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The Punjab or Panjab pronunciation (Punjabi/Urdu: پنجاب) province of Pakistan is the country's most populous region and is home to the Punjabis and various other groups. Neighbouring areas are Sindh to the south, Balochistan and the North West Frontier Province to the west, Pakistani administered Kashmir, Indian administered Kashmir and Islamabad to the north, and Indian Punjab and Rajasthan to the east. The main languages are Punjabi, Seraiki, and Urdu and the provincial capital is Lahore. The name Punjab literally translates from Persian into the words Panj (پنج), cognate with Sanskrit Pañca, meaning "five", and Āb (آب), cognate with Sanskrit Āp, meaning "water" respectively, which can be translated as "five water" (hence the name land of the five rivers), referring to the Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Chenab and Jhelum rivers. Part of the Indus also lies in Punjab, but it is not considered one of the "five" rivers.

Geography

Punjab is Pakistan's second largest province at 205,344 km² (79,284 square miles) and is located at the northwestern edge of the geologic Indian plate in South Asia. The provincial level-capital and main city of the Punjab is Lahore, which has been the historical capital of the region. Other important cities include Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, and Rawalpindi. The province is home to six rivers: the Indus, Beas, Sutlej, Chenab, Jhelum, Ravi. Nearly 60% of Pakistan's population lives in the Pakistani Punjab, it is the nation's only province that touches Balochistan, Afghania, Sindh and Azad Kashmir, and contains the federal enclave of the national capital city at Islamabad. This geographical poistion and a large multi-ethnic population strongly influence Punjab's outlook on National affairs and induce in Punjab a keen awareness of the problems of the Pakistan's other important provinces and territories. In the acronym P-A-K-I-S-T-A-N, the P is for PUNJAB.

The province is a mainly a fertile region along the river valleys, while sparse deserts can be found near the border with India and Balochistan. The region contains the Thar and Cholistan deserts. The Indus River and its many tributaries traverse the Punjab from north to south. The landscape is amongst the most heavily irrigated land on earth and canals can be found throughout the province. Weather extremes are notable from the hot and barren south to the cool hills of the north. The foothills of the Himalayas are found in the extreme north as well.

Climate

Most areas in Punjab experience fairly cool winters, often accompanied by rain. By mid-February the temperature begins to rise; springtime weather continues until mid-April, when the summer heat sets in.

The onset of the southwest monsoon is anticipated to reach Punjab by May, but since the early 1970s the weather pattern has been irregular. The spring monsoon has either skipped over the area or has caused it to rain so hard that floods have resulted. June and July are oppressively hot. Although official estimates rarely place the temperature above 46 °C, newspaper sources claim that it reaches 51 °C and regularly carry reports about people who have succumbed to the heat. Heat records were broken in Multan in June 1993, when the mercury was reported to have risen to 54 °C. In August the oppressive heat is punctuated by the rainy season, referred to as barsat, which brings relief in its wake. The hardest part of the summer is then over, but cooler weather does not come until late October.

Demographics and society

The population of the province is estimated to be 86,084,000 in 2005 and is home to over half the population of Pakistan. The major language spoken in the Punjab is Punjabi (which is written in Perso-Arabic script, known as Shahmukhi, in Pakistan) and Punjabis comprise the largest ethnic group (and overlap into neighbouring India). Punjabis themselves are a heterogeneous group comprising different tribes and communities, although caste in Pakistani Punjab has more to do with traditional occupations such as blacksmiths or artisans as opposed to rigid social stratifications.

The most important tribes within Punjab include the Gakhars, Jats, the Arain, the Gujjars and the Rajputs. Other smaller tribes are the: Awans, Rawns, and Maliks. In addition, there is a significant shift towards the usage of Urdu by the educated classes of the province as the Punjabis are the most ardent supporters of the nation-state of Pakistan and all of its national institutions. There is also a nationalist movement amongst the somewhat related Seraikis in the south of Punjab and many wish to see a separate the region into a new province of Seraikistan. Other smaller groups in the province include Hindko, Pakhtuns, Balochs, Kashmiris, Potohari and others.

