Punjabis

Vorlage:Punjabis Punjabi people (Vorlage:Lang-pa (Shahmukhi), ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Gurmukhi), पंजाबी (Devanagri), also spelled Panjabi people; are an ethnic group, originating from the Punjab region, found between Pakistan and India. Punjab literally means the land of five-rivers (Persian: panj-āb; "five waters") and is also referred to as the breadbasket of Pakistan and India. Punjabis are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group of North Indian origin; which in modern day besides the Pakistani Punjab and Indian Punjab, also constitutes people from parts of the following regions: Haryana, Kashmir and Rajasthan. Traditionally, Punjabi identity was primarily linguistic, regardless of religious affiliation, heritage or race, referring to those for whom the Punjabi language(s) was the first language and who resided in the Punjab region, and therefor also shared the same cultural background. However, in recent times, the definition has been broadened to include people of Punjabi origin, even if they no longer speak the Punjabi language(s), as many have adopted other languages, within and abroad. Kashmiris make an integral part of Upper Punjab of Pakistan. Mir, Abbasi, Dar, Rathore, Awan, Malik, Minhas, Kayani, Bhatt or Butt all have origins in Kashmir. Famous Political Nawaz family of Punjab, famous poets Allama Iqbal, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, famous journalist Hamid Mir, Current chief of Pakistan Army Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and many famous personalities like Shaikh Rasheed Ahmad all have Kashmiri origins and they are sometimes known as Kashmiri Punjabis or sometimes simply as Punjabis.

The present day Punjab region, has been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world, the the Indus Valley Civilization. Following independence from Britain, the Punjab region was divided between the two nations on religious basis.

Punjabi's are besides national and religious affiliation, broken down into clans and/or castes, many of which are shared across religious lines and shared with other ethnic groups of South Asia.

Geographic distribution

The Empire of Ranjit Singh. Punjab at its territorial peak. Punjab stretched into territories west from Indus and in north into the mountainous region, Kashmir

In Pakistan, Punjabis are the largest ethnic group, comprising more than 44.15% of the total population of the country. They reside predominantly in the province of Punjab, neighboring Azad Kashmir in (Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Islamabad, Capital Territory. Punjabis are also found in large communities in the largest city of Pakistan, Karachi. In India, Punjabis represent 2.4% 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 UP.

History

Brief ancient history

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

Indigenous peoples flourished in this region, near the gateways to other continents, leading to a developed civilization in 5th to 4th millennium BC, the ancient Indus Valley Civilization.

The remains of the ancient city Taxila, and many ornaments have been found in this regions which suggests that centered at Harappa in Punjab became a center of early civilization 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 and he fought famous Battle of the Hydaspes against Alexander but later surrendered. His kingdom known as Pauravas was situated between Hydaspes (modern Jhelum and Acesines (modern day Chenab). These kings fought local battles to gain more ground.Taxiles or Omphis another local North Indian king was ruling and he wanted to defeat his eastern adversary Porus in a turf war and he invited Alexander the great to defeat Porus and this marks the intrusion of West in Indian subcontinent and North India in general. But such was the valor of Porus and his kingdom forces in Punjab that despite being defeated was appreciated by Alexander the Great for his skill and valor and he was granted further territories in North. The other Indian kings did not like that Porus is now an ally of Western forces and the relative of Porus also later named as Porus became the king of Pauravas continue fighting with Macedonian forces and then in less than ten years another Indian king Chandragupta Maurya defeated the forces and conquered regions up to Kabul river. Despite the Greek rule in Northwest India, no trace of either the M170 or the M35 genetic markers associated with Greeks and Macedonians have been found in Punjab and this region show strong peculiar characteristics of North Indians and the reason is that Alexander mostly ruled this land with the help of local allies like Porus. Later own this region was ruled by local Indian kings and then North Indian region and Afghanistan were ruled by Ghaznavids and later on by Mughals. The Mughals were assimilated in local cultures and embrace Islam and all of them married local women.

The earliest written Punjabi dates to the 11th Century; its literature spread Punjab's unique voice to the greater Northern Hindu civilization.

