History of Punjabis

[ghazi52]

Punjabis are originally from the region of Punjab, which is located in both India and Pakistan. The Punjabi people have a rich cultural heritage and have contributed significantly to the history and culture of the Indian subcontinent.

Punjabis derive their name from a geographical, historical, and cultural region located in the northwest of the Indian sub-continent. "Punjab" comes from the Persian words panj (five) and ab (river) and means "Land of the Five Rivers." It was the name used for the lands to the east of the Indus River drained by its five tributaries (the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej). Culturally, the Punjab extends beyond this area to include parts of the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, the foothills of the Himalayas, and the northern fringes of the Thar (Great Indian) Desert in Rājasthān.

The Punjab is an ancient center of culture in the Indian subcontinent. It lay within the bounds of the Harappan civilization, the sophisticated urban culture that flourished in the Indus Valley during the 3rd millennium bc. Harappa, one of the two great cities of this civilization, was located on the Ravi River in what is now Pakistan's Punjab Province. The Punjab has also been one of the great thoroughfares of South Asian history. Aryan-speaking nomadic tribes descended from the mountain passes in the northwest to settle on the plains of the Punjab around 1700 bc. Subsequently, Persians, Greeks, Huns, Turks and Afghans were among the many peoples who entered the Indian subcontinent through the northwestern passes and left their mark on the region. Punjabis, who are of Aryan or Indo-European stock, are the modern descendants of the many peoples that passed through the region.

At times in the past, the Punjab and its population have enjoyed a distinct political identity as well as a cultural one. During the 16th and 17th centuries ad, the region was administered as a province of the Moghul Empire. As recently as the 19th century, much of the area was united under the Sikh state of Ranjit Singh. Britain administered the Punjab as a province of its Indian Empire. However, the redrawing of political boundaries in 1947 saw the Punjab divided between India and Pakistan. Punjabis, despite their common cultural heritage, are now either Indians or Pakistanis by nationality.

 

[ghazi52]

Punjabis number about 120 million people, of whom around 90 million live in the Pakistan Punjab and just over 30 million in the Indian state of Punjab. Migrant Punjabis form important communities in Indian cities, such as Delhi, as well as overseas in Southeast and East Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, and North America. Punjab Province in Pakistan includes virtually all of the Punjab (i.e., West Punjab) that was assigned to Pakistan in 1947. The Indian Punjab (East Punjab) State extended from the international border with Pakistan to Delhi. In 1966, however, agitation for a Punjabi-speaking state saw the creation of the present Punjab State. This is less than half the size of the former East Punjab and only 14% of the area of the undivided Punjab. The location of India's Punjab State along the border with Pakistan and only some 40 km (25 mi) from the city of Lahore, gives it great strategic significance.

The Punjab is an agricultural region and Punjabis, whether in India or Pakistan, share the agrarian social structure based on caste that is found throughout South Asia. The Jats, mainly landowners (zamindars) and cultivators, are the largest caste in the Punjab. Other agricultural castes include Rājputs, Arains, Awans, and Gujars. Among the lower-ranked service and artisan castes are the Lohars, Tarkhans, and Chamars.

The homeland of the Punjabis lies on the plains of the upper Indus Valley, covering an area of roughly 270,000 sq km (104,200 sq mi). It stretches from the Salt Ranges in the north to the fringes of the Thar Desert in the southeast. The western margins lie along the base of Pakistan's Sulaiman Range.

The Shiwaliks, the outer foothills of the Himalayas, define the Punjab's eastern boundary. The region is a vast alluvial plain, drained by the Indus River and its tributaries. In the northeast, the plain lies at around 300 m (just under 1,000 ft) above sea level, but it declines to under 75 m (250 ft) in elevation along the Indus River in the south. The hills bordering the plain exceed 1,200 m (approximately 4,000 ft) in the Shiwaliks and 1,500 m (approximately 5,000 ft) in the Salt Range.

