People

With humongous difference in their daily day to day affairs at the helm of the state, the people of Punjab have survived peacefully over decades. Although, castes, creeds and religions differ amongst them yet most of them have fostered a new bond of selfless decimation to the state that ensures equality to all of its inhabitants.

The society of Punjab is such that it facilitates a developmental scope for even the most down trodden in the state. The largest community in the state of Punjab is that of Sikh - Jats. Majorly simple agrigarian people, this community and their representative’s contribution to the land of Punjab is unsurpassable as a community and also as individuals.

Treading the path set by the holy Gurus, the Sikhs are usually people leading a simple lifestyle but thrive on prosperity of the state. Punjab also houses a number of tribes and their subsequent sub tribes. Kambhos, Sainis, Pakhiwaras, Bazigars, Sansis and Bawris are the dominant communities of the minorities. These people usually indulge in basic agriculture and trade.

The state of Punjab owes its name from the natural gift that makes Punjab be a land of five flowing and hale rivers. Watered by the greatness of the Sutlej, Beas, Ghaggar and Ravi the state of Punjab is the epitome of fertility and allows abundant scope for agricultural activities. There is hence no surprise in the fact that the people of Punjab are affluent and known nationwide for their wonderful crops.

Not only can the state of Punjab be identified by its explicit and fun loving culture, traditional folklore and Tandoori Cuisine, the region can also be identified by the richness of its crops.

Ethnicity

The scope of ethnicity in Punjab races across many clans and castes. The most dominating and a clear majority in the state of Punjab is that of the Sikh Jats who are known for their colorful culture and their strong physical appearance and shape.

The past of the state has often troubled the Sikhs because of several unfortunate political and social epochs of trouble and violence. Yet it is only fair to assert that they now live in a state of absolute peace. On the other hand, the Sikhs make way from several other strong communities which includes that of the Khatris and Aroras. At times both are used interchangeably yet the Aroras assert that they hail from the Aryan period while the Khatris talk of themselves as members and extensions of the clan of Khatris.  These people have shown tremendous growth in education.

Languages

The cultural and traditional heritage of Punjab makes way for a dialect that originated from the amalgamation of several others. Although Punjabi is the most spoken language across the state and also serves as the official language, yet both English and Hindi are extremely popular.

The land of Punjab was once a colony of several different rulers who have left a mark on its culture and way of life. Finding its base from the pure form of Persian, Urdu and Hindi, the Punjabi language has become a very popular language not only in Punjab but also across the north India.

Although the state of Punjab was partitioned during the independence, the entire language of Punjabi kept the similarity and the ties between the two nations fresh and cordial.

Religion

The state of Punjab also provides a cope for the peaceful practice of many socio religious orders and practices. The major communities of religion here is of Sikhs which are followed by Hindus and Muslims. The state of Punjab is also known as the germination place of faiths like Jainism, Christianity and Buddhism, the land of Punjab his now majorly inhabited by the Sikhs. The other religions make their presence felt and explain the cultural liberty of Punjab.

Based on the teachings of Ten Gurus, the concept of Sikhism is based on the belief of one true god whose presence is never physical and can never be seen. The religion owes its establishment to Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji who roamed across the blessed land of Punjab from 1469 to 1539 and taught mankind about love and devotion to the almighty. Guru Gobind Singh was the last guru and is also a highly revered figure.

Punjabi Hindus

Before the introduction of Islam, the region of Punjab was mostly inhabited by the Hindus. The Hindus from Punjab are a dominating community in the state of Punjab. In fact their presence can also be seen in large numbers in the neighboring states and in the national capital. People in the national capital usually relate their pedigree to places in Pakistan and have tales to share about the partition of the country. The Punjabi Hindus have also tickled down to several southern states.

Punjabi Muslims

Punjab was a region that was inhabited by Hindus and a small number of Buddhists. Later, the Muslim Umayyad army headed by a man called Muhammad bin Qasim took over the control over Sindh and Punjab in the year 711 AD. The Aditya Temple located in the thriving commercial centre of the City of Multan gave Bin Qasim an extremely large amount of Gold which Bin Qasim recorded as good enough to compensate for the entire invasion. Later came the rule of Mahmud Ghaznavi, Punjab turned into an important place and the city of Lahore became an extended capital of the empire of the Turk Ghaznavi. Later, the Mughals Ruled over this graceful land from 1524 until 1739. The Mughals blessed this place with several gifts such as the Badshahi Mosque and the Gardens of Shalimar which are both in the city of Lahore.

Punjabi Sikhs

During the rule of the Mughals in the middle of fifteenth century, a new religion of Sikhism took birth in Punjab. The Mughal period further gave rise to a military within the Sikh fraternity who fought for the righteous and slowly exploded its empire of the Sikhs. After having confronted the army of  Ahmad Shah Durrani, the community and the army of Sikhs found control and ruled over this prosperous state of Punjab and continued to rule here under the Sikh banner till Maharaja Ranjit Singh who gave the empire what it really deserved. The empire also had the historic city of Lahore as its serving capital. Ever since the era of Muhammed Ghori's and his subsequent conquest and victory over Prithviraj, this was the first time that the locals had gained control over their land.

Punjabi Christians

In the year 1877, during the celebrations of St. Thomas' Day in London,  a certain man called Rev Thomas Valpy French was chosen to be the first ever Anglican Bishop over the city of Lahore, which was back then not only a major centre of culture but also served as the heart of Punjab in the colonial India. He remained so till 1887 and during his tenure, he initiated the Divinity College in 1870.

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