When the Mughals were weakened then under the command of Nader Shah of Persia the regions of North India and Punjab were annexed into the Durrani Empire in 1747. Ahmad Shah Abdali was born in Multan, Punjab in the family of Durrani rulers of Multan. He invaded Punjab for many years. Ranjit Singh was born to Maha Singh and Raj Kaur on 13 November 1780, in Gujranwala, Punjab, into a Sikh family. He took a leading role in orgaising a Sikh militia and got control of Punjab. Later on he became a great warrior. He was born in Gujranwala. He started military expeditions to expand his territory. He established a formidable Sikh army. Under his command not only Sikh army started capturing most of the lands of Punjab by defeating the local tribes up to Khyber Pass and formed the Sikh Empire and later as a result of Wars between Sikh Empire and British out of which the most famous were First Anglo-Sikh War and the Second Anglo-Sikh War the Sikh Empire came to an end. The famous Jamrud Fort at the entry of Khyber Pass was built by Ranjit Singh and his forces were never defeated there .

Map of early Iron Age Vedic India. Realms or tribes are labelled black, Foreign tribes mentioned in early Vedic texts purple, Vedic shakhas in green. Rivers are labelled blue. The Thar desert is marked orange.

New Demographics of Punjab

The original Punjab Province under British rule is now divided into several units: Pakistani Punjab, the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh and the Indian Union territory of Chandigarh. The regions of Azad Kashmir and JammuVorlage:Citation needed have also been historically associated with the Punjab.

Punjab is a Persian term meaning the land of the 5 rivers, the names of these rivers are as follows:

1. (Jhelum)
2. (Chenab),
3. (Ravi),
4. (Sutlej),
5. (Beas),

The modern name of the Vipasa,'Beas' is thought to be a corruption of Veda Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata.

The region came to be known as Punjab only in the Mughal period. It was one of the cradles of Indian subcontinent civilization and Hinduism.Vorlage:Citation needed

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

Taxila Pakistan is a World Heritage Site

Punjabi Buddhist

A large population of Punjabis followed BuddhismVorlage:Citation needed, but many of them became Hindus from 100 CE onwards.Vorlage:Citation needed The Kingdom of Gandhara lasted from the 6th century BCE to the 11th century CE. It attained its height from the 1st century to the 5th century under the Buddhist Kushan Emperors.

Punjabi Jain

Jainism has been present in Punjab since ancient times. This is where Alexander the Great encountered Gymnosophists and Xuanzang met both Digambara and Swetambara monks. The Bhabra community has had a close historical association with Jainism. It is believed to be connected with the Bhavadar or Bhavada Gachchha to which the legendary Jain Acharya Kalakacharya belonged to. The original home region of the Bhabras is now in Pakistan. While practically all the Bhabras have left Pakistan region, many cities still have sections named after Bhabras. In modern Delhi, the majority of Jains in Rup Nagar area are from Punjab.

Punjabi Hindus

See Also: List of Punjabi Hindus

In the pre-Islamic era, the Punjabi people mainly followed Hinduism. Today Punjabi Hindus are mostly found in Indian Punjab and in neighboring 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.

Punjabi Hindus represent about 37% of Punjab's population as most of them converted to Sikhism as they have been following their tradition of raising the eldest born as a Sikh and also due to political purposes. There was a massive conversion of Punjabi Hindu Jats from 1850's to 1930's in order to get into the army as British rulers easily accepted Sikhs, due to the fact that Sikhs ruled the Punjab region with the assistance and support of Punjabi Hindus. An example is Bhagat Singh, whose family was Punjabi Hindu and converted to Sikhism. However these conversions weren't forceful as Punjabi Hindus don't really differentiate themselves from Punjabi Sikhs. The population of Hindu Punjabis is approximately 13 million in India. The most common castes among Hindu Punjabis are Baniya(Aggarwals),Brahmin,Rajput,Saini,Khatri and Arora.

Many generals of Maharaja Ranjt Singh were Punjabi Hindus and many revolutionaries like Lala Lajpat Rai, Sukhdev Thappar, Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Pramanand.

Punjabi Muslims

Datei:BullehShah.jpg

Bulleh Shah the famous Punjabi Muslim (Sufi) poet

The people of Punjab were mainly Hindus with a Buddhist minority, when the Umayyad Muslim army led by Muhammad bin Qasim from Syria, conquered the Punjab and Sindh in 711. Bin Qasim recorded that he so was overwhelmed by the gold in the Aditya Temple in the thriving trading city of Multan (known as Mulasthana then), that he recovered the expenses for his entire invasion. Muslims became the majorty population of Punjab, only few are found in Eastern Punjabi today, as most live in Western Punjab.

