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Punjab

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This article is about the geographical region in South Asia. For other uses of the name, see Punjab (disambiguation).

Punjab Region
ਪੰਜਾਬ/پنجاب
Largest Cities Lahore
Faisalabad
Rawalpindi
Countries
  • Pakistan
  • India
Official languages Punjabi, Urdu, Hindi, English
Area 355,705 km2 (137,338 sq mi)
Population (2001) 152,000,000
Density 430/km2
Religions
Demonym Punjabi

The Punjab (/ˈpʌndʒɑːb/ ⓘ or /ˈpʌndʒæb/; Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬ, پنجاب), also spelt Panjab, panj-āb, "five rivers",[1] is a geographical region in South Asia comprising vast territories of eastern Pakistan and northern India. In Pakistan, it includes the Punjab province and part of the Islamabad Capital Territory. In India, it includes the state of Punjab and parts of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Jammu and the National Capital Territory of Delhi.[2]

The name of the region is Persian in origin[3] and means "(The Land of) Five Rivers" referring to the following rivers: the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Sutlej, and the Beas.[4] All are tributaries of the Indus River, the Jhelum being the largest.

The region has a long history. It has been inhabited by Harappans, proto-Dravidians and Indo-Aryans and has seen numerous invasions by the Persians, Greeks, Kushans, Ghaznavids, Timurids, Mughals, Afghans, British and others. The people of the Punjab today are called Punjabis and their principal language is called Punjabi. The main religions of the Punjab region are Islam, Sikhism and Hinduism. Other religious groups are Christians, Jains and Buddhists.

In 1947, with the dissolution of British India, the region was partitioned between India and Pakistan.

History

Main article: History of Punjab
Taxila in Pakistan is a World Heritage Site
A section of the Lahore Fort built by the Mughal emperor Akbar.

The Punjab region of India and Pakistan has a historical and cultural link to Indo-Aryan heritage identity as well as partially to the Dravidic indigenous communities. As a result of numerous invasions, many ethnic groups and religions make up the cultural heritage of Punjab.

In prehistoric times, one of the earliest known cultures of South Asia, the Harappa civilisation, was located in Punjab.

The epic battles described in the Mahabharata were fought in modern-day Harayana and historic Punjab. The Gandharas, Kambojas, Trigartas, Andhra, Pauravas, Bahlikas (Bactrian settlers of Punjab), Yaudheyas and others sided with the Kauravas in the great battle fought at Kurukshetra.[5] 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".[6]

In 326 BCE, Alexander the Great invaded the tip of Punjab from the north (modern-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan) 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 (modern-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 the Great 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. Neighbouring Seleucid rule came to an end around 12 BCE, after several invasions by the Yuezhi and the Scythian people.

In 711–713 CE, 18-year-old Arab Sultan Muhammad bin Qasim of Taif, a city in Saudi Arabia, came by way of the Arabian Sea with Arab troops to defeat Raja Dahir. The Sultan then led his troops to conquer Sindh and Punjab regions for the Islamic Umayyad Caliphate. Qasim was the first to bring Islam to the region.

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 Punjab for approximately 1000 years. The period was also notable for the emergence of Guru Nanak Dev (1469–1539), the founder of Sikhism.

In 1758, Punjab came under the rule of Marathas who captured the region by defeating Afghan forces of Ahmad Shah Abdali. Abdali's Indian invasion weakened the Maratha influence, but he could not defeat the Sikhs. At 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. Ten years after Ranjit Singh's death, the empire broke up and the British were then able to defeat Punjab with the help of some Hindu Dogra kings. The Sikh State of Punjab was the only Indian state which was not under European rule at that time.

Punjab (British India), 1909

In the Indian Rebellion of 1857 the Sikh rulers backed the East India Company, providing troops and support,[7] 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 Ajit Singh Sandhu, Bhagat Singh, Udham Singh, Kartar Singh Sarabha, Bhai Parmanand, Muhammad Iqbal, Chaudhary Rehmat Ali, Ilam Din Shaheed and Lajpat Rai.

At the time of partition in 1947, the province was split into East and West Punjab. East Punjab (about 35%) became part of India, while West Punjab (65%) became part of Pakistan.[8] The Punjab bore the brunt of the civil unrest following the end of the British Raj, with casualties estimated in the millions.

Physical geography

At the time of the Sikh Empire the Punjab covered a large territory – the entire Indus basin and the watershed between the Indus and Gangetic plains. It could be divided into four natural areas:[9]

  • the eastern mountainous region including Jammu and Kashmir;
  • 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 snow covered Himalayas

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 5mm 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 though Jammu and Kashmir, Himachel 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.[10]

Climate

The climate is a factor contributing to the economy of the Punjab. It is not uniform over the whole region, the sections adjacent to the Himalayas receiving heavier rainfall than those at a distance.[11]

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. 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 at night and 12˚C by day. During the transitional period from Winter to the Hot Season sudden hailstorms and heavy showers may occur, causing damage to crops.[12]

People of the Punjab

Main article: Punjabi people

Ethnic background

Ethnic ancestries of modern Punjabis include a mixture of Indo-Aryan, some Indo-Scythian, and indigenous Dravidic elements; Semitic ancestries can also be found in lesser numbers. With the advent of Islam, settlers from Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Kashmir, Arabia, and Uzbekistan have also integrated into the Pakistani Muslim Punjabi society, from whom many Pakistani Punjabis claim descent. However the majority of Punjab is still made up of the native Arains, Jatts, Chamars, Scheduled Castes, Rajputs, Maliks, Khatris, Aheer, and Gujjars.

