History of PUNJAB/PUNJABI.

Punjabi (/pʌnˈdʒɑːbi/;^[5] Gurmukhi: ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Paṃjābī; Shahmukhi: پنجابی Paṉjābī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by 130 million native speakers worldwide, making it the 9th most widely spoken language (2013) ^[6][7] in the world. It is the native language of the Punjabi people who inhabit the historical Punjab region of Pakistan and India. It is the only tonal language among the Indo-Aryan languages.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Punjabi is the most widely spoken language in Pakistan^[12] and the 11th most widely spoken in India^[13] and the 3rd-most natively spoken language in Indian Subcontinent. Punjabi is the fourth most spoken language in England and Wales^[14] and third most spoken in Canada.^[15][16] The language also has a significant presence in the United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Saudi Arabia, and Australia. The influence of Punjabi as a cultural language in the Indian Subcontinent is increasing day by day due to Bollywood. Most Bollywood movies now have Punjabi vocabulary mixed in, along with a few songs fully sung in Punjabi. At any point in time, Punjabi songs in Bollywood movies now account for more than 50% of the top of the charts listings.^[17][18][19]

Contents

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• 1 Dialects and related languages
  • 1.1 Standard dialect
• 2 Etymology
• 3 History
  • 3.1 Modern Punjabi
  • 3.2 Official recognition
  • 3.3 Punjabi in modern culture
• 4 Geographic distribution
  • 4.1 Pakistan
  • 4.2 India
  • 4.3 The Punjabi diaspora
• 5 Phonology
• 6 Grammar
• 7 Writing systems
• 8 Sample text
• 9 Gallery
• 10 See also
• 11 Notes
• 12 References
• 13 Further reading
• 14 External links

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Main article: Punjabi dialects

The major dialects of Punjabi include Majhi, Doabi, Malwai, Powadhi, Pothohari, and Multani. The dialects in the Lahnda dialect continuum, including Saraiki and Hindko, are considered as dialects of Punjabi by many linguists but as distinct languages by others.^[20]

In Indo-Aryan dialectology generally, the presence of transitional dialects creates problems in assigning some dialects to one or another "language".^[21][22] However, over the last century there has usually been little disagreement when it comes to defining the core region of the Punjabi language. The British linguist George Abraham Grierson came to the conclusion that a group of dialects known collectively as "western Punjabi" spoken north and west of the Punjab heartland, in the Indus valley itself and on the lower reaches of the other four tributaries (excluding the Beas River), in fact constituted a language distinct from Punjabi. He christened this group of dialects "Lahnda" in a volume of the Language Survey of India (LSI) published in 1919.^[23] He grouped as "southern Lahnda" the dialects that are now recognized as Saraiki. In the National Census of Pakistan (1981) Saraiki and Hindko (previously categorized as "Western Punjabi"), got the status of separate languages,^[24] which explains the decrease of the percentage of Punjabi speakers.

Standard dialect

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The Majhi dialect spoken around Amritsar is Punjabi's prestige dialect because it is the standard of written Punjabi. Majhi is spoken in the heart of Punjab in the region of Majha, which spans Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur and Pathankot Districts of the Indian State of Punjab and Lahore, Kasur and Narowal Districts of Pakistan Punjab Province.
The Malwai and Powadhi dialects spoken around Ludhiana also influenced the standard dialect as first Punjabi Grammar and Dictionary were written here in 1851 and 1854 respectively during the British rule. The most striking feature of Malwai influence is the presence of /ɭ/ sound in the standard dialect.^[25]
The Majhi (and Lahnda) spoken in Pakistan is more Persianized in vocabulary, and the usage of the sounds /z/, /x/ and /ɣ/ are more profound.

English	Gurmukhi based (Indian)	Shahmukhi based (Pakistan)
Article	Lekh	Mazmūn
Family	Parivār/Tabbar	Khandān/Tabbar
Philosophy	Darśan	Falsafā
Capital	Rājdhānī	Darul hakūmat/Rajghar
Astronomy	Khagol-vigyān	Falkiyat
Viewer	Darshak	Nazrīn

Etymology

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The word Punjabi is derived from the word Punjab, Persian for "Five Waters". Panj is cognate withSanskrit pañca and Greek pente "five", and "Ab" is a cognate to the Av- of Avon. This refers to five major eastern tributaries of the Indus River. The historical Punjab region, now divided between India and Pakistan, is defined physiographically by the Indus River and these five tributaries. One of the five, the Beas River, is a tributary of another, the Sutlej.

In India Punjabi is written in one of two separate standardised scripts: Gurmukhī and Devanagari. The word Gurmukhi translates into 'Guru's mouth',^[26] The Muslims in the region later created theShahmukhī, meaning "from the King's mouth", based on the Persian abjad^[27]

History

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Main article: History of the Punjabi language

Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language. It is a descendant of the Shauraseni language, which was the chief language of mediaeval northern India.^[28][29][30]

Punjabi emerged as an independent language in the 12th century.^{[citation needed]} Fariduddin Ganjshakar is generally recognised as the first major poet of the Punjabi language.^[31]

Varan Gyan Ratnavali by 16th century historian Bhai Gurdas

The Sikh religion originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region and Punjabi is the predominant language spoken by Sikhs.^[32] Most portions of the Guru Granth Sahib use the Punjabi language written in Gurmukhi, though Punjabi is not the only language used in Sikh scriptures. The Janamsakhis, stories on the life and legend of Guru Nanak (1469–1539), are early examples of Punjabi prose literature. Guru Nanak himself composed Punjabi verse incorporating vocabulary from Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, and other Indic languages as characteristic of the Gurbani tradition. Punjabi Sufi poetry developed under Shah Hussain (1538–1599), Sultan Bahu (1628–1691), Shah Sharaf (1640–1724), Ali Haider (1690–1785), Saleh Muhammad Safoori (son of Hazrat Mai Safoora Qadiriyya, whom Ali Haider had given great tribute) and Bulleh Shah (1680–1757).

Punjabi Sufi poetry also influenced other Punjabi literary traditions particularly the Punjabi Qissa, a genre of romantic tragedy which also derived inspiration from Indic, Persian and Quranic sources. The qissa of Heer Ranjha by Waris Shah (1706–1798) is among the most popular of Punjabi qissas. Other popular stories include Sohni Mahiwal by Fazal Shah, Mirza Sahiban by Hafiz Barkhudar (1658–1707),Sassui Punnhun by Hashim Shah (1735?–1843?), and Qissa Puran Bhagat by Qadaryar (1802–1892).

Heroic ballads known as vaar enjoy a rich oral tradition in Punjabi. Prominent examples of heroic or epic poetry include Guru Gobind Singh's in Chandi di Var (1666–1708). The semi-historical Nadir Shah Di Vaar by Najabat describes the invasion of India by Nadir Shah in 1739. The Jangnama, or 'War Chronicle,' was introduced into Punjabi literature during the Mughal period; the Punjabi Jangnama of Shah Mohammad (1780–1862) recounts the First Anglo-Sikh War of 1845–46.

Modern Punjabi

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Gurmukhi alphabetic excluding vowels.

Majhi-Standard Punjabi is the written standard for Punjabi in both parts of Punjab. In Pakistan, Punjabi is generally written using the Shahmukhī script, created from a modification of the Persian Nastaʿlīq script. In India, Punjabi is most often rendered in the Gurumukhī, though it is often written in the Devanagari or Latin scripts due to influence from Hindi and English, India's two primary official languages at the Union-level.

In India, Punjabi is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India. It is the first official language of the Indian State of Punjab. In Pakistan, Punjabi has not been granted official status at the national level though it is the most spoken language and is the provincial language ofPunjab, Pakistan, the second largest and the most populous province of Pakistan.

Official recognition

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Punjabi is one of the languages recognized by the Indian constitution at the state level in Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and West Bengal. There is no such recognition in Pakistan. According to Dr Manzur Ejaz, "In Central Punjab, Punjabi is amazingly still neither an official language of the province nor is it used as a medium of education at any level in Pakistan. There are only two daily newspapers published in Punjabi in the Central areas of Punjab. Only a few monthly literary magazines constitute Punjabi press in Pakistan".^{[citation needed]}

Punjabi in modern culture

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Punjabi is becoming more acceptable among Punjabis in modern media and communications. Punjabi has always been an integral part of Indian Bollywood cinema. In recent years a trend of Bollywood songs written totally in Punjabi can be observed. Punjabi pop and folk songs are very popular both in India and Pakistan at the national level. A number of television dramas based on Punjabi characters are telecast by different channels. The number of students opting for Punjabi literature has increased in Pakistani Punjab. Punjabi cinema in India has also seen a revival and more and more Punjabi movies are being produced. In India, number of student opting for Punjabi Literature as optional subject in IAS examinations has increased along with success rate of the students. Punjabi music is very popular today throughout the world.^[33]

Geographic distribution

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Pakistan[edit]

Administrative divisions of Punjab Pakistan

See also: Languages of Pakistan

Punjabi is the most widely-spoken language in Pakistan. Punjabi is the provincial language in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. Punjabi is spoken as a native language by over 44.15% of Pakistanis. About 70.0% of the people of Pakistan speak Punjabi as either their first or second language, and for some as their third language. Lahore, the capital of the Punjab Province of Pakistan, is the largest Punjabi-speaking city in the world. 86% of the total population of Lahore is native Punjabi and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, is 71% native Punjabis.

Census history of Punjabi speakers in Pakistan^[34]

Year	Population of Pakistan	Percentage	Punjabi speakers
1951	33,740,167	57.08%	22,632,905
1961	42,880,378	56.39%	28,468,282
1972	65,309,340	56.11%	43,176,004
1981	84,253,644	48.17%	40,584,980
1998	132,352,279	44.15%	58,433,431

Provinces of Pakistan by Punjabi speakers (2008)

Rank	Division	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 Capital Territory	1,343,625	71.66%
4	Khyber Pakhtunkhwa	396,085	0.97%
5	Balochistan	318,745	2.52%
6	Federally Administered Tribal Areas	0	0.0%

In the 1981 National Census of Pakistan the Saraiki, Pothohari and Hindko dialects of the Lahnda language were accorded the status of separate languages, which explains the decrease of the percentage of Punjabi speakers.

