Punjab
Capital  • Coordinates	Lahore  • 31.33° N 74.21° E
Population (2003)  • Density	79,429,701  • 386. Examples of administrative divisions English terms In many of the following terms corresponding to British cultural influence areas of relatively low mean population A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 8/km²
Area	205344 km²
Time zone	PST (UTC+5)
Main language(s)	Punjabi (official) English Urdu (national) Saraiki Hindko Pashto Balochi
Status	Province
• Districts	•  35
• Towns	•
• Union Councils	•
Established  • Governor/Commissioner  • Chief Minister  • Legislature (seats)	1 July 1970  • Salmaan Taseer  • Mian Shahbaz Sharif  • Provincial Assembly (371)
Website	Government of Punjab

The Punjab or Panjab (Urdu: پنجاب (help·info)) province of Pakistan is by far the country's most populous and prosperous region and is home to the Punjabis and various other groups. Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The Punjabi people ( Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی also Panjabi people) are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group from South Asia. Neighbouring areas are Sindh to the south, Balochistan and the North West Frontier Province to the west, Pakistani administered Azad Kashmir, Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad to the north, and Indian Punjab and Rajasthan to the east. Sindh ( Sindhī: سنڌ Urdu: سندھ is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhis. Balochistan, or Baluchistan, Pashto, ( Balochi, Hazara, Brahui, Sindhi, Urdu: بلوچستان The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP ( Urdu: śimāl maġribī sarhadī sūba) is the smallest of the four main provinces of Pakistan. The Azad State of Jammu and Kashmir, usually shortened to Azad Jammu and Kashmir ( AJK) or simply Azad Kashmir (literally "free ( Dogri: जम्मू और कश्मीर Urdu: جموں و کشمیر is the northernmost state of India. |name = Islamabad|native_name = |nickname = |settlement_type = Capital City |total_type India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Punjab (ਪੰਜਾਬ पंजाब pəɲdʒaːb is a state in northwest India. Rājasthān ( Devanāgarī: राजस्थान raːdʒəst̪ʰaːn is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area The main languages are the Punjabi, Urdu and Saraiki. Punjabi (pa ਪੰਜਾਬੀ in Gurmukhi script pa-PK {{Nastaliq پنجابی}} in Shahmukhi script Pañjābī in Transliteration) is an Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised Sarāikī ( Perso-Arabic: سراییکی Gurmukhi: ਸਰਾਇਕੀ Devanagari: सराइकी commonly spelled Seraiki also Siraiki is The provincial capital is Lahore. ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. The name Punjab literally translates from the Persian words Pañj (پنج), meaning "five", and Āb (آب) meaning "water". Thus "Punjab" can be translated as "(the) five waters" - and hence the land of the five rivers, referring to the Indus, Ravi, Sutlej, Chenab and Jhelum rivers; the last four rivers being the tributaries of the Indus River. The Indus River { Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu; Urdu: urd {{Nastaliq سندھ}} Sindh; Sindhi: snd The Ravi River (रवि ਰਾਵੀ راوی is a River in Pakistan and India. The Sutlej River (alternatively spelled as Satluj River (ਸਤਲੁਜ शतद्रु or सुतुद्री, ستلج and सतलुज is the longest HeadMarala3jpg|200px|right|thumb|A View of Marala Headworks on Chenab near Sialkot]] The Chenab River (ਚਨਾਬ, चनाब چناب literally 'Moon( "Hydaspes" redirects here For the historic battle see Battle of the Hydaspes. The Indus River { Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu; Urdu: urd {{Nastaliq سندھ}} Sindh; Sindhi: snd The province was founded in its current form in May 1972.

Contents 1 Geography 2 Climate 3 Demographics and society 4 History 4.1 Ancient history and the Hindu Period 4.2 The arrival of Islam 4.3 The Greeks, Central Asians and Persians 4.4 The Mughals 4.5 The Afghans 4.6 The Sikhs 4.7 The British 4.8 Partition and its aftermath 4.9 Recent History 5 Districts 6 Economy 7 Education 7.1 Major universities & colleges 8 Cultural heritage 9 Fairs and festivals 9.1 Religious and seasonal fairs/festivals 9.2 Devotional fairs or Urs 9.3 Industrial and commercial fairs 10 Arts & crafts 11 Major attractions 12 Punjabi music 13 Folklore 14 Social issues 15 Famous people of Punjab 16 Sight and Sounds of Punjab 17 Notes 18 See also 19 External links

Geography

Punjab is Pakistan's second largest province at 205,344 km² (79,284 square miles) and is located at the northwestern edge of the geologic Indian plate in South Asia. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here Surface areas between 100000 km² and 1000000 km² Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The India or Indian Plate is a Tectonic plate that was originally a part of the ancient continent of Gondwanaland from which it split off eventually The provincial level-capital and main city of the Punjab is Lahore, which has been the historical capital of the region. ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Other important cities include Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot, and Rawalpindi. ( Urdu:, Punjabi ملتان، ਮੁਲਤਾਨ is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District ( is a city located in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. It was formerly known as Lyallpur. Sialkot ( Urdu / Punjabi:) the capital of Sialkot District, is a city situated in the north-east of the Punjab province in ( Urdu: Rāwalpindī) is a city in the Potwar Plateau near Pakistan 's capital city of Islamabad, in the province The province is home to six rivers: the Indus, Beas, Sutlej, Chenab, Jhelum, Ravi. The Indus River { Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu; Urdu: urd {{Nastaliq سندھ}} Sindh; Sindhi: snd The Sutlej River (alternatively spelled as Satluj River (ਸਤਲੁਜ शतद्रु or सुतुद्री, ستلج and सतलुज is the longest HeadMarala3jpg|200px|right|thumb|A View of Marala Headworks on Chenab near Sialkot]] The Chenab River (ਚਨਾਬ, चनाब چناب literally 'Moon( "Hydaspes" redirects here For the historic battle see Battle of the Hydaspes. The Ravi River (रवि ਰਾਵੀ راوی is a River in Pakistan and India. Nearly 60% of Pakistan's population lives in the Punjab. It is the nation's only province that touches Balochistan, North-West Frontier Province, Sindh and Azad Kashmir, and contains the federal enclave of the national capital city at Islamabad. Balochistan, or Baluchistan, Pashto, ( Balochi, Hazara, Brahui, Sindhi, Urdu: بلوچستان The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP ( Urdu: śimāl maġribī sarhadī sūba) is the smallest of the four main provinces of Pakistan. Sindh ( Sindhī: سنڌ Urdu: سندھ is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhis. The Azad State of Jammu and Kashmir, usually shortened to Azad Jammu and Kashmir ( AJK) or simply Azad Kashmir (literally "free History The land was acquired from the North-West Frontier Province and Punjab in 1960, for the purpose of establishing Pakistan's new capital |name = Islamabad|native_name = |nickname = |settlement_type = Capital City |total_type This geographical position and a large multi-ethnic population strongly influence Punjab's outlook on National affairs and induces in Punjab a keen awareness of the problems of the Pakistan's other important provinces and territories. Multi-ethnic societies, in contrast to single ethnic societies integrate different Ethnic groups irrespective of differences in culture race and history under a common The Government of Pakistan ( Urdu: حکومتِ پاکستان uses a federal parliamentary system with a President as the Head of State and an indirectly-elected Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and A province is a territorial unit almost always an Administrative division. Types of administrative and/or political territories include Many types of legally administered territories, each of which is a non-sovereign geographic area In the acronym P-A-K-I-S-T-A-N, the P is for PUNJAB. Acronyms, initialisms, and alphabetisms are Abbreviations that are formed using the initial components in a phrase or name Punjab ( ਪੰਜਾਬ پنجاب, पंजाब پنجاب also Panjab (پنجاب meaning "Land of the Five Rivers") (c The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP ( Urdu: śimāl maġribī sarhadī sūba) is the smallest of the four main provinces of Pakistan. This article is about the geographical region of greater Kashmir The Indus River { Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu; Urdu: urd {{Nastaliq سندھ}} Sindh; Sindhi: snd Sindh ( Sindhī: سنڌ Urdu: سندھ is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhis. Turkestan (literally meaning "Land of the Turks" is a region in Central Asia, which today is largely inhabited by Turkic peoples. Balochistan, or Baluchistan, Pashto, ( Balochi, Hazara, Brahui, Sindhi, Urdu: بلوچستان Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Punjab ( ਪੰਜਾਬ پنجاب, पंजाब پنجاب also Panjab (پنجاب meaning "Land of the Five Rivers") (c

The province is a mainly a fertile region along the river valleys, while sparse deserts can be found near the border with India and Balochistan. In Geology, a valley (also called a vale, dale, glen or strath and near or in Appalachia, a draw) is A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. Balochistan, or Baluchistan, Pashto, ( Balochi, Hazara, Brahui, Sindhi, Urdu: بلوچستان The region contains the Thar and Cholistan deserts. The Thar Desert ( Hindi: थार मरुस्थल also known as the Great Indian Desert, is Cholistan Desert (صحرائے چولستان also locally known as Rohi) sprawls thirty kilometers from Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan and covers The Indus River and its many tributaries traverse the Punjab from north to south. The Indus River { Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu; Urdu: urd {{Nastaliq سندھ}} Sindh; Sindhi: snd The landscape is amongst the most heavily irrigated on earth and canals can be found throughout the province. Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways 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.