The Punjab experiences a subtropical climate, with hot summers and cool winters. The mean temperature for June is 34°c (93°f), with daily maximums often rising much higher. The mean maximum temperature for Lahore in June is 46°c (115°f). Dust storms are a common feature of the hot weather. The mean January temperature is 13°c (55°f), although minimums drop close to freezing and hard frosts are common. Rainfall varies from 125 cm (approximately 49 in) in the hills in the northeast to no more than 20 cm (8 in) in the arid southwest. Precipitation has a monsoonal pattern, falling mainly in the summer months. However, weather systems from the northwest bring valuable amounts of rain in the winter.

 

[ghazi52]

Punjabi is the name of the language, as well as of the inhabitants, of the Punjab region. Punjabi belongs to the Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family.

In Pakistan, Punjabi is written using the Perso-Arabic script introduced to the region during the Muslim conquests. Punjabis in India use the Lahnda script, which is related to Devanagari, or the Gurmukhi script in which the Sikh sacred books are written. Punjabi is spoken by two-thirds of the population of Pakistan.

In India, Punjabi is the mother tongue of just under 3% of the population. Punjabi was raised to the status of one of India's official languages in 1966.

There are six major dialects of Punjabi localized on the doabs, the areas lying between the rivers, which tend to be cultural and historical as well as geographical regions. Majhii, one of the more important dialects, is spoken in the region of the cities of Lahore and Amritsar. The other important Punjabi dialects are Malwa, Doabi, Powadhi, Dogri, and Bhattiani.

To the west, Punjabi gives way to Lahnda, which is also known as Western Punjabi. Urdu, rather than Punjabi, is favored by city dwellers in Pakistan. Seraiki, sometimes called Multani, is a Punjabi dialect (some say it is a separate language) spoken by some 30 million people in Pakistan in the southern Punjab and northern Sindh. Like Punjabi, it is written in the Perso-Arabic script, the Gurmuki script, or the Devanagari script.

 

[ghazi52]

Punjabis have a rich mythology and folklore that includes folk tales, songs, ballads, epics, and romances. Much of the folk tradition is an oral one, passed on through the generations by traditional peasant singers, mystics, and wandering gypsies. Many folk tales are sung to the accompaniment of music.

There are songs for birth and marriage, love songs, songs of war, and songs glorifying legendary heroes of the past. The Mahiya is a romantic song of the Punjab. Sehra Bandi is a marriage song, and Mehndi songs are sung when henna (a red dye) is being applied to the bride and groom in preparation for marriage.

Heera Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban are folk romances known in every household in the Punjab.

Wandering Sufiholy men, such as Bullhe Shah, are well known in the Punjab for their poetry and music. They contributed a verse form that became distinctive of Punjabi literature.

The mixture of Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim themes in Punjabi folklore mirrors the presence of these different religious traditions in the region.

 

[ghazi52]

The religious composition of the Punjabis reflects the Punjab's long and varied history. Early Hinduism took shape in the Punjab, Buddhism flourished in the region, and Muslims wielded political power in the area for nearly six centuries. Sikhism had its origins in the Punjab, which saw the existence of Sikh states that survived until the middle of the 20th century.

Sikhism was a syncretic religion combining the monotheism of Islam with many of the social features of Hinduism. Althought its founder, Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1539), preached for a classless society and the equality of women, Sikhs have to all intents and purposes adopted the Hindu caste system and treat women in a similar manner. Born into a Hindu caste in a village in the Punjab (now in Pakistan), Nanak founded a religion that today has most of its adherents in the Punjab. The British annexed the Punjab in the 19th century and introduced Christianity to the region. Thus, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Christianity are all represented among the Punjabi population.

Religious distributions in the Punjab were the result of historical processes at work over many centuries. These patterns were, however, dramatically altered by the mass migrations that accompanied the creation of India and Pakistan in 1947. Hindus and Sikhs fled Pakistan for India, while Muslims traveled in the other direction seeking refuge in Pakistan. Communal strife at this time between Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims left as many as 1 million people dead. Today, Punjab Province in Pakistan is 97% Muslim and 2% Christian, with small numbers of Hindus and other groups in the population. Sikhs account for 63.9% of the people in India's Punjab State, while 34.7% are Hindu and roughly 1% each are Muslim and Christian. Small numbers of Buddhists, Jains, and other groups are also present.

 

[ghazi52]

Festivals in the Punjab are communal events shared by the entire community, no matter what their religion. Many are seasonal or agricultural festivals. Thus, Basant, when the mustard fields are yellow, marks the end of the cold weather.