During the reign of Mahmud of Ghazni, non-Muslims were ordered to pay the jaziya tax and rights according to Islamic law. The province became an important centre and Lahore was made into a second capital of the Turk Ghaznavid Empire based out of Ghazni.

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

The Mughals controlled the region from 1524 until 1739 and would also lavish the province with building projects such as the Shalimar Gardens and the Badshahi Mosque, both situated in Lahore. Muslim soldiers, traders, architects, theologians and Sufis flocked from the rest of the Muslim world to the Islamic Sultanate in South Asia and some may have settled in the Punjab. Under the Muslims Punjab became the most dynamic region of South Asia. Following the decline of the Mughals, this created a power vacuum with a more unstable region until British Indian was created. Shah of Iran and founder of the Afsharid dynasty in Persia, Nader Shah crossed the Indus and sacked the province in 1739. Later, the Afghan conqueror Ahmad Shah Durrani, a pashtun born in Punjab, in the city of Multan made the Punjab a part of his Durrani Empire lasting until 1762. He was in close combat with the both the rising Sikh and Hindu Maratha armies.

Punjabi Sikhs

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. 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.

Sikhism was initially started to end the tensions between Hindu Punjabis and Muslim Punjabis, however after the execution of Guru Arjan Dev, Sikhism became a martial religion from a spiritual religion. Sikhism is probably the only martial religion which was created among the members of the Punjabi Community. If it wasn't for the Punjabi community creating Sikhism, all Hindus in the Indian Subcontinent would have been Muslims under the cruel Mughal Rule in Aurangzeb's time.

The culture of Punjabi Sikhs is very similar to that of Punjabi Hindus. They both are known to be very hospitable, helpful, hardworking and honest communities. The prime occupation of Punjabis in general was farming. However after 1935, most of the farmland in Punjab was owned by Punjabi Sikh Jats and Punjabi Rajputs due to a change in the constitution which led many other Punjabi communities to lose their land.

Cigarette smoking is banned among the Sikh community and the proper identity of a Sikh(Sardar) is with the five k's(uncut hair, comb, bangle, warrior Kachha and dagger). Most Sikh's adopted the surname Singh and this surname is very common in Punjab.

As per statistics, Punjab has the highest milk and food consumption and lowest level of hunger. This is due to the farmland of Punjab and the hard-work of Punjabi Farmers which has made Punjab capable of even feeding the whole India.

Punjabi Christians

Raja Lal Singh, who led Sikh forces against the British during the First Anglo-Sikh War, 1846

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 neighbouring British territories then broke down, starting the First Anglo-Sikh War; this led to a British official being resident in Lahore and the annexation of territory south of the Satluj to British India.

In 1877, on St. Thomas' Day at Westminster Abbey, London, Rev Thomas Valpy French was appointed the first Anglican Bishop of Lahore, a large diocese 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. 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).

Missionaries accompanied colonizing forces from Portugal, France, and Great Britain. Christianity was mainly brought by the British 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. All of the modern Punjabi Christians in are descended from converts during British rule. 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 partition 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 of Uttar Pradesh. Rohilkhand saw a mass conversion of its entire population of 4500 Mazhabi Sikhs into the Methodist Church. 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

In 1947 the Punjab province of British India was divided along religious lines into West Punjab and East Punjab. The western Punjabis voted to join the new country of Pakistan, while the easterners Punjabis joined India. This led to massive rioting, as elements from both sides committed atrocities against fleeing refugees.

The undivided Punjab, of which Punjab (Pakistan) forms the major region today, was home to a large minority population of Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus, and in the same way large minorities were found in parts of eastern Punjab.

Geographic distribution

Pakistani Punjabis

Punjabi farmer

Punjabis make up more than 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 Rajput, Aheers, Harals, Ghosi (tribe), Jat, Shaikhs or (Muslim Khatri), Khattar, Kambohs, Gujjars, Dogars and Rahmani (Muslim Labana). Zamindar groups with Turko-Persian or Arab ancestry include the Mughal, Gakhars, Awan and Arain, comprising the main tribes in the north of the province, while Khagga, Bodla, Jhandir, Daudpota, Gardezi, Syed and Quraishi are found in the south, all of whom claim Arab ancestry. Immigrants from neighbouring regions, such as the Kashmiri, Pashtun and Baluch, also form important element in the Punjabi population. Pashtun tribes like the Niazis and the Khakwanis, are integrated into Punjabi village life. Especially the members of the Niazi tribe, who see themselves as Punjabis first. They have big communities in Mianwali, Bakkar, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sahiwal and Toba Tek Singh. Major Moeen groups include the Lohar, Khateek, Rawal, Chhimba Darzi, Teli, Julaha, Mallaah, Mirasi, who are associated with a particular crafts or occupation.

