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Punjab is an Indian state in the subcontinent’s north-western region. It is bordered to the north by Jammu and Kashmir, to the northeast by Himachal Pradesh state, to the south and southeast direction by Haryana state, to the southwest direction by Rajasthan, and to the west by Pakistan. Punjab as it exists now was formed on Nov 1, 1966, this is when the majority of its largely Hindi-speaking districts were divided to establish the new province of Haryana. Chandigarh, serves as the combined capital of Punjab state and Haryana states.
A Short Note On Punjab: Religion
The name Punjab is a combination of Persian origin words, panj means “five” and ab means “water”, which means “country of five waters”, “land of five water bodies” (the Jhelum Beas, Sutlej Chenab, Ravi). The word’s origins may be traced back to panca nada, which originated from Sanskrit, meaning “five rivers” and the location described in the Mahabharata, an ancient epic. However, as used in the current Punjab, it is a misleading term: since India’s partition in 1947, there were 2 of such waterways, the Sutlej & the Beas, have been within Punjab’s boundaries, Ravi runs only along a portion of the extreme border of the west. Punjab has 19445 square miles of land (50,362 square km). Population as per 2011 census is 27,704,236.
Soils, Drainage and Relief
Punjab is divided into three physiographic zones, the smallest of which becomes the Siwalik Range present in the north-eastern direction, wherein altitudes can reach 3,000 feet. Further south, the thin, undulating foothill terrain is cut by closely spread out torrents locally called chaos, so many of which end in the plains below without connecting to any stream. The large flat region spreading towards the south and west directions of the slopes are characterized by floodplains which are low-lying divided by modestly higher uplands. With its excellent alluvial soils, this region descends gently from about 900 ft (275 m) in the north-eastern direction to almost 550 ft (170 meters high) in the southwestern direction. With the growth of irrigation projects, the southern half of the total plains was previously covered with sand dunes.
Punjab Religion-Related Population
The inhabitants of Punjab are mostly descended from the so-called Aryan tribes who arrived in India from the north-western region during the 2nd millennium Bc, as well as the pre-Aryan populace, who were most likely Dravidians (speakers of Languages and dialects) with a highly developed civilization. This civilization’s relics have been discovered in Rupnagar (Ropar). Invaders such as the Kushans, Greeks, Hephthalites (Hunas), and Parthians added to the complexity of existing social, or caste groups (jatis). Later, in the context of Islam, invaders forced numerous subjugated communities to convert to Islam, but many conversions were voluntary due to the influence of Sufi saints.
Today, however, Sikhism, which sprang from the principles of Nanak, the very first Sikh Guru, is the majority religion in Punjab. The majority of the population is Hindu, but there is also a sizable Muslim population. In some regions, there are minor Christian and Jains populations. Two-fifths of Punjab’s population are Hindus and Sikhs who are officially members of the Scheduled Castes (previously known as “untouchables”), which hold a low place within the ancient Indian caste structure.
Punjabi is the dominant language of the state. This is the most commonly spoken language, along with Hindi. Many people, however, also speak English and Urdu.
Muslim Population In Punjab
Sikhs are the majority religion in Sixteen of Punjab’s 20 districts. The Muslim population in Punjab is 5.35 lakh (1.93 percent) of the overall population of 2.77 crores. The Christian population in Punjab is 3.48 lakh (1.26 percent) of the overall population of 2.77 crores.
Conclusion
Punjab is well-known for a variety of reasons. It is known as ‘the country of five rivers,’ and it is also one of the world’s oldest civilizations due to the bountiful lands located here. This place is full of culture and natural beauty that you should see for yourself.