India[edit]

Districts of Indian Punjab along with their headquarters

See also: States of India by Punjabi speakers

Punjabi is spoken as a native language by 4% of Indians. Punjabi is the official language of the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, & Delhi. Punjabi is also the main language in north parts of Rajasthan. Some of its major urban centres are Ludhiana, Amritsar, Chandigarh,Jalandhar, and Delhi.

Census history of Punjabi speakers in India

Year	Population of India	Punjabi speakers in India	Percentage
1971	548,159,652	14,108,443	2.57%
1981	665,287,849	19,611,199	2.95%
1991	838,583,988	23,378,744	2.79%
2001	1,028,610,328	29,102,477	2.83%
2011	1,210,193,422	33,038,280	2.73%

The Punjabi diaspora

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Main article: Punjabi diaspora

Southall Station (United Kingdom) sign in Punjabi, in the Gurmukhī script

Punjabi is also spoken as a minority language in several other countries where Punjabi people have emigrated in large numbers, such as the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, where it is the fourth-most-commonly used language,^[35] and Canada, where it is the fourth-most-spoken language.^[36]

There were 76 million Punjabi speakers in Pakistan in 2008,^[37] 33 million in India in 2011,^[38] 1.3 million in the UK in 2000,^[39] 368,000 in Canada in 2006,^[40] and smaller numbers in other countries.

Phonology

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Vowels

	Front	Near-front	Central	Near-back	Back
Close	iː ਈ				uː ਊ
Close-mid	eː ਏ	ɪ ਇ		ʊ ਉ	oː ਓ
Mid			ə ਅ
Open-mid	ɛː ਐ				ɔː ਔ
Open			aː ਆ

The long vowels (the vowels with [ː]) also have nasal analogues.

Consonants

		Bilabial	Labio- dental	Dental/ Alveolar	Retroflex	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Nasal		m ਮ		n ਨ	ɳ ਣ	ɲ ਞ	ŋ ਙ
Stop/ Affricate	tenuis	p ਪ		t̪ ਤ	ʈ ਟ	t͡ʃ ਚ	k ਕ
	aspirated	pʰ ਫ		t̪ʰ ਥ	ʈʰ ਠ	t͡ʃʰ ਛ	kʰ ਖ
	voiced	b ਬ		d̪ ਦ	ɖ ਡ	d͡ʒ ਜ	ɡ ਗ
Fricative	voiceless		(f ਫ਼)	s ਸ		(ʃ ਸ਼)	(x ਖ਼)
	voiced			(z ਜ਼)			(ɣ ਗ਼)
Flap				ɾ ਰ	ɽ ੜ
Approximant			ʋ ਵ	l ਲ	 ਲ਼[41]	j ਯ		ɦ ਹ

Tone

Punjabi has three phonemically distinct tones that developed from the lost murmured (or "voiced aspirate") series of consonants. Phonetically the tones are rising or rising-falling contours and they can span over one syllable or two, but phonemically they can be distinguished as high, mid, and low.

A historical murmured consonant (voiced aspirate consonant) in word initial position became tenuis and left a low tone on the two syllables following it: ghoṛā [kòːɽɑ̀ː] "horse". A stem-final murmured consonant became modally voiced and left a high tone on the two syllables preceding it: māgh [mɑ́ːɡ] "October". A stem-medial murmured consonant which appeared after a short vowel and before a long vowel became modally voiced and left a low tone on the two syllables following it: maghāuṇā [məɡɑ̀ːʊ̀ɳɑ̀ː] "to have something lit". Other syllables have mid tone.^[42]

Grammar

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Main article: Punjabi grammar

The grammar of the Punjabi language is the study of the word order, case marking, verb conjugation, and other morphological and syntactic structures of the Punjabi language. This main article discusses the grammar of Modern Standard Punjabi as defined by the sources cited therein.

Writing systems

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Main articles: Shahmukhī alphabet, Gurmukhī alphabet and Punjabi braille

Shahmukhi alphabet
ا ب پ ت ٹ ث ج چ ح خ د ڈ ذ ر ڑ ز ژ س شص ض ط ظ ع غ ف ق ک گ ل م ن و ه ھ ء یے
Extended Perso-Arabic script
History Transliteration Diacritics Hamza Numerals Numeration
v t e

There are two ways to write Punjabi – Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi . The word Gurmukhi translates into "Guru's mouth",^[26] Shahmukhi means "from the King's mouth".^[27]

In the Punjab province of Pakistan, the script used is Shahmukhi and differs from the Urdu alphabet in having four additional letters.^[43] East Punjab, located in India, is divided into three states. In the state of Punjab, the Gurmukhī script is generally used for writing Punjabi.^[43]

Sample text

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This sample text was taken from the Punjabi Wikipedia article on Lahore and transliterated into the Latin script.

Gurmukhi: ਲਹੌਰ ਪਾਕਿਸਤਾਨ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀ ਰਾਜਧਾਨੀ ਹੈ । ਲੋਕ ਗਿਣਤੀ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਕਰਾਚੀ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਲਹੌਰ ਦੂਜਾ ਸਬ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਡਾ ਸ਼ਹਿਰ ਹੈ । ਲਹੌਰ ਪਾਕਿਸਤਾਨ ਦਾ ਸਿਆਸੀ, ਰਹਤਲੀ ਤੇ ਪੜ੍ਹਾਈ ਦਾ ਗੜ੍ਹ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਇਸ ਲਈ ਇਸਨੂੰ ਪਾਕਿਸਤਾਨ ਦਾ ਦਿਲ ਵੀ ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ । ਲਹੌਰ ਦਰਿਆ ਰਾਵੀ ਦੇ ਕੰਢੇ ਤੇ ਵਸਦਾ ਹੈ ਤੇ ਉਹਦੀ ਲੋਕ ਗਿਣਤੀ ਇੱਕ ਕਰੋੜ ਦੇ ਨੇੜੇ ਹੈ ।

Shahmukhi: لہور پاکستان پنجاب دا دارالحکومت اے۔ لوک گنتی دے نال کراچی توں بعد لہور دوجا سب توں وڈا شہر اے۔ لہور پاکستان دا سیاسی، رہتلی تے پڑھائی دا گڑھ اے تے ایسے لئی اینوں پاکستان دا دل وی کیا جاندا اے۔ لہور دریاۓ راوی دے کنڈے تے وسدا اے اسدی لوک گنتی اک کروڑ دے نیڑے اے ۔

Transliteration: lahor pākistān panjāb dā dārul hakūmat e. lōk giṇtī dē nāḷ karācī tō᷈ bāad lahor dūjā sab tō᷈ vaḍḍā shahir e. lahor pākistān dā siāsī, rahtalī tē paṛā̀ī dā gā́ṛ e tē isē laī ihnū᷈ pākistān dā dil vī kihā jāndā ē. lahor dariāē rāvī dē kanḍē tē vasdā ē uhdī lōk giṇtī ikk karōṛ dē nēṛē e.

Punjabi people (Punjabi: پنجابی (Shahmukhi), ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Gurmukhi), पंजाबी (Devnagri)), also spelled Panjabi people; are a clan of Indo-Aryan peoples, originating from the Sindh, found between eastern Pakistan and northern India. Punjab literally means the land of five waters (Persian:پنج آب panj ("five") āb ("waters")). Punjab is often referred to as the breadbasketin both Pakistan and India.^[7][8] The pinnacle of the power for any local Punjabi population came in the later part of the 18th century when Sikh Empire was established by the Ranjit Singh who conquered almost whole of Kashmir along with modern day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and annexed it into greater Punjab region.^[9][10]

The coalescence of the various tribes, castes and the inhabitants of the Punjab into a broader common "Punjabi" identity initiated from the onset of the 18th century CE. Prior to that the sense and perception of a common "Punjabi" ethno-cultural identity and community did not exist, even though the majority of the various communities of the Punjab had long shared linguistic, cultural and racial commonalities.^[11][12][13]

Traditionally, Punjabi identity is primarily linguistic, geographical and cultural. Its identity is independent of Race, Color, Creed or Religion. Referring to those for whom the Punjabi language(s) is the first language or recognizable language and those who reside in the Punjab region and associate with its population.^[14] Also Integration and assimilation is a part of Punjabi culture since there is no specific Punjabi tribe or a certain race. More or less all Punjabis share the same cultural background.^[15][16]

The Punjabi people were a heterogeneous group in the past and they were subdivided into a number of clans calledbiradari (literally meaning "brotherhood") or tribes each traditionally more bound to their own clans than others. But since Punjabi identity is more diverse so people who don't belong from any tribe are also considered a part of the Punjabi people. With the passage of time tribal structures are coming to an end and is replaced with more cohesive^[17] and holistic society. That is why Community building along with Group cohesiveness^[18][19] forms the new pillars in the Punjabi society.^[20]

Contents

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• 1 Geographic distribution
• 2 History of Punjab
• 3 Punjab ( The birthplace of the Sikh religion and many Sufi mystics )
• 4 Religious demographics of the contemporary Punjab
  • 4.1 Punjabi Hindus
  • 4.2 Punjabi Muslims
  • 4.3 Punjabi Sikhs
  • 4.4 Punjabi Christians
  • 4.5 Independence and its aftermath
  • 4.6 Emigration
• 5 Geographic distribution
  • 5.1 Pakistani Punjabis
  • 5.2 Indian Punjabis
• 6 The Punjabi diaspora
  • 6.1 Punjabis by country
• 7 Genetics of Indian Punjabis
• 8 Culture
  • 8.1 Role of Women in Punjabi culture
  • 8.2 Language
  • 8.3 Cuisine
  • 8.4 Music of Punjab
  • 8.5 Punjabi dances
  • 8.6 Punjabi wedding traditions
  • 8.7 Punjabi folk tales
  • 8.8 Village life in Punjab
  • 8.9 Festivals in Punjab
  • 8.10 Traditional dresses worn in Punjab
  • 8.11 Sports in Punjab
• 9 Prominent Punjabis
• 10 See also
• 11 References
• 12 References and further reading
• 13 External links

Geographic distribution

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The Punjab region, with its rivers. The land of the Punjabi People

In Pakistan, Punjabis constitute the largest ethnic group, comprising more than 45% of the total population of the country. They reside predominantly in the province of Punjab, neighbouring Azad Kashmir in the region of Jammu and Kashmir and in Islamabad Capital Territory. Punjabis are also found in large communities in the largest city of Pakistan, Karachi.

