Punjab (Pakistan)
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- This article details the eastern Pakistani province of Punjab. For other meanings see Punjab (disambiguation)
The Punjab or Panjab (Punjabi: پنجاب) 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, 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 "five" (panj) and "water" (ab) respectively, which can be translated as "five water" (hence the poetic name land of the five rivers), referring to the Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Chenab and Jhelum rivers. Part of Indus river also lies in Punjab, but it is not considered one of the "five" rivers.
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History
Pakistani Punjab is part of a larger region that culturally and, in part, historically overlaps into India and has been co-extensive with Indic civilization. The province was the main site of the Harappan civilization (also known as the Indus Valley Civilization) that emerged around 3500 BCE. Later, Indo-Aryan invaders conquered the area and then continued their conquests further east. Due to its location, the region came under constant attack and influence from the west. Conquered by the Persians, Greeks, Mauryans, Kushans, Arabs, Turks, Afghans, and Sikhs, Pakistani Punjab developed a unique culture that combined that of Northern India with that of significant Middle Eastern and Central Asian influences even prior to the coming of Islam. The Punjabis were in ancient times predominantly Buddhist and were converting to Hinduism when Muslim Arab invaders led by Muhammad bin Qasim conquered the southern half of the current province by 713 CE. This and later Islamic conquests made the western portions of the larger Punjab into a predominantly Muslim region, but with significant non-Muslim populations including Hindus and later Sikhs. During the reign of Mahmud of Ghazni, the province became an important center and Lahore was made into a second capital of the Ghaznavid Empire. Later, 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. Following the decline of the Mughals, Nadir Shah sacked the province in 1739 and then the Afghan conquerer Ahmad Shah Durrani annexed the province into his Durrani Empire from 1747 until 1799. During the Mughal period, the religion of Sikhism was born and emerged as a formidable military force as the Sikhs wrested control from the weakened descendents of Ahmad Shah Durrani. Led by Ranjit Singh the province came under Sikh control from 1799 to 1839 until the coming of the British who annexed the region into British India following the Sikh wars. In 1947 the Punjab province of British India was split 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. 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.
Geography
Image:PunjabPlain.JPG Punjab is Pakistan's second largest province at 205,344 km² (79,284 square miles) and is located at the northwestern edge of 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 Baluchistan. 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.
Demographics and Society
The population of the province is over 75 million and is home to approximately half the population of Pakistan. The major language spoken in the Punjab is Punjabi and Punjabis comprise the largest ethnic group. Punjabi's themselves are a heterogenous group comprising different tribes and castes, although caste in Pakistani Punjab has more to do with traditional occupations such as blacksmiths or artisans as opposed to insurmountable social cleavages. The most important tribes within Punjab include the Jats, the Arain, the Gujjars and the Rajputs. Other smaller tribes are the Awans, Maliks and Ghakkers. 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 insitutions. There is also a nationalist movement amongst the somewhat related Seraikis in the south of Punjab and many wish to see a separate region set up called Seraikistan. Other smaller groups in the province include Hindko and Pashto-speaking Pashtuns and others.
The population of the Punjab is almost entirely Muslim with a Sunni majority and Shia minority. Ahmadis and Christians are also found in the province. A tiny Sikh community remains in the province with many serving as caretakers of Sikh holy sites and lives in relative peace.
Economy and education
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 rickshas, 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's population is increasingly becoming literate as education has expanded in the province in recent years.
Social issues
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 Sereiki unrest, the province has had few problems that have plagued Karachi and the border regions with Afghanistan.
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 mainly towards the Pashtuns largely for their military prowess.
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.
Major attractions
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 center 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). Lahore was the capital of the Sikh Empire and the birth place of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh. There is also the largest salt mine in Asia situated the Khewra Salt Mines.
Important cities
Main article:List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan
- Lahore
- Faisalabad
- Toba Tek Singh
- Pirmahal
- Gujranwala
- Bahwalpur
- Chenab Naghar (Rabwah)
- Gujrat
- Multan
- Rawalpindi
- Sargodha
- Sialkot
- Taxila
Burewala is the sub tehsil of District Vehari. Burewala is 31st biggest city of Pakistan with respect to population and is famous for "Burewala Textile Mills" and Waqar Younas the "Burewala Express".
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