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Introduction

Punjab (/pʌnˈdʒɑːb/pun-JAHB;Punjabi:Panjāb,pronounced[pəɲˈd͡ʒaːb]^ⓘ) is ageographical,ethnolinguistic, andhistorical region inSouth Asia, located in itsnorthwestern part, comprising areas of modern-dayPakistan andnorthwesternIndia. It is primarily inhabited by thePunjabi people.Lahore is its largest city and historic capital, with other major cities includingFaisalabad,Rawalpindi,Gujranwala,Multan,Sialkot,Sargodha, andBahawalpur in Pakistan; alongsideLudhiana,Amritsar,Chandigarh,Jalandhar,Patiala,Mohali,Bathinda,Firozpur, andFazilka in India.

Punjab grew out of the settlements along the five rivers, which served as an important route to theNear East as early as the ancientIndus Valley civilization, dating back to 3000 BCE, followed bymigrations of theIndo-Aryan peoples. Agriculture has been the chief economic feature of the Punjab and formed the foundation ofPunjabi culture. The Punjab emerged as an important agricultural region, especially following theGreen Revolution during the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, and has been described as the "breadbasket of both India and Pakistan."

Punjab's history is a tapestry of conflict, marked by the rise of indigenous dynasties and empires. FollowingAlexander the Great's invasion in the 4th century BCE,Chandragupta Maurya allied with Punjabi republics to establish theMaurya Empire. Successive reigns of theIndo-Greek Kingdom,Kushan Empire, andIndo-Scythians followed, but were ultimately defeated by Eastern PunjabJanapadas such as theYaudheya,Trigarta Kingdom,Audumbaras,Arjunayanas, andKuninda Kingdom. In the 5th and 6th centuries CE, Punjab faced devastating Hunnic invasions, yet theVardhana dynasty emerged triumphant, ruling overNorthern India. The 8th century CE witnessed theHindu Shahis rise, known for defeating thePersianateSaffarid dynasty and theSamanid Empire. Concurrently, theTomara dynasty andKatoch Dynasty controlled eastern Punjab, resistingGhaznavid invasions.Islam took hold in Western Punjab under Ghaznavid rule. The Delhi Sultanate then succeeded the Ghaznavids in which theTughlaq dynasty andSayyid dynastySultans are described as Punjabi origin. The 15th century saw the emergence of theLangah Sultanate in south Punjab, acclaimed for its victory over theLodi dynasty. After theMughal Empire's decline in the 18th century, Punjab experienced a period of anarchy. 12Sikh Misls along with Muslim Chattha,Sial,Tarar, Chisti andGakhar States fought for political acedency. In 1799 CE, theSikh Empire established its rule, undertaking conquests into theKashmir- andDurrani Empire-held territories, shaping the diverse and complex history of Punjab.

The boundaries of the region are ill-defined and focus on historical accounts and thus the geographical definition of the term "Punjab" has changed over time. In the 16th centuryMughal Empire the Punjab region was divided into three, with theLahore Subah in the west, the DelhiSubah in the east and theMultan Subah in the south. Under theBritish Raj until thePartition of India in 1947, thePunjab Province encompassed the present Indianstates and union territories ofPunjab,Haryana,Himachal Pradesh,Chandigarh, andDelhi, and thePakistani regions ofPunjab, andIslamabad Capital Territory.

The predominantethnolinguistic group of the Punjab region are thePunjabi people, who speak theIndo-AryanPunjabi language.Punjabi Muslims are the majority inWest Punjab (Pakistan), whilePunjabi Sikhs are the majority inEast Punjab (India). Other religious groups includeHinduism,Christianity,Jainism,Zoroastrianism,Buddhism, andRavidassia. (Full article...)