In India, Punjabis represent 2.85% 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.

History of Punjab

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Main article: History of Punjab

One of the first known kings of ancient Punjab, King Porus who fought with alexander

Indigenous peoples flourished in this region, near the gateways to other continents, leading to a developed civilisation in 5th to 4th millennium BC,^[21] the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. Also Buddhism remnants have been found like Mankiala which corroborate the Buddhist background of this region as well.

The remains of the ancient Indo-Aryan city of Taxila,^[22] and many ornaments that have been found in this region,suggests that,^[23] one of the centers of Indus Valley Civilization was established at many parts of Punjab most notably were Taxila and Harappa,^[24] Punjab became a center of early civilisation from around 3300 BC. According to Historians this region was ruled by many small kingdoms and tribes around 4th and 5th BC. The earliest known notable local king of this region was known as King Porus^[25][26] and he fought a famous Battle of the Hydaspes^[27][28] against Alexander. His kingdom, known as Pauravas, was situated between Hydaspes (modern Jhelum and Acesines (modern day Chenab).^[25] These kings fought local battles to gain more ground.Taxiles or Omphis another local North Indian king, wanted to defeat his eastern adversary Porus in a turf war and he invited Alexander the great to defeat Porus. This marked the first intrusion of the West in the Indian subcontinent and North India in general. But such was the valor of Porus and his kingdom forces in Punjab, that despite being defeated, he was appreciated by Alexander the Great for his skill and valor and he was granted further territories in the North.^[29] The other Indian kings did not like the fact that Porus was now an ally of Western forces. In less than ten years another Indian king Chandragupta Maurya^[30] defeated the forces and conquered the Northern Indian regions up to the Kabul river (in modern day Afghanistan). Alexander mostly ruled this land with the help of local allies like Porus.^[31]

Centuries later, areas of the Punjab region were ruled by local kings followed by the Ghaznavids, Ghurids, Mughals and others. Islam arrived in Punjab when the Muslim Umayyad army led by Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sindh in 711 AD, by defeating Raja Dahir. Some of the Muslims are said to have settled in the region and adopted the local culture. Centuries later, the Ghaznavids introduced Persian and Turkish culture in Punjab. The Ghorids and others spread the Persian culture to Northern India.

Harappa was the center of one of the Oldest Civilizations Indus Valley Civilizationlocated in central Punjab. The Harappan architecture and Harrapan Civilization was one of the most developed in the old Bronze Age.

The earliest written Punjabi dates back to the writing of Sufi Muslim poets of the 11th Century. Its literature spread Punjab's unique voice of peace and spirituality to the entire civilization of the region.

After the Mughals were weakened, under the command of Nader Shah of Persia and his humiliating sack of Delhi, the seat of Mughal power, regions of North India and Punjab, were annexed into the Durrani Empire later on in 1747. But Afghan rule in Punjab was very short lived as many local tribal people like Gakhars fought against Afghan rule and took the lands back. The grandson of Ahmed Shah Durrani ,(Zaman Shah Durrani) lost it to Ranjit Singh, a Punjabi Sikh. He was born in 1780 to Maha Singh and Raj Kaur in Gujranwala, Punjab. Ranjit took a leading role in organising a Sikh militia and got control of the Punjab region from Zaman Shah Durrani. Ranjit started a Punjabi military expedition to expand his territory.^[32] Under his command the Sikh army began invading neighboring territories outside of Punjab. The Jamrud Fort at the entry of Khyber Pass was built by Ranjit Singh.^[33] The Sikh Empire slowly began to weaken after the death of Hari Singh Nalwa at the Battle of Jamrud in 1837. Two years later, in 1839, Ranjit Singh died and his son took over control of the empire. By 1850 the British took over control of the Punjab region after defeating the Sikhs in the Anglo-Sikh wars.^[34][35]

Sikh Empire under Ranjit Singhspanning Kashmir up to Khyber Pass and Peshawar region. It was the first time when a local Punjabi established the rule on other regions.

Punjab ( The birthplace of the Sikh religion and many Sufi mystics )[edit]

Main articles: Sikhism and Sufism

People of Punjab remained tolerant throughout the history and that is why many different religious ideologies were tolerated there despite some uproar by some religious extremists. The region of Punjab is the birthplace of one monolithic religion that is known asSikhism.^[36][37] Also many well known followers of Sufism^[38] were born in Punjab.^[39]

Religious demographics of the contemporary Punjab

[edit]

Due to religious tensions, emigration between Punjabi people started far before the partition and dependable records.^[40][41] Slightly prior to the Partition of British India, Punjab had a slightly majority Muslim population at about 53.2% in 1941, which was an increase from the previous years.^[42] With the division of Punjab and the subsequent independence of Pakistan and later India, mass migrations of Muslimsfrom Indian Punjab to Pakistan, and those of Sikhs and Hindus from Pakistan to Indian Punjab occurred. Today, the majority of Pakistani Punjabis follow Islam with a small Christian minority, while the majority of Indian Punjabis are either Sikhs or Hindus with a Muslim minority. Punjab is also the birthplace of Sikhism and the Islamic reform movement Ahmadiyya.^[6]

Following the independence of Pakistan and the subsequent partition of British India, a process of population exchange took place in 1947 as Muslims began to leave India and headed to the newly created Pakistan and Hindus and Sikhs left Pakistan^[43] for the newly created state of India.^[44] As a result of these population exchanges, both parts are now relatively homogeneous, where religion is concerned.

Punjabi Hindus

[edit]

See Also: List of Punjabi Hindus

In the pre-Islamic era, the population of Punjab mainly followed Hinduism. Today Punjabi Hindus are mostly found in Indian Punjab and in neighbouring states like Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, which together forms a part of the historical greater Punjab region. Many of the Hindu Punjabis from the Indian capital Delhi are immigrants and their descendants, from various parts of Western Pakistani Punjab. Some Punjabi Hindus can also be found in the surrounding areas as well as the recent cosmopolitan migrants in other big cities like Mumbai. There has also been continuous migration of Punjabi Hindus to western countries like USA, Canada and UK.

The Hindu Punjabis speak different dialects including Lahnda, as well as Majhi (Standard Punjabi) and others like Doabi and Malwi. Some still have managed to retain the Punjabi dialects spoken in Western Punjab, but many have also adopted Hindi. The population of Hindu Punjabis is approximately 12 million in India.

Punjabi Muslims

[edit]

Badshahi Masjid - The largest mosque of the Mughal Empire built by emperorAurangzeb.

The people of Punjab were mainly Hindus with a Buddhist minority, when the Umayyad Muslim army led by Muhammad bin Qasim from Syria, conquered Punjab and Sindh in 711 AD.

During the reign of Mahmud of Ghazni, non-Muslims paid the jaziya tax, according to Islamic law.^[45][46][47] The province became an important centre and Lahore was made into a second capital of the Turk Ghaznavid Empire based out of Ghazni. The Delhi Sultanate and later Mughal Empire ruled the region. The Punjab region became predominantly Muslim due to missionary Sufi saints whose dargahs dot the landscape ofPunjab region. The Mughals controlled the region from 1524 until 1739 and would also lavish some parts of the province with building projects such as the Shalimar Gardens and the Badshahi Mosque, both situated in Lahore. The Muslim establishment in the Punjab occurred over a period of several centuries lasting until towards the end of the British Raj and the division of the Punjab province between Pakistan and India in August, 1947. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while the Muslim refugees from India settled in the Pakistan.^[48][49] Today Muslims constitute only 1.53% Eastern Punjab in India as now the Muslims live in Western Punjab in Pakistan.

Punjabi Sikhs

[edit]

Portrait of Maharaja Ranjit Singh

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.^[50] 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

Punjabi Christians

[edit]

Sadhu Sundar Singh, an influential Punjabi Christian missionary fromLudhiana (1889–1929)

The death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh 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 neighboring 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 Sutlej to British India.

In 1877, on St. Thomas' Day at Westminster Abbey, London, Rev Thomas Valpy French was appointed the first Anglican Bishop of Lahore, a largediocese which included all of the Punjab, then under British colonial rule, and remained so until 1887, during this period he also opened the Divinity College, Lahore in 1870.^[51][52][53] Rev Thomas Patrick Hughes served as a Church Missionary Society missionary at Peshawar (1864–84), and became an oriental scholar, and compiled a 'Dictionary of Islam' (1885).^[54]

Missionaries accompanied the colonising forces from Portugal, France, United States and Great Britain. Christianity was mainly brought by theBritish rulers of India in the later 18th and 19th century. This is evidenced in cities established by the British, such as the port city of Karachi, where the majestic St. Patrick's Cathedral, Pakistan's largest church stands, and the churches in the city of Rawalpindi, where the British established a major military cantonment.

The total number of Punjabi Christians in Pakistan is approximately 2,800,000 and 300,000 in Indian Punjab. Of these, approximately half are Roman Catholic and half Protestant. Many of the modern Punjabi Christians are descended from converts during British rule, however, other modern Punjabi Christians have converted from Churas. The Churas were largely converted to Christianity in North India during the British raj. The vast majority were converted from the Mazhabi Sikh communities of Punjab, and to a lesser extent Hindu Churas; under the influence of enthusiastic British army officers and Christian missionaries. Consequently, since the independence they are now divided between Pakistani Punjab and Indian Punjab. Large numbers of Mazhabi Sikhs were also converted in the Moradabad district and the Bijnor district^[55] of Uttar Pradesh. Rohilkhand saw a mass conversion of its entire population of 4500 Mazhabi Sikhs into the Methodist Church.^[56] Sikh organisations became alarmed at the rate of conversions among the Mazhabi Sikhs and responded by immediately dispatching Sikh missionaries to counteract the conversions..