Punjabis celebrate by wearing yellow clothes, organizing kite-flying, and feasting. Holi is the great spring festival of India and a time for much gaiety, throwing of colored water and colored powder, and visiting friends and relatives. Vaisakh (Baisakh), in April, marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year and also is of special importance for Sikhs, as it commemorates the founding of the Sikh Khalsa. Tij marks the beginning of the rainy season and is a time when girls set up swings, wear new clothes, and sing special songs to mark the occasion. Dasahara, Diwali, and other festivals of the Hindu calendar are celebrated with much enthusiasm. The Sikhs have their "gurpurbs," holidays associated with the lives of the Gurus, while Muslims commemorate the festivals of Muharram, Id-ul-Fitr, and Bakr-Id.

 

[ghazi52]

Punjabi rites of passage follow the customs of the community to which a person belongs. Thus, among Muslims, the mullah, or priest, will visit a house within three days of the birth of a male child to recite holy words, including the Call to Prayer, in the baby's ear. The traditional period of impurity after child-birth ends with a fast. The child is named in consultation with the mullah. Males undergo circumcision (sunnat) any time before 12 years of age. Sikh birth rituals are simpler, with the child being taken to the temple for offerings, prayers, and the naming ceremony.

The Adi Granth, the sacred book of the Sikhs, is opened at random and the parents choose a name that begins with the first letter of the first word on the left-hand page. An important ceremony for the Sikhs, however, is the baptism or initiation into the Sikh religion. This usually takes place in the late teenage years. For Hindus, it is important that a child be born at an auspicious time.

A Brahman priest is consulted and, if the time of birth is deemed unfavorable, special ceremonies are held to counter any harmful consequences that might result from this. In the past, a mother remained in isolation for a period of 40 days, though this custom is beginning to disappear. The ritual shaving of the head of the child is usually performed during the first five years of the child's life.

At death, Muslims wrap the corpse in white cloth before taking it to the mosque. White is the color of mourning throughout South Asia. At the mosque, the mullah reads the holy words over the body, which is then buried in the graveyard. Sometimes a stone slab is placed on the grave and each of the mourners places a handful of earth on the grave. This symbolizes the breaking of the link with the deceased. The mullah prays for the dead for three days. Hindus and Sikhs cremate their dead. On the fourth day after cremation, Hindus collect the ashes and charred remains of bones from the funeral pyre and immerse them in the sacred Ganges River, at Haridwar if possible. Sikhs usually immerse the ashes at Kiratpur Sahib, on the River Sutlej.

 

[ghazi52]

Punjabi villages are compact nucleated settlements, with houses clustered around a mosque, temple, or gurdwara. Typically, the houses on the outside edge of the village are constructed so as to present the appearance of a walled settlement with few points of access. The main entrance to a village is through an arched gateway called a darwaza (door or gate), which is also a meeting place for the village. Houses are built close together, often sharing common walls, with rooms built around a central courtyard where animals are tethered and agricultural implements are stored. Most villages are made up of the various communities that are essential to a functioning agricultural economy-landowners, cultivators, artisans, and service castes.

The prosperity brought to the Punjab by the agricultural advances of the Green Revolution in the late 1960s and 1970s is clearly seen in local housing and creature comforts. In the Indian Punjab, houses are now built of brick, village streets are often paved, and every village has electricity. Households commonly have comfortable furniture, ceiling fans for the hot summers, and conveniences like telephones, radios, televisions, and even refrigerators. Many farmers have tractors. Scooters and motorcycles are common, and the more affluent families have cars and jeeps. Although the Pakistani Punjab has not achieved quite the same levels of prosperity, it too is a fertile agricultural region, and Punjabis enjoy some of the highest standards of living in Pakistan. However, being of a considerably larger size, there are areas lacking the transportation infrastructure and amenities that characterize the rest of the province.

