Punjab region

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This article is about the geographical region. For other uses, see Punjab.
Punjab region, 1903
Punjab region, 1903

Punjab [ˈpʌnʤɑb] (help·info) (Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬ, پنجاب, Hindi: पंजाब, Urdu: پنجاب), also Panjab (Persian: پنجاب, meaning "Land of the Five Rivers") (c.f. ap-), is a region straddling the border between India and Pakistan. The "Five Rivers" are Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Chenab and Jhelum; all these are tributaries of the Indus river. Punjab has a long history and rich cultural heritage. The people of the Punjab are called Punjabis and speak a language named Punjabi. The main religions of the Punjab region are Islam, Sikhism and Hinduism.

The area that is now known as the Greater Punjab was a location comprised of vast territories of northern India and eastern Pakistan. It comprised, in its original sense, regions extending from Swat/Kabul in the west to Delhi in the east i.e the area including parts of Afghanistan and the plains up to the Ganges [1]. It was a centre of the prehistoric Indus Valley civilization and after c. 1500 BCE the site of early Aryan settlements [2]. In ancient times, the area was inhabited by people called Vahikas or Arattas [3]. The Vahikas or Arattas were divided into many tribes or clans like the Gandharas, Prasthalas, Khasas, Vasatis, Trigartas, Pauravas, Malavas, Yaudheyas, Saindhavas, and Sauviras. There were also Iranian and transfrontier peoples such as the Kambojas and Pahlavas, as well as Ionians (Yavanas) and nomadic Scythians (Shakas).[4]

The region, populated by Indo-Aryans, has been ruled by many different empires and ethnic groups, including Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, ancient Macedonians, Persians, Arabs, Turks, Mughals, Afghans, Balochis, Sikhs and British. In 1947, it was partitioned between British India's successor states, India and Pakistan.

The Pakistani Punjab now comprises the majority of the region together with the Hazara region of the North-West Frontier Province and Azad Kashmir. The Indian Punjab has been further sub-divided into the modern Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi. The Pakistani part of the region West Punjab covers an area of 205,344 square kilometres (79,284 square miles), whereas the Indian State of Punjab is 50,362 square kilometres (19,445 square miles). Besides the Indian Punjab, the region also includes the areas of Jammu region and Himachal and Haryana states of India that were created out of East Punjab in 1966. The populations of the region are similarly divided as 86,084,000 (2005) in West Punjab (Pakistan) and 24,289,296 (2000) in the present-day State of (East) Punjab (India) and a further 30 million in the rest of the region. Punjabi is spoken by (approximately) 65% of population in Pakistani Punjab(another 25% speak Punjabi variants) and 92.2% in Indian Punjab.[5] The capital city of undivided Punjab was Lahore, which now sits close to the partition line as the capital of West Punjab. Indian Punjab has as its capital the city of Chandigarh. Indian Punjab uses the Gurmukhi script, while Pakistani Punjab uses the Shahmukhi script.

Contents

[edit] Etymology

The name Punjab means "the land of five rivers", and literally translates from Persian into the words Panj (پنج), meaning "five", and Āb (آب) meaning "water" respectively. The rivers, tributaries of the Indus River, are the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas. The five rivers, now divided between India and Pakistan, merge to form the Panjnad, which joins the Indus.

[edit] The Punjabi Language

Main article: Punjabi language

The language of the region is Punjabi. The official written script of Punjabi in the state of Punjab in India is holy and called Gurmukhi "(from the Mouth of the Guru)". All holy sacred Sikh texts are written in the Punjabi Script.[6] Due to this holy element, it is common for people to believe it is inauspicious for any piece of paper that has been written on in Punjabi to touch the ground.

[edit] Geography

Most of the Punjab is an alluvial plain, bounded by mountains to the North. Despite its dry conditions, it is a rich agricultural area due to the extensive irrigation made possible by the great river system traversing it. Punjab region temperature range from -2° to 40°C (MIN/MAX), but can reach 47°C (117°F) in summer and can touch down to -5°C in winter. Punjab has five rivers flowing through it which leads to various land formations such as doabs etc. Doab is the land between two rivers. Ambala is a doab. Another example of a doab is Mesopotamia which is between the rivers Tigris and Ufiris.