Independence and its aftermath

[edit]

Until 1947, the province of Punjab was ruled by a coalition constituting of the Indian National Congress, the Sikh-led Shiromani Akali Dal and theUnionist Muslim League. However, the growth of Muslim nationalism led to the All India Muslim League becoming the dominant party in the 1946 elections. As Muslim separatism increased, the opposition from Punjabi Hindus and Sikhs increased substantially. Communal violence on the eve of Indian independence led to the dismissal of the coalition government, although the succeeding League ministry was unable to form a majority. Along with the province of Bengal, Punjab was partitioned on religious lines – the Muslim-majority West becoming part of the new Muslim state of Pakistan, and the Hindu and Sikh East remaining in India. Partition was accompanied by massive violence on both sides, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.^[57] West Punjab was virtually cleansed of its Hindu and Sikh populations, who were forced to leave for India, while Punjabi Muslims in the East and Delhi was virtually cleansed of Muslims.

By the 1960s, Indian Punjab underwent reorganisation as Sikh demands for an autonomous state increased. The Hindu-majority areas were formed into the states of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana respectively, making Sikhs the majority in the state of Punjab itself. In the 1980s, Sikh separatism combined with popular anger against the Indian Army's counter-insurgency operations (especially Operation Bluestar) led to violence and disorder in Indian Punjab, which only subsided in the 1990s. Political power in Indian Punjab is contested between the secular Congress party and the Sikh religious Akali Dal and its allies, the Bharatiya Janata Party. Indian Punjab remains one of the most prosperous of India's states and is considered the "breadbasket of India."

Pakistani Punjabis made up a majority of the West Pakistani population, and Punjab constituted 40% of West Pakistan's total area.

Emigration

[edit]

The Punjabi diaspora from both India and Pakistan is substantial. Emigration from the Punjab began in the 19th century, with many Punjabis settling in Britain and Canada, where a large Punjabi population remains in the province of British Columbia. In the early 20th century, many Punjabis began settling in the United States, including independence activists who formed the Ghadar Party. A new wave of emigration began in the 1970s to Middle Eastern states such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and onwards Britain and other European countries, Canada and the US

Geographic distribution

[edit]

Pakistani Punjabis

[edit]

Punjabis make up about 40% 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. Some zamindars are further divided into groups such as the Rajputs, Jats, Shaikhs or (Muslim Khatri), Gujjars, Gakhars, Dogars and Rahmani (Muslim Labana). Zamindar groups who claim Turko-Persian or Arab ancestry include the Mughal, Awan and Arain, in the north of the province, while Gardezi, Syed and Quraishi are found in the south, all of whom claimArab ancestry. People from neighbouring regions, such as Kashmiris, Pashtun and Baluch, also form important element in the Punjabi population. The Niazi and Khakwani Pashtun tribes are integrated into village life. They are usually referred to as Punjabis by other Pashtuns. They have big communities in Mianwali, Bakkar, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sahiwal andToba 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.^[58]

Punjabi people have traditionally and historically been farmers and soldiers,^{[citation needed]} 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. Religious homogeneity remains elusive as a predominant Islamic Sunni-Shia population with Ahmadiyya and Christian minority. 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).

The recent definition of Punjabi people, in Pakistani Punjab, is not based on racial classification, common ansectory or endogamy,^[59] but based on geographical and cultural basis and thus makes it a unique definition. In Pakistani Punjab, there is not a great emphasis on a single dialect of the language and Pakistani Punjabis speak many distinctdialects,^[60][61] which include Hindko, Seraiki, Potohari or Pahari and still identify themselves as Punjabis. People from a few provinces of Pakistan have made Punjab their home in recent times and now their consecutive generations identify themselves as Punjabis. The largest community to assimilate in Punjabi culture and now identify themselves as Punjabis are Kashmiris which include noted personalities like Nawaz Sharif, Sheikh Rasheed, Hamid Mir and the most noted poet Muhammad Iqbal, to name a few. The second largest community after Kashmiris are people of India, who identify themselves as Punjabis.' The other communities to assimilate in Punjabis include Baloch who can be found throughout Punjab, an
d Baltis. The welcoming nature of Punjab have led to successful integration of almost all ethnic groups in Punjab over time. The Urdu, Punjabi and other language speakers who arrived in Punjab in 1947^[62][63] have now assimilated and their second and third generations identify themselves as Punjabis even though it is not the same in Sindh Pakistan where they form distinct ethnic groups.

See also: Languages of Pakistan

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	71.62
5	Balochistan	318,745	2.52

Indian Punjabis

[edit]

Indian Punjabi farmer.

The population of Indian Punjab is divided into two major religious groups, the Sikhs and Hindus.Punjabis make around 2.85% of the population of India.

Like the Punjabi Muslim society, these various castes are associated with particular occupations or crafts.

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 inMalerkotla and Qadian which was spared during partition, the only Muslim princely state among the seven that formed the erstwhile Patialaand 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 in their songs and dialogue as well as traditional dances such as bhangra. Bollywood has been dominated by Punjabi artists including Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Vinod Khanna, Dharmendra, Shammi Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Lara Dutta, Navalpreet Rangi, Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor. 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 and Yograj Singh.

The Punjabi diaspora

[edit]

Main article: Punjabi diaspora

Punjabis around the world

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

[edit]

Rank	Country	Population
1	Pakistan	88,109,600
2	India	33,102,477
3	United Kingdom	2,300,000
4	United Arab Emirates	720,000
5	Canada	500,000
6	United States	350,000
7	Malaysia	120,000
8	Australia	72,000
9	Italy	70,000

Genetics of Indian Punjabis

[edit]

The majority of Indian Punjabi population share similar genes with other north Indian populations including those from Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir, 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.^[64]

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.^[65][66]

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^{[citation needed]} found in north India.

Culture

[edit]

Main article: Punjabi culture

The evening flag lowering ceremony at the India-Pakistan International Border near Wagah in Punjab.

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 poetry, philosophy, spirituality, artistry, dance, music, cuisine, military weaponry, architecture, languages, traditions, values and history. Historically, the Punjab/Punjabis, in addition to their rural-agrarian lands and culture, have also enjoyed a unique urban cultural development in two great cities, Lahore^[67] and Amritsar.^[68]

Role of Women in Punjabi culture

[edit]

Main article: Punjabi women

In the traditional Punjabi culture women do wear traditional dresses but work side by side with men in all the fields. Also women in general manage the finances of the household mostly earned by men. Moreover Punjabi women fought in the past with the men when the time arose. Mai Bhago is a good example in this regard. Punjabi women also have the strong literary tradition. Peero Preman was the first Punjabi poetess of the mid 18th century [1].^[69] She was followed by many other women of repute.

Language

[edit]

Main article: Punjabi language

Punjabi is the most spoken language in Pakistan and 11th spoken language in India. According to the Ethnologue 2005 estimate,^[70] 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,^[71] 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.^[72] 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^[73]) 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.^[74] There are also sizeable 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. If regarded as an ethnic group, they are among the world's largest. In South Asia, they are the second largest ethnic group after the Bengali People.

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, the vast majority still speak Punjabi, even though the language has no governmental support. In the Indian Punjab, most people speak Punjabi. English is sometimes used, and older people who lived in the undivided Punjab may be able to speak and write in Urdu. The Punjabi languages have always absorbed numerous loanwords from surrounding areas and provinces (and from English).

Cuisine

[edit]

Main article: Punjabi 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 the popularity of Punjabi cuisine throughout the world. Punjabi cuisine uses very unique spices.^[75][76]

Music of Punjab

[edit]

Main articles: Music of Punjab and Folk music of Punjab

Bhangra describes dance-oriented popular music with Punjabi rhythms, developed since the 1980s. The name refers to one of the traditional and folkloric Punjabi dances. Thus in bhangra music the emphasis is usually on the music (i.e. rhythm for dancing) and less on the singer and the lyrics. Bhangra music is appreciated all over the globe. Sufi music andQawali are other important genres in Punjab.^[77][78]

Punjabi dances

[edit]

Main article: Punjabi dance

Owing to the long history of the Punjabi culture and of the Punjabi people, there are a large number of dances normally performed at times of celebration, the time of festivals known as Melas and the most prominent dances are at Punjabi weddings, where the elation is usually particularly intense. Punjabi dances are performed either by men or by women. The dances range from solo to group dances and also sometimes dances are done along with musical instruments like Dhol, Flute, Supp, Dhumri, Chimta etc. "Bhangra" dance is the most famous aspect of Punjabi dance tradition.Its popularity has attained a level where a music is produced with the intent of aiding people to carry out this form of dancing.

Punjabi wedding traditions

[edit]

Main article: Punjabi wedding traditions

Indian Punjabis at a wedding

Musarrat Nazir The famous Pakistani singer for Punjabi folk and Wedding Songs.

Punjabi wedding traditions and ceremonies are conducted in Punjabi, and are a strong reflection of Punjabi culture. Many local songs are a part of the wedding and are known as boliyan.^[79] Musarrat Nazir wedding songs are especially famous among all the wedding songs. While the actual religious marriage ceremony among Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, and Jains may be conducted in Arabic, Punjabi, Sanskrit, by the Kazi, Pandit or Granthi, there are also many commonalities in ritual, song, dance, food, make-up 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. Alcohol consumption by the menfolk is part of the tradition amongst Hindu and some Sikh communities that allow it.

Punjabi folk tales

[edit]

Main article: Folk Tales in Punjab

The folk tales of Punjab include many stories^[80] which are passing through generations and includes folk stories like Heer Ranjha, Mirza Sahiban,^[81] Sohni Mahiwal etc. to name a few.

Village life in Punjab

[edit]

Main article: Village life in Punjab

The village life of land of five rivers is as entrancing as any other thing of this region. The village life is simple and people usually live in small communities and they live in peace and harmony with each other.^[82][83]

Festivals in Punjab

[edit]

Main article: Festivals in Punjab

Jashan-e-Baharan, Basant, Kanak katai da mela ( Wheat cutting celebrations ) and many more.

Traditional dresses worn in Punjab

[edit]

Main article: Punjabi clothing

The Punjabi traditional clothing is very diverse and for various occasions various clothing is chosen. It includes Shalwar Kameez, Kurta, Achkan and Dhoti in men while in women there is wide range of clothing but mainly it comprises Shalwar Kameez, Churidars with Dupatta with traditional Paranda Ghari wore on the hair. Khaddi topi (Embroidered cap) is also wore by some women with dupatta on special occasions. Shalwar Kameez and Sherwani are for formal occasions and office work while Dhoti is mostly wore by people who are involved in farming throughout Punjab. The shorter version of Dhoti that is unique to Punjab is known as Chatki with close resemblance to Kilt but use of Chatki for formal occasions is very very rare and not many people are familiar with Chatkis. Punjabi Jutti and Tillay wali Jutti is a very famous footwear for both men and women in Punjab. In menPagri (turban) is also worn as a traditional cap in many occasions. Dupatta with embroidery of different styles with Matthay da Tikka is also very famous in Punjabi culture.