 

[ghazi52]

Family Life

Caste, or jati, is the most important social grouping among Punjabis, defining social relations, marriage pools, and often occupation. Castes exist even among Muslims and Sikhs, whose religions specifically deny the legitimacy of the caste system. Castes are divided into numerous gots or clans, which are exogamous social units. One cannot marry into the gots of any of one's four grandparents. Among Muslims, castes are known as qaums or zats, but at the village level it is the biradari, or patrilineage, that is the more significant social unit. All males who can trace their lineage to a common ancestor belong to the same biradari, and all members of the biradari are regarded as kin. Members of a biradari often put up a united front in village affairs and disputes, for they share a sense of collective honor and identity.

The family is the primary unit of Punjabi society. The joint family dominates, with sons and their wives and children, along with any unmarried offspring, living in the household of the parents. The men have the responsibility of overseeing the agricultural or business activities of the family. Women, under the direction of the mother-in-law or senior wife, see to the running of the household, food preparation, and the care and raising of children. Among peasant cultivators, women as well as men participate in agricultural activities. Both men and women from laboring castes work for hire, as agricultural workers or at other manual labor.

Marriage and the bearing of children are expected of women in Punjabi society. Marriages are arranged by the parents of the boy and girl, though each community follows its own marriage rituals and customs. Among Muslims, for instance, the best match is considered to be a marriage between first cousins. The months of Ramadan and Muharram are avoided as marriage dates, the former being a month of fasting and the latter being a period of ritual mourning. The Muslim marriage ceremony is termed the Nikah ceremony. The girl is given a dowry, which explicitly remains her property.

Hindu Punjabis seek marriage partners according to the limitations of caste endogamy and clan exogamy. Dowry is an important factor in negotiating a Hindu marriage. Hindu rituals include the traditional journey of the barāt (marriage party) to the bride's house, the garlanding of the bride and groom, and the ritual walking around the sacred fire. Sikhs, on the other hand, do not give or take dowries and solemnize their marriages before the Granth, their sacred book. In all communities, however, residence is patrilocal-the new bride moves into the home of her husband's family.

Different Punjabi communities have different customs regarding divorce and remarriage. Although Islam has provisions for a man to divorce his wife, in rural society divorce is intensely disapproved of and there are strong social pressures against it. Nor do Muslims approve of widow remarriage. Sikhs do not permit divorce, but do allow widow remarriage. Widow remarriage is not common among Hindus, although Jats permit the union between a widow and the younger brother of her husband. Divorce is not customary among Hindus, although there are ways in which marriages can be informally brought to an end.

 

[ghazi52]

Punjabis in Pakistan are subject to the chronic political instability that affects the state. Punjabis, who are the most populous group in the state, are viewed by other peoples as dominating the state of Pakistan, and Nawaz Sharif, Benazir Bhutto's chief protagonist until her assassination in December 2007, has had his power base in the Punjab.

The radicalism associated with militant Islam and Pakistan's (apparently reluctant) involvement in the West's War on Terror is a cause of social problems, as is sectarian conflict and both internal and external disputes over water resources. The dispute with Sindh Province over the use of the waters of the Indus River and its tributaries extends back to the middle of the 19th century, but Pakistan's Water and Power Development Authority's (WAPDA) proposed plan known as Vision-2025 will essentially give Punjab Province control of the Indus' waters, extremely important in a country irrigated agriculture is the dominant economic activity.

 

[ghazi52]

When the Punjab was partitioned between India and Pakistan in 1947, a bone of contention remained which country had the right to use the waters of the Indus River and its tributaries. This issue was finally resolved by the Indus Waters Treaty, signed between the two countries in 1960. The Treaty provided that the waters of the contested rivers, the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej would be for the exclusive use of India.

However, India would have to make a one-time financial payment to Pakistan as compensation for the loss of water from the rivers in India. The countries also agreed to exchange data and co-operate in matters related to the treaty, creating the Permanent Indus Commission, with a commissioner appointed by each country.

 

[ghazi52]

The Punjabis, are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group associated with the Punjab region, comprising areas of eastern Pakistan and northwestern India.
They generally speak Standard Punjabi or various Punjabi dialects on both sides.
Languages spoken: Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu

Australia: 132,496 (2017)
Bangladesh: 23,700 (2019)
Canada: 942,170 (2021)
Germany: 18,000 (2020)
New Zealand: 34,227 (2018)
Pakistan: 108,586,959 (2022)

 

[ghazi52]

Porus

A Punjabi king who fought bravely against Alexander of Macedon. Defeating him was one of Alexander's most difficult conquests, and out of respect for Porus he employed him as a satrapy over the area.

