups (caste) and economic groups. Major sub-groups in India include the Kalals/Ahluwalias, Bania, Saini Sikhs, Saini Hindus, Brahmin, Chamar, Chhimba, Chura, Jatt Sikhs, Kamboj, Khatri, Labanas, Lohar, Mahtam, Mazhabi, Nais, Rajput, Ramgarhia, Ramdasia, Soods and Tarkhans etc. The largest subgroups are Jatts with around 20% of the population, Chamars with around 12% of the population and Churas with around 10% of the population.
Like Punjabi Muslim society, these various castes are associated with particular occupations or crafts. Communities such as the Jatt Sikh, Kamboj Sikh and Saini Sikh are essentially farmers, while the Arora, Bania, Bhatia and Khatri are associated to trade. Other groups are associated with particular crafts, include Lohar who were historically ironsmiths, while Tarkhans were carpenters and the Nai were barbers.[23]
Indian Punjab is also home to small groups of Muslims and Christian. Most of the East Punjab's Muslims (in today's states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh) left for West Punjab in 1947. However, a small community still exists today, mainly in Malerkotla which was spared during partition, 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 Punjab region within India maintains a strong influence on the perceived culture of India towards the rest of the world. Numerous Bollywood film productions use the Punjabi language within its songs and dialogues as well as traditional dances and instruments such as the bhangra and the tabla. Prime Ministers of India including Gulzarilal Nanda and Inder Kumar Gujral in the past, and Dr. Manmohan Singh at present, are Punjabis, as are numerous players in the Indian cricket team (both past and present including Bishen Singh Bedi, Kapil Dev, Mohinder Amarnath, Navjot Sidhu, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Yograj Singh).
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 Pakistan and India as does Canada (specifically Vancouver and Toronto) and the United States, (specifically California's Central Valley). 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.
Punjabis by country
| Rank | Country | First language |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pakistan |
76,335,300 |
| 2 | India |
29,109,672 |
| 3 | United Kingdom |
2,300,000 |
| 4 | Canada |
800,000 |
| 5 | United Arab Emirates |
720,000 |
| 6 | United States |
640,000 |
| 7 | Saudi Arabia |
620,000 |
| 8 | Hong Kong |
260,000 |
| 9 | Malaysia |
185,000 |
| 10 | South Africa |
140,000 |
| 11 |  Burma |
120,000 |
| 12 |  France |
90,000 |
| 13 |  Italy |
80,000 |
| 14 |  Thailand |
75,000 |
| 15 |  Japan |
75,000 [citation needed] |
| 16 |  Mauritius |
70,000 |
| 17 |  Singapore |
70,000 |
| 18 |  Oman |
68,000 |
| 19 |  Libya |
65,000 |
| 20 |  Bahrain |
60,000 |
| 21 |  Kenya |
55,000 |
| 22 |  Australia |
50,000 |
| 23 |  Tanzania |
45,000 |
| 24 |  Kuwait |
40,000 |
| 25 |  Germany |
35,000 |
Diversity
The Punjab region is diverse, due to its location near Central Asia. It has been prone to numerous migrations and the resulting settlers 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 ethnic clan groups in both the East and West Punjab called biradri (literally meaning a tribe), each having their own subtle differences.
Genetics
The Punjabi people share common genetics with various neighboring populations. The primary groups are the Pashtuns to the north-west and west, Kashmiris to the north and northeast and Sindhis to the south and southwest.[24]
In terms of ancestry, the majority of Punjabis share many similar genes with other northern Indian 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.[25]
This study also found that roughly 42% of genetic markers in the Punjab were of West Asian origin, the highest amongst the sampled group of South Asians.[dubious – discuss][citation needed] Another study also showed that there has been limited gene flow in and out of north India, 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 43% in Indian Punjab.[26][27]
Some preliminary conclusions from these varying tests support a largely north Indian genetic base for most Punjabis accompanied by some of the highest degrees of west Asian admixture found in north India.
Culture and society
Punjabi culture is the culture of the Punjab region. It is one of the oldest and richest cultures in world history, dating from ancient antiquity to the modern era. The Punjabi Culture is the culture of the Punjabi people who are now distributed throughout the world. The scope, history, sophistication and complexity of the culture are vast. Some of the main areas include, Punjabi Philosophy, poetry, spirituality, education, artistry, dance, music, cuisine, science, technology, military warfare, architecture, traditions, values and history.
Religion
Science, history and 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. There are also small number of Christians, Jains and Buddhists.
Muslim Punjabis are the largest group in the Punjab region and are largely concentrated in Pakistan, though a small Muslim Punjabi population exists in India, with approximately 20,000 in New Delhi.[28] Sikhism and Hinduism are the major religions followed by Punjabis in India, with Jainism being the largest minority religion that is followed largely by Punjabi Banias and Bhabra people.
Language
The main language of the Punjabi people is Punjabi and its associated dialects, which differ depending on the region of Punjab the speaker is from; there are notable differences in the Lahnda languages, spoken in the Pakistani Punjab. In the Pakistani Punjab Urdu is spoken by many, but nearly all speak Punjabi. In the Indian Punjab, most people speak Punjabi. English is sometimes used, and people may also speak Hindiand older people who lived in the undivided Punjab may be able to speak and write in Urdu. There is a significant Persian influence found in certain Punjabi dialects; this is more pronounced in the Pakistani Punjab region, due to the region's proximity to the Iranian plateau. The Punjabi languages have absorbed numerous loanwords from surrounding areas and provinces (and from English).
