Portal:Punjab

The Punjab Portal

Portal topics: Activities; Culture; Geography; Health; History; Mathematics; Nature; People; Philosophy; Religion; Society; Technology; Random portal

Introduction

P:PA

Punjab (/pʌnˈdʒɑːb, -ˈdʒæb, ˈpʊn-/; Punjabi: [pə̞ɲˈdʒäːb] ^ⓘ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb), also known as the Land of the Five Rivers, is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern-Pakistan and northwestern-India. Punjab's major cities are Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Sialkot, Chandigarh, Shimla, Jalandhar, Patiala, Gurugram, and Bahawalpur.

Punjab grew out of the settlements along the five rivers, which served as an important route to the Near East as early as the ancient Indus Valley civilization, dating back to 3000 BCE, followed by migrations of the Indo-Aryan peoples. Agriculture has been the chief economic feature of the Punjab and formed the foundation of Punjabi culture. The Punjab emerged as an important agricultural region, especially following the Green Revolution during the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, and has been described as the "breadbasket of both India and Pakistan."

Punjab's history is a tapestry of conflict, marked by the rise of indigenous dynasties and empires. Following Alexander the Great's invasion in the 4th century BCE, Chandragupta Maurya allied with Punjabi republics to establish the Maurya Empire. Successive reigns of the Indo-Greek Kingdom, Kushan Empire, and Indo-Scythians followed, but were ultimately defeated by Eastern Punjab Janapadas such as the Yaudheya, Trigarta Kingdom, Audumbaras, Arjunayanas, and Kuninda Kingdom. In the 5th and 6th centuries CE, Punjab faced devastating Hunnic invasions, yet the Vardhana dynasty emerged triumphant, ruling over Northern India. The 8th century CE witnessed the Hindu Shahis rise, known for defeating the Saffarid dynasty and the Samanid Empire. Concurrently, the Tomara dynasty and Katoch Dynasty controlled eastern Punjab, resisting Ghaznavid invasions. Islam took hold in Western Punjab under Ghaznavid rule. The Delhi Sultanate then succeeded the Ghaznavids in which the Tughlaq dynasty and Sayyid dynasty Sultans are described as Punjabi origin. The 15th century saw the emergence of the Langah Sultanate in south Punjab, acclaimed for its victory over the Lodi dynasty. After the Mughal Empire's decline in the 18th century, Punjab experienced a period of anarchy. In 1799 CE, the Sikh Empire established its rule, undertaking conquests into Kashmir and Durrani Empire held territories, shaping the diverse and complex history of Punjab.

The boundaries of the region are ill-defined and focus on historical accounts and thus the geographical definition of the term "Punjab" has changed over time. In the 16th century Mughal Empire the Punjab region was divided into three, with the Lahore Subah in the west, the Delhi Subah in the east and the Multan Subah in the south. Under the British Raj until the Partition of India in 1947, the Punjab Province encompassed the present Indian states and union territories of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, and Delhi, and the Pakistani regions of Punjab, and Islamabad Capital Territory.

The predominant ethnolinguistic group of the Punjab region are the Punjabi people, who speak the Indo-Aryan Punjabi language. Punjabi Muslims are the majority in West Punjab (Pakistan), while Punjabi Sikhs are the majority in East Punjab (India). Other religious groups include Hinduism, Christianity, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, and Ravidassia. (Full article...)

More about Punjab...

Refresh with new selections below (purge)

edit

Selected article - show another

Punjabi festivals are various festive celebrations observed by the Punjabis, originating in the Punjab region. The Punjabis are religiously a diverse and that affects the festivals they observe. According to a 2007 estimate, a total of ∼75% percent of the Punjabi population is Muslim, accounting about 90 million people, with 97% of Punjabis who live in Pakistan following Islam, in contrast to the remaining 30 million Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus who predominantly live in India.

The Punjabi Muslims typically observe the Islamic festivals, do not observe Hindu or Sikh religious festivals, and in Pakistan the official holidays recognize only the Islamic festivals. The Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus typically do not observe these, and instead observe historic festivals such as Lohri, Basant and Vaisakhi as seasonal festivals. The Sikh and Hindu festivals are regional official holidays in India, as are major Islamic festivals. Other seasonal Punjabi festivals in India include Teejon (Teeyan) and Maghi. Teeyan is also known as festival of women, as women enjoy it with their friends. On the day of maghi people fly kites and eat their traditional dish khichdi. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