The difficulty of the battle also seems to have caused the Macedonian soldier's reluctancy to fight any further, to the point where they almost started a mutiny.

This resulted in Alexander being forced to end his campaign of expansion.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Porus

Kautilya

A famous philosopher from Taxila who tutored Chandragupta Maurya, and held a key position in the Mauryan Empire. He is often compared to Aristotle and Plato.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kautilya

Sarang Khan

He was a powerful ruler of Nothern Punjab who fought alongside Babur during his conquests of Hindustan. He obtained the title of Sultan for his efforts. When Sher Shah Suri usurped Babur's son Humayun, Sarang fought against him bravely, and Sher Shah Suri was never able to subdue his people even after skinning Sarang himself.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Sarang_Khan

Wazir Khan

A Punjabi who acted as Shah Jahan's physician. He was also a Mughal noble and chief Qazi of Lahore for quite some time during Mughal rule. He founded Wazirabad and Wazir Khan Masjid is named after him.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wazir_Khan_(Lahore)

Shahbaz Khan

A Punjabi who fought as a general under Akbar. He participated in some of the most difficult battles during Akbar's reign, and annexed large amounts of Hindustan. He was also a highly religious Muslim, keeping a long beard and regularly praying.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shahbaz_Khan_Kamboh

Abdullah Bhatti

He rebelled against Mughal emeperor Akbar, and is often compared to Robin Hood due to his social banditry. Many folklore tales speak highly of his deeds. When he was hung, his last words that were uttered were "No honourable son of Punjab will ever sell the soil of Punjab".

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dulla_Bhatti

Fateh Muhammad

Worked as a commander in Aurangzeb's army. He was also the father of Hyder Ali, who was the father of Tipu Sultan.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fath_Muhammad

Mukarrab Khan

A powerful chieftain of nothern Punjab who fought alongside Nader Shah during his conquests of the Mughal Empire. He was awarded the title of Nawab for his efforts and was allowed to retain control of his kingdom. He then expanded it to include much of nothern Pakistan before being defeated by the Sikh Empire. Even then, his people continued to rebel against the Sikhs.

http://firdosh101.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/history-of-gakhars.html?m=1

 

[ghazi52]

Rajputs

The Rajputs are a famous tribe that exist across Pakistan and Hindustan. They are well known for being good soldiers as well as fierce resistors to any attempt to conquer them.

In terms of origin, the Rajputs are widely regarded as an amalgamation of many of the different ruling clans across Hindustan during the Islamic era. They are closely related to Jats and Gujjars, sharing many clans with them (e.g the Tors).

There have been many famous Rajputs throughout history, such as Jam Nizammudin (Sultan of Sindh), Shabbir Sharif (Nishan-e-Haider recipient), Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (Pakistani PM), Isa Khan (Bengali chieftain), etc. The Rajputs have also founded many dynasties throughout history, such as the Samma dynasty or Muzaffarid dynasty. They also make up a significant proportion of the Pakistani military.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajput
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Rajput

 

[ghazi52]

Awans

They are regarded as being of either Arab or Rajput origin, and dwell within every province of the country in fairly significant numbers, other than Gilgit-Baltistan. The tribe itself would have likely originally formed in its current state in northern Punjab, making them one of the few tribes of the Punjab that can be counted as at least somewhat native in origin.

The Awans have historically been land-owners and soldiers, with a strong martial history and a good representation among the Pakistani armed forces. French political scientist Christophe Jaffrelot (who specialises in Pakistan and Hindustan) had this to say about them:

"The Awan deserve close attention, because of their historical importance and, above all, because they settled in the west, right up to the edge of Baluchi and Pashtun territory. Legend has it that their origins go back to Imam Ali and his second wife, Hanafiya. Historians describe them as valiant warriors and farmers who imposed their supremacy on their close kin the Janjuas in part of the Salt Range, and established large colonies all along the Indus to Sind, and a densely populated centre not far from Lahore."

Famous Awans would include Major Muhammad Akram Shaheed (Nishan-e-Haider recipient) and Major General Amir Faisal Alavi (FGO of the SSG).

Awan History - Awan History