India’s northern state of Punjab borders the Pakistani province of Punjab to the west, Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Himachal Pradesh to the northeast, Haryana to the south and southeast, and Rajasthan to the southwest.
The word "Punjab" is a combination of the Persian words panj (five), and ab (water), giving the literal meaning of the "Land of Five Rivers". The five rivers after which Punjab is named are the Beas, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej. The people that live in the state of Punjab are known as Punjabi.
Demography
Punjab’s population, as per the 2001 census, stands at 24,289,296. Sikhism is the most practiced faith in the state, and nearly 60% of the population belongs to the Sikh faith. Nearly 37% of the population practices Hinduism, while other faiths practiced in the state are Islam, Buddhism, Christianity and Jainism. The Punjabi language, written in the Gurmukhi script, is the official and most commonly used language in the state.
Geography
Most of the state is an alluvial plain, bounded by mountains to the North. Due to the presence of a large number of rivers, most of the state has fertile land. Tributaries of the rivers Indus, Ravi, Sutlej, Beas and Ghaggar flow towards the southeast crossing the entire state. There are many sub-tributaries of these rivers that provide a base for the most extensive canal system in India.
The southeast region of the state is semi-arid and gradually presents a desert landscape. A belt of undulating hills extends along the northeastern part of the state at the foot of the Himalayas.
Punjab has three major seasons: 1. Hot weather from April to June when temperature rises as high as 44 degree Celsius; 2. Rainy season from July to September when the state receives average rainfall between 96 cms in sub-mountain region and 46 cms in the plains; 3. Cold weather from October to March when temperature goes down as low as 4 degree Celsius.
History
The history of Punjab is as old as the history of the Indian Civilization. The land of five rivers, this state was known as Panchal when the Aryans came to India in the third millennium BC. Before that, the whole region of the Sindhu (Indus) and its tributaries were inhibited by the Harappans or the people of Copper Age who constructed great cities in this region. Ropar in modern Punjab is a great example of this civilization. The Harappan culture declined suddenly between 1800-1700 BC and its end is as puzzling as its beginning. After the decline of the Harappans, Aryans from Central Asia ventured into this land and made this their home.
Punjab was the first place on the Indian subcontinent where the Aryans actually decided to settle after a long period of grazing and fighting with the aboriginal communities. This was the place where later parts of the Rigveda and other Vedas were written. This was also the place where first war for the control of entire north India or Aryawart (as it was known in those days) was fought between the Aryans and non-Aryans, known as Dasragya War (war of 10 kings).
Punjab always had a strategic importance due to its position on the famous Grand Trunk Road that connected the eastern parts of India to the extreme northwest point of Taxila (now in Afghanistan). This road was first constructed by Ashoka to have a better administration of the northwestern frontier, which was always a problem. After the decline of the Mauryan Empire, the Indo Greeks, Guptas, and Vardhans ruled this region in succession. After the coming of Muslims in the 9th-10th century AD, the region became an integral part of the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire. It was also under the Maratha rule for some time.
After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the most prominent ruler in this land was Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the early 19th century. After the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sikhs could not hold on to their territory for long and the British controlled most of the region either directly or through the princely states.
The Partition of India in 1947 was a turning point for this state. Most of the Muslim dominated areas went out with Pakistan; while the Sikh and Hindu dominated areas remained with India. Lakhs of people were killed in the mayhem that engulfed in this region in the wake of the Partition. After Independence, a new state of Punjab was created with modern day Haryana and Himachal Pradesh being a part of this state.
Culture
The music of Punjab is world famous. In fact, Bhangra, one of the many Punjabi musical art forms, is increasingly becoming popular in the West. As regards Punjabi cuisine, it has an immense range of dishes and is popular across India as well as in other parts of the world. Further, Punjabi poetry is renowned for its extremely deep meaning, beautiful, exciting and hopeful use of words. The poetry is one of the deepest insights into the Punjabi mindset. Punjabi dances have a long history. These dances are normally performed at times of celebration, the most prominent being at Punjabi weddings where the elation is usually particularly intense.
Economy
Punjab boasts of an average growth rate of 10%, which is amongst the highest in the country. Agriculture is the biggest contributor to Punjab’s GDP. The state is one of the most fertile regions on this planet. The region is ideal for wheat-growing. Rice, sugar cane, fruits and vegetables are also grown. In fact, Punjab is called the "Granary of India" or "India`s bread-basket". It produces 14% of the country’s cotton, 20% of wheat, and 9% of rice.
The state was the first to translate agricultural technology into the "Green Revolution", recording highest growth rate in food production. From a minor producer it emerged as a major rice surplus state. Providing the impetus for the "White Revolution", during “Operation Flood”, it was Punjab that recorded the highest per capita availability of milk.
Further, the infrastructure available in Punjab is the best in India, as rated by the Indian National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER). Its road, rail, air and transport system is rated best in the country. Further, Punjab has highest per capita generation of electricity in India, which is 2.5 times the national average.
Government
Punjab is governed through a parliamentary system of representative democracy, as in the case all other Indian states. The state Legislative Assembly has 116 members. The Assembly’s term of office is five years, unless it is dissolved prior to the completion of the term.
The leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the Legislative Assembly is appointed as the Chief Minister by the Governor, and the Council of Ministers are appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. The Council of Ministers reports to the Legislative Assembly.
The state has 13 Lok Sabha seats, namely Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Khadoor Sahib, Jalandhar (SC), Hoshiarpur (SC), Anandpur Sahib, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib (SC), Faridkot (SC), Firozpur, Bhatinda, Sangrur and Patiala.
Compiled by: Deepak Nagpal