[edit] History

Main article: History of the Punjab
Taxila is a World Heritage Site
Taxila is a World Heritage Site
A section of the Lahore Fort built by the Mughal empror Akbar.
A section of the Lahore Fort built by the Mughal empror Akbar.
The Bardari of Ranjit Singh, built in the Hazuri Bagh.
The Bardari of Ranjit Singh, built in the Hazuri Bagh.
The 33rd Punjabi Army (A Picture of an Commander: A Punjabi Subadar).
The 33rd Punjabi Army (A Picture of an Commander: A Punjabi Subadar).

As a result of numerous invasions, many ethnic groups and religions make up the cultural heritage of the Punjab.

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

The Vedic and Epic period was socially and culturally prolific in the Punjab. During this period, the Hindu scriptures, the Rig Veda and the Upanishads, were composed in the Punjab. Tradition maintains that the sage Valmiki composed the Ramayana near the present location of Amritsar. In legend, Krishna delivered the divine message of the Bhagavad Gita at Kurukshetra. Eighteen principal Puranas were written in the region. The authors of Vishnu Purana and the Shiva Purana belonged to Central Punjab.

The epic battles described in the Mahabharata were fought in the Punjab. The Gandharas, Kambojas, Trigartas, Andhra, Pauravas, Bahlikas (Bactrian settlers of Punjab), Yaudheyas and others sided with the Kauravas in the great battle fought at Kurukshetra.[7] According to Dr Fauja Singh and Dr L. M. Joshi: "There is no doubt that the Kambojas, Daradas, Kaikayas, Andhra, Pauravas, Yaudheyas, Malavas, Saindhavas and Kurus had jointly contributed to the heroic tradition and composite culture of ancient Punjab" [8].

In 326 BCE, Alexander the Great invaded the Punjab from the north and incorporated it into his empire. His armies entered the region via the Hindu Kush.

At all times during the establishment and consolidation of Mughal rule, there was conflict, chaos, and political upheaval in the Punjab. However, with the Mughals prosperity, growth and relative peace was established, particularly under the reign of Jahangir. The period was also notable for the emergence of Guru Nanak (1469-1538), the founder of a powerful popular movement which has left a lasting impression on the history and culture of Punjab. Born in the district of Sheikhupura, he rejected the division of mankind into rigid compartments of orthodox religions and castes and preached the oneness of humanity, and oneness of God, thus aiming at creating a new order which embraced the all pervasive spirit in man. This new philosophy would serve as the foundation for the Sikh faith.

In 1713, Banda Bahadur wanted to establish a Sikh state in the Punjab. For this he fought relentlessly with the Mughals. His state lasted just under a year before its collapse. A number of years afterwards, he was captured and executed.

In 1756, the Marathas under Raghunath Rao defeated the Afghan Ahmed Shah Abdali on his first attempt at conquering India. The Marathas chased the retreating Afghans back to Attock. The Sikhs and Khatris (the dominant groups of Punjab) were co-operative to the Marathas for having successfully removed the Muslims from their land and signed formal treaties of friendship. At the formation of the Dal Khalsa in 1748 at Amritsar, the Punjab was divided into 36 areas and 12 separate Sikh principalities. From this point onwards the beginnings of a Punjabi Sikh Empire emerged.

Out of the 36 areas, 22 were united by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The other 14 accepted British sovereignty. Ten years after Maharaja Ranjit Singh's death, the empire broke up and the British seized the Punjab.

The British raj had political, cultural, philosophical and literary consequences in the Punjab, including the establishment of a new system of education. During the independence movement, many Punjabis played a significant role, including Lajpat Rai, Ajit Singh Sindhu, Bhagat Singh, Udham Singh, Bhai Parmanand, Muhammad Iqbal, Chaudhary Rehmat Ali, and Ilam Din Shaheed.

The Punjabis also play a prominent role in the mutiny against the British of 1857. The cities like Jhelum and Ludhiana served as centre of rebellion against the British government.

At the time of partition in 1947, the province was split in to East and West Punjab. East Punjab became part of India, while West Punjab became part of Pakistan. The Punjab bore the brunt of the civil unrest following the end of the British Raj, with casualties estimated in the hundreds of thousands or even higher.

