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| Punjabi community | |
|---|---|
| Group | Punjabi community |
| Population | ~125 million (global estimates) |
| Regions | Punjab (India), Punjab (Pakistan), Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lahore, Amritsar, Islamabad, Karachi, London, Toronto, Vancouver, Birmingham |
| Languages | Punjabi language, Hindi, Urdu, English |
| Religions | Sikhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity |
Punjabi community The Punjabi community is