ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਸਿੱਖ · پنجابی سکھ | |
|---|---|
 A painting of a Punjabi Sikh family, circa late 19th century | |
| Total population | |
| c. 25-28 million approx. (Worldwide)[1][2][3] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Punjab, India | 16,004,754 (2011 census)[4][a] |
| Haryana | 1,243,752 (2011)[4][a] |
| Rajasthan | 872,930 (2011)[4][a] |
| Uttar Pradesh | 643,500 (2011)[4][a] |
| Delhi | 570,581 (2011)[4][a] |
| Uttarakhand | 236,340 (2011)[4][a] |
| Maharashtra | 223,247 (2011)[4][a] |
| Madhya Pradesh | 151,412 (2011)[4][a] |
| Chandigarh | 138,329 (2011)[4][a] |
| Himachal Pradesh | 79,896 (2011)[4][a] |
| Languages | |
| Sacred language Sant Bhasha Ethnic language Hindi,English | |
| Religion | |
| Sikhism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Part ofa series on |
| Punjabis |
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Punjabi Sikhs are adherents ofSikhism who identifyethnically,linguistically,culturally, andgenealogically asPunjabis. Punjabi Sikhs are the second-largest religious group of the Punjabis, after thePunjabi Muslims. They form the largest religious community in theIndian state ofPunjab.Sikhism is anindigenous religion that originated in thePunjab region ofSouth Asia during the 15th century. Mostly all of the world'sSikh population arePunjabis.[5]
Punjabi Sikhs primarily inhabit the Indian state ofPunjab, the only Sikh-majorityadministrative division on Earth. Punjabi Sikhs make up 57.69% of the state’s population.[6] Many have ancestry from thegreater Punjab region, an area that waspartitioned betweenIndia andPakistan in 1947. In the contemporary era, apart fromIndian Punjab, Punjabi Sikhs are found in large numbers across the Indian states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Chandigarh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Large numbers are also found in theUnited States,Canada,Australia,New Zealand andBritain, due to various immigration waves over the centuries.[7]
The Sikh religion founder,Guru Nanak (1469–1539), was roughly a contemporary of the founder ofMughal EmpireBabur inIndia. Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born in a Punjabi HinduKhatri family, which was initially a community of scribes and traders.[8] In un-dividedPunjab region, the eldest son of everyPunjabi Hindu families was nominated and was represented asSardars and had protected their family andIndic communities from the tyrannies of Mughal rulers and their torture.[9][10][11] A huge number of peasants fromHindu andMuslim backgrounds in Punjab have converted to Sikhism for various motives (such as conviction, fear, or economic) since the starting of new faith.[12]
The militarization of Punjabi Sikhs began after the execution ofGuru Arjan Dev (5th Guru inSikhism). Following his execution,a conflict erupted between theMughal Empire and Sikhs which led to the last guru,Gobind Singh, establishing a militarized order known as theKhalsa, in 1699.[13] Punjabi Sikhs were regarded as one of the toughest and fiercest warriors by theBritishduring their rule in theIndian subcontinent. Punjabi Sikh soldiers constituted a significant chunk of theBritish Indian Army due to their distinguished service in action.[14][15] Despite being only around 2% of India's population, Punjabi Sikhs constitute around 20% of theIndian Armed Forces, with thePunjab province being the 2nd largest contributor for manpower afterUttar Pradesh.[16][17]
Punjabi Sikhs speak thePunjabi language as theirmother tongue. Variousdialects of the Punjabi language such asBagri,Bilaspuri,Bhateali,Majhi,Doabi,Malwai, andPuadhi etc are spoken by Punjabi Sikhs across India and abroad as their mother tongue. In Indian Punjab, Punjabi is written inGurmukhi script. In Pakistani Punjab,Shahmukhi script is used.[18] Gurmukhi is written from left to right, while Shahmukhi is written from right to left.[19][20] The use of Gurmukhi script generally started and developed during the time of second Sikh guru,Guru Angad Dev (1504–1552) who standardized it.[21] It is commonly regarded as a Sikh script. The Shahmukhi script has been used byPunjabi Muslims since the 12th century, when it was used byPunjabi Sufi poets. Shahmukhi is aPerso-Arabic alphabet script.[22]
The Punjabi Sikhs observe historic festivals such asLohri,Basant andVaisakhi as seasonal and cultural festivals inPunjab and outside of it. Other seasonal Punjabi festivals in India includeMaghi andTeeyan respectively. Teeyan is also known as festival of females, as women enjoy it with their close friends. On the day of maghi, people fly kites and eat their traditional dish Punjabi dishkhichdi.[23] Other festivals observed by Punjabi Sikhs includes the festivals ofSikhism like-Gurupurab,Bandi Chhor Divas, etc.
The demand for Khalistan as a separate homeland for Sikhs is championed by a segment of the Punjabi Sikh population, various advocacy groups, and certain Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who demand secession ofIndian Punjab from India. This movement, rooted in historical, political, and religious factors, emerged prominently in the 1970s and 1980s. Key advocates include local organizations in Punjab and Sikhs abroad, particularly inCanada, theUK, and theUS. They seek to safeguardSikh identity, achieve political autonomy, and address historical grievances such asOperation Blue Star and the1984 anti-Sikh riots. However, not all Sikhs support this idea, with many preferring integration within India to address issues through democratic means. While the Khalistan movement does not dominate mainstream Sikh politics today, it remains a contentious issue with varying levels of support.[24]
A lot of Hindu and Muslim peasants converted to Sikhism from conviction, fear, economic motives, or a combination of the three (Khushwant Singh 1999: 106; Ganda Singh 1935: 73).