Punjabis have traditionally and historically been farmers and soldiersVorlage: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 for the most part. Religious homogeneity remains elusive as a predominant Islamic Sunni-Shia population and a Christian minority have not completely wiped out diversity since the partition of British India. A variety of related sub-groups exist in Pakistan and are often considered by many Pakistani Punjabis to be simply regional Punjabis including the Seraikis (who overlap and are often considered transitional with the Sindhis).

Punjabis from Pakistani Punjab dancing

The recent definition of Punjabi, in Pakistani Punjab, is not based on racial classification, common ansectory or endogamy, 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 distinct dialects, 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, and 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 have now assimilated and their second and third generations identify themselves as Punjabis even tough it is not the same in Sindh Pakistan where they form distinct ethnic groups.

Indian Punjabis

Indian Punjabi farmer.

Indian Punjabi Woman in Kitchen

The population of Indian Punjab is divided into two major religious groups, the Sikhs and Hindus.Punjabis make around 2.5% of the population of India. It is further sub-divided into various tribal groups, social groups (caste) and economic groups. Major sub-groups in India include the Khatris, Kalals/Ahluwalias, Bania, Saini Sikhs, Saini Hindus, Brahmin, Chamar, Chhimba, Chura, Jatts, Kamboj, Labanas, Lohar, Mahtam, Mazhabi, Nais, Rajput, Ramgarhia, Ramdasia, Soods and Tarkhans etc. All these subgroups are hardworking and well educated and living with unity, peace and harmony with each other.

Like the Punjabi Muslim society, these various castes are associated with particular occupations or crafts. Communities such as the Jatt and Rajput from a Zamindar background are essentially farmers along with Kamboj Sikh and Saini Sikhs, while the Arora, Bania, Bhatia are associated to trade. Other groups are associated with particular crafts, include Lohar who were historically ironsmiths, while Tarkhans were carpenters and the Nai were barbers.

Indian Punjab is also home to small groups of Muslims and Christian. Most of the East Punjab's Muslims (in today's states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh) left for West Punjab in 1947. However, a small community still exists today, mainly in Malerkotla which was spared during partition, the only Muslim princely state among the seven that formed the erstwhile Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU). The other six (mostly Sikh) states were: Patiala, Nabha, Jind, Faridkot, Kapurthala and Kalsia.

The Punjab region within India maintains a strong influence on the perceived culture of India towards the rest of the world. Numerous Bollywood film productions use the Punjabi language 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, 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

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

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

Rank	Country	First language
1	Vorlage:Flag	76,335,300
2	Vorlage:Flag	29,109,672
3	Vorlage:Flag	2,300,000
4	Vorlage:Flag	800,000
5	Vorlage:Flag	720,000
6	Vorlage:Flag	640,000
7	Vorlage:Flag	620,000
8	Vorlage:Flag	260,000
9	Vorlage:Flag	185,000
10	Vorlage:Flag	140,000
11	Vorlage:Flag	120,000
12	Vorlage:Flag	90,000
13	Vorlage:Flag	80,000
14	Vorlage:Flag	75,000
15	Vorlage:Flag	75,000 Vorlage:Citation needed
16	Vorlage:Flag	70,000
17	Vorlage:Flag	70,000
18	Vorlage:Flag	68,000
19	Vorlage:Flag	65,000
20	Vorlage:Flag	60,000
21	Vorlage:Flag	55,000
22	Vorlage:Flag	50,000
23	Vorlage:Flag	45,000
24	Vorlage:Flag	40,000
25	Vorlage:Flag	25,000
26	Vorlage:Flag	15,000

Diversity

The Punjab region is diverse, due to its location near Central Asia. It has been prone to numerous migrations and the resulting settlers have left imprints upon the local Punjabi population that remain present in the numerous sub-groups. The Punjabi people are a heterogeneous group and can be subdivided into a number of ethnic clan groups in both the East and West Punjab called biradari (literally meaning a tribe, clan, group, or fraternity), each having their own subtle differences.