Climate

Most areas in Punjab experience fairly cool winters, often accompanied by rain. By mid-February the temperature begins to rise; springtime weather continues until mid-April, when the summer heat sets in.

The onset of the southwest monsoon is anticipated to reach Punjab by May, but since the early 1970s the weather pattern has been irregular. A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind which lasts for several months The spring monsoon has either skipped over the area or has caused it to rain so hard that floods have resulted. June and July are oppressively hot. Although official estimates rarely place the temperature above 46°C, newspaper sources claim that it reaches 51°C and regularly carry reports about people who have succumbed to the heat. Heat records were broken in Multan in June 1993, when the mercury was reported to have risen to 54°C. ( Urdu:, Punjabi ملتان، ਮੁਲਤਾਨ is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District Temperature measurement using modern scientific Thermometers and Temperature scales goes back at least as far as the early 18th century when Gabriel Fahrenheit In August the oppressive heat is punctuated by the rainy season, referred to as barsat, which brings relief in its wake. A wet season or rainy season is a Season in which the average Rainfall in a region is significantly increased The hardest part of the summer is then over, but cooler weather does not come until late October.

Recently the province experienced one of the coldest winters in the last 70 years. Experts are suggesting that this is due to global climate change. ^[1]

Demographics and society

The population of the province is estimated to be 86,084,000 in 2005 and is home to over half the population of Pakistan. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The major language spoken in the Punjab is Punjabi (which is written in a Perso-Arabic script in Pakistan) and Punjabis comprise the largest ethnic group (and overlap into neighbouring India). Punjabi (pa ਪੰਜਾਬੀ in Gurmukhi script pa-PK {{Nastaliq پنجابی}} in Shahmukhi script Pañjābī in Transliteration) is an The Perso-Arabic script is a Writing system that is based on the Arabic alphabet. The Punjabi people ( Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی also Panjabi people) are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group from South Asia. The language is not given any official recognition in the Constitution of Pakistan, (however, it is recognized in the Indian Constitution). The Constitution of Pakistan (آئین پاکستان is the supreme law of Pakistan. The Constitution of India ( Hindi: भारतीय़ संविधान see names in other Indian languages) is the supreme law of India. Punjabis themselves are a heterogeneous group comprising different tribes and communities, although the different castes in Pakistani Punjab has more to do with traditional occupations such as blacksmiths or artisans as opposed to rigid social stratifications. Heterogeneous is an adjective used to describe an object or system consisting of multiple items having a large number of structural variations In biological terms a community is a group of interacting Organisms sharing an environment. Castes are Hereditary systems of occupation, Endogamy, social culture, Social class, and Political power. The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem acc of traditio which means "a giving up delivering up surrendering" and is used in a number of blacksmith is a person who creates objects from Iron or Steel by Forging the Metal; i An artisan, also called a Craftsman, is a skilled manual worker who crafts items that may be functional or strictly decorative including furniture clothing In Sociology, social stratification is the hierarchical arrangement of Social classes Castes and strata within a Society.

The most important tribes within Punjab include the Arains, the Gakhars, the Gujjars, the Jats, the Rajputs, the Punjabi Shaikhs and the Syeds. The Arain (آرائین are an agricultural caste settled mainly in the Punjab ( Pakistan and India) with significant numbers also in the The Gakhars (also Gakkhar or Ghakhar or Ghakkar) (گاکھر were a fiercely independent and warlike Clan now located in Rawalpindi The Gujjar ( Hindi: गुज्जर Urdu: گجر or Gurjar (Hindi गुर्जर Urdu گُرجر are an ethnic group in India and Rajput constitute one of the major Hindu Kshatriya groups from India Sheikh ( Arabic & Urdu: شيخ) is an Arabic word meaning elder of a tribe lord revered old man or Islamic scholar. Other smaller tribes are the Awans, Rawns and the Maliks. Awan (اعوان Punjabi Gurmukhi ਆਵਾਨ a South Asian Zamindar tribe putatively of Arab origin living predominantly in The Rawn are a tribe of the Punjab region, who are mostly it is settled in the Saraiki region of Pakistan. Malik (ملك) as an Arabic word meaning " king " It has been adopted in various other mainly Asian languages for their ruling princes and to In Central Punjab, there is a significant population who are descendants of settlers from the Kashmir Valley. 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 institutions. Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised For the online game see Jennifer Government NationStates. The nation-state is a certain form of State that derives its legitimacy There is also a nationalist movement amongst the somewhat related Saraikis in the south of Punjab, in and around the city of Multan and many wish to see a separate the region into a new province of Saraikistan. The Seraiki people ( Perso-Arabic: سرائيکی Gurmukhi: ਸਰਾਇਕੀ or Multani people ( Perso-Arabic: ملتانی Devanagari Seraikistan ( Urdu: سراییکستان) is a term used by some Seraiki nationalists to denote the southern region of the Punjab province of Pakistan Other smaller ethnic groups in the province include the Hindko, Pakhtuns, the Baloch, Kashmiris, Sindhis and Muhajirs. Hindko (هندکو /Hindkoŭ/ also Hindku, Hinko, or Lahnda, لَیہندا is an ancient Indo-Aryan language spoken in North Western Pashtuns ( Pashto: پښتون Paṣtūn, Paxtūn, also rendered as Pushtuns, Pakhtuns, Pukhtuns) also called The Baloch ( بلوچ; alternative transliterations Baluch Balouch Bloach Balooch Balush Balosh Baloosh Baloush) are an Iranian people inhabiting The Kashmiri people ( Kashmiri: कॉशुर کٲشُر Koshur) are a Dardic ethnic group living in the central valley of Kashmir in Sindhis ( Sindhi: سنڌي) are a Sindhi speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating in Sindh in Pakistan. See Muhajir page for all Muhajir groups in the world Muhajir or Panahgir (مہاجر is a diverse term used to describe the Three decades of bloodshed in neighbouring Afghanistan have brought a large number of Afghan refugees to the province. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت,

The population of Punjab (Pakistan) is over 99% Muslim with a Sunni majority and Shia minority. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic There are small non-Muslims groups of Zorastrians, Bahá'ís, Christians, Sikhs and Hindus. Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical The Ismaili and Ahmediya communities are considered non-Muslim by some. For the Egyptian city see Ismaïlia. The Ismāʿīlī ( Urdu: إسماعیلی Ismāʿīlī, Arabic: الإسماعيليون Ahmadiyya ( احمدیہ Ahmadiyya) is a movement that arose out of mainstream Islam towards the end of the 19th century

Due to its strategic location in the Asian sub-continent, wave after wave of migrants poured into the area and settled on its fertile lands and today, although originally belonging to the Aryan stock, there has been some settlements of Iranians, Central Asians, and Afghans who have come individually or in groups. The Iranian people are a collection of Ethnic groups defined along linguistic lines as speaking Iranian languages. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south The Demographics of Afghanistan are ethnically and linguistically mixed This admixture has further diversified Pakistani Punjabis from Punjabis across the border in India.