[edit] Demographics

Main article: Punjabi people

Ethnic ancestries of modern Punjabis include Indo-Aryan, and some Indo-Scythian and Indo-Parthian settlers of the region, including Indo-Greek[citation needed]. Punjabi people are generally believed to be the descendants of these people[citation needed]. With the advent of Islam, settlers from Persia, Afghanistan and Central Asia have also integrated into Punjabi society. Sikhism is the main religion of the Indian Punjab - it arose in the Punjab itself. 59.9% of the population are Sikh, 36.9% is Hindu, and the rest are Jains, Christians, Muslims or Buddhists. However, due to large scale migration from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bengal and Orissa demographics of Punjab have become more skewed than reported earlier. Indian Punjab contains the holy Sikh city of Amritsar. The states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, formerly constituents of the British province of Punjab, are mostly Hindu-majority. Indian Punjabis speak Punjabi language written in Gurmukhi script. Islam is the religion of more than 98% of the population of the Punjab in Pakistan. There are small Hindu and Sikh minorities among others. Pakistan uses the Shahmukhi script, that is closer to Persian script. In total Pakistan has 70 million Punjabis, and India has 39 million Punjabis.

[edit] Economy

Phulkari embroidery from Patiala
Phulkari embroidery from Patiala

The historical region of Punjab is considered to be one of the most fertile regions on Earth. Both east and west Punjab produce a relatively high proportion of India and Pakistan's food output, respectively. The agricultural output of the Punjab region in Pakistan contributes significantly to Pakistan's GDP. The region is important for wheat growing. In addition, rice, cotton, sugar cane, fruit and vegetables are also major crops. Both Indian and Pakistani Punjab are considered to have the best infrastructure of their respective countries. [9] The Indian Punjab has been estimated to be the second richest state in India (the richest being Maharashtra. Haryana is the fourth.[10] The Pakistani Punjab produces 68% of Pakistan's food grain production.[11]

Called "The Granary of India" or "The Bread Basket of India", Indian Punjab produces 1% of the world's rice, 2% of its wheat, and 2% of its cotton. [12] In 2001, it was recorded that farmers made up 39% of Indian Punjab's workforce.[13]

[edit] Timeline

[edit] Photo gallery

Badshahi Masjid - The Punjabi mosque of the moghal empire built by the last mughal emperor, Aurangzeb.

The Faiz Mahal, Khairpur Pakistan

The Punjabi Fort at Bathinda.

The Punjabi Fort at Bathinda.

The main gate of the Punjabi Qila Mubarak at night. Architect Atit Kumar.

The Golden Temple at night in Amritsar.

The Punjabi Alamgiri Gate built in 1673, is the main entrance to the Lahore Fort.

The Punjabi Faisalabad Clock Tower, built during the British Raj

The Punjabi Phuara Chowk (lit. the Fountain Crossing) is the central land mark of Patiala.

Jallianwala Bagh memorial to commemorate the fallen brave Punjabi protestors at the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

Wideview of the Punjabi Jallianwala Bagh memorial.

Entrance to the present day Punjabi Jallianwala Bagh.

Bullet marks, visible on a preserved wall, at present day Punjabi Jallianwala Bagh.

The 33rd Punjabi Army (A Picture of an Commander: A Punjabi Subadar).

A Punjabi Phulkari from Patiala.

Punjabi Tandoori chicken is a popular dish in Punjabi cuisine

Jalandhar Railway Station's reception block.

Irrigated land of Punjab.

Punjabi Clock Tower at Govt College University, Lahore.

Punjabi Mausoleum of Shah Rukn-e-Alam (1320 AD).

The Punjabi Shalimar Gardens.

Taxila is a World Heritage Site.

The Punjabi Shalimar Gardens in Lahore.

In Jalandhar Punjabi Community gets together at markets, amusement parks etc especially on weekends and annual Punjabi festivals.

The Punjabi Mohindra College, Patiala at night.

The Wazir Khan Mosque, built by Shah Jahan inLahore.

The Hiran Minar located in Sheikhupura, was a tribute to Jahangir's favourite antelope.

Nur Jahan's (wife of mughal empire Shah Jahan) mausoleum in Lahore.

Jahangir's (Father of Shah Jahan) mausoleum in Shahdara, Lahore.

Samadhi of Sikh emperor, Ranjit Singh in Lahore.

Sialkot Clock Tower, built during the reign of the British rule, Sialkot.

Noor Mahal (Palace), Bahawalpur, Punjab Pakistan

The Jhelum River, one of many rivers of Punjab.