The population of Punjab is over 99% Muslim with a Sunni majority and Shia minority. There are small non-Muslims groups of Hindus, Christians, and Sikhs, because of its strategic location in the Indian sub-continent, wave after wave of migrants poured into the area and settled on its fertile lands and today, although originally belonging to the Aryan stock, there has been some settlements of Iranians, Central Asians, and Afghans who have come individually or in groups.

The dialects spoken in different regions of the land have a common vocabulary and a shared heritage. The shared heritage also extends to a common faith, Islam. The people of Punjab have also a shared spiritual experience, which has been disseminated by Tassawwaf and can be witnessed on the occasion of the remembrance-fairs held on the Urs of Sufi Saints.

History

Indus Valley Civilization

It was formerly thought that the original inhabitants of the Indus Valley area were the present populations of South India who were displaced by Aryans invaders from the North West, however, recently the Aryan invasion theory has been largely discarded by most scholars. It is now generally accepted that the area of the Indus Valley Civilization has been continuously inhabited for thousands of years by the same general population stock as is presently found in the area of Punjab. The main site of the Indus Valley Civilization in Punjab was the city of Harrapa. The Indus Valley Civilization spanned much of what is today Pakistan and eventually evolved into Indo-Aryan civilization. The arrival of the Indo-Aryan led to the flourishing of the Vedic Civilization that extended from the ancient Sarasvati River to the Ganges river to the entire Indian Subcontinent around 1500 BCE. This civilization shaped subsequent cultures in South Asia. Due to its location, the Punjab region came under constant attack and influence from the west. Invaded by the Persians, Greeks , Kushans, Turks and Afghans, Punjab developed a unique culture that combined that of significant Persian and Central Asian influences, most notable today the influences of Islam.

The city of Taxila, reputed to house the oldest university in the world, Takshashila University, was established by the great Vedic thinker and politician Chanakya. Taxila was a great center of learning and intellectual discussion during the Hindu Maurya Empire. It is a UN World Heritage site, and revered for its archaeological and religious history.

Arrival of Islam

The Punjabis were predominantly Hindu with large minorities of Buddhists like the rest of South Asia, when Umayyad Muslim Arab army led by Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Punjab and Sind in 713. The predominant population of Punjab, and the rest of Pakistan, were converted to Islam but there were significant non-Muslim populations including Hindus and later Sikhs. During the reign of Mahmud of Ghazni, the province became an important centre and Lahore was made into a second capital of the Ghaznavid Empire.

The Mughals

The Mughals took control of the region from 1524 until 1739 and would also lavish the province with building projects such as the Shalimar Gardens and the Badshahi Mosque. The Muslim technocrats, bureaucrats, soldiers, traders, scientists, architects, teachers, theologians and Sufis flocked from the rest of the Muslim world to Islamic Sultanate in South Asia and many settled in the Punjab. Following the decline of the Mughals, Nadir Shah sacked the province in 1739 and then the Afghan conqueror Ahmad Shah Durrani annexed the province into his Durrani Empire from 1747 until 1762.

Reign of the Sikhs

During the Mughal period, the religion of Sikhism was born and emerged as a formidable military force, after fighting Ahmad Shah Durrani, Sikhs wrested control from his descendants and ruled in a confederacy, then later, led by Ranjit Singh. A denizen of the city of Gujranwala, city of Lahore was the capital and the Sikh made many Architectural contributions to the city and the Lahore Fort. The Maharaja's death in the summer of 1839 bought political chaos and the subsequent battles of succession and the bloody infighting between the factions at court weakened the state. This opportunity was used the British Empire to initiate the First Anglo-Sikh war, this lead to a British official being resident in Lahore and the annexation of territory south of the Beas to the British crown.

Post-independence

In 1947 the Punjab province of British India was divided along religious lines as the western Punjabis voted to join the new state of Pakistan while the easterners joined India. This led to massive rioting as both sides committed atrocities against fleeing refugees. However, today there remains strong emotional affection by their Punjabi counterparts on the Indian side, for the Punjabis in Pakistan. The province has rapidly industrialized and is the breadbasket of the country as well as home to the largest ethnic group in Pakistan, the Punjabis.