The dialects spoken in different regions of the land have a common vocabulary and a shared heritage. A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος dialektos) is a variety of a Language that is characteristic of a particular group of The vocabulary of a person is defined either as the set of all Words that are understood by that person or the set of all words likely to be used by that person when constructing Cultural heritage ("national heritage" or just "heritage" is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or Society The shared heritage also extends to a common faith, Islam. Faith is a Belief in the trustworthiness of an Idea. Formal usage of the word "faith" is usually reserved for concepts of Religion, as in For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The people of Punjab have also a shared spiritual experience, which has been disseminated by Tassawwaf and can be witnessed on the occasion of the remembrance-fairs held on the Urs of Sufi Saints. The term supernatural or supranatural ( Latin: super, supra "above" + natura "nature" pertains to entities events Urs ( Arabic: عرس) is the death anniversary of a Sufi saint in South Asia, usually held at the saint's Dargah (shrine or tomb Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفی‌گری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity

History

Main article: History of Punjab

Ancient history and the Hindu Period

It was formerly thought that the original inhabitants of the Indus Valley area were the present populations of South India who were displaced by Aryans invaders from the North West, however, recently the Aryan invasion theory has been largely discarded by most scholars. The first known use of the word Punjab is in the book Tarikh-e-Sher Shah Suri (1580 which mentions the construction of a fort by "Sher Khan of Punjab" It is now generally accepted that the area of the Indus Valley Civilization has been continuously inhabited for thousands of years by the same general population stock as is presently found in the area of Punjab. The main site of the Indus Valley Civilization in Punjab was the city of Harrapa. The Indus Valley Civilization (Mature period 2600&ndash1900 BCE abbreviated IVC, was an ancient Civilization that flourished in the Indus River basin Harappa ( Urdu:, Hindi: हड़प्पा) is a City in Punjab, northeast Pakistan, about 35km (22 miles southwest The Indus Valley Civilization spanned much of what is today Pakistan and eventually evolved into Indo-Aryan civilization. The Indus Valley Civilization (Mature period 2600&ndash1900 BCE abbreviated IVC, was an ancient Civilization that flourished in the Indus River basin The arrival of the Indo-Aryans led to the flourishing of the Vedic Civilization that extended from the ancient Sarasvati River to the Ganges river to the entire Indian Subcontinent around 1500 BCE. The Vedic Period (or Vedic Age) is the period in the History of India during which the Vedas, the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism, were being The Sarasvati River ( Sanskrit: sa सरस्वती नदी sárasvatī nadī) is one of the chief Rigvedic rivers mentioned in ancient Hindu The Ganges (ˈgænʤiːz also Ganga, Devanāgarī: hi गंगा in most Indian languages) is the major river in the Indian subcontinent This civilization shaped subsequent cultures in South Asia. Punjab was part of the great ancient empires including the Gandhara Mahajanapadas, Mauryas, Kushans, Gupta Empire and Hindu Shahi. Gandhāra ( Sanskrit: गन्धार Urdu: گندھارا Gandḥārā; also known as Waihind in Persian is the name of an ancient Mahajanapadas ( Sanskrit: महाजनपद Mahājanapadas) literally "Great Kingdoms" (from Maha, "great" and Janapada The Maurya Empire ( 322 – 185 BCE) ruled by the Mauryan dynasty was a geographically extensive and powerful political and military The Kushan Empire (c 1st &ndash 3rd centuries) was a Bactrian state that at its cultural zenith Circa 105 &ndash 250 The Gupta Empire ( Hindi: गुप्त राजवंश was ruled by members of the Gupta dynasty from around 320 to 550 C For a town in Bareilly District India see Shahi Uttar Pradesh. Agriculture flourished and trading cities (such as Multan and Lahore) grew in wealth.

Due to its location, the Punjab region came under constant attack and influence from the west. Invaded by the Persians, Greeks, Kushans, Scythians, Turks and Afghans, Punjab witnessed centuries of bitter bloodshed. layout and formatting it should ensure no clashes with the top of the infobox The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions The Kushan Empire (c 1st &ndash 3rd centuries) was a Bactrian state that at its cultural zenith Circa 105 &ndash 250 The Scythians or Scyths (Σκύθες Σκύθοι were an Iranian speaking people of horse-riding Nomadic pastoralists who dominated the Pontic The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family The Demographics of Afghanistan are ethnically and linguistically mixed Its legacy is a unique culture that combines Hindu, Buddhist, Persian, Central Asian, Islamic, Sikh and British elements. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands

The city of Taxila, reputed to house the oldest university in the world, Takshashila University, was established by the great Vedic thinker and politician Chanakya. For the Genus of metalmark butterflies, see Taxila (butterfly. For the Genus of metalmark butterflies, see Taxila (butterfly. Chanakya Sanskrit: चाणक्य Cāṇakya) (c 350-283 BC was an adviser and a Prime minister to the first Maurya Emperor Taxila was a great center of learning and intellectual discussion during the Hindu Maurya Empire. The Maurya Empire ( 322 – 185 BCE) ruled by the Mauryan dynasty was a geographically extensive and powerful political and military It is a UN World Heritage site, and revered for its archaeological and religious history. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex

The arrival of Islam

The Punjabis were predominantly Hindus with large minorities of Buddhists and Zoroastrians, when the Umayyad Muslim Arab army led by Muhammad bin Qasim conquered the Punjab and Sindh in 711. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists. Historical Buddhist thinkers and founders of schools Individuals are grouped by nationality except in cases where the Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Muhammad bin Qasim Al-Thaqafi (محمد بن قاسم (c 31 December, 695 &ndash 18 July, 715) born Muhammad bin Qasim bin Yusuf Sakifi Bin Qasim recorded he so was overwhelmed by the gold in the Aditya Temple in the thriving trading city of Multan (known as Mulasthana then), that he recovered the expenses for his entire invasion.

During the reign of Mahmud of Ghazni, non-Muslims were forced to pay the jaziya tax or to convert to Islam. Mahmud of Ghazni (محمود غزنوی Maḥmūd-e Ghaznawī ( November 2, 971 - April 30, 1030) also known as Yāmīn Under Islamic law, jizya or jizyah (جزْية ʤɪzjæh Ottoman Turkish: cizye both derived from Pahlavi and ultimately from Aramaic The province became an important centre and Lahore was made into a second capital of the Ghaznavid Empire. The Ghaznavid Empire was a Khorāṣānian Sunni Muslim state founded by a dynasty of Turkic Mamluk.

The Greeks, Central Asians and Persians

Unique to Pakistani Punjab was that this area was briefly conquered into various central Asian, Greek and Persian empires: after the bloody victories of Alexander the Great, Mahmud of Ghazni and Tamerlane. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Timur also written Emir Timur or Amir Temur ( Chagatai: تیمور - Tēmōr " Iron " (1336 – 19 February 1405 among These were periods of contact between this region of Pakistan and the Persian Empire and all the way to Greece. The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia In later centuries, when Persian was the language of the Mughal government, Persian architecture, poetry, art and music was an integral part of the region's culture. The official language of Punjab remained Persian until the arrival of the British in the mid 19th century, where it was finally abolished and the administrative language was changed over to English. The Punjabi language gained prominence during Ranjit Singh's rule in between but was written in the Sikh Gurumukhi script. After 1947, Urdu, which has Persian and Sanskrit roots, became Islamic Pakistan's national language.

The Mughals

The Mughals controlled the region from 1524 until 1739 and would also lavish the province with building projects such as the Shalimar Gardens and the Badshahi Mosque, both situated in Lahore. The Mughal Empire ( Persian and self-designation گورکانی; مغلیہ سلطنت) was an Islamic imperial power which ruled most The Shalimar Gardens ( Urdu: شالیمار باغ) sometimes written Shalamar Gardens, is a Persian garden and it was built by the Mughal The Badshahi Mosque ( Urdu: بادشاھی مسجد) or the 'Emperor's Mosque ' was built in 1673 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore Muslim soldiers, traders, architects, theologians and Sufis flocked from the rest of the Muslim world to the Islamic Sultanate in South Asia and some may have settled in the Punjab. Sultan (سلطان is an Islamic title with several historical meanings Following the decline of the Mughals, the Shah of Iran and founder of the Afsharid dynasty in Persia, Nader Shah crossed the Indus and sacked the province in 1739. The Afsharids (سلسله افشار were an Iranian dynasty of Turkic descent from Khorasan that ruled the Persian Empire in the 18th century The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia Nāder Shāh Afshār ( also known as Nāder Qoli Beg - نادر قلی بیگ or Tahmāsp Qoli Khān - تهماسپ قلی خان) (November The Indus River { Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu; Urdu: urd {{Nastaliq سندھ}} Sindh; Sindhi: snd Following this terrible visitation, the Afghan conqueror Ahmad Shah Durrani annexed the Punjab into his Durrani Empire from 1747 until 1762. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Ahmad Shāh Durrānī (c1723-1773 ( also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī ( احمد شاه ابدالي) and born as Ahmad Khān Abdālī, The Durrani Empire (also referred to as the Afghan Empire) was a large state based in modern Afghanistan and Pakistan and later included northeastern

The Afghans

The founder of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Durrani, an ethnic Pashtun (Afghan), is believed to be born in the city of Multan. Ahmad Shāh Durrānī (c1723-1773 ( also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī ( احمد شاه ابدالي) and born as Ahmad Khān Abdālī, Pashtuns ( Pashto: پښتون Paṣtūn, Paxtūn, also rendered as Pushtuns, Pakhtuns, Pukhtuns) also called ( Urdu:, Punjabi ملتان، ਮੁਲਤਾਨ is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District After cementing his authority over various Afghan tribes, he went about to establish the first united Afghan Kingdom (Greater Afghanistan) that during its greatest extent included modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, northeastern Iran and western India. The Durrani Empire (also referred to as the Afghan Empire) was a large state based in modern Afghanistan and Pakistan and later included northeastern The Punjab was a cultural reservoir for the Afghans, and many where attracted to its lush fertile lands. It has been said that with the loss of the breadbasket regions of the Punjab and Sindh, Afghanistan has never been able to achieve a stable state ever since. Many ethnic Afghan or Pashtun tribes continue to live in Pakistan's Punjab province such as the Gardezis, Niazis, Lodhis, the Kakazai and the Barakzai to name a few. Gardezi is a common Muslim family name Origin The name denotes people from Gardez, the capital of the Paktia province in Afghanistan Niazi ( Pashto: نیازی is a Pashtun tribe a subgroup of the Ghilzai Pashtuns of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Lodhi (or Lodi; Pashto Urdu: لودھی   is a Pashtun tribe most likely a sub-group of the larger Ghilzai The Kakazai (see spelling variants below are a Pashtun (aka Pathan tribe originally from the Laghman province of Afghanistan. Bārakzai (singular Bārakzay) is a common ethnic name among the Pashtuns of Afghanistan and western Pakistan and among the Baloch