Genetics

The majority of Punjabi population share similar genes with other northern Indian populations, but also show a significant relationship with west Eurasian groups. In a 2004 Stanford study conducted with a wide sampling from India, including 112 Punjabis, and selected other countries, displayed the following:

Results show that Indian tribal and caste populations derive largely from the same genetic heritage of Pleistocene southern and western Asians and have received limited gene flow from external regions since the Holocene.

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.Vorlage:DubiousVorlage: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.

Some preliminary conclusions from these varying tests support a largely north Indian genetic base for most Punjabis accompanied by some of the highest degrees of west Asian admixture found in north India.

Culture and society

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

Punjabi Sikh Farmer preparing Cattle Feed

Punjabi culture is the culture of the Punjab region. It is one of the oldest and richest cultures in world history, dating from ancient antiquity to the modern era. The Punjabi culture is the culture of the Punjabi people who are now distributed throughout the world. The scope, history, sophistication and complexity of the culture are vast. Some of the main areas include Punjabi Philosophy, poetry, spirituality, education, artistry, dance, music, cuisine, science, technology, military warfare, architecture, traditions, values and history. 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 and Amritsar.

Religion

The majority of Pakistani Punjabis follow Islam while the majority of Indian Punjabis are either Hindus or Sikhs. Punjab is the birthplace of Sikhism and the Qadiani/Mirzai/Ahmadiyya religion.

Linguistic

Punjabi dialects

Punjabi, with its many dialects, is the most spoken language in Pakistan and fourth most common language in India. According to the Ethnologue 2005 estimate, 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, 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. 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) 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. There are also sizable communities in the United States, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Persian Gulf countries, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

Punjabis are linguistically and culturally related to the other Indo-Aryan peoples of South Asia. There are an estimated 120 million Punjabis around the world. 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 Urdu is spoken by nearly all, and the vast majority still speak Punjabi, even though the language have no governmental support. In the Indian Punjab, most people speak Punjabi. English is sometimes used, and people may also speak Hindi and older people who lived in the undivided Punjab may be able to speak and write in Urdu. There is a significant hindi and other Indian languages influence in Punjabi. In India Sanskrit vocabulary have been adopted, due to the national status of Hindi language. The Punjabi languages have always absorbed numerous loanwords from surrounding areas and provinces (and from English).

Cuisine

Punjabi cuisine has an immense range of dishes and has become world-leader in the field; so much so that many entrepreneurs that have invested in the sector have built large personal fortunes due to the popularity of Punjabi cuisine throughout the world. Punjabi Cuisine uses very unique spices, which make the food utterly mouthwatering.

Punjabi dances

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.

Films of Punjab

Punjabi Films are doing great job these days, New topics are being conceived in Punjabi Cinema. Same as Documentary FIlms are also becoming a Great part of Punjabi Cinema. Simran Kaler has invented a new term in Documentary Films "Docuempathy Films) Punjab is proud of this Invention.

Wedding traditions

Punjabi wedding traditions and ceremonies are conducted in Punjabi and are a strong reflection of Punjabi culture. While the actual religious marriage ceremony among Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, and Jains may be conducted in Arabic, Punjabi, Sanskrit, by the Kazi, Pandit or Granthi, there are commonalities in ritual, song, dance, food, and dress. The Punjabi wedding has many rituals and ceremonies that have evolved since traditional times. Punjabi receptions of all sorts are known to be very energetic, filled with loud Bhangra music, people dancing,and a wide variety of Punjabi food. Alcohol consumption by the menfolk is part of the tradition amongst Hindu and Sikh communities that allow it.

Sports

The people of Punjab are known to have keen interest in sports. A variety of indoor and outdoor sports are played in Punjab. The sports been played here include Cricket, Hockey, Kabaddi, Boxing, Basketball Horse racing, Gulli-danda, Kho kho, Naiza Baazi (Tent pegging), Greyhound racing, Bandar Killa, Chuppan Chupai (Hide-and-seek), Stapu (Hopscotch), Bantay (Marbles), pugan pugai, French cricket, Kings (card game), Yassu Panju, Snooker, Pitho Garam, Baraf Paani (Tag (game), Dodgeball, chiri uri kawa ura, Carrom, Ludo (board game) and sometimes one form of martial arts known as Gatka is also taken as a form of sports.

Punjabi folk tales

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

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. Most villages are centred around extended families, sharing common patrilineal ancestry.