Sports in Punjab

[edit]

Main article: Sports in Punjab

In Punjab various types of sports are famous. They are basically divided into outdoor and indoor sports. Special emphasis is put to develop both the mental and physical capacity while playing sports. That is why recently sports like Speed reading, Mental abacus, historical and IQ tests are arranged as well. Indoor sports are specially famous during the long summer season in Punjab. Also indoor sports are played by children in homes and in schools. Gilli-danda is vary famous indigenous sports among children along with Parcheesi.Pittu Garam is also famous among children. Stapu is famous among young girls of Punjab. Also many new games are included with the passage of time. The most notable areCarrom, Ludo (board game), Scrabble, Chess, Draughts, Go (game) Monopoly (game). The Tabletop games games include billiards and snooker. Backgammon locally known as Dimaagi Baazi( Mental game) is famous in some regions as well.

The outdoor sports include Kusti (a wrestling sport), Kabaddi, Rasa Kashi (a rope pulling game), Patang (Kite Flying) and Naiza Baazi or Tent pegging (a cavalry sport).Gatka, is also taken as a form of sports. Punjab being part of South Asia, the sport of cricket is very popular. New forms of sports are also being introduced and adopted in particular by the large overseas Punjabis, such as Ice hockey, Soccer, Boxing, Mixed martial arts as part of the globalization of sports.

Punjab (Urdu: پنجاب‎, Shahmukhī Punjabi: پنجاب, panj-āb, "five waters":  listen (help·info)), also spelled Panjab, is the most developed and populous province of Pakistan with approximately 56% of the country's total population.^[3][4][5] Lahore is the provincial capital and Punjab's main cultural, historical, administrative and economic center.^[6]

Contents

  [hide] 

• 1 Etymology
• 2 Geography
• 3 Language
• 4 History
  • 4.1 Ancient history
  • 4.2 Central Asian, Greek, and Persian Empires
  • 4.3 Arrival of Islam
  • 4.4 Mughal Empire
  • 4.5 Afghan Empire
  • 4.6 Maratha Empire
  • 4.7 Sikh Empire
  • 4.8 British Empire
  • 4.9 Independence
  • 4.10 Recent history
• 5 Climate
• 6 Demographics and society
• 7 Religion
• 8 Provincial government
• 9 Divisions and Districts
• 10 Major cities
• 11 Economy
• 12 Education
  • 12.1 Public universities
  • 12.2 Private universities
• 13 Culture
• 14 Fairs and festivals
  • 14.1 Religious and seasonal fairs and festivals
  • 14.2 Devotional fairs (Urs)
  • 14.3 Industrial and commercial fairs
  • 14.4 Other festivals
• 15 Arts and crafts
• 16 Major attractions
• 17 Music and dance
• 18 Folklore
• 19 Social issues
• 20 Notable people
• 21 Gallery
• 22 See also
• 23 Notes
• 24 External links

Etymology

[edit]

The word Punjab was formally introduced by the Mughals in the early 17th Century CE. It is a combination of thePersian words punj (five) and āb (water), thus the (land of) five rivers.^[7] The five rivers are the tributaries of theIndus River namely Chenab, Jhelum, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. From the Himalayas they all end up in the down-stream of Panjnad, eventually to the Arabian Sea.

Geography

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Punjab is Pakistan's second largest province in terms of Land area at 205,344 km² (79,284 sq mi) afterBalochistan and is located at the north western edge of the geologic Indian plate in South Asia. The province is bordered by Kashmir (Azad Kashmir, Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir, India) to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the south, the province ofBalochistan to the southwest, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west, and the Islamabad Capital Territory to the north.

The capital and largest city is Lahore which was the historical capital of the wider Punjab region. Other important cities include Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan, Sialkot, Bahawalpur, Sargodha, Gujrat, Sheikhupuraand Jhelum. Undivided Punjab is home to six rivers, of which five flow through Pakistani Punjab. From west to east, these are: the Indus, Jhelum, Beas, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej. Nearly 60% of Pakistan's population lives in the Punjab. It is the nation's only province that touches every other province; it also surrounds the federal enclave of the national capital city at Islamabad. This geographical position strongly influence Punjab's outlook on National affairs and induces in Punjab a keen awareness of the problems of the Pakistan's other importantprovinces and territories. In the acronym P-A-K-I-S-T-A-N, the P is for PUNJAB.

The province is a mainly a fertile region along the river valleys, while sparse deserts can be found near the border with Rajasthan and the Sulaiman Range. The region contains the Thal and Cholistan deserts. The Indus River and its many tributaries traverse the Punjab from north to south.

The landscape is amongst the most heavily irrigated on earth and canals can be found throughout the province. Weather extremes are notable from the hot and barren south to the cool hills of the north. The foothills of theHimalayas are found in the extreme north as well.

Language

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For more information, see Punjabi dialects.

The main language of the province is Punjabi.^[8]

History

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Main article: History of Punjab

Ancient history

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Location of Punjab, Pakistan in theIndus Valley and extent of Indus Valley Civilization (green).

Punjab during Mahabharata times was known as Panchanada.^[9][10] Punjab was part of the Indus Valley Civilization, more than 4000 years old.^[11] 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 the 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 brick 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, Achaemenids, Macedonians, Mauryas, Kushans, Guptas and Hindu Shahi. Agriculture flourished and trading cities (such as Multan and Lahore) grew in wealth.

Punjab was part of the Vedic Civilization

Due to its location, the Punjab region came under constant attack and influence from the west. Invaded by the Persians, Greeks, Kushans, Scythians, Turks, and Afghans, Punjab witnessed centuries of foreign invasions. The city of Taxila, founded by son of Taksh the son Bharat who was the brother of Ram. It was reputed to house the oldest university in the world^{[citation needed]}, 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, valued for its archaeological and religious history.

Central Asian, Greek, and Persian Empires

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Mahmud and Ayaz
The Sultan is to the right, shaking the hand of the sheykh, with Ayaz standing behind him. Mahmud of Ghazni appointed Malik Ayaz as the ruler of Lahore, Punjab during the Ghaznavid era.

The northwestern part of the South Asia, including Punjab, was repeatedly invaded or conquered by various foreign empires, such as those of Tamerlane, Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan. Having conquered Drangiana, Arachosia,Gedrosia and Seistan in ten days, Alexander crossed the Hindu Kush and was thus fully informed of the magnificence of the country and its riches in gold, gems and pearls. However, Alexander had to encounter and reduce the tribes on the border of Punjab before entering the luxuriant plains. Having taken a northeasterly direction, he marched against the Aspii (mountaineers), who offered vigorous resistance, but were subdued. Alexander then marched through Ghazni, blockaded Magassa, and then marched to Ora and Bazira. Turning to the northeast, Alexander marched to Pucela, the capital of the district now known as Pakhli. He entered Western Punjab, where the ancient city of Nysa (at the site of modern day Mong) was situated. A coalition was formed against Alexander by the Cathians, the people of Multan, who were very skillful in war. Alexander invested many troops, eventually killing seventeen thousand Cathians in this battle, and the city of Sagala (present-day Sialkot) was razed to the ground. Alexander left Punjab in 326 B.C. and took his army to Persia and Susa.

Arrival of Islam

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Bulleh Shah (1680–1757), a Muslim Sufi poet

The Punjabis followed a diverse plethora of faiths, mainly comprising Hindus, when the Muslim Umayyad army led by Muhammad bin Qasimconquered Sindh and Southern Punjab in 712, by defeating Raja Dahir. The Umayyad Caliphate was the second Islamic caliphateestablished after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the city of Mecca, their capital wasDamascus. Muhammad bin Qasim was the first to bring message of Islam to the population of Punjab. Over the next millennium Punjab was part of Muslim Empires consisting of Afghans, Pashtoon, and Turkic in cooperation with local Punjabi tribes and others, which facilitated a millennium long Islamic dominance across South Asia and with its peak during large parts of the Mughal Empire . During the reign of Mahmud of Ghazni, the province became an important centre with Lahore as its second capital of the Ghaznavid Empire based out of Afghanistan.

Mughal Empire

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Badshahi Masjid in Lahore

The Mughals controlled the region from 1524 until around 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 Iranand 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 Panjab, in the city of Multan made the Punjab a part of his Durrani Empire lasting until 1762.

Afghan Empire

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See also: Pathans of Punjab

Rohtas Fort, Jhelum built by the Afghan ruler, Sher Shah Suri

The founder of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Durrani, an ethnic Pashtun (Afghan) established the first united Afghan Kingdom (Greater Afghanistan) that during its greatest extent included modern-day Afghanistan, some western fringes of Punjab and northeastern Iran. Many ethnic Afghan or Pashtun tribes have made Pakistan's Punjab their home over the centuries. These tribes include the Khugyanis known asKhakwanis, Alizais, Tareens, Durranis, Mullazais, Niazis, Khattaks, Yousafzais, Sadozais, Tahirkheli, Utmanzais, Bangash, Mashwani,Lodhis, Kakars, Kakazais, and Barakzais, to name a few.

Maratha Empire

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Main article: Maratha conquest of North-west India

"Zamzama" displayed in front of theLahore Museum, was used at Third Battle of Panipat (1761)

The Millennium long period of Muslim Empires were coming to an end, and a turbulent period would follow. In 1758, the general of the Hindu Maratha Empire, Raghunath Rao invaded Lahore and Attock.Timur Shah Durraniwho was the son and viceroy of Ahmad Shah Abdaliand was already weakened by Sikh army, and was drove out of Punjab with the important and necessary help of Sikhs. Lahore, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Kashmir and other subahs on the south and eastern side of Peshawar, were under the Maratha rule for the most part.^[12] In Punjab and Kashmir, the Marathas were now major players.^[13][14] The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 1761, Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded the Maratha territory of Punjab and captured remnants of the Maratha Empire in Punjab and Kashmir regions and re-consolidated control over them.^[15]

Sikh Empire

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Main article: Sikh Empire

Ranjit Singh's Empire

In mid fifteenth century, the religion of Sikhism was born. During the Mughal empire, due to the strong and righteous approach many Hindus increasingly adopted Sikhism. These became a formidable military force against the Mughals and later against the Afghan Empire. After fighting Ahmad Shah Durrani in the later eighteenth century, the Sikhs took control of Punjab and managed to establish the Sikh Empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, which lasted from 1799 to 1849. The capital of Ranjit Singh's empire was Lahore, and the empire also extended into Afghanistan and Kashmir.