The Sikhs

At the beginning of the sixteenth century, the religion of Sikhism was born, and during the Mughal period gradually emerged as a formidable military force until subjugated and assimilated by the later expanding British Empire. Sikhism ( IPA: or; ਸਿੱਖੀ sikkhī, IPA:) founded on the teachings of Nanak and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century After fighting Ahmad Shah Durrani, the Sikhs wrested control of the Punjab from his descendants and ruled in a confederacy, which later became the Sikh Kingdom of the Punjab under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Ahmad Shāh Durrānī (c1723-1773 ( also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī ( احمد شاه ابدالي) and born as Ahmad Khān Abdālī, The Sikh Confederacy was a nation that existed from 1716 to 1799 The Sikh Confederacy was a nation that existed from 1716 to 1799 A denizen of the city of Gujranwala, the capital of Ranjit Singh's kingdom was Lahore. Gujranwala ( is a city in Punjab, Pakistan with a population of 1132509 (1998 census The Sikhs made architectural contributions to the city and the Lahore Fort. The Lahore Fort, locally referred to as Shahi Qila ( Urdu: شاهی قلعہ) is Citadel of the city of Lahore, Punjab

The British

The Maharaja's death in the summer of 1839 brought political chaos and the subsequent battles of succession and the bloody infighting between the factions at court weakened the state. Relationships with neighbouring British territories then broke down, starting the First Anglo-Sikh War; this led to a British official being resident in Lahore and the annexation of territory south of the Satluj to British India. The First Anglo-Sikh War was fought between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company between 1845 and 1846 For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British

Some parts of Pakistani Punjab also served as the centre of resistance in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of Sepoys of British East India Company 's army on the 10th of May 1857 in the town of Meerut,

Partition and its aftermath

In 1947 the Punjab province of British India was divided along religious lines into West Punjab and East Punjab. For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British West Punjab was a former province of Pakistan which existed from 1947 to 1955 East Punjab was the part of the Punjab region that went to India following the Partition of the British province of the Punjab between The western Punjabis voted to join the new country of Pakistan while the easterners joined India. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and This led to massive rioting as both sides committed atrocities against fleeing refugees.

The undivided Punjab, of which Punjab (Pakistan) forms a major region today, was home to a large minority population of Punjabi Hindus and Sikhs unto 1947 apart from the Muslim majority. ^[2]

At the time of Partition in 1947 and due to the ensuing horrendous exchange of populations, the Punjabi Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country ^[3] Punjabi Muslims were uprooted similarly from their homes in East Punjab which now forms part of India. ^[4]

The West Punjabi Hindu and Sikh refugees who moved to India leaving their ancient home lands in Punjab (Pakistan) belonged to various sub groups, clans, tribes, castes and linguistic groups. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country This includes Khatris, Aroras, Rajputs, Jats, Gujjars, Kambojs, Mohyals, Mazhabis, as well as others such as the linguistically distinct Multanis. Khatri ( Punjabi: ਖੱਤਰੀ Hindi: खत्री is the Punjabi language adaptation or pronunciation of Sanskrit word Kshatriya Aroras ( Hindi: अरोड़ा Punjabi: ਅਰੋੜਾ (or Aror-vanshis Aror Bans are an urban mercantile community of the Punjab and Rajput constitute one of the major Hindu Kshatriya groups from India The Gujjar ( Hindi: गुज्जर Urdu: گجر or Gurjar (Hindi गुर्जर Urdu گُرجر are an ethnic group in India and The Kambojs (कम्बोज kamboj, کمبوہ kamboh, ਕਮ੍ਬੋਜ kamboj) are an Ethnic community of the Punjab region Mohyal ( Punjabi - Gurmukhi: ਮੋਹ੍ਯਾਲ Punjabi - Shahmukhi / Urdu: ﻣﻮﮨﻴﺎﻝ, Hindi: मोहयाल A Mazhabi is a Sikh who converted from the Balmiki faith and also practices Valmikism A unique feature among Punjabis of different faiths Muslim, Hindu and Sikh hailing from the area which now forms the Punjab (Pakistan) is the enduring affinities to sub grouping and clans cutting across religious lines. The Punjabi people ( Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی also Panjabi people) are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group from South Asia. Consequently these Punjabis of Pakistan, despite having left the country, continue to share common surnames and tribal affiliations with their parent tribes and lands left behind. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and This includes surnames such as Sahgal, Sial, Bhatti, Ghumman, Sandhu, Tiwana and Cheema. Sial or SiAl is also the name for the upper layer of the Earth's crust, which is also known as the Continental crust because Bhati / Bhatti (भाटी (Bhati ਭੱਟੀ (Bhatti / भटटी بھٹی is a Rajput Caste and is one of the largest tribes among Rajputs Ghuman (also spelt Ghumman (???? is a clan of Jats found in the Pakistan and Northern Indian state of Punjab. Sandhu is one of the most well known Jatt Clans along with Narwal and Toor originally from the State of Punjab in India and Pakistan Tiwana is a Punjabi tribe that hails from the Punjab region of Pakistan and India. For people named Cheema, see Cheema (person Cheema ( Punjabi: ਚੀਮਾ Urdu: چیمہ) (also spelt In recent years, many of these refugees have been able to visit their ancestral homelands.

Recent History

Since the 1950s, Punjab industrialized rapidly. New factories came up in Lahore, Multan, Sialkot. ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. ( Urdu:, Punjabi ملتان، ਮੁਲਤਾਨ is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District Sialkot ( Urdu / Punjabi:) the capital of Sialkot District, is a city situated in the north-east of the Punjab province in In the 1960s the new city of Islamabad was built near Rawalpindi. |name = Islamabad|native_name = |nickname = |settlement_type = Capital City |total_type ( Urdu: Rāwalpindī) is a city in the Potwar Plateau near Pakistan 's capital city of Islamabad, in the province

Agriculture continues to be the largest sector of Punjab's economy. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture The province is the breadbasket of the country as well as home to the largest ethnic group in Pakistan, the Punjabis. The Punjabi people ( Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی also Panjabi people) are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group from South Asia. Unlike neighbouring India, there was no large-scale redistribution of agricultural land. As a result most rural areas are dominated by a small set of land-owning families. This small ruling class also allegedly dominates powerful positions in the army and civil bureaucracy. This results in some resentment from residents of other provinces as well as by the working people of Punjab.

In the 1950s there was tension between the eastern and western halves of Pakistan. In order to address the situation, a new formula resulted in the abolition of the province status for Punjab in 1955. It was merged into a single province West Pakistan. West Pakistan was the popular and sometimes official (1955&ndash1970 name of the western wing of Pakistan until 1971 when the eastern wing became independent In 1972, after East Pakistan seceded and became Bangladesh, Punjab again became a province. East Pakistan ( Bengali: পূর্ব পাকিস্তান Purbo Pakistan, Urdu: مشرقی پاکستان Mashriqi Pakistan) was ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially

Punjab witnessed major battles between the armies of India and Pakistan in the wars of 1965 and 1971. The Indian Army (Bharatiya Thalsena भारतीय थाल्सेना is one of the armed forces of India and has the responsibility for land-based The Pakistan Army ( Urdu:) is the largest branch of the Pakistan military, and is mainly responsible for protection of the state borders the security of administered The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of Skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between India and Pakistan. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a major military conflict between India and Pakistan. Since the 1990s Punjab hosted several key sites of Pakistan's nuclear program such as Kahuta. Kahuta ( Urdu: کہوٹہ) is the main city of Kahuta Tehsil a subdivision of Rawalpindi District, Pakistan, it is located at 33°35'N It also hosts major military bases such as at Sargodha and Rawalpindi. Sargodha (Urduis a city located in Punjab province Pakistan. It is located in northeast Pakistan to the north-west of Lahore by the lower Jhelum ( Urdu: Rāwalpindī) is a city in the Potwar Plateau near Pakistan 's capital city of Islamabad, in the province The peace process between India and Pakistan, which began in earnest in 2004, has helped pacify the situation. Trade and people-to-people contacts through the Wagah border are now starting to become common. Wagah ( Hindi: वाघा Urdu:, Punjabi: ਵਾਘਾ is the only road border crossing between India and Pakistan and lies on the Grand Trunk Indian Sikh pilgrims visit holy sites such as Nankana Sahib. Nankana Sahib, also known as Raipur is a City in the province of Punjab with a population of almost 160000, it is also the capital of Nankana Sahib

