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Tuesday, October 11, 2011

PUNJAB information

The Punjab (pronounced /ˈpʌndʒɑːb/ ( listen) or /ˈpʌndʒæb/; Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬ, پنجاب, Urdu: پنجاب, Hindi: पंजाब), also spelled Panjab (Persian: پنجاب, panj-āb, "five waters"),[1] is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistanand India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,Chandigarh and Delhi in India.[2] The name of the region is Persian in origin and signifies "(The Land of) Five Waters"referring to the following rivers: the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Sutlej, and the Beas.[3] All are tributaries of theIndus River, the Jhelum being the largest. Punjab has a long history and rich cultural heritage. The people of the Punjab are called Punjabis and their language is called Punjabi. The main religions of the Punjab region are Islam, Sikhism andHinduism.

The area now known as the Greater Punjab comprises what were once vast territories of West Pakistan and northern western India. The bigger section of the Punjab at about 60% lies within Islamic Republic of Pakistan and 40% within Republic of India where it has been further divided into three states; Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

The region is populated by Indo-Aryan speakers. Of these people there are different religious groups such as Sikhs,Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jains and Buddhists. It has also been inhabited by Greeks,[4] Persians[5], Arabs,[6]Turks,[7] Mughals, Afghans, Balochis, and British. In 1947, it was partitioned between British India's successor states with three out of the five rivers going to Pakistan and the remaining two rivers were allotted to India.

The Pakistani Punjab now comprises the most densely populated province in Pakistan. In India, the Government further sub-divided Punjab into the modern Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Delhi. The Pakistani part of the region West Punjab (which includes the Islamabad Capital Territory) covers an area of 205,344 square kilometers (79,284 sq mi), whereas the Indian State of Punjab is 50,362 square kilometers (19,445 sq mi). Besides the Indian Punjab, the region also includes the Jammu state of India. The populations of the region are divided as 86,084,000 (2005) in West Punjab (Pakistan) and 24,289,296 (2000) in the present-day State of (East) Punjab (India).Punjabi is spoken by (approximately) 60% of the entire population in Pakistan mainly in the Punjab province, making it the most spoken language in Pakistan, and 92.2% in Indian Punjab. (3% of overall Indian population).[8] The capital city of undivided Punjab was Lahore, which now sits close to the partition line as the capital of West Punjab; while the capital of East Punjab is Chandigarh, 248 km (154 miles) from Lahore.[9] Indian Punjab uses the Gurmukhi script, while Pakistani Punjab uses the Shahmukhi script.

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[edit]History

Main article: History of Punjab
Taxila Pakistan is a World Heritage Site
A section of the Lahore Fort built by the Mughal emperor Akbar.
The Bardari of Ranjit Singh, built in theHazuri Bagh.
Government College in Lahore

The Punjabi region of North India, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, has a historical and cultural link to Indo-Iranian (Aryan) heritage identity. As a result of numerous invasions, many ethnic groups and religions make up the cultural heritage of Punjab.

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

The epic battles described in the Mahabharata were fought in modern-day Harayana and historic Punjab. TheGandharas, Kambojas, Trigartas, Andhra, Pauravas, Bahlikas (Bactrian settlers of Punjab), Yaudheyas and others sided with the Kauravas in the great battle fought at Kurukshetra.[10] 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".[11]

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 in northwest Pakistan and his rule extended up to the city of Sagala (modern-daySialkot) in northeast Pakistan. In 305 BCE the area was divided between the Maurya Empire and the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom. In a long line of succeeding rulers of the area, Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka the Great stand out as the most renowned. The Maurya presence in the area was then consolidated in the Indo-Greek Kingdom in 180 BCE.Menander I Soter "The Saviour" (known as Milinda in Indian sources) is the most renowned leader of the era. Greek ruling came to an end around 12 BCE, after several invasions by the Yuezhi and the Scythian people.

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 were established, particularly under the reign of Jahangir. Muslim empires ruled Punjab for approximately for over 700 years. The period was also notable for the emergence of Guru Nanak (1469–1539). Later mughal emperors conflict with Sikh gurus over power struggle shaped a pathway to division among various religious communities.