Chauburji, the Gateway to the Mughal Gardens, Lahore

[edit] See also

[edit] Further reading

  • [Quraishee 73] Punjabi Adab De Kahani, Abdul Hafeez Quaraihee, Azeez Book Depot, Lahore, 1973.
  • [Chopra 77] The Punjab as a sovereign state, Gulshan Lal Chopra, Al-Biruni , Lahore, 1977.
  • Patwant Singh. 1999. The Sikhs. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-50206-0.
  • The evolution of Heroic Tradition in Ancient Panjab, 1971, Buddha Parkash.
  • Social and Political Movements in ancient Panjab, Delhi, 1962, Buddha Parkash.
  • History of Porus, Patiala, Buddha Parkash.
  • History of the Panjab, Patiala, 1976, Fauja Singh, L. M. Joshi (Ed).

[edit] References

  1. ^ Aryan and non-Aryan Names in Vedic India, Data for the linguistic situation, c. 1900-500 B.C., p 17; The Home of the Aryans, 2000, p 28, Dr Michael Witzel; Also see: Substrate Languages in Old Indo-Aryan, (Rgvedic, Middle and Late Vedic), p 6, Dr Michael Witzel, Harvard University.
  2. ^ Atlas of World History Vol 1, P43. Penguin 1974
  3. ^ Scholars say that Aratta is a popular (prakrit) form of Vedic "A-rashtra" -- which means without king or government. This compares to Avestic "A-sara" -- also meaning without head/government--thus the Vedic Aratta is said to allude to A-rashtra i.e. kingless, headless or in other words, a republican people/territory (See refs: The Ancient Geography of India, 1871, p 215, Alexander Cunningham ; Evolution of Heroic Tradition in ancient Panjab, 1971, p 53, Dr Buddha Parkash; The Age of Imperial Unity, History and Culture of Indian People, p 49, Ed Dr R. C. Majumdar, Dr A. D. Pusalkar; Hindu Civilization, 1923, p 289, Dr Radhakumud Mookerji; The Generalship of Alexander the Great, 2004, p 255, J. F. C. Fuller; The Cambridge Ancient History, 1923, p 406, John Bagnell Bury, Stanley Arthur Cook, Frank Ezra Adcock, Martin Percival Charlesworth, Norman Hepburn Baynes, Charles Theodore Seltman). Also, the term "Vahika" denoted "those falling outside the pale of Aryandom" or "those who are outside the pale of virtue, and live away from Himavat, Ganga and Sarsvati..." (See: Ethnology of Ancient Bhārata, 1970, p 113, Ram Chandra Jain; A Grammatical Dictionary of Sanskrit (Vedic), 1953, p 52, Vasudeva Sharana Agrawala, Surya Kanta, Jacob Wackernagel, Arthur Anthony Macdonell, Peggy Melcher; Tribes in Ancient India, 1943, p 71, Dr B. C. Law - Ethnology). The tribes of the "Aratta" or "Vahika" territories were of wayward nature, committed highway robberies, and had followed autonomous or republic way of life. They were definitely outside the pale of Vedic Aryans. It is on account of these above characteristics of this people that they commonly came to be styled as Arattas or Vahikas etc. Aratta or Vahika, by no means, implies an ethic term.
  4. ^ Buddha Parkash, Evolution of Heroic Tradition in Ancient Panjab, 1971, p 53; Cf also: The History of Indian Literature, 1878, p 178, Albrecht Weber - Sanskrit literature.
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ "Gurmukhi Lipi." Khoj Patrika. p.110, vol.36, Professor Pritam Singh, 1992. Patiala: Punjabi University.
  7. ^ Buddha Parkash, Evolution of Heroic Tradition in Ancient Panjab, p 36.
  8. ^ See: History of Panjab, Vol I, p 4, Dr L. M. Joshi, Dr Fauja Singh.
  9. ^ Welcome to Official Web site of Punjab, India
  10. ^ "Punjab second richest state in country: CII", Times of India, 8 April 2004.
  11. ^ Pakistani government statistics, retrieved 14 April 2007.
  12. ^ Welcome to Official Web site of Punjab, India
  13. ^ Punjabi government statistics, retrieved 14 April 2007.

[edit] External links

Five rivers of the Punjab
in Punjabi Jhelum Chenab Ravi Beas Sutlej
in Ancient Greek Hydaspes Acesines Hydraotes Hyphasis Hesidros
in Sanskrit Vitasta Ashkini Parushani Vipasa Shatadru
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