Starting in the 1980s large numbers of Punjabis migrated to the Middle East, Britain, Spain, Canada and the United States for economic opportunties. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Business and cultural ties between the US and Punjab are growing. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

The rise of radical Islamic jihad in Punjab gained international attention. Jihad (جهاد ʤɪhæːd an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. The bloody legacy of partition violence resulted in an anti-minority sentiment since its formation. In the 1980s society got even more polarized with funding by certain Middle Eastern countries of radical madrassas, both Sunni and Shia. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Throughout the 1990s there were a series of gun battles between Shia and Sunni groups which claimed many lives. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic There were also attacks on Christian, Ahmadiya and Hindu minorities. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Ahmadiyya ( احمدیہ Ahmadiyya) is a movement that arose out of mainstream Islam towards the end of the 19th century A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical The presence of armed militant groups and their propaganda are often felt in some areas. Some Punjabis joined or assisted jihadi campaigns in Afghanistan, Kashmir and in Britain. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, This article is about the geographical region of greater Kashmir In the 2000s, in the Musharraf era, the Sufi heritage of Punjab slowly started staging a comeback. General (ret Pervez Musharraf ( (born 11 August 1943 NI(M, HI(M, TBt, is the former Military dictator and President of Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفی‌گری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف In addition non-religious holidays such as Basant and New Year's Eve are again celebrated openly. Basant (बसंत ਬਸਨ is short for Basant Panchami (वसंत पंचमी a Hindu festival in honor of Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge music New Year's Eve is on December 31, the final day of the Gregorian year and the day before New Year's Day. Some Middle Eastern countries started to provide development assistance not driven by fundamentalist compulsions, such as by the UAE in Rahim Yar Khan. Rahimyar Khan or Rahim Yar Khan (رحیم یار خان is a famous city in the south of Punjab (Pakistan

However the spread of radicalism has not stopped and incidents of terrorism continue sporadically. Radical groups sympathetic to Taliban and Al Qaeda are believed to have carried out bombings in Lahore, Sargodha and the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi in 2007. The Taliban ( طالبان, also anglicised as Taleban; translation "students" is a Sunni Islamist, predominately Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Sargodha (Urduis a city located in Punjab province Pakistan. It is located in northeast Pakistan to the north-west of Lahore by the lower Jhelum The assassination of Benazir Bhutto occurred on December 27 2007 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Benazir Bhutto ( Sindhi: بينظير ڀٽو Urdu: بینظیر بھٹو beːnəziːɾ bɦʊʈːoː (21 June 1953 &ndash 27 December 2007 was a ( Urdu: Rāwalpindī) is a city in the Potwar Plateau near Pakistan 's capital city of Islamabad, in the province Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

Districts

There are 35 districts in Punjab, Pakistan. ||} See also Local government in Pakistan The Districts of Pakistan form the third tier of government in Pakistan, ranking as subdivisions of the provinces

Attock Bahawalnagar Bahawalpur Bhakkar Chakwal Dera Ghazi Khan Faisalabad Gujranwala Gujrat Hafizabad Jhang Jhelum

Kasur Khanewal Khushab Lahore Layyah Lodhran Mandi Bahauddin Mianwali Multan Muzaffargarh Narowal Nankana Sahib

Okara Pakpattan Rahim Yar Khan Rajanpur Rawalpindi Sahiwal Sargodha Sheikhupura Sialkot Toba Tek Singh Vehari

Economy

Despite lack of a coastline, Punjab is the most industrialized province of Pakistan; its manufacturing industries produce textiles, sports goods, machinery, electrical appliances, surgical instruments, metals, bicycles and rickshaws, floor coverings, and processed foods. Attock District ( Urdu: اٹک) is a district in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. Bahawalnagar District ( Urdu: بہاولنگر) is a district of Punjab province in Pakistan. Bahawalpur District ( Urdu: بہاول پور) is one of the districts of Punjab, Pakistan. Bhakkar (Urdu بھکر Seraiki بکھر is a District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Chakwal (چکوال is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Dera Ghazi Khan ( Urdu: ڈیرہ غازی خان) is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Faisalabad District is one of the districts of Punjab province Pakistan. Gujranwala District ( Urdu: گوجرانوالہ) is a district in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Gujrat ( Urdu: گجرات) is a district of Punjab Province in Pakistan. Hafizabad district ( Urdu: حافظ آباد) is a district of Punjab province Pakistan. Jhang ( Punjabi / Urdu: جھنگ) is the principal city of Jhang District in the Punjab province of Pakistan Jhelum district ( Urdu: جہلم) is situated in Punjab province of Pakistan. Kasur District ( Urdu / Punjabi: ضلع قصور) is one of the districts in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Khanewal ( Urdu: خانیوال) is district in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Khushab District (خوشاب is a rural district located in Punjab, Pakistan. Lahore District is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan, that contains the city of Lahore - the district and provincial capital Layyah District ( لیہ) is a district in the Punjab, Pakistan. Lodhran is a district in the Punjab, Pakistan, located on the northern side of River Sutlej. Mandi-Bahaudddin is a district of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Mianwali ( Urdu: میانوالی) is a District in the north-west of Punjab Province, Pakistan. Multan District is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Muzaffargarh ( Urdu / Punjabi: مظفر گڑھ) is a district in the south of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Narowal District ( Urdu / Punjabi: نارووال) is one of the districts in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Nankana Sahib District ( Urdu / Punjabi: ننکانہ صاحب) is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Okara District ( Urdu: ضلع اوکاڑہ) is a district of Punjab, Pakistan. Pakpattan District is a district of Punjab Province in Pakistan, Pakpattan is the district capital Rahim Yar Khan district is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan, the city of Rahim Yar Khan is the capital Rajanpur District is a district of Punjab province in Pakistan. Rawalpindi is a district of Pakistan in the north of the Punjab province which contains the city of Rawalpindi. Sahiwal District (ساہیوال is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Sargodha District is a district of Punjab province Pakistan, the capital of the district is Sargodha. Sheikhupura District is a district of Punjab province, Pakistan. Sialkot is a district of the Punjab province of Pakistan, it is located in the north-east of the province the city of Sialkot is the capital Toba Tek Singh ( Urdu: ٹوبہ ٹیک سنگھ, Gurmukhi: ਟੋਬਾ ਟੇਕ ਸਿੰਘ is a district in the Punjab Province Vehari District ( Urdu: وہاڑی) is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan - the city of Vehari is the capital In 2003, the province manufactured 90% of the paper and paper boards, 71% of the fertilizers, 65% of the sugar and 40% of the cement of Pakistan. ^[5]

Despite its dry climate, extensive irrigation makes it a rich agricultural region. Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of Its canal-irrigation system established by the British is the largest in the world. Wheat and cotton are the largest crops. Wheat ( Triticum spp is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Levant area of the Middle East. Cotton is a soft staple Fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant ( Gossypium sp Other crops include rice, sugarcane, millet, corn, oilseeds, pulses, fruits, and vegetables. Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many Sugarcane ( Saccharum) is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation of tall perennial grasses (family Poaceae tribe Andropogoneae The millets are a group of small- Seeded Species of Cereal crops or grains widely grown around the world for Food and Fodder Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica Pulses are annual leguminous crops yielding from one to twelve Grains or Seeds of variable size shape and color within a Pod, according The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context and the term is not synonymous in Food preparation and Biology. The term " vegetable " generally means the edible parts of Plants The definition of the word is traditional rather than Scientific, however Livestock and poultry production are also important. Livestock is the term used to refer (singularly or plurally to a Domesticated Animal intentionally reared in an agricultural setting to produce such as Food Poultry is the category of Domesticated Birds which some humans keep for the purpose of collecting their eggs, or kill for their Meat and/or Despite past animosities, the rural masses in Punjab's farms continue to use the Hindu calendar for planting and harvesting.

Punjab contributes about 68% to annual food grain production in the country. 51 million acres (210,000 km²) is cultivated and another 9. 05 million acres (36,600 km²) are lying as cultivable waste in different parts of the province.

Cotton and rice are important crops. They are the cash crops that contribute substantially to the national exchequer. In Agriculture, a cash crop is a crop which is grown for Money. Attaining self-sufficiency in agriculture has shifted the focus of the strategies towards small and medium farming, stress on barani areas, farms-to-market roads, electrification for tube-wells and control of water logging and salinity.