edit

General images

Image 1The charge of the British 16th Lancers at Aliwal on 28 January 1846, during the First Anglo-Sikh War (from Sikh Empire)
Image 2The expanding Sikh Empire in 1809. The Cis-Sutlej states are visible south of the Sutlej River (from Sikh Empire)
Image 3Ranjit Singh, c. 1830. (from Sikh Empire)
Image 4Map of the Punjab Province (British India) (from Punjab)
Image 5Ranjit Singh holding court in 1838 (from Sikh Empire)
Image 6Gujjars in Delhi (c. 1859–1869) (from Punjab)
Image 7Contemporary painting of the Battle of Sobraon in 1846. (from Sikh Empire)
Image 8Nanakshahi coins of the Sikh Empire (from Sikh Empire)
Image 9Arains in Lahore (1868) (from Punjab)
Image 10Sikh warrior helmet with butted mail neckguard, 1820–1840, iron overlaid with gold with mail neckguard of iron and brass (from Sikh Empire)
Image 11Map of the Multan Province of the Sikh Empire, Herbert B. Edwardes, 1848–49 (from Sikh Empire)
Image 12Silver copper coin of Khizr Khan, founder of the Sayyid dynasty (from Punjab)
Image 13
The dominant mother tongue in each District of Pakistan, according to the 2017 Pakistan Census
(from Punjab)
Image 14Tarkhans in Lahore (c. 1862–1872) (from Punjab)
Image 15Maharaja Ranjit Singh seeking the sanctuary of Guru Nanak, ca.1830 (from Sikh Empire)
Image 16Detail from ‘Darbar (royal court) of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’, gouache, ca.1850 (from Sikh Empire)
Image 17Arora in Lahore (c. 1862–1872) (from Punjab)
Image 18Brahmin in Lahore (c. 1799–1849) (from Punjab)
Image 19Illustration of Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire (from Punjab)
Image 20
Ranjit Singh listening to Guru Granth Sahib being recited near the Akal Takht and Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India.
(from Sikh Empire)
Image 21Rajputs in Delhi (1868) (from Punjab)
Image 22The snow-covered Himalayas (from Punjab)
Image 23Rig Veda, the oldest known Hindu text, originated in the Punjab region. (from Punjab)
Image 24Jats in Delhi (1868) (from Punjab)
Image 25Kumhars in Lahore (c. 1859–1869) (from Punjab)
Image 26Left to right: Gurkha, Brahmin and Shudra (Chuhra-Chamar) in Shimla (1868) (from Punjab)
Image 27The Samadhi of Ranjit Singh is located in Lahore, Pakistan, adjacent to the iconic Badshahi Mosque (from Sikh Empire)
Image 28Taxila in Pakistan is a World Heritage Site. (from Punjab)
Image 29One of the first known kings of ancient Punjab, King Porus, fought against Alexander the Great. His surrender is depicted in this 1865 engraving by Alonzo Chappel. (from Punjab)
Image 30Maharaja Ranjit Singh holding court outside near the Golden Temple in Amritsar with everyone dressed in Basant (yellow) (from Sikh Empire)
Image 31The Indian subcontinent in 1805. (from Sikh Empire)
Image 32Map showing the Punjabi Sikh Empire (from Punjab)
Image 33Two late 19th century drawings of Sikh troops in action against British forces during the Anglo-Sikh Wars (from Sikh Empire)
Image 34A letter sent from the King of France, Louis-Philippe to Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Ranjit Singh is addressed as “Rendjit Sing Bahador – Padichah du Pendjab”. 27 October 1835 (from Sikh Empire)

edit

Selected biography - show another

Company School portrait painting of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Lucknow, Awadh, ca.1810–20

Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839) was the founder and first maharaja of the Sikh Empire, ruling from 1801 until his death in 1839. He ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He survived smallpox in infancy but lost sight in his left eye. He fought his first battle alongside his father at age 10.

After his father died around Ranjit's early teenage years, Ranjit subsequently fought several wars to expel the Afghans throughout his teenage years. At the age of 21, he was proclaimed the "Maharaja of Punjab". His empire grew in the Punjab region under his leadership through 1839. (Full article...)

List of selected biographies
Guru Gobind Singh Guru Nanak Porus Bulleh Shah Manmohan Singh Harjit Sajjan Abdus Salam Jagmeet Singh Banda Singh Bahadur Jind Kaur Sophia Duleep Singh Bhagat Singh Har Gobind Khorana Abdus Salam Guru Tegh Bahadur

edit

Selected picture - show another

Darbar (court) of Maharaja Ranjit Singh during the Panjab Empire
Credit: Edwin Binney

More information...

More selected pictures

edit

Some topics

edit

Related portals

edit

Notice board

Punjabi wikipedians' noticeboard

edit

WikiProject Punjab

WikiProject Punjab was formed to foster better articles on the region of Punjab with a spirit of cooperation. The project is a home base that provides a place for Wikipedians (editors) to discuss issues, while share information and resources regarding improvements to Punjabi related articles, which can be discussed at the project's talk page. To join WikiProject Punjab (anyone may join), simply list your username on the members page. Editors are also encouraged to participate in the more regional and/or topic specific WikiProject 's as listed below.

edit