Cuisine
Punjabi Cuisine has an immense range of dishes and has become world-leader in the field so much so that many entrepreneurs that have invested in the sector have built large personal fortunes due to popularity of Punjabi Cuisine throughout the world.
Music
Bhangra is one of the many Punjabi musical art forms that is increasingly being listened to in the west and is becoming a mainstream favourite. Punjabi music is being used by western musicians, in many ways, such as mixing it with other compositions to produce award-winning music. In addition, Punjabi classical music is increasingly becoming popular in the west due to the popular admiration of sounds of the Punjabi language and its composition. The most common instruments used in both India and Pakistan Punjab are the Dhol.
Punjabi dances
Punjabi dances, due to the long history of the Punjabi culture and of the Punjabi people there is a large number of dances. These dances are normally performed at times of celebration the most prominent being at Punjabi weddings, where the elation is usually particularly intense. Punjabi dances are designed for either men or women.
Marriage
Punjabi wedding traditions and ceremonies are traditionally conducted in Punjabi and are a strong reflection of Punjabi culture. While the actual religious marriage ceremony, among Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, and Jains may be conducted in Arabic, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Pali/Prakrit or English by the Kazi, Pandit, Granthi, there are commonalities in ritual, song, dance, food, and dress. The Punjabi wedding has many rituals and ceremonies that have evolved since traditional times. Punjabi receptions of all sorts are known to be very energetic; filled with loud Bhangra music, people dancing, and a wide variety of Punjabi food.
Prominent Punjabis
See also
- Punjab region
- Punjabi culture
- Punjabi language
- Punjabi cuisine
- Music of Punjab
- Punjabi dance
- Punjabi folklore
- Punjabi press
- History of the Punjab
References
- ^ Pakistan 1998 census - Population by mother tongue
- ^ Indian Census
- ^ Roger Ballard, Marcus Banks (1994). Desh Pardesh. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. pp. 19–20. ISBN 9781850650911.
- ^ 2006 Census: Ethnic Origin
- ^ http://www.krysstal.com/langfams_indoeuro.html
- ^ Ethnologue. 15th edition (2005).
- ^ According to statpak.gov.pk 44.15% of the Pakistani people are native Punjabi speakers. This gives an approximate number of 76,335,300 Punjabi speakers in Pakistan.
- ^ Census of India, 2001
- ^ "Punjabi Community". The United Kingdom Parliament.
- ^ "Punjabi is 4th most spoken language in Canada" The Times of India
- ^ Kivisild et al. (2003)
- ^ http://www.worldhistorymaps.info/History/CentralAsia.html
- ^ . PMID 6242530.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ .South Asia: British India Partitioned
- ^ http://www.panthic.org/news/135/ARTICLE/2701/2006-08-30.html
- ^ Language and literacy in social practice By Janet Maybin, Open University, page 102
- ^ John Louis Esposito, Islam the Straight Path, Oxford University Press, Jan 15, 1998, p. 34.
- ^ Lewis (1984), pp. 10, 20
- ^ Ali, Abdullah Yusuf (1991). The Holy Quran. Medina: King Fahd Holy Qur-an Printing Complex, pg. 507
- ^ Sikh Period - Government of Pakistan
- ^ The Punjab in 1920s – A Case study of Muslims, Zarina Salamat, Royal Book Company, Karachi, 1997. table 45, pp. 136. ISBN 969-407-230-1
- ^ Muslim peoples : a world ethnographic survey Richard V. Weekes, editor-in-chief Greenwood Press 1978
- ^ The Punjabis : The People, Their History, Culture and Enterprise
- ^ http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Rosenberg2007.png
- ^ The Genetic Heritage of the Earliest Settlers Persists Both in Indian Tribal and Caste Populations
- ^ http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=516768
- ^ Most of the extant mtDNA boundaries in South and Southwest Asia were likely shaped during the initial settlement of Eurasia by anatomically modern humans
- ^ Punjabi or Muslim Daily Pioneer June 6, 2011
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.
- Denzil 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. Denzil Ibbetson, Edward Maclagan (reprint 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.
Pakistan, India
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- DNA boundaries in South and Southwest Asia, BMC Genetics 2004, 5:26
- Ethnologue Eastern Panjabi
- Ethnologue Western Panjabi
- Indian Census
- Pakistan Census
- The Genetic Heritage of the Earliest Settlers Persists Both in Indian Tribal and Caste Populations, Am. J. Hum. Genet. 72:313–332, 2003
- Talib, Gurbachan (1950). Muslim League Attack on Sikhs and Hindus in the Punjab 1947. India: Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee.Online 1 Online 2 Online 3 (A free copy of this book can be read from any 3 of the included "Online Sources" of this free “Online Book”)
- The Legacy of The Punjab by R. M. Chopra, 1997, Punjabee Bradree, Calcutta.
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