Punjab (Pakistan)
The
Punjab or
Panjab () 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
Federally Administered Tribal Areas to the west, the
North West Frontier Province,
Azad Kashmir, Indian controlled
Jammu and 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 Pañcā, meaning "five", and
Aab (آب), cognate with Sanskrit
Aap, 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.
|
Minar-e-Pakistan at Lahore |
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 capital and main city of 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.
The province is a mainly a fertile region along the rivers valleys, while spare 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.
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.
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,
Muhajirs 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, the people of Punjab are descendants of the Iranians, Turks, Afghans and Arabs who came 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
Main article: History of Punjab
The original inhabitants of Punjab, and the rest of present-day
Pakistan were the Indo-Aryan people. 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 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
Mauryan Era. It is a UN
World Heritage site, and revered for its archaelogical and religious history.
Arrival of Islam
 |
Badshahi Masjid - The largest mosque of the moghal empire |
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 the present day Pakistan from
Kashmir to the
Arabian Sea, 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.Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Empire although badged as the Sikh Empire was more in reality a Punjabi Empire. Although a major proportion of the
nobility & military force was made up of Punjabi Sikhs all parts of the Punjabi people played an important part. One of the Maharaja's Maharanis (Queens) was a Punjabi Muslim. The foreign minister of the Sikh Empire was a Punjabi Muslim - Fakir Azizuddin. Sikh historians record he was one of the Maharaja's most favourite ministers, they often took afternoon walks together through
Lahore. The Maharaja with his Sikh Generals in conjunction with the Sikh
aristocracy &
gentry made sure that emotional integration of the Punjabi people took place e.g. religious holidays & events of the various Punjabi religions took place where possible at the same time. A large proportion of the Maharaja's
artillery corp. was Punjabi Muslim and Hindu that he was exceptionally proud of for their professionalism and accuracy. During this time all sections of the
Punjabi Family tree worked together, religious difference where regarded as irrelevant and it was generally frowned upon for anyone to bring up such slight differences. During this era being one of Punjabi blood and
Culture was regarded as important. The economy and cultural life flourished. The
Afghans which were the masters of the Punjabis, the Punjabis where now theirs and controlled such cities as
Peshawar. The Sikh Khalsa Army had many officers and troops from Punjabi Muslims and Hindus, many of who fought and died together in battle with their Punjabi Sikh comrades. At this time the Maharaja's kingdom was the only one not controlled by the British, its power and strength commanded such high fear & respect that the British kept constant strong diplomatic communications with Empire as to avoid misunderstandings.
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. At the fall of the Empire, the Sikh Khalsa Army, second Anglo-Sikh war, fought the British Army at Chillianwallah to a stand still (result draw) [
1]. It was one of the hardest fought battles in the British Army's history. Had the British lost the battle it would have been hard to see how the British could have kept their Empire in India. The loss of British prestige at Chillianwalah was one of the factors, which contributed to the Indian First War of independence
Sepoy Mutiny some nine years later. Within the British Army, such was the consternation over the events at Chillianwalah that, after the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade, when Lord Lucan remarked
"This is a most serious matter", General Airey replied,
"It is nothing to Chillianwalah." The Second Anglo-Sikh War ended shortly afterwards, with the annexation of the Kingdom Punjab and remainder of Sikh Empire to the
British Empire and the exile of the then Maharaja
Duleep Singh.
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.
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The Alamgiri Gate built in 1673 A.D., is the main entrance to the Lahore Fort |
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Faisalabad Clock Tower, built during the British Raj |
There are 35
districts in Punjab.
Main article:List of cities in Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is one of the most industrialized provinces of Pakistan; its manufacturing industries produce textiles, sports goods, machinery, electrical appliances, surgical instruments, metals, bicycles and rickshaws, floor coverings, and processed foods.
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.
The literacy rate has increased greatly since independence.
Major universities & colleges
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Clock Tower at Govt College University, Lahore |
*
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 |
Mausoleum of Shah Rukn-e-Alam (1320 AD) |
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.
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.
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.
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.
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, Manzoor Malangi, Allah Ditta Lunewal, 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 and Roshen Ara Begum are well-known Folk songs and dances of the Punjab reflect a wide range of moods: the rains, sowing and harvesting seasons. Luddi, Jhoomer, 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.
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
Jhummer,
Dharees,
Dhamaal,
Bhangra,
Giddha,
Dhola, and
Sammi.
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.
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.
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.
*
Government of Punjab*
Picture Gallery of Punjab, Pakistan