Punjab has also more than 48 thousand industrial units. The small and cottage industries are in abundance. There are 39,033 small and cottage industrial units. The number of textile units is 11,820. The ginning industries are 6,778. There are 6,355 units for processing of agricultural raw materials including food and feed industries.

Lahore and Gujranwala Divisions have the largest concentration of small light engineering units. The district of Sialkot excels in sports goods, surgical instruments and cutlery goods.

Punjab is also a mineral rich province with extensive mineral deposits of coal, rock salt, dolomite, gypsum, and silica-sand. Halite is the Mineral form of Sodium chloride, Na[[chlorine Cl]] commonly known as rock salt. Dolomite (ˈdɒləmaɪt is the name of a Sedimentary Carbonate rock and a Mineral, both composed Gypsum is a very soft Mineral composed of Calcium sulfate dihydrate with the Chemical formula Ca[[sulfur S]] O 4·2 The Punjab Mineral Development Corporation is running over a dozen economically viable projects.

Education

The literacy rate has increased greatly since independence. In 2003, over 53% of the population of the province was estimated to be literate by the Labour Force Survey. [1] This is a chart of the education market of Punjab estimated by the government in 1998. Also see [2]

Qualification	Urban	Rural	Total	Enrolment Ratio(%)
—	23,019,025	50,602,265	73,621,290	—
Below Primary	3,356,173	11,598,039	14,954,212	100. 00
Primary	6,205,929	18,039,707	24,245,636	79. 68
Middle	5,140,148	10,818,764	15,958,912	46. 75
Matriculation	4,624,522	7,119,738	11,744,260	25. 07
Intermediate	1,862,239	1,821,681	3,683,920	9. 12
BA, BSc… degrees	110,491	96,144	206,635	4. 12
MA, MSc… degrees	1,226,914	764,094	1,991,008	3. 84
Diploma, Certificate…	418,946	222,649	641,595	1. 13
Other qualifications	73,663	121,449	195,112	0. 26

Major universities & colleges

Main article: List of universities in Pakistan#Punjab

• King Edwards Medical University, Lahore
• Forman Christian College, Lahore
• The University of Punjab, Lahore
• COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (campuses at Lahore, Islamabad, Wah Cantt, Abbotabad
• Aitchison College, Lahore
• University of Central Punjab, Lahore
• University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Faisalabad
• National Textile University, Faisalabad
• Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan
• Islamia University, Bahawalpur
• University of Punjab, Lahore
• Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore
• University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore
• University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore
• National College of Arts, Lahore
• Lahore College for Women University, Lahore
• Government College University, Lahore
• University of Education, Lahore
• Virtual University, Lahore
• University Of Management & Technology, Lahore
• University of Health Sciences, Lahore
• Institute of South Asia, Lahore
• University of Sargodha, Sargodha
• University of Gujrat, Gujrat
• University of Engineering Science and Technology Sialkot
• University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila
• University of Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi
• Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi
• National University of Science and Technology, Rawalpindi
• Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore
• National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (formerly FAST), Lahore
• Cadet College Hasan Abdal, Attock, Punjab
• Government Degree College Burewala, Burewala
• Government College Sahiwal, Sahiwal
• Murray College, Sialkot
• Pakistan Institute of Computer Sciences, Gujar Khan, Rawalpindi
• nishtar medical college,multan,Pakistan
• Institute of chartered accountants of Pakistan

Cultural heritage

Punjab has been the cradle of civilization since times immemorial. The following is a list of major universities in Pakistan, organized by subnational entities and lists only those universities that are recognised by the Higher ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Forman Christian College is a private chartered University in Lahore, Pakistan. ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT is an institution for higher education in Pakistan. ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. |name = Islamabad|native_name = |nickname = |settlement_type = Capital City |total_type Wah Cantt ( Urdu: واہ) is a Cantonment city located in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Abbottabad ( Pashto: ایبٹ آباد) is the principal city of Abbottabad District in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan History Aitchison College was established on November 3 1886, when the cornerstone of the school was laid by Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. University of Central Punjab (UCP located in Lahore, Pakistan, is a private sector university ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. The University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF is a University in the city of Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan. ( is a city located in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. It was formerly known as Lyallpur. National Textile University is the premier institution of Textile Education in Pakistan. Bahauddin Zakariya University (جامعھ بہاؤ الدین زکریا is located in Multan, Punjab, Pakistan. ( Urdu:, Punjabi ملتان، ਮੁਲਤਾਨ is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (abbreviated as IUB) ( Urdu: جامعه اسلامیہ) colloquially known as Islamia University, is Bahawalpur (also Bhawalpur or Bhawulpore) (بہاولپور is the capital city of Bahawalpur District located in, Punjab Pakistan The University of the Punjab (abbreviated as PU) ( Urdu: جامعه پنجاب) colloquially known as Punjab University, is located in ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Kinnaird College for Women is a prominent college in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. University of Engineering and Technology Lahore commonly referred to as UET Lahore is one of the leading engineering universities of Pakistan, and the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences was established in 2002 by up gradation of Collage of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore National College of Arts Lahore, usually referred to by its Acronym NCA, is a famous old College in Lahore, Pakistan. Lahore College for Women University is a women's university in Lahore, Pakistan. Government College University Lahore is a co-educational public university located on The Mall in Lahore, Pakistan. University of Education is the first specialized university in the field of Education in Pakistan. The term "virtual university" is used to describe any organization that provides higher education programs through electronic devices such as the computer ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. The University of Health Sciences is located in Lahore the capital of the Punjab province of Pakistan. The University of Sargodha was established in 2002 by an ordinance of the Government of Pakistan Formerly it was called the Government College Sargodha Sargodha (Urduis a city located in Punjab province Pakistan. It is located in northeast Pakistan to the north-west of Lahore by the lower Jhelum University of Gujrat is located at Gujrat, Punjab, Pakistan The University of Gujrat is one of the new public sector universities in Punjab Gujrat ( Urdu / Punjabi:) is a city in Pakistan and is the capital of Gujrat District and the Gujrat Tehsil subdivision in For the Genus of metalmark butterflies, see Taxila (butterfly. The University of Arid Agriculture is located at Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan. ( Urdu: Rāwalpindī) is a city in the Potwar Plateau near Pakistan 's capital city of Islamabad, in the province The National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST is a Public university located at several campuses in Pakistan that primarily trains members of the Pakistan History Cadet College Hasan Abdal is the first Cadet College in Pakistan and was established by the government of Punjab at the initiative of General Burewala (بورے والا is a city of Vehari District in southern Punjab, Pakistan. Sahiwal ( Urdu: ساہیوال) is a growing city in the southeastern province of Punjab province of Government Murray College Sialkot (often referred to as Murray College) formerly known as Scotch Mission College, is located in Sialkot in the Sialkot ( Urdu / Punjabi:) the capital of Sialkot District, is a city situated in the north-east of the Punjab province in ( Urdu: Rāwalpindī) is a city in the Potwar Plateau near Pakistan 's capital city of Islamabad, in the province The ruins of Harappa show an advanced urban culture that flourished over 5000 years ago. Harappa ( Urdu:, Hindi: हड़प्पा) is a City in Punjab, northeast Pakistan, about 35km (22 miles southwest Taxila, another historic landmark also stands out as a proof of the achievements of the area in learning, arts and crafts in bygone ages. For the Genus of metalmark butterflies, see Taxila (butterfly. In the more moderate era post-9/11, the ancient Hindu Katasraj temple and the Salt Range temples are regaining attention and much-needed repair. Katasraj temple is a Hindu temple situated in the Chakwal district of Punjab in Pakistan.

The structure of a mosque is simple and it expresses openness. Calligraphic inscriptions from the Holy Qur’an decorate mosques and mausoleums in Punjab. The inscriptions on bricks and tiles of the mausoleum of Shah Rukn-e-Alam (1320 AD) at Multan are outstanding specimens of architectural calligraphy. ( Urdu:, Punjabi ملتان، ਮੁਲਤਾਨ is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District The earliest existing building in South Asia with enamelled tile-work is the tomb of Shah Yusuf Gardezi (1150 AD) at Multan. A specimen of the sixteenth century tile-work at Lahore is the tomb of Sheikh Musa Ahangar, with its brilliant blue dome. The tile-work of Emperor Shah Jahan is of a richer and more elaborate nature. Shihab-ud-din Muhammad Shah Jahan I (full title Al-Sultan al-'Azam wal Khaqan al-Mukarram Abu'l-Muzaffar Shihab ud-din Muhammad Sahib-i-Qiran-i-Sani Shah Jahan I Padshah Ghazi The pictured wall of Lahore Fort is the last line in the tile-work in the entire world.