Government

The Provincial Assembly of the Punjab is unicameral and consists of 371 seats of which 2% are reserved for non-Muslims and 17% for women only.

Districts

There are 35 districts in Punjab, Pakistan.

Major cities

Main article:List of cities in Punjab (Pakistan)

Economy

Despite lack of a coastline, Punjab is the most industrialized province of Pakistan; its manufacturing industries produce textiles, sports goods, machinery, electrical appliances, surgical instruments, metals, bicycles and rickshaws, floor coverings, and processed foods. In 2003, the province manufactured 90% of the paper and paper boards, 71% of the fertilizers, 65% of the sugar and 40% of the cement of Pakistan.

Despite its dry climate, extensive irrigation makes it a rich agricultural region. Its canal-irrigation system established by the British is the largest in the world. Wheat and cotton are the largest crops. Other crops include rice, sugarcane, millet, corn, oilseeds, pulses, fruits, and vegetables. Livestock and poultry production are also important.

The province is playing also a leading role in agricultural production. It contributes about 68% to annual food grain production in the country. 51 million acres (210,000 km²) is cultivated and another 9.05 million acres (36,600 km²) are lying as cultivable waste in different parts of the province.

Cotton and rice are important crops. They are the cash crops that contribute substantially to the national exchequer. Attaining self-sufficiency in agriculture has shifted the focus of the strategies towards small and medium farming, stress on barani areas, farms-to-market roads, electrification for tube-wells and control of water logging and salinity.

Punjab has also more than 48 thousand industrial units. The small and cottage industries are in abundance. There are 39,033 small and cottage industrial units. The number of textile units is 11,820. The ginning industries are 6,778. There are 6,355 units for processing of agricultural raw materials including food and feed industries.

Lahore and Gujranwala Divisions have the largest concentration of small light engineering units. The district of Sialkot excels in sports goods, surgical instruments and cutlery goods.

Punjab is also a mineral rich province with extensive mineral deposits of coal, rock salt, dolomite, gypsum, and silica-sand. The Punjab Mineral Development Corporation is running over a dozen economically viable projects.

Education

The literacy rate has increased greatly since independence. In 2003, over 53% of the population of the province was estimated to be literate by the Labour Force Survey. It should be noted that the higher education market in Punjab is dominated by homeopathic medical colleges.

Major universities & colleges

• University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Faisalabad
• National Textile University, Faisalabad
• Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan
• Islamia University, Bahawalpur
• University of Punjab, Lahore
• Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore
• University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore
• University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore
• National College of Arts, Lahore
• Lahore College for Women University, Lahore
• Government College University, Lahore
• University of Education, Lahore
• Virtual University, Lahore
• University of Health Sciences, Lahore
• Institute of South Asia, Lahore
• University of Sargodha, Sargodha
• University of Gujrat, Gujrat
• University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila
• University of Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi
• Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi
• National University of Science and Technology, Rawalpindi
• Cadet College Hasan Abdal, Attock, Punjab
• Government Degree College Burewala, Burewala
• Government College Sahiwal, Sahiwal
• Murray College, Sialkot

Cultural heritage

Punjab has been the cradle of civilization since times immemorial. The ruins of Harappa show an advanced urban culture that flourished over 5000 years ago. Taxila, another historic landmark also stands out as a proof of the achievements of the area in learning, arts and crafts in bygone ages.

The structure of a mosque is simple and it expresses openness. Calligraphic inscriptions from the Holy Qur’an decorate mosques and mausoleums. The inscriptions on bricks and tiles of the mausoleum of Shah Rukn-e-Alam (1320 AD) at Multan are outstanding specimens of architectural calligraphy. The earliest existing building in South Asia with enamelled tile-work is the tomb of Shah Yusuf Gardezi (1150 AD) at Multan. A specimen of the sixteenth century tile-work at Lahore is the tomb of Sheikh Musa Ahangar, with its brilliant blue dome. The tile-work of Emperor Shah Jahan is of a richer and more elaborate nature. The pictured wall of Lahore Fort is the last line in the tile-work in the entire world.

