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Punjab |
Punjab is a state in northwest India, part of the larger Punjab region, which includes Punjab, Pakistan. Neighbouring regions are Punjab, Pakistan to the west, Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Himachal Pradesh to the northeast, Haryana to the south and southeast, the Union Territory of Chandigarh to the southwest and Rajasthan to the southwest. The total area of the state is 50,362 square kilometres (19,445 square miles). The population is 24,289,296 (2000). Punjab's capital is Chandigarh which lies outside the state limits. Other major cities include Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Patiala.
The word "Punjab" is a combination of the words 'Punj', meaning five and 'Aab', meaning water. Punjab is a region of five rivers: the Jhelum; the Chenab; the Ravi; the Beas and the Sutlej. In 1947, the region was partitioned between newly-independent India and Pakistan along religious lines, with the mostly Muslim western portion of the region going to Pakistan and the mostly Sikh and Hindu eastern portion to India. Punjab is a predominantly agricultural state, with land fertility unparalleled in the world. The largest grown crop is wheat. Other important crops are rice, cotton, sugarcane, millet, maize, barley and fruit. Textiles and flour milling are the major industries. Road, rail and river transport links are extensive throughout the region.
Culture
Punjab is one of the five states in India that does not have a Hindu majority.
Sikhism is the main religion of Indian Punjab, and is the persuasion of about
65% of the population. Amritsar is the site of the Golden Temple, the main place
of pilgrimage for the Sikhs. Amritsar is also a place of religious significance
for Jains.
The language of the people of Punjab, on both sides of the international border, is Punjabi; however, the alphabet used is different (Gurmukhi on the Indian side and Shahmukhi on Pakistani side).
History since Partition
The Indian state of Punjab was created in 1947, when the Partition of India
split the former Raj province of Punjab between India and Pakistan. The mostly
Muslim western part of the province became Pakistan's Punjab Province; the mostly
Sikh and Hindu eastern part became India's Punjab state. Many Hindus and Sikhs
lived in the west, and many Muslims lived in the east, and so the partition
saw many people displaced and much intercommunal violence. Several small Punjabi
princely states, including Patiala, also became part of India. In 1950, two
Punjab states were created; Punjab included of the former Raj province of Punjab,
while the princely states were combined into a new state, the Patiala and East
Punjab States Union (PEPSU). Himachal Pradesh was created as a union territory
from several princely states and Kangra District. In 1956, PEPSU was merged
into Punjab state, and several northern districts of Punjab in the Himalaya
were added to Himachal Pradesh.
The capital of undivided Punjab province, Lahore, ended up in Pakistan after
partition, so a new capital for Indian Punjab state was built at Chandigarh.
On November 1, 1966, the mostly Hindu southeastern half of Punjab became a separate
state, Haryana. Chandigarh was on the border between the two states, and became
a separate union territory which serves as the capital of both Punjab and Haryana.
Chandigarh was due to transfer to Punjab alone in 1986, but the transfer has
been delayed.
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