British Empire

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Main article: Punjab Province (British India)

Maharaja Ranjit Singh'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 in 1849 of territory south of the Satluj to British India. After the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849, the Sikh Empire became the last territory to be merged into British India. Some parts of Pakistani Punjab also served as the centre of resistance in the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Independence

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Partition of Punjab. Religious percentage by Tehsils (1947)

Migration between India and Pakistan was continuous and traces back before the partition. By the 1900s Western Punjab was predominantly Muslim and supported the Muslim League and Pakistan Movement. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minorityHindus and Sikhs migrated to India while Muslim refugees from India settled in the Western Punjab and across Pakistan.^[16]

In 1947 the Punjab province of British India was divided along religious lines into West Punjab and East Punjab. Western Punjab was assimilated into the new country of Pakistan, while East Punjab became a part of modern-day India. This led to massive rioting as both sides committed atrocities against fleeing refugees.

Punjab (Pakistan), which once formed a major region of British Punjab, was home to a large minority population of Punjabi Sikhs andHindus up to 1947 apart from the Muslim majority.^[17]

At the time of independence in 1947, due to the ensuing horrendous exchange of populations, the Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus migrated toIndia^[18] Punjabi Muslims were uprooted similarly from their homes in East Punjab which now forms part of India.^[19]

Recent history

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At the Wagah border ceremony

Since the 1950s, Punjab industrialized rapidly. New factories were established in Lahore, Multan, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sialkot and Wah. In the 1960s the new city of Islamabad was built near Rawalpindi.

Agriculture continues to be the largest sector of Punjab's economy. The province is the breadbasket of the country as well as home to the largest ethnic group in Pakistan, the Punjabis. Unlike neighbouring India, there was no large-scale redistribution of agricultural land. As a result most rural areas are dominated by a small set of feudalistic land-owning families.

In the 1950s there was tension between the eastern and western halves of Pakistan. In order to address the situation, a new formula resulted in the abolition of the province status for Punjab in 1955. It was merged into a single province West Pakistan. In 1972, after East Pakistan seceded and became Bangladesh, Punjab again became a province.

Punjab witnessed major battles between the armies of India and Pakistan in the wars of 1965 and 1971. Since the 1990s Punjab hosted several key sites of Pakistan's nuclear program such as Kahuta. It also hosts major military bases such as at Sargodha and Rawalpindi. The peace process between India and Pakistan, which began in earnest in 2004, has helped pacify the situation. Trade and people-to-people contacts through the Wagah border are now starting to become common. Indian Sikh pilgrims visit holy sites such as Nankana Sahib.

Starting in the 1980s, large numbers of Punjabis migrated to the Middle East, Britain, Spain, Canada and the United States for economic opportunities, forming the large Punjabi diaspora. Business and cultural ties between the United States and Punjab are growing.

Climate

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Tilla Jogian, considered sacred byHindus and scenic peak in Punjab

Sunset in Punjab, during summer

Most areas in Punjab experience extreme weather with foggy winters, often accompanied by rain. By mid-February the temperature begins to rise; springtime weather continues until mid-April, when the summer heat sets in.

The route from Dera Ghazi Khan to Fort Munro

The onset of the southwest monsoon is anticipated to reach Punjab by May, but since the early 1970s the weather pattern has been irregular. The spring monsoon has either skipped over the area or has caused it to rain so hard that floods have resulted. June and July are oppressively hot. Although official estimates rarely place the temperature above 46°C, newspaper sources claim that it reaches 51°C and regularly carry reports about people who have succumbed to the heat. Heat records were broken in Multan in June 1993, when the mercury was reported to have risen to 54°C. In August the oppressive heat is punctuated by the rainy season, referred to as barsat, which brings relief in its wake. The hardest part of the summer is then over, but cooler weather does not come until late October.

Recently the province experienced one of the coldest winters in the last 70 years. Experts are suggesting that this is because of global warming.^[20]

Punjab's region temperature ranges from −2° to 45°C, but can reach 47°C (117°F) in summer and can touch down to −5°C in winter.

Climatically, Punjab has three major seasons:^[21]

• Hot weather (April to June) when temperature rises as high as 110°F.
• Rainy season (July to September). Average rainfall annual ranges between 96 cm sub-mountain region and 46 cm in the plains.
• Cooler / Mild weather (October to March). Temperature goes down as low as 40°F.

Demographics and society

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Historical populations
Census	Population	Urban	Rural
1951	20,540,762	3,568,076	16,972,686
1961	25,463,974	5,475,922	19,988,052
1972	37,607,423	9,182,695	28,424,728
1981	47,292,441	13,051,646	34,240,795
1998	73,621,290[22]	23,019,025	50,602,265
2012	91,379,615[23]	45,978,451	45,401,164

The population of the province is estimated to be 93,963,240^[1] in 2010 and is home to over half the population of Pakistan. The major language spoken in the Punjab is Punjabi (which is written in a Shahmukhi script in Pakistan) and Punjabis comprise the largest ethnic group in country. Punjabi is the provincial language of Punjab. The language is not given any official recognition in the Constitution of Pakistan at National level. Punjabis themselves are a heterogeneous group comprising different tribes, clans(Urdu: برادری‎)) and communities. In Pakistani Punjab these tribes have more to do with traditional occupations such as blacksmithsor artisans as opposed to rigid social stratifications.^[24]

The biradari, which literally means brotherhood is an important unit of Punjabi society, and includes people claiming descent from a common ancestor. The biradaris collectively form larger units known as tribes. Historically, these tribes were endogamous, but latterly, especially in the large cities, there is considerable intermarriage between members of different tribes, and differences are getting blurred. Important within the Punjab include Jats, Arains, Gujjars, Awans, Rajputs, Gakhars, Khokhars, Sheikhs, Aheers,Kambohs, Mughals, Maliks, Niazis, Khosas, Dogars, Ranghars, mirani, Qureshis, and Syeds. Other smaller tribes are the Rawns, Khetran, and Rehmanis (Muslim Labana)^[25]

Religion

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Religions in Punjab
Religion			Percent
Islam			97.21%
Christianity			2.31%
Others†			0.48%
Distribution of religions †Includes Sikhs, Parsis, Hindus .

The population of Punjab (Pakistan) is estimated to be 97.21% Muslim with a Sunni Hanafi majority and Shia Ithna 'ashariyahminority. The largest non-Muslim minority is Christians and make up 2.31% of the population. The other minorities include Ahmedi,Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis and Bahá'í.^[26]

Provincial government

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Provincial symbols of Punjab (unofficial)

Provincial animal	Punjab Urial
Provincial bird	Peacock
Provincial tree	"Shisham" (Dalbergia sissoo)
Provincial flower	Bhekkar

Main article: Government of Punjab (Pakistan)

See also: Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, Chief Minister of Punjab, Pakistan and Governor of Punjab, Pakistan

The Government of Punjab is a provincial government in the federal structure of Pakistan, is based in Lahore, the capital of the Punjab Province. The Chief Minister of Punjab (CM) is elected by the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab to serve as the head of the provincial government in Punjab, Pakistan. The current Chief Minister is Shahbaz Sharif, who became the Chief Minister of Punjab as being restored after Governor's rule starting from February 25, 2009 to March 30, 2009. Thereafter got reelected as a result of May 11, 2013 elections. The Provincial Assembly of the Punjab is a unicameral legislature of elected representatives of the province of Punjab, which is located in Lahore in eastern Pakistan. The Assembly was established under Article 106 of the Constitution of Pakistan as having a total of 371 seats, with 66 seats reserved for women and eight reserved for non-Muslims.

Divisions and Districts

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Map of the Pakistani Punjab Divisions

Map of Pakistani Punjab Districts

Main article: Districts of Pakistan § Punjab

There are 36 Districts^[27] districts in Punjab, Pakistan.^[28]

Sr.	District	Headquarters	Area (km²)	Population (1998)	Density (people/km²)
1	Attock	Attock	6,858	1,274,935	186
2	Bahawalnagar	Bahawalnagar	8,878	2,061,447	232
3	Bahawalpur	Bahawalpur	24,830	2,433,091	98
4	Bhakkar	Bhakkar	90000	1,051,456	129
5	Chakwal	Chakwal	6,524	1,083,725	166
6	Chiniot	Chiniot		965,124
7	Dera Ghazi Khan	Dera Ghazi Khan	11,922	2,043,118	138
8	Faisalabad	Faisalabad	5,856	5,429,547	927
9	Gujranwala	Gujranwala	3,622	3,400,940	939
10	Gujrat	Gujrat	3,192	2,048,008	642
11	Hafizabad	Hafizabad	2,367	832,980	352
12	Jhang	Jhang	8,809	2,834,545	322
13	Jhelum	Jhelum	3,587	936,957	261
14	Kasur	Kasur	3,995	2,375,875	595
15	Khanewal	Khanewal	4,349	2,068,490	476
16	Khushab	Khushab	6,511	905,711	139
17	Lahore	Lahore	1,772	6,318,745	3,566
18	Layyah	Layyah	6,291	1,120,951	178
19	Lodhran	Lodhran	2,778	1,171,800	422
20	Mandi Bahauddin	Mandi Bahauddin	2,673	1,160,552	434
21	Mianwali	Mianwali	5,840	1,056,620	181
22	Multan	Multan	3,720	3,116,851	838
23	Muzaffargarh	Muzaffargarh	8,249	2,635,903	320
24	Narowal	Narowal	2,337	1,265,097	541
25	Nankana Sahib[29]	Nankana Sahib	2,960	1,410,000
26	Okara	Okara	4,377	2,232,992	510
27	Pakpattan	Pakpattan	2,724	1,286,680	472
28	Rahim Yar Khan	Rahim Yar Khan	11,880	3,141,053	264
29	Rajanpur	Rajanpur	12,319	1,103,618	90
30	Rawalpindi	Rawalpindi	5,286	3,363,911	636
31	Sahiwal	Sahiwal	3,201	1,843,194	576
32	Sargodha	Sargodha	5,854	2,665,979	455
33	Sheikhupura	Sheikhupura	5,960	3,321,029	557
34	Sialkot	Sialkot	3,016	2,723,481	903
35	Toba Tek Singh	Toba Tek Singh	3,252	1,621,593	499
36	Vehari	Vehari	4,364	2,090,416	479