Abdali's Indian invasion weakened the Maratha influence, but he could not defeat the Sikhs. At the formation of the Dal Khalsa in 1748 atAmritsar, the Punjab had been divided into 36 areas and 12 separate Sikh principalities, called misl. From this point onward, the beginnings of a Punjabi Sikh Empire emerged. Out of the 36 areas, 22 were united by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The other 14 accepted British sovereignty. Ten years after Maharaja Ranjit Singh's death, the empire broke up and the British were then able to defeat Punjab with the help of some HinduDogra kings. The Sikh State of Punjab was the only Indian state which was not under European rule at that time.

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

The Punjabis also played a prominent role in the mutiny of 1857 against the British[citation needed]. Cities like Jhelum and Ludhiana served as centres of rebellion against the British government.[citation needed]

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 millions.

[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. Punjabi people are generally believed to be the descendants of these people[citation needed]. With the advent of Islam, settlers fromPersia, Turkey, Afghanistan and Central Asia have also integrated into Punjabi society, from whom many Pakistani Punjabis claim descent. However the majority of Punjab is still made up of the native Jatts, Chamars, Scheduled Castes, Rajputs, Maliks, Khatris, Aheers and Gujjars. The vast majority of Pakistani Punjabis inhabiting the fertile regions of four out of the five major rivers are Muslims by faith, but also include numerous minority faiths such as Ahmadi Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Christians and Parsis. Sikhism, a reformist religion of the late 15th century, is the main religion practiced in Indian Punjab – it arose in the Punjab itself. About 60% of the population of Indian Punjab is Sikh, 37% isHindu, and the rest are Muslims, Christians, and Jains.[12] However, due to large scale migration from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Bengaland 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 90% of the population of the Punjab in Pakistan, followed by a small Christian minority of about 3–5%. There is also a small number of Sikh, Zorastrian and Hindu minorities among others. Pakistan uses the Shahmukhi script, that is closer to Persian script and has considerable Persian loan words. In total, Pakistan has 88 million Punjabi's, and India has 55 million Punjabi's. In greater Punjab there are 143 million Punjabi's.

[edit]Economy

Main articles: Economy of Punjab, Pakistan and Economy of Punjab, India
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, sugarcane, fruit and vegetables are also major crops. Both Indian and Pakistani Punjab are considered to have the best infrastructure of their respective countries.[13] The Indian Punjab has been estimated to be the richest state in India.[14] The Pakistani Punjab produces 68% of Pakistan's food grain production.[15] Its share of Pakistan's GDP has historically ranged from 51.8% to 54.7%.[16]

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

[edit]Timeline

[edit]Photo gallery

[edit]See also

Sikh pilgrim at the Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) in Amritsar, India.jpg Punjab portal

[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).
  • The Legacy of The Punjab, 1997, R M Chopra.

[edit]References

  1. ^ Singh, Pritam (2008). Federalism, Nationalism and Development: India and the Punjab Economy. London; New York: Routledge. pp. 3. ISBN 0415456665.
  2. ^ Pritam Singh and Shinder S. Thandi, ed (1996). Globalisation and the region: explorations in Punjabi identity. Coventry Association for Punjab Studies, Coventry University. p. 361.
  3. ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica, 9th ed., vol.20, Punjab,p.107
  4. ^ Greek conquests in India
  5. ^ History of the Punjab
  6. ^ History of Multan
  7. ^ History of India
  8. ^ Indian Census
  9. ^ Chandigarh, India‎ to Lahore District, Pakistan
  10. ^ Buddha Parkash, Evolution of Heroic Tradition in Ancient Panjab, p 36.
  11. ^ History of Panjab, Vol I, p 4, Dr L. M. Joshi, Dr Fauja Singh.
  12. ^ "Census Reference Tables, C-Series Population by religious communities". Census of India. 2001. Retrieved 2010-07-25.
  13. ^ Welcome to Official Web site of Punjab, India
  14. ^ "Punjab second richest state in country: CII", Times of India, 8 April 2004.
  15. ^ Pakistani government statistics, retrieved 14 April 2007.
  16. ^ Provincial Accounts of Pakistan: Methodology and Estimates 1973-2000
  17. ^ Welcome to Official Web site of Punjab, India
  18. ^ Punjabi government statistics, retrieved 14 April 2007.
  19. ^ Hasan, Mohibbul (2005) [1959]. Kashmir Under the Sultans (Reprinted ed.). Delhi: Aakar Books. p. 32. ISBN 9788187879497. Retrieved 2011-07-08.

[edit]External links

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