Languages

Dialects of Punjabi
Main article: Punjabi language

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 inhabiting the fertile regions of four out of the five major rivers are Muslims by faith, but also include numerous minority faiths mostly Christians and Ahmadi. In Indian Punjab, Sikhs and Hindus are the vast majority. Sikhism, a religion founded in the late 15th century, is the main religion practised in Indian Punjab. About 60% of the population of Indian Punjab is Sikh, 37% is Hindu, and the rest are Muslims, Christians, and Jains.[13] However, due to large scale migration from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Bengal and Odisha demographics of Indian Punjab state have become more skewed than reported earlier. Indian Punjab contains the holy Sikh city of Amritsar. The states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, formerly constituents of the British province of Punjab, are mostly Hindu-majority.

Major cities

An Open-Air Restaurant, Lahore
Golden Temple, Amritsar
List of major cities in the Punjab
Rank City State/Province Country Population
1 Lahore Punjab Pakistan 10,500,000
2 Faisalabad Punjab Pakistan 5,280,000
3 Rawalpindi Punjab Pakistan 3,391,656
4 Multan Punjab Pakistan 2,606,481
5 Gujranwala Punjab Pakistan 2,569,090
6 Ludhiana Punjab India 1,613,878
7 Faridabad Haryana India 1,404,653
8 Amritsar Punjab India 1,183,761
9 Islamabad Islamabad Capital Territory Pakistan 1,151,868
10 Chandigarh Chandigarh India 960,787
11 Gurgaon Haryana India 876,824
12 Jalandhar Punjab India 862,196
13 Sargodha Punjab Pakistan 600,501
14 Bahawalpur Punjab Pakistan 543,929
15 Sialkot Punjab Pakistan 510,863
Source: World Gazetteer 2010[14]
This is a list of each city's urban populations and does not indicate total district populations

Economy

Phulkari embroidery from Patiala
Main articles: Economy of Punjab, Pakistan and Economy of Punjab, India

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.[15] Pakistani Punjab produces 68% of Pakistan's food grain production.[16] Its share of Pakistan's GDP has historically ranged from 51.8% to 54.7%.[17]

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

Timeline

See also

References

  1. ^ Singh, Pritam (2008). Federalism, Nationalism and Development: India and the Punjab Economy. London; New York: Routledge. p. 3. ISBN 0-415-45666-5.
  2. ^ Pritam Singh and Shinder S. Thandi, ed. (1996). Globalisation and the region: explorations in Punjabi identity. Coventry Association for Punjab Studies, Coventry University. p. 361.
  3. ^ H K Manmohan Siṅgh. "The Punjab". The Encyclopedia of Sikhism, Editor-in-Chief Harbans Singh. Punjabi University, Patiala. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  4. ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica, 9th ed., vol.20, Punjab,p.107
  5. ^ Buddha Parkash, Evolution of Heroic Tradition in Ancient Panjab, p 36.
  6. ^ History of Panjab, Vol I, p 4, Dr L. M. Joshi, Dr Fauja Singh.
  7. ^ Ganda Singh (August 2004). "The Truth about the Indian Mutiny". Sikh Spectrum. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  8. ^ http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012%5C05%5C10%5Cstory_10-5-2012_pg1_1
  9. ^ The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism, section Punjab.
  10. ^ G. S. Gosal. "Physical Geography of the Punjab" (PDF). University of California, Santa Barbara. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  11. ^ Maps of India, Climate of Punjab
  12. ^ Royal Geographical Society Climate and Landscape of the Punjab
  13. ^ "Census Reference Tables, C-Series Population by religious communities". Census of India. 2001. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  14. ^ "Pakistan: Largest cities and towns and statistics of their population". Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  15. ^ "Punjab second richest state in country: CII", Times of India, 8 April 2004.
  16. ^ Pakistani government statistics, retrieved 14 April 2007.
  17. ^ Provincial Accounts of Pakistan: Methodology and Estimates 1973-2000[dead link‍]
  18. ^ Yadav, Kiran (11 February 2013). "Punjab". Agropedia. Retrieved 15 March 2013.

Further reading

  • [Quraishee 73] Punjabi Adab De Kahani, Abdul Hafeez Quaraihee, Azeez Book Depot, Lahore, 1973.
  • [Chopra 77] Punjab as a Sovereign State, Gulshan Lal Chopra, Al-Biruni, Lahore, 1977.
  • Patwant Singh. 1999. The Sikhs. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-50206-0.
  • The Evolution of Heroic Tradition in Ancient Panjab, 1971, Buddha Parkash.
  • Social and Political Movements in ancient Panjab, Delhi, 1962, Buddha Parkash.
  • History of Porus, Patiala, Buddha Parkash.
  • History of the Panjab, Patiala, 1976, Fauja Singh, L. M. Joshi (Ed).
  • The Legacy of the Punjab, 1997, R M Chopra.
  • The Rise Growth and Decline of Indo-Persian Literature, R M Chopra, 2012, Iran Culture House, New Delhi. 2nd revised edition published in 2013.
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