See also

• Punjab region
• Punjabi culture
• Punjabi language
• Punjabi cuisine
• Music of Punjab
• Punjabi dance
• Punjabi folklore
• Punjabi press
• History of the Punjab

References and further reading

• Mohini Gupta, Encyclopaedia of Punjabi Culture & History - Vol. 1 (Window on Punjab) [Hardcover], ISBN 978-81-202-0507-9
• Iqbal Singh Dhillion, Folk Dances of Punjab ISBN 978-81-7116-220-8
• Punjabi Culture: Punjabi Language, Bhangra, Punjabi People, Karva Chauth, Kila Raipur Sports Festival, Lohri, Punjabi Dhabha, ISBN 978-1-157-61392-3
• Kamla C. Aryan, Cultural Heritage of Punjab ISBN 978-81-900002-9-1
• Shafi Aqeel, Popular Folk Tales from the Punjab ISBN 978-0-19-547579-1
• Online Book of Punjabi Folk Tales, http://archive.org/stream/KamalKahanisaeedBhuttaABookOnPunjabiFolktales/KamalKahaniReviewByHassnainGhayoor#page/n0/mode/2up
• Punjabi Wedding Songs http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/boliyan-book/id464162568?mt=8
• Colloquial Panjabi: The Complete Course for Beginners (Colloquial Series) ISBN 978-0-415-10191-2
• A website dedicated to Punjabi Language ( Shahmukhi and Gurmukhi Scripts) http://www.apnaorg.com/
• Gilmartin, David. Empire and Islam: Punjab and the Making of Pakistan. Univ of California Press (1988), ISBN 0-520-06249-3.
• Grewal, J.S. and Gordon Johnson. The Sikhs of the Punjab (The New Cambridge History of India). Cambridge University Press; Reprint edition (1998), ISBN 0-521-63764-3.
• Punjab Digital Library http://www.panjabdigilib.org
• Denzil Ibbetson, Punjab Castes: Race, Castes and Tribes of the People of Punjab. Cosmo Publications, ISBN 81-7020-458-5.
• Ibbetson, Denzil, (2002). Panjab castes. Low Price Publications. ISBN 81-7536-290-1.
• Latif, Syed. History of the Panjab. Kalyani (1997), ISBN 81-7096-245-5.
• Rose, H.A. Denzil Ibbetson, Edward Maclagan (reprint 1990). Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province. Asian Educational Services, India, ISBN 81-206-0505-5.
• Sekhon, Iqbal S. The Punjabis : The People, Their History, Culture and Enterprise. Delhi, Cosmo, 2000, 3 Vols., ISBN 81-7755-051-9.
• Singh, Gurharpal. Ethnic Conflict in India : A Case-Study of Punjab. Palgrave Macmillan (2000).
• Singh, Gurharpal (Editor) and Ian Talbot (Editor). Punjabi Identity: Continuity and Change. South Asia Books (1996), ISBN 81-7304-117-2.
• Singh, Khushwant. A History of the Sikhs - Volume 1.Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-562643-5
• Steel, Flora Annie. Tales of the Punjab : Told by the People (Oxford in Asia Historical Reprints). Oxford University Press, USA; New Ed edition (2002), ISBN 0-19-579789-2.
• Tandon, Prakash and Maurice Zinkin. Punjabi Century 1857-1947, University of California Press (1968), ISBN 0-520-01253-4.
• Vorlage:Loc Pakistan, India
• DNA boundaries in South and Southwest Asia, BMC Genetics 2004, 5:26
• Ethnologue Eastern Panjabi
• Ethnologue Western Panjabi
• Indian Census
• Pakistan Census
• The Genetic Heritage of the Earliest Settlers Persists Both in Indian Tribal and Caste Populations, Am. J. Hum. Genet. 72:313–332, 2003
• Gurbachan Talib: [[Muslim League Attack on Sikhs and Hindus in the Punjab 1947]]. Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, India 1950. Online 1 Online 2 Online 3 (A free copy of this book can be read from any 3 of the included "Online Sources" of this free “Online Book”)
• The Legacy of The Punjab by R. M. Chopra, 1997, Punjabee Bradree, Calcutta.
• http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/2891/11/11_chapter%204.pdf

External links

• Peoples and Languages in Pre-Islamic Indus Valley
• Free Punjabi (Gurmukhi) Primer - Especially designed for those who know English
• Punjabi Links