Fairs & festivals

The culture of Punjab derives its basis from the institution of Sufi saints. The Sufi saints spread Islam and preached and lived the Muslim way of life. People have the funs and festivities to commemorate these traditions. The fairs and festivals of Punjab reflect the entire gamut of its folk life and cultural traditions. These mainly fall in three categories consisting of (i) religious & seasonal fairs/festivals, devotional fairs or Urs and industrial and commercial fairs.

Religious fairs are held on special days of Islamic significance like Muharram, Eid Milad-un-Nabi, Eid-ul-Fithr, Eid-ul-Azha and Shab-e-Brat. The main activities on these special occasions are confined to congregational prayers and rituals. Melas are also held to mark these occasions. The fairs held at the shrines of Sufi saints are called Urs. They generally mark the death anniversary of the saint. On these occasions devotees assemble in large numbers and pay homage to the memory of the saint. Soul inspiring music is played and devotees dance in ecstasy. The music on these occasions is essentially folk and appealing. It forms a part of the folk music through mystic messages. The most important Urs are: Urs of Data Ganj Bukhsh at Lahore, Urs of Hazrat Mian Mir at Lahore, Urs of Baba Farid Ganj Shakar at Pakpattan, Urs of Hazrat Bahaudin Zakria at Multan, Urs of Sakhi Sarwar Sultan at Dera Ghazi Khan, Urs of Shah Hussain at Lahore, Urs of Hazrat Bullehe Shah at Kasur and Urs of Hazrat Imam Bari (Bari Shah Latif) at Rawalpindi-Islamabad.

A big fair is organized at Jandiala Sher Khan in district Sheikhupura on the Mausoleum of Syed Waris Shah who is the most loved Sufi poet of Punjab due to his work known as Heer Ranjha.

Exhibitions and Annual Horse Shows in all Districts and National Horse and Cattle Show at Lahore are held with the official patronage. National Horse and Cattle Show at Lahore is the biggest festival where sports, exhibitions, and livestock competitions are held. It not only encourages and patronizes agricultural products and livestock through the exhibitions of agricultural products and cattle but is also a colourful documentary on the rich cultural heritage of the Province with its strong rural roots.

Arts & crafts

The crafts in the Punjab are of two types: the crafts produced in the rural areas and the royal crafts that flourished in the urban centres particularly in Lahore. The former include cotton textiles, basketry, embroidery etc. while the latter are tile and woodwork skills, ivory, silver and gold work, naqqashi and architectural crafts.

Hand knotted carpets of fine quality are made in Punjab since the Mughal period. Emperor Akbar in the 15th century established the first factory in Lahore. While carpets were made for the wealthy, rough rugs (known as namdas) were made by the common people for their own use. Lahore is the centre of hand-made carpets.

Since ancient times the weavers of the region have produced colourful fabrics of silk and cotton. The hand-woven cotton cloth like khaddar of Kamalia, are popular. The cloth woven on handlooms is either block printed or beautifully embroidered. Multan is famous for beautiful hand-woven bed covers.

Major attractions

The province is home to many well known historical sites including the Shalimar Gardens, the Badshahi Mosque, and the ruins of the ancient city of Harrapa. The Anarkali Market and Jahangir's Tomb are prominent in the city of Lahore as is the Lahore Museum, while the ancient city of Taxila in the northwest was once a major centre of Buddhism. Many important Sikh shrines are in the Pakistani portion of Punjab, including the birthplace of the first Guru: Guru Nanak (born at Nankana Sahib). There is also the largest salt mine in Asia situated the Khewra Salt Mines.

Punjabi music

Classical music forms are an important part of the cultural wealth of the Punjab. The Muslim musicians have contributed a large number of ragas to the repository of classical music.

Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bulleh Shah and Mian Muhammad, Waris Shah and folk singers like Sain Marna and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Inyat Hussain Bhatti, Mansoor Malangi, Allah Ditta Lunewala, Talib Hussain Dard, Gamoo Tahliwala, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of the Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.

For the popular taste, however, light music, particularly Ghazals and folk songs, which have an appeal of their own, the names of Mehdi Hasan, Ghulam Ali, Nur Jehan, Malika Pukhraj , Farida Khanum, Roshen Ara Begum and great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan are well-known Folk songs and dances of the Punjab reflect a wide range of moods: the rains, sowing and harvesting seasons. Luddi,Bhangrah and Sammin depict the joy of living. Love legends of Hir Ranjha, Mirza Sahiban, Sohni Mahenwal and Saiful Muluk are sung in different styles.

Folklore

The folk heritage of the Punjab is the traditional urge of thousands of years of its history. While Urdu is the official language of the Province, there are a number of local dialects through which the people communicate. These include Majhi, Jhangochi or Jangli, Pothohari, Seraiki, Jatki, Hindko, Chhachhi, Doabi and Derewali. The songs, ballads, epics and romances are generally written and sung in these dialects.

There are a number of folk tales that are popular in different parts of Punjab. These are the folk tales of Mirza Sahiban, Saiful Maluk, Yousuf Zulaikhan, Heer Ranjha, Sohni Mahiwal, Dulla Bhatti, Pooran Bhagat, and Sassi Punnun. The mystic folk songs include the Kafees of Khwaja Farid in Seraiki, Punjabi and Shalooks by Baba Farid Shakar Ganj. They also include baits, dohras, loris, Sehra, and Jugni. The most famous of the romantic love songs are Mayhiah, Dhola and Boliyan. Punjabi romantic dances include Dharees,Dhamaal, Bhangra, Giddha, Dhola, and Sammi.

Social issues

The Punjab is the most stable province of Pakistan as Punjabis comprise the largest ethnic group in the country and thus dominate much of the nation by sheer numbers. Aside from some Siraiki unrest, the province has had few problems.

One social/educational issue is the status of Punjabi language. According to Dr.Manzur Ejaz, "In Central Punjab, Punjabi is neither an official language of the province nor it is used as medium of education at any level. There are only two daily newspaper published in Punjabi in Central Punjab. Only a few monthly literary magazines constitute Punjabi press in Pakistan"

Punjabis are prominent in business, agriculture, industry, government, and the military to the point that there is resentment from other ethnic groups. The Punjabi upper classes tend to ally themselves with Urdu speaking Muhajirs and show respect towards Sindhis, Kashmiris, Pakhtuns and Balochis. Punjabis form the 60 to 65 % of population of Pakistan.

Punjabi women enjoy comparable rights to females in Karachi and Islamabad in Lahore and other cities, but conservative elements are present and dominate the countryside.

Famous people

• Wasim Akram
• Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi
• Faiz Ahmed Faiz
• Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain
• Sir Muhammad Iqbal
• Noor Jehan
• Abdul Hafeez Kardar
• Inzamam-ul-Haq
• Imran Khan
• Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan
• Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
• Mian Mir
• Abdul Qadir
• Sultan Rahi
• Rangeela
• Nawaz Sharif
• Shahbaz Sharif
• Waqar Younis
• Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo

See also

• Hindu and Buddhist heritage of Pakistan
• Muslim League Attack on Sikhs and Hindus in the Punjab 1947
• History of the Punjab
• Punjab region
• Punjab, India
• Punjabi people
• Punjabi Culture
• Punjabi Muslim tribes from Hindu Lineage

External links

• Lahore Ki Sair
• Punjab South Punjab Online Entertainment
• UrbanPakistan: Projecting Pakistan's Image
• Government of Punjab
• Picture Gallery of Punjab, Pakistan

Template:PakPoliticalDivisions

• Provinces of Pakistan
• Punjab (Pakistan)
• Subdivisions of Pakistan
• Divided regions
• Cities and towns in Punjab (Pakistan)
• Forced migration
• Ethnic groups in Pakistan