[hide] v t e Districts of Punjab, Pakistan Attock Bahawalnagar Bahawalpur Bhakkar Chakwal Chiniot Dera Ghazi Khan Faisalabad Gujranwala Gujrat Hafizabad Jhang Jhelum Kasur Khanewal Khushab Lahore Layyah Lodhran Mandi Bahauddin Mianwali Multan Muzaffargarh Narowal Nankana Sahib Okara Pakpattan Rahim Yar Khan Rajanpur Rawalpindi Sahiwal Sargodha Sheikhupura Sialkot Toba Tek Singh Vehari See also: Districts of Punjab, India

Major cities[edit]

Main article: List of cities in Punjab (Pakistan)

List of major cities in Punjab
Rank	City	District	Population	Lahore Faisalabad Rawalpindi
1	Lahore	Lahore	10,500,000
2	Faisalabad	Faisalabad	5,280,000
3	Rawalpindi	Rawalpindi	3,391,656
4	Multan	Multan	2,606,481
5	Gujranwala	Gujranwala	2,569,090
6	Sargodha	Sargodha	600,501
7	Bahawalpur	Bahawalpur	543,929
8	Sialkot	Sialkot	510,863
9	Sheikhupura	Sheikhupura	426,980
10	Jhang	Jhang	372,645
11	Gujrat	Gujrat	530,645
12	D.G.Khan	D.G.Khan	630,645
Source: World Gazetteer 2010[30]
This is a list of each city's urban populations and does not indicate total district populations

Economy[edit]

Main article: Economy of Punjab, Pakistan

GDP by Province

Punjab has the largest economy in Pakistan, contributing most to the national GDP. The province's economy has quadrupled since 1972.^[31] Its share of Pakistan's GDP was 54.7% in 2000 and 59% as of 2010. It is especially dominant in the Service & Agriculture sectors of the Pakistan Economy. With its contribution ranging from 52.1% to 64.5% in the Service Sector and 56.1% to 61.5% in the Agriculture Sector. It is also major manpower contributor because it has largest pool of professionals and highly skilled (technically trained) manpower in Pakistan. It is also dominant in the Manufacturing sector, though the dominance is not as huge, with historical contributions raging from a low of 44% to a high of 52.6%.^[32] In 2007, Punjab achieved a growth rate of 7.8%^[33] and during the period 2002–03 to 2007–08, its economy grew at a rate of between 7% to 8% per year.^[34] and during 2008–09 grew at 6% against the total GDP growth of Pakistan at 4%.

Irrigated land of Punjab

Despite lack of a coastline, Punjab is the most industrialized province of Pakistan; its manufacturing industries produce textiles, sports goods, Heavy machinery, electrical appliances, surgical instruments, Cement, Vehicles, Auto Parts, I.T, metals, Sugar mill plants, Aircraft, Cement Plants, Agriculture Machinery, bicycles and rickshaws, floor coverings, and processed foods. In 2003, the province manufactured 90% of the paper and paper boards, 71% of the fertilizers, 69% of the sugar and 40% of the cement of Pakistan.^[35]

Industrial Zones Punjab, Source:^[36]

Former Administrative Divisions of Punjab

Despite its tropical wet and dry climate, extensive irrigation makes it a rich agricultural region. Its canal-irrigation system established by the British is the largest in the world. Wheat and cotton are the largest crops. Other crops include rice, sugarcane, millet, corn, oilseeds, pulses, vegetables, and fruits such as kinoo. Livestock and poultry production are also important. Despite past animosities, the rural masses in Punjab's farms continue to use the Hindu calendar for planting and harvesting.

Punjab contributes about 76% to annual food grain production in the country. Cotton and rice are important crops. They are the cash crops that contribute substantially to the national exchequer. Attaining self-sufficiency in agriculture has shifted the focus of the strategies towards small and medium farming, stress on barani areas, farms-to-market roads, electrification for tube-wells and control of water logging and salinity.

Punjab has also more than 68 thousand industrial units. The small and cottage industries are in abundance. There are 39,033 small and cottage industrial units. The number of textile units is 14,820. The ginning industries are 6,778. There are 7,355 units for processing of agricultural raw materials including food and feed industries.

Lahore and Gujranwala Divisions have the largest concentration of small light engineering units. The district of Sialkot excels in sports goods, surgical instruments and cutlery goods.

Punjab is also a mineral-rich province with extensive mineral deposits of Coal, Iron, Gas, Petrol, Rock salt (with the second largest salt mine in the world), Dolomite, gypsum, and silica-sand. The Punjab Mineral Development Corporation is running over a hundreds economically viable projects. Manufacturing includes machine products, cement, plastics, and various other goods.

The incidence of poverty differs between the different regions of Punjab. With Northern and Central Punjab facing much lower levels of poverty than Western and Southern Punjab. Those living in Southern and Western Punjab are also a lot more dependant on agriculture due to lower levels of industrialisation in those regions.

As of June 2012, Pakistan's electricity problems were so severe that violent riots were taking place across Punjab. According to protesters, load shedding was depriving the cities of electricity 20–22 hours a day, causing businesses to go bust and making living extremely hard. Gujranwala,Toba Tek Singh, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Bahawalnagar and communities across Khanewal District saw widespread rioting and violence on Sunday 17 June 2012, with the houses of several members of parliament being attacked as well as the offices of regional energy suppliers Fesco,Gepco and Mepco being ransacked or attacked.^[37]

Education[edit]

Government College University, Lahore

The literacy rate has increased greatly since independence. Punjab has the highest Human Development Index out of all of Pakistan's provinces at 0.670.^[38]

Year	Literacy Rate
1972	20.7%
1981	27.4%
1998	46.56%
2009	59.6%

Sources:^[39][40]

This is a chart of the education market of Punjab estimated by the government in 1998.

Qualification	Urban	Rural	Total	Enrolment Ratio(%)
—	23,019,025	50,602,265	73,621,290	—
Below Primary	3,356,173	11,598,039	14,954,212	100.00
Primary	6,205,929	18,039,707	24,245,636	79.68
Middle	5,140,148	10,818,764	15,958,912	46.75
Matriculation	4,624,522	7,119,738	11,744,260	25.07
Intermediate	1,862,239	1,821,681	3,683,920	9.12
BA, BSc... degrees	110,491	96,144	206,635	4.12
MA, MSc... degrees	1,226,914	764,094	1,991,008	3.84
Diploma, Certificate...	418,946	222,649	641,595	1.13
Other qualifications	73,663	121,449	195,112	0.26

Public universities[edit]

A women's college in Rawalpindi

• COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Lahore
• Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore
  
  

  

  University of the Punjab
• Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan
  
  

  

  King Edward Medical University, Lahore
• Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi
• Government College University, Lahore
• Government College University, Faisalabad
• The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur
• Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore
• King Edward Medical College, Lahore
• Lahore College for Women University, Lahore
• Lahore College for Women University, Jhang campus
• National College of Arts, Lahore
• National Textile University, Faisalabad
• University of Agriculture, Faisalabad
• University of Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi
• University of Education, Lahore
• University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Faisalabad
• University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila
• University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila (Chakwal Campus)
• University of Health Sciences, Lahore
• University of Gujrat, Gujrat
• University of the Punjab, Lahore, Gujranwala
• University of Sargodha, Sargodha
• University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore
• Virtual University of Pakistan, Lahore
• Ghazi University D.G.Khan, D.G.Khan

Private universities[edit]

• Hajvery University, Lahore
• Beaconhouse National University, Lahore
• Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design, Lahore
• Forman Christian College, Lahore
• GIFT University, Gujranwala
• Imperial College of Business Studies, Lahore
• Institute of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pak-AIMS, Lahore
• Lahore School of Economics, Lahore
• Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore
• Minhaj International University,
• University of Management and Technology, Lahore
• University of Central Punjab, Lahore
• University of Faisalabad, Faisalabad
• University of Lahore, Lahore
• University of South Asia, Lahore
• University College Lahore, Lahore
• National University of Computer & Emerging Sciences, Lahore
• University of Health Sciences, Lahore
• Akhuwat University, Dera Ghazi Khan
• Swidish University, Rahim Yar Khan
• National College of Business Administration & Economics Lahore

Culture[edit]

Main article: Punjabi culture

Mausoleum of Sheikh Rukh-e-Alam, Multan (1320 AD)

Punjab has been the cradle of civilization since times immemorial. The ruins of Harappa show an advanced urban culture that flourished over 8000 years ago. Taxila, another historic landmark also stands out as a proof of the achievements of the area in learning, arts and crafts. The ancient Hindu Katasraj temple and the Salt Range temples are regaining attention and much-needed repair.

The structure of a mosque is simple and it expresses openness. Calligraphic inscriptions from the Quran decorate mosques and mausoleums in Punjab. The inscriptions on bricks and tiles of the mausoleum of Shah Rukn-e-Alam (1320 AD) at Multan are outstanding specimens of architectural calligraphy. The earliest existing building in South Asia with enamelled tile-work is the tomb of Shah Yusuf Gardezi (1150 AD) at Multan. A specimen of the sixteenth century tile-work at Lahore is the tomb of Sheikh Musa Ahangar, with its brilliant blue dome. The tile-work of Emperor Shah Jahan is of a richer and more elaborate nature. The pictured wall of Lahore Fort is the last line in the tile-work in the entire world.

Fairs and festivals[edit]

The culture of Punjab derives its basis from the institution of Sufi saints. The Sufi saints spread Islam and preached and lived the Muslim way of life. People have festivities to commemorate these traditions. The fairs and festivals of Punjab reflect the entire gamut of its folk life and cultural traditions. These mainly fall in following categories:

Religious and seasonal fairs and festivals[edit]

Religious fairs are held on special days of Islamic significance like Eid ul-Adha, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, Ashura, Laylat al-Qadr and Jumu'ah-tul-Wida. The main activities on these special occasions are confined to congregational prayers and rituals. Melas are also held to mark these occasions.

Devotional fairs (Urs)[edit]

Punjab is famous for various shrines of Sufi saints and Data durbarin particular

The fairs held at the shrines of Sufi saints are called urs. They generally mark the death anniversary of the saint. On these occasions devotees assemble in large numbers and pay homage to the memory of the saint. Soul inspiring music is played and devotees dance in ecstasy. The music on these occasions is essentially folk and appealing. It forms a part of the folk music through mystic messages. The most important urs are: urs of Data Ganj Buksh at Lahore, urs of Hazrat Sultan Bahu at Jhang, urs of Hazrat Shah Jewna at Jhang, urs of Hazrat Mian Mir at Lahore, urs of Baba Farid Ganj Shakar at Pakpattan, urs of Hazrat Bahaudin Zakria at Multan, urs of Sakhi Sarwar Sultan at Dera Ghazi Khan, urs of Shah Hussain at Lahore, urs of Hazrat Bulleh Shah at Kasur, urs of Hazrat Imam Bari (Bari Shah Latif) atRawalpindi-Islamabad and urs of Shah Inayar Qadri (the murrshad of Bulleh Shah) in Lahore.

A big fair/mela is organized at Jandiala Sher Khan in district Sheikhupura on the Mausoleum of Syed Waris Shah who is the most loved Sufi poet of Punjab due to his claasic work known as Heer Ranjha. The shrine of Heer Ranjha in Jhang has been one of the most visited shrines in Punjab.

Badshahi Mosque, built by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb at Lahore

Industrial and commercial fairs[edit]

Exhibitions and Annual Horse Shows in all Districts and National Horse and Cattle Show at Lahore are held with the official patronage. National Horse and Cattle Show at Lahore is the biggest festival where sports, exhibitions, and livestock competitions are held. It not only encourages and patronizes agricultural products and livestock through the exhibitions of agricultural products and cattle but is also a colourful documentary on the rich cultural heritage of the Province with its strong rural roots.

Other festivals[edit]

In addition to the religious festivals, Sikh and Hindu Punjabis may celebrate seasonal and harvest festivals, which include Lohri,^[41]Vaisakhi, Basant and Teej.

Arts and crafts[edit]

The crafts in the Punjab are of two types: the crafts produced in the rural areas and the royal crafts.

Major attractions[edit]

The Lahore Fort, a landmark built during the Mughal era, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The province is home to many well known historical sites including the Shalimar Gardens, Lahore Fort, the Badshahi Mosque, Rohtas Fort and the ruins of the ancient city of Harrapa. The Anarkali Market and Jahangir's Tomb are prominent in the city of Lahore as is the Lahore Museum, while the ancient city of Taxila in the northwest was once a major centre of Buddhist and Hindu influence. Many important Sikhshrines are in the Pakistani portion of Punjab, including the birthplace of the first Guru: Guru Nanak (born at Nankana Sahib). There is also the largest salt mine in Asia situated the Khewra Salt Mines. Khewra salt mines is an attraction for visitors accompanied by guides due to the fact that the mines itself is very large and complex interconnected pass ways are like a maze. There is a small but beautiful Mosque inside the mines made from salt stone. The mines have a good reputation with the patients of Asthma as breathing inside the mines help to permanently cure the Asthma and some other diseases related to respiratory system. There are few famous hill stations in the province include Murree, Bhurban, Patriata and Fort Munro.

Music and dance[edit]

Main articles: Music of Punjab and Punjabi dance

Various festivals in rural Punjab

Classical music forms, such as Hindustani classical music, are an important part of the cultural wealth of the Punjab. The Muslim musicians have contributed a large number of ragas to the repository of classical music. The most common instruments used are the Tabla and Harmonium.

Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bulleh Shah, Mian Muhammad Baksh, andWaris Shah and folk singers like Inayat Hussain Bhatti and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Sain Marna,Mansoor Malangi, Allah Ditta Lona wala, Talib Hussain Dard, Attaullah Khan Essa Khailwi, Gamoo Tahliwala, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar, Ahmad Nawaz Cheena and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan. Alam Lohar has made significant contributions to folklore and Punjabi literature, by being a very influential Punjabi folk singer from 1930 until 1979.

For the popular taste however, light music, particularly Ghazals and folk songs, which have an appeal of their own, the names of Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali, Nur Jehan, Malika Pukhraj, Farida Khanum, Roshen Ara Begum, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan are well-known. Folk songs and dances of the Punjab reflect a wide range of moods: the rains, sowing and harvesting seasons. Luddi, Bhangra and Sammi depict the joy of living. Love legends of Heer Ranjha, Mirza Sahiban, Sohni Mahenwal and Saiful Mulk are sung in different styles.

For the most popular music from the region, bhangra, the names of Abrar-Ul-Haq, Arif Lohar, Attaullah Khan Essa Khailwi, Jawad Ahmed, Legacy, and Malkoo are renowned.

Folklore[edit]

Punjabi folk

Main article: Punjabi folklore

The folk heritage of the Punjab is the traditional urge of thousands of years of its history. While Urdu is the official language of the province, there are a number of local dialects through which the people communicate. These include Majhi, Jhangochi, Pothohari, Saraiki, Jatki, Hindko,Chhachhi, Doabi, and Derewali. The songs, ballads, epics and romances are generally written and sung in these dialects.

There are a number of folk tales that are popular in different parts of the Punjab. These are the folk tales of Mirza Sahiban, Sayful Muluk,Yusuf Zulekha, Heer Ranjha, Sohni Mahiwal, Dulla Bhatti, and Sassi Punnun. The mystic folk songs include the Kafees of Khwaja Farid in Saraiki, Punjabi and the Shalooks by Baba Farid. They also include Baits, Dohas, Lohris, Sehra, and Jugni.^[42]

The most famous of the romantic love songs are Mayhiah, Dhola and Boliyan. Punjabi romantic dances include Dharees, Dhamaal, Bhangra,Giddha, Dhola, and Sammi.

Social issues[edit]

One social/educational issue is the status of Punjabi language. According to Dr. Manzur Ejaz, "In Central Punjab, Punjabi is neither an official language of the province nor it is used as medium of education at any level. There are only two daily newspapers published in Punjabi in the Central areas of Punjab. Only a few monthly literary magazines constitute Punjabi press in Pakistan". Many have called for the Punjabi language to be given recognition as it has in India.^[43]

Notable people[edit]

Main article: List of Punjabis

• Qamar Zaman Kaira, former Minister (Pakistan Peoples Party)
• Aitzaz Ahsan, advocate (Pakistan Peoples Party)
• Muhammad Zafarullah Khan (1893–1985), politician, diplomat, international jurist
• Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar Khan, longest serving parliamentarian of Pakistan from 1951 to 1999
• Ibn-e-Insha, poet, writer (travelogues, humor)
• Chaudhry Afzal Haq, writer, politician
• Prithviraj Kapoor, theatre and film actor
• Malik Allahyar Khan (1927–2007), former member of parliament
• Amir Mohammad Khan, Nawab of Kalabagh, Governor of East Pakistan
• Malik Ata Muhammad Khan, feudal lord
• Agha Shorish Kashmiri, witer, leaderof Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam
• Muhammad Khan, army colonel, writer, columnist
• Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, former President of Pakistan (PPP)
• Jamshed Dasti, member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
• Shah Hussain, Sufi saint (1538–1599)
• Ajaz Akhtar, cricketer
• Abdul Khaliq (athlete), Asian Fastest Man & recipient of Pride of Performance (Presidential Award)
• Shoaib Akhtar, cricketer
• Abdul Razzaq, cricketer
• Wasim Akram, cricketer and sports presenter
• Waris Shah, Sufi poet, mystic philosopher
• Chaudhry Niaz Ali Khan, landowner, agriculturalist, philanthropist, civil engineer
• Faiz Ahmad Faiz, poet
• Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, current president of PML(Q)
• Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, first Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan, former Chief Minister of Punjab (2002–2007)
• Nur Khan, Air Chief Marshal who participated in the military government of Pakistan from 1965 to 1969
• Muhammad Sharif (cosmologist), A Pakistani scientist
• Muhammad Sarwar, recipient of the Nishan-e-Haider (NH)
• Raja Aziz Bhatti, recipient of NH
• Muhammad Akram, recipient of NH
• Shabbir Sharif, recipient of NH
• Sawar Muhammad Hussain, recipient of NH
• Muhammad Mahfuz, recipient of NH
• Alam Lohar, folk singer
• Arif Lohar, folk singer (son of Alam Lohar)
• Abdul Hafeez Kardar, cricketer
• Abdus Salam, physicist and Nobel Prize winner
• Inzamam-ul-Haq, cricketer
• Imran Khan, chairman PTI, cricketer, politician and philanthropist
• Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, politician
• Zulfiqar Ali Khosa, politician, former Governor of Punjab
• Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Qawwali singer
• Mian Mir, saint revered by Sikhs and Muslims
• Sultan Rahi, actor
• Saeed Khan Rangeela, actor, comedian
• Nawaz Sharif, current Prime Minister of Pakistan
• Shahbaz Sharif, current Chief Minister of Punjab province
• Abdul Latif Khalid Cheema, politician, religious figure
• Waqar Younis, cricketer and sports presenter
• Javed Hashmi, politician PTI
• Shah Mehmood Qureshi, politician PTI
• Mirza Aziz Akbar Baig, lawyer, former Vice Chairman of Pakistan Bar Council
• Ishaq Khan Khakwani, politician
• Atif Aslam, pop singer and film actor
• Yousaf Raza Gillani, former Prime Minister of Pakistan (Pakistan Peoples Party)
• Shahnaz Sheikh, hockey player*Muhammad Rafiq Tarar, former President of Pakistan
• Bhagat Singh, revolutionary (1907–1931)
• Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, former Army Chief of Staff and former President of Pakistan (1977–1988)
• Manmohan Singh, current Prime Minister of India
• Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, scholar, politician, orator
• Shoaib Malik, cricketer
• Noor Jehan, singer and actress