Fairs and festivals

The culture of Punjab derives its basis from the institution of Sufi saints. Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفی‌گری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف The Sufi saints spread Islam and preached and lived the Muslim way of life. People have festivities to commemorate these traditions. The fairs and festivals of Punjab reflect the entire gamut of its folk life and cultural traditions. These mainly fall in following categories:

Religious and seasonal fairs/festivals

Religious fairs are held on special days of Islamic significance like Muharram, Eid Milad-un-Nabi, Eid-ul-Fithr, Eid-ul-Azha and Shab-e-Brat. The main activities on these special occasions are confined to congregational prayers and rituals. Melas are also held to mark these occasions.

Devotional fairs or Urs

The fairs held at the shrines of Sufi saints are called Urs. They generally mark the death anniversary of the saint. On these occasions devotees assemble in large numbers and pay homage to the memory of the saint. Soul inspiring music is played and devotees dance in ecstasy. The music on these occasions is essentially folk and appealing. It forms a part of the folk music through mystic messages. The most important Urs are: Urs of Data Ganj Bukhsh at Lahore, Urs of Hazrat Mian Mir at Lahore, Urs of Baba Farid Ganj Shakar at Pakpattan, Urs of Hazrat Bahaudin Zakria at Multan, Urs of Sakhi Sarwar Sultan at Dera Ghazi Khan, Urs of Shah Hussain at Lahore, Urs of Hazrat Bullehe Shah at Kasur and Urs of Hazrat Imam Bari (Bari Shah Latif) at Rawalpindi-Islamabad.

A big fair is organized at Jandiala Sher Khan in district Sheikhupura on the Mausoleum of Syed Waris Shah who is the most loved Sufi poet of Punjab due to his work known as Heer Ranjha.

Industrial and commercial fairs

Exhibitions and Annual Horse Shows in all Districts and National Horse and Cattle Show at Lahore are held with the official patronage. National Horse and Cattle Show at Lahore is the biggest festival where sports, exhibitions, and livestock competitions are held. It not only encourages and patronizes agricultural products and livestock through the exhibitions of agricultural products and cattle but is also a colourful documentary on the rich cultural heritage of the Province with its strong rural roots.

Arts & crafts

The crafts in the Punjab are of two types: the crafts produced in the rural areas and the royal crafts that flourished in the urban centres particularly in Lahore. The former include cotton textiles, basketry, embroidery etc. while the latter are tile and woodwork skills, ivory, silver and gold work, naqqashi and architectural crafts.

Hand knotted carpets of fine quality are made in Punjab since the Mughal period. A carpet is any loom-woven felted textile or grass floor covering Emperor Akbar in the 15th century established the first factory in Lahore. Akbar redirects here For other uses see Akbar (disambiguation Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar ( Jalāl ud-Dīn Muhammad Akbar While carpets were made for the wealthy, rough rugs (known as namdas) were made by the common people for their own use. Lahore is the centre of hand-made carpets.

Since ancient times the weavers of the region have produced colourful fabrics of silk and cotton. The hand-woven cotton cloth like khaddar of Kamalia, are popular. The cloth woven on handlooms is either block printed or beautifully embroidered. Multan is famous for beautiful hand-woven bed covers.

Major attractions

The province is home to many well known historical sites including the Shalimar Gardens, Lahore Fort, the Badshahi Mosque,and the ruins of the ancient city of Harrapa. The Shalimar Gardens ( Urdu: شالیمار باغ) sometimes written Shalamar Gardens, is a Persian garden and it was built by the Mughal The Lahore Fort, locally referred to as Shahi Qila ( Urdu: شاهی قلعہ) is Citadel of the city of Lahore, Punjab The Badshahi Mosque ( Urdu: بادشاھی مسجد) or the 'Emperor's Mosque ' was built in 1673 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore Harappa ( Urdu:, Hindi: हड़प्पा) is a City in Punjab, northeast Pakistan, about 35km (22 miles southwest 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 centre of Hinduism, Buddhism and of Hellenic influence. Anarkali ( Urdu: اناركلى Anārkalī) ("pomegranate blossom" was a legendary slave girl from Lahore (now Pakistan Nuruddin Salim Jahangir (full title Al-Sultan al-'Azam wal Khaqan al-Mukarram Khushru-i-Giti Panah Abu'l-Fath Nur ud-din Muhammad Jahangir Padshah Ghazi ''( September 20 ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Lahore Museum was established in 1894 in Lahore, Pakistan, and is one of the major museums of South Asia. For the Genus of metalmark butterflies, see Taxila (butterfly. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Many important Sikh shrines are in the Pakistani portion of Punjab, including the birthplace of the first Guru: Guru Nanak (born at Nankana Sahib). There is also the largest salt mine in Asia situated the Khewra Salt Mines. Khewra Salt Mines is a Salt mine located in Khewra, Jhelum District, Punjab in Pakistan, about 160 kilometres from Islamabad

Punjabi music

Classical music forms are an important part of the cultural wealth of the Punjab. The Muslim musicians have contributed a large number of ragas to the repository of classical music.

Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bulleh Shah, Mian Muhammad Baksh and Waris Shah and folk singers like Inayat Hussain Bhatti and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Sain Marna, Mansoor Malangi, Allah Ditta Lunewala, Talib Hussain Dard, Attaullah Khan Esakhlvi, Gamoo Tahliwala, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar,Ahmad Nawaz Cheena and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. Sultan Bahu (ca 1628 - 1691) was a Muslim Sufi and Saint, who founded the Sarwari Qadiri sufi order Bulleh Shah (1680 – 1757 ( Shahmukhi: Gurmukhi: ਬੁੱਲ੍ਹੇ ਸ਼ਾਹ}} whose real name was Abdullah Shah, was a Punjabi Mīān Muhammad Bakhsh was a Sufi Saint and also a Potohari/Hindko poet of great repute Syed Waris Shah ( Urdu / Punjabi: وارث شاہ) (b 1706 &ndash d Inayat Hussain Bhatti (1928-1999 was a multidimensional Icon of Pakistan. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan. Alam Lohar has made significant contributions to folklore and Punjabi literature, by being a very influential Punjabi folk singer from 1930 until 1979.

For the popular taste however, light music, particularly Ghazals and folk songs, which have an appeal of their own, the names of Mehdi Hasan, Ghulam Ali, Nur Jehan, Malika Pukhraj, Farida Khanum, Roshen Ara Begum and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan are well-known. Mehdi Hassan, TI, PP, HI ( Urdu: مہدی حسن) affectionately called Khan Sahib ( Urdu: خان صاحب Ghulam Ali ( Urdu: غلام علی, Hindi: ग़ुलाम अली (born 1940 is a famous Pakistani Ghazal singer of the Begam Nur Jahan ( Persian / Urdu: نور جهان) (alternative spelling Noor Jahan, Nur Jehan, Nor Jahan, etc Malika Pukhraj (ملكہ پکھراج) (b1912 - 2004 was a highly popular singer of Pakistan. Farida Khanum is a renowned Pakistani Ghazal singer from Punjab. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ( نصرت فتح على خاں, born October 13 1948, died August 16, 1997) was a Pakistani Folk songs and dances of the Punjab reflect a wide range of moods: the rains, sowing and harvesting seasons. Luddi, Bhangra and Sammi depict the joy of living. Love legends of Heer Ranjha, Mirza Sahiban, Sohni Mahenwal and Saiful Mulk are sung in different styles.

For the most popular music from the region, bhangra, the names of Abrar-Ul-Haq,Arif Lohar, Legacy and Malkoo are renown. Bhangra (ਭੰਗੜਾ pa-PK بھنگڑا pə̀ŋgɽäː is a lively form of music and dance that originated in the Punjab region of Pakistan and India Abrar-ul-Haq ( Urdu / Punjabi: ابرار الحق) (Abrar is also spelled as Ibrar) is a Pakistani pop, Bhangra Arif Lohar ( Urdu: عارف لوہار) is a popular Pakistani Punjabi Folk singer Malkoo, is a popular singer in Punjab Pakistan His real name is Rashid Chohdry, he was born in Lahore, Pakistan.

Folklore

Main article: Punjabi folklore

The folk heritage of the Punjab is the traditional urge of thousands of years of its history. Folklore is the body of expressive Culture, including tales, Music, Dance, Legends Oral history, Proverbs Jokes While Urdu is the official language of the province, there are a number of local dialects through which the people communicate. These include Majhi, Jhangochi or Jangli, Pothohari, Saraiki, Jatki, Hindko, Chhachhi, Doabi and Derewali. Jhangochi (جھنگوچی is the oldest and most idiosyncretic dialect of the Punjabi language. Rachnavi (also called Jhangochi and Jangli) is the oldest and purest dialect of the Punjabi language. Potwari or Pothohari can refer to An inhabitant of Potwar (Pothohar a plateau in northern Pakistan The Potwari language (Pothohari Punjabi (pa ਪੰਜਾਬੀ in Gurmukhi script pa-PK {{Nastaliq پنجابی}} in Shahmukhi script Pañjābī in Transliteration) is an Hindko (هندکو /Hindkoŭ/ also Hindku, Hinko, or Lahnda, لَیہندا is an ancient Indo-Aryan language spoken in North Western The songs, ballads, epics and romances are generally written and sung in these dialects.

There are a number of folk tales that are popular in different parts of the Punjab. These are the folk tales of Mirza Sahiban, Sayful Muluk, Yusuf Zulekha, Heer Ranjha, Sohni Mahiwal, Dulla Bhatti, and Sassi Punnun. Mirza Sahiba (ਿਮਰਜ਼ਾ ਸਾਹਿਬਾਂ pa مرزا صاحباں mirzā sāhibāṁ) is one of the four popular tragic romances of the Punjab Prince Saiful Malook and Badri Jamala is a classic Fable in the Hazara region of modern day Pakistan. Yusuf and Zulaikha is the Quranic verse of Yusuf ( Joseph) and Zulaikha. For 1970 Hindi movie of same name and characters see Heer Raanjha Heer Ranjha (ਹੀਰ ਰਾਂਝਾ ہیر رانجھا hīr rāñjhā) is one Sohni Mahiwal ( Urdu / Punjabi: سوہنی مہیوال Sindhi: सोहनी महीवाल is one of the four popular tragic romances of the Dulla Bhatti ( Punjabi: دًﻻ بھٹى was a famous legendary hero of Punjab, who led a rebellion against the famous Mughal king Akbar. Sassui Punnun (or Sassui Panhu or Sassui Punhun) ( Urdu: سسی پنوں; Sindhi: سسئي پنھون Hindi: सस्सी-पुन्हू The mystic folk songs include the Kafees of Khwaja Farid in Saraiki, Punjabi and the Shalooks by Baba Farid. Hazrat Baba Fariduddin Masood Ganjshakar Dari حضرت بابا فرید الدّین مسعود گنج شکر Punjabi ਫ਼ਰੀਦ-ਉਦ-ਦੀਨ ਗੰਜਸ਼ਕਰ}} They also include Baits, Dohas, Lohris, Sehra and Jugni. Jugni Songs Can be found here Jugni is a term created by the late Folk music singer Alam Lohar in 1965 [3]

The most famous of the romantic love songs are Mayhiah, Dhola and Boliyan. Punjabi romantic dances include Dharees, Dhamaal, Bhangra, Giddha, Dhola, and Sammi. Dhamaal ( English: Fun) is a Bollywood film directed by Indra Kumar and starring Sanjay Dutt, Riteish Deshmukh Bhangra (ਭੰਗੜਾ pa-PK بھنگڑا pə̀ŋgɽäː is a lively form of music and dance that originated in the Punjab region of Pakistan and India for the town in Nepal see Giddha Nepal Giddha (ਗਿੱਧਾ giddhā) is a popular Dhola may refer to Dhola Bangladesh Dhola Nepal Dhola India Sammi Cheng Sau-Man is a Hong Kong Cantopop Singer and actress.

Social issues

The Punjab is relatively 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. Starting in 2007, terrorism and rising fundamentalism has become an issue.

One social/educational issue is the status of Punjabi language. According to Dr. Manzur Ejaz, "In Central Punjab, Punjabi is neither an official language of the province nor it is used as medium of education at any level. There are only two daily newspaper published in Punjabi in Central Punjab. Only a few monthly literary magazines constitute Punjabi press in Pakistan".

Punjabis are prominent in business, agriculture, industry, government, and the military to the point that there is resentment from other ethnic groups. The Punjabi middle classes tend to ally themselves with Urdu speaking Muhajirs and show respect towards Sindhis, Kashmiris, Pakhtuns and Balochis. Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised See Muhajir page for all Muhajir groups in the world Muhajir or Panahgir (مہاجر is a diverse term used to describe the Sindhis ( Sindhi: سنڌي) are a Sindhi speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating in Sindh in Pakistan. Kashmiri (कॉशुर کٲشُر Koshur) is a Dardic language spoken primarily in the valley of Kashmir, a region situated in the Indian state Pashtuns ( Pashto: پښتون Paṣtūn, Paxtūn, also rendered as Pushtuns, Pakhtuns, Pukhtuns) also called The Baloch ( بلوچ; alternative transliterations Baluch Balouch Bloach Balooch Balush Balosh Baloosh Baloush) are an Iranian people inhabiting The smaller provinces often voice concern at Punjabi domination of key institutions such as the Army. A newer generation of upper class Panjabis is re-affirming their maternal language and have begun requesting the government for official patronage not just of their language (Panjabi) but that of other major ethnic groups in Pakistan such as the Pashtuns, Balochi and Saraiki. Pashtuns ( Pashto: پښتون Paṣtūn, Paxtūn, also rendered as Pushtuns, Pakhtuns, Pukhtuns) also called Punjabis form the 40 to 45% of population of Pakistan.

Punjabi women enjoy comparable rights to females in Karachi and Islamabad in Lahore and other cities, but conservative and more traditional ways of life are present and dominate the countryside. (ڪراچي) is the largest city in Pakistan. It is the world's second largest city proper behind Mumbai in terms of population which exceeds 10 million |name = Islamabad|native_name = |nickname = |settlement_type = Capital City |total_type

Famous people of Punjab

Main article: List of Punjabis

• Malik Khizar Hayat Tiwana -- First Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1942-1947, also a service men in British India Army. This is a full spectrum list of famous and prominent Punjabi people from the Punjab region of Northern India, Pakistan and the Emigrant Punjabi Nawab Sir Malik Khizar Hayat Tiwana KCSI, OBE (نواب ملک خضرحیات تیوانہ came from a family which had since the 15th century been prominent among
• Rae Ahmed Nawaz Khan Kharal
• Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry -- President of Pakistan (late)
• Shah Hussein
• Shoaib Akhtar -- Cricketer
• Wasim Akram -- Cricketer/Sports presenter
• Waris Shah
• Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi -- Politician/Industrialist
• Faiz Ahmed Faiz
• Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain -- Politician/Industrialist
• Sir Muhammad Iqbal
• Noor Jehan -- Singer
• Alam Lohar Renowned Folk Singer
• Arif Lohar -- Folk Singer
• Abdul Hafeez Kardar
• Dr Abdul Salam -- Physicist/Nobel Prize winner
• Muhammad Jamil Anwar -- Scientist
• Inzamam-ul-Haq
• Imran Khan -- Cricketer/Politician/Philanthropist
• Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan
• Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan -- Musician
• Mian Mir -- Famous Saint, revered by Sikhs and Muslims
• Sardar Saleem Haider Begooka
• Sultan Rahi -- Actor
• Rangeela
• Nawaz Sharif -- Politician/Industrialist
• Shahbaz Sharif --Politician/Industrialist
• Waqar Younis --Cricketer/Sports presenter
• Muhammed Nazir -- Scientist(NIAB 78)

Sight and Sounds of Punjab

Faisalabad Clock Tower, built during the British Raj	Sialkot Clock Tower, more than a century old historical landmark	The Shalimar Gardens in Lahore	The Shalimar Gardens
Taxila is a World Heritage Site	Clock Tower at Govt College University, Lahore	Murray College Sialkot, established in 1889	Sarson Fields
Wheat Fields	Noor Mahal, Bahawalpur

Notes

See also

• Anjuman Muzareen Punjab
• Hindu and Buddhist heritage of Pakistan
• History of the Punjab
• Punjab region
• Punjab, India
• Punjabi people
• Punjabi Culture

External links

• Government of the Punjab, Pakistan
• Punjab Police, Pakistan
• Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab, Pakistan
• Punjab's First Online Newspaper (Pakistan)
• Punjabi Culture Site (Pakistan)
• Punjab (Pakistan) at the Open Directory Project
• Punjab (Pakistan) travel guide from Wikitravel

The Tenants Association Punjab is a Revolutionary movement of peasants workers and tenants working on government land in the Pakistani side of the Punjab, organised While Pakistan as an Islamic country was created in 1947 it has a rich Hindu and Buddhist past the region has a long history of settlement and civilisation including the Indus Valley Civilisation The first known use of the word Punjab is in the book Tarikh-e-Sher Shah Suri (1580 which mentions the construction of a fort by "Sher Khan of Punjab" Punjab ( ਪੰਜਾਬ پنجاب, पंजाब پنجاب also Panjab (پنجاب meaning "Land of the Five Rivers") (c Punjab (ਪੰਜਾਬ पंजाब pəɲdʒaːb is a state in northwest India. The Punjabi people ( Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی also Panjabi people) are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group from South Asia. Punjabi Culture is the culture of the Punjab region. It is one of the oldest and richest cultures in world history dating from ancient antiquity to the modern era The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide.

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