Punjabi people
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Punjabis |
|---|
 |
| Total population |
|
100 to 120 million |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Pakistan: 72,000,000 [1] India: 30,056,000 [2] New Zealand: 12,000 Singapore: 10,000 [10] |
| Languages |
| Punjabi |
| Religions |
| Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Jainism |
| Related ethnic groups |
|
• Indo-Aryans |
The Punjabi people (Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬੀ, پنجابی, also Panjabi people) are an Indo-Aryan and Indo-Scythian ethnic group from South Asia. Their region, the Punjab, has been host to some of the oldest civilizations in the world. The Punjabi identity is primarily linguistic, with Punjabis being those whose first language is Punjabi, an Indo-Aryan tongue. In recent times, however, the definition has been broadened to include also emigrants of Punjabi descent who maintain Punjabi cultural traditions, even when they no longer speak the language.
Punjabis are found primarily in the Punjab region of Pakistan and Northern India. In Pakistan, Punjabis comprise the largest ethnic group at roughly 44% of the total population and reside predominantly in the province of Punjab. In India, ethnic Punjabis can be found across the greater Punjab region which now comprises the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Besides these, large communities are also found in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir and the states of Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
There are also a number of Punjabi emigrant communities scattered around the world, especially in the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Persian Gulf countries, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.
Punjabis are ethnically, linguistically and culturally related to the other Indo-Aryan peoples of South Asia. There are an estimated 120 million Punjabis around the world.
Contents |
[edit] History
The exact point at which the Punjabis formed a distinct ethnic group remains speculative. The region having been the site of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization centered at Harappa became a center of early civilization from around 3300 BCE. Numerous invaders including the Indo-Aryans, Persians, Greeks, various Central Asians, Arabs, Afghans, and the British have all invaded and ruled the region, giving the Punjab a unique culture as the gateway to South Asia. An early Indo-Aryan-speaking people conquered the region and imparted their language and merged with the local population that some speculate as having been either an Elamo-Dravidian (a hypothesized parent family) or Dravidian-speaking group, but this also remains speculative since the Indus script remains undeciphered. The Indo-Aryans are believed to have arrived in the region between 2000 and 1250 BCE and eventually disseminated their languages throughout South Asia. An early Vedic civilization is believed to have emerged in the region and helped shape many aspects of northern Indian culture. Over time, the Greater Punjab region fragmented as various Eurasian invaders conquered sections of the region with the west (Pakistan) bearing the brunt of most invasions.
Various religious influences shaped the region and people as Buddhism emerged as an important faith in the region, due to the efforts of Ashoka, along with early Hinduism. Ultimately, two later religions largely supplanted both of these earlier faiths, Sikhism in Punjab and Islam in Pakistan. In the case of the Punjab, the only entirely indigenous Punjabi faith has been Sikhism founded in the 15th century CE. After arrival of Muslims many people converted in western regions to Islam following the invasion of Arabs in 711 CE (see Muhammad bin Qasim) and Turkic tribes in the 11th century and much of the population converted through the spread of Sufism, poetic Islamic mysticism, which had the greatest role in conversion of local people. For example, Memons are Sunni Hanafi Muslims, and they originated when a group of Hindus from Sindh belonging to the Kshatriya Lohana caste converted to Islam by Sufi missionaries of the Qadiri order.
Following the partition of British India into the states of India and Pakistan, a process of population exchange and ethnic cleansing took place in 1947 as significant minorities of Muslims either left or were forced out of East Punjab and Hindus and Sikhs either left or were driven out of West Punjab[11] As a result of these population exchanges, both parts are now religiously homogenous.
[edit] Diversity
The Punjab region, due to its location near Central Asia and the Middle East has been prone to numerous invasions that have left imprints upon the local Punjabi population that remain present in the numerous sub-groups. The Punjabi people are a heterogeneous group and can be subdivided into a number of tribal groups in Pakistan called qaums while they adhere to caste identities in India, each having their own subtle differences.
In terms of ancestry, the majority of Punjabis share many similar genes with other South Asian populations, but also show a significant relationship with West Eurasian groups. In a 2004 Stanford study conducted with a wide sampling from India, including 112 Punjabis, and selected other countries, displayed the following:
- Results show that Indian tribal and caste populations derive largely from the same genetic heritage of Pleistocene southern and western Asians and have received limited gene flow from external regions since the Holocene. [12]
This study also found that roughly 20% of genetic markers in the Punjab were of West Asian origin, the highest amongst the sampled group of South Asians. Another study also showed that there has been limited gene flow in and out of South Asia, but the highest amount of genetic inflow from the west showed up in the Punjab region:
- Broadly, the average proportion of mtDNAs from West Eurasia among Indian caste populations is 17% (Table 2). In the northern States of India their share is greater, reaching over 30% in Kashmir and Gujarat, nearly 40% in Indian Punjab. [13]
Some preliminary conclusions from these varying tests support a largely South Asian genetic base for most Punjabis accompanied by some of the highest degrees of West Asian admixture found in South Asia.
[edit] Geographic distribution
[edit] Punjabis in Pakistan
The Punjabis found in Pakistan are composed of clans and tribes (the aforementioned qaums) often with a correspondence with traditional occupations. Pre-Islamic Kambohs, Gujjars, Jats and Rajputs (such as the Janjuas), predominate with the Gakhars, Awans, and Arains, comprising the main tribes in the north, while Gilanis, Gardezis, Quraishi are found in the south. Hence Punjabis in Pakistan especially in major urban cities have diverse origins with many post Islamic settlers tracing their origin to Afghanistan, Persia, Arabia, Kashmir and Central Asia. [14]
Punjabis have been traditionally farmers and warriors which has transferred into modern times with a dominance of agriculture and the military in Pakistan. In addition, Punjabis in Pakistan have been quite prominent politically having had many elected Members of Parliament. As the most ardent supporters of a Pakistani state, the Punjabis in Pakistan have shown a strong pre-dilection towards the adoption of Urdu, while still identifying themselves as ethnic Punjabis for the most part. Religious homogeniety remains elusive as a Sunni-Shia divide and a Christian minority have not completely wiped out diversity since the partition of British India. A variety of related sub-groups exist in Pakistan and are often considered by many Pakistani Punjabis to be simply regional Punjabis including the Seraikis (who overlap and are often considered transitional with the Sindhis) and Punjabi Pathans (which publications like Encyclopædia Britannica consider a transitional group between Punjabis and Pathans).
[edit] Punjabis in India
Indian Punjabis tend to correspond to various caste criteria with the Sikhs showing more unity overall, while Hindu Punjabis sometimes remain stratified along caste lines. Some of the major subgroups of the Punjabis in India include: Ahirs, Aroras, Banias, Bhatias, Brahmins, Dalits, Gujjars, Jats, Kalals/Ahluwalias, Kambojs, Khatris, Labanas, Rajputs, Sainis, Sansis, Soods and Tarkhans/Ramgarhias. Most of these subgroups can be further sub-divided into clans and family groups.
The Punjabi Sikh community remains the most prominent proponents of a Punjabi ethnic identity in India, while many Hindu Punjabis have shown a similar linguistic and cultural shift that corresponds with the Punjabis in Pakistan, as the identification of Hindi as a mother tongue rather than Punjabi has become more pronounced following political conflict between Sikhs and Hindus (see Khalistan movement for further details) that devolved into serious violence in the 1980s and early 1990s. However, most Hindu Punjabis do not claim this to be true, and still maintain a strong Punjabi heritage.
Most of East Punjab's (today's Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh) Muslims left for West Punjab in 1947. However, a small community still survives today, mainly in Malerkotla, the only Muslim princely state among the seven that formed the erstwhile Patiala and East Punjab States Union(PEPSU). The other six (mostly Sikh) states were: Patiala, Nabha, Jind, Faridkot, Kapurthala and Kalsia.
The Punjab region within India maintains a strong influence on the culture of India and the perceived culture of India towards the rest of the world. Numerous Bollywood film productions use the Punjabi language within its songs and dialogues as well as traditional dances and instruments such as the bhangra and tabla. Prime Ministers of India including Gulzarilal Nanda and Inder Kumar Gujral in the past, and Dr. Manmohan Singh, at present, are Punjabis , as are numerous players in the Indian cricket team (both past and present including Harbhajan Singh, Bishen Singh Bedi, Kapil Dev, Yuvraj Singh etc.).
[edit] The Punjabi Diaspora
The Punjabi people have emigrated in large numbers to many parts of the world. The United Kingdom has a significant number of Punjabis from both India and Pakistan as does Canada and the United States. The Middle East has a large immigrant community of Punjabis, in places such as the UAE and Kuwait. There are large communities in East Africa including the countries of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Punjabis have also emigrated to Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia including Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong.
[edit] Culture and society
[edit] Religion
Religion has played an important role in shaping Punjabi ethnic identity and it is not uncommon for Punjabis to generally treat their religious identity as synonymous with their ethnic identity or at least a combined identity that differentiates them from others. Punjabis belong largely to three major religions, Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism. The majority of Punjabis are Muslims, Sikhism is also a major religion followed by Punjabi's in India. A large number of Punjabis in Pakistan are also Christian and a small number in India are Jains.
[edit] Language
[edit] Cuisine
[edit] Music
[edit] Prominent Punjabis
[edit] See also
- Punjabi Culture
- Punjab region
- Punjab (British India)
- Punjab (Pakistan)
- Punjab (India)
- Punjab Hill States
- Patiala and East Punjab States Union
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Ambala
- Amritsar
- Chandigarh
- Delhi
- Faisalabad
- Gujranwala
- Jalandhar
- Jhang
- Jhelum
- Karnal
- Kurukshetra
- Lahore
- Ludhiana
- Multan
- Panipat
- Patiala
- Rawalpindi
- Sargodha
- Sheikhupura
- Sialkot
- Hinduism in Punjab
- Sikhism
- Khalistan
- Seraikistan
- Muslim League Attack on Sikhs and Hindus in the Punjab 1947
[edit] Notes
- ^ Pakistan 1998 census - Population by mother tongue
- ^ Indian 1991 census - Study of languages and mother tongues in census
- ^ Joshua Project
- ^ [1], [2], Joshua Project
- ^ Canadian 2001 census - Population by mother tongue
- ^ Joshua Project
- ^ Joshua Project
- ^ 2004-2005 Statistical abstract of the United States, Joshua Project
- ^ Joshua Project
- ^ Joshua Project
- ^ .South Asia: British India Partitioned
- ^ The Genetic Heritage of the Earliest Settlers Persists Both in Indian Tribal and Caste Populations
- ^ Most of the extant mtDNA boundaries in South and Southwest Asia were likely shaped during the initial settlement of Eurasia by anatomically modern humans
- ^ Country Studies - Pakistan
[edit] References and further reading
- Gilmartin, David. Empire and Islam: Punjab and the Making of Pakistan. Univ of California Press (1988), ISBN 0-520-06249-3.
- Grewal, J.S. and Gordon Johnson. The Sikhs of the Punjab (The New Cambridge History of India). Cambridge University Press; Reprint edition (1998), ISBN 0-521-63764-3.
- Ibbetson, Punjab Castes: Race, Castes and Tribes of the People of Punjab. Cosmo Publications, ISBN 81-7020-458-5.
- Ibbetson, Denzil, (2002). Panjab castes. Low Price Publications. ISBN 81-7536-290-1.
- Latif, Syed. History of the Panjab. Kalyani (1997), ISBN 81-7096-245-5.
- Rose, H.A. and Ibbetson, Maclagan, (1990). Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province. Asian Educational Services, India, ISBN 81-206-0505-5.
- Sekhon, Iqbal S. The Punjabis : The People, Their History, Culture and Enterprise. Delhi, Cosmo, 2000, 3 Vols., ISBN 81-7755-051-9.
- Singh, Gurharpal. Ethnic Conflict in India : A Case-Study of Punjab. Palgrave Macmillan (2000).
- Singh, Gurharpal (Editor) and Ian Talbot (Editor). Punjabi Identity: Continuity and Change. South Asia Books (1996), ISBN 81-7304-117-2.
- Singh, Khushwant. A History of the Sikhs - Volume 1.Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-562643-5
- Steel, Flora Annie. Tales of the Punjab : Told by the People (Oxford in Asia Historical Reprints). Oxford University Press, USA; New Ed edition (2002), ISBN 0-19-579789-2.
- Tandon, Prakash and Maurice Zinkin. Punjabi Century 1857-1947, University of California Press (1968), ISBN 0-520-01253-4.
- This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain. Pakistan, India
- DNA boundaries in South and Southwest Asia, BMC Genetics 2004, 5:26
- Ethnologue Eastern Panjabi
- Ethnologue Western Panjabi
- Indian Census
- Joshua Project Punjabi
- Pakistan Census
- The Genetic Heritage of the Earliest Settlers Persists Both in Indian Tribal and Caste Populations, Am. J. Hum. Genet. 72:313–332, 2003
- Talib, Gurbachan (1950). Muslim League Attack on Sikhs and Hindus in the Punjab 1947. India: Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee. Online 1 Online 2 Online 3 (A free copy of this book can be read from any 3 of the included "Online Sources" of this free “Online Book”)
[edit] External links
- Punjabi Talk Shalk
- Punjab's First Online News Web Site
- Punjabi Music
- Academy of the Punjab In North America (APNA)
- Ethnologue - Languages of India
- Ethnologue - Languages of Pakistan
- Free Online Punjabi (Gurmukhi) lessons
- Learn Gurmukhi - Sound and Graphics
- Pakistan Punjabis
- Panjabi Language
- Peoples and Languages in Pre-Islamic Indus Valley
- Punjabi Computing Resource Centre
- Punjabi Dictionary (Gurmukhi)
- Punjabi Network :: Connecting Punjabis across the world
- Punjabi Language Online Tutorial
- Punjabi Literature (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਸਾਹਿਤ)
- Punjabi Network
Categories: Articles lacking sources from March 2007 | All articles lacking sources | Country Studies | Ethnic groups in India | Ethnic groups in Pakistan | Indo-Aryan peoples | Punjabi tribes | Punjabi culture | Pre Islamic Heritage of Pakistan | Cultures in the standard cross cultural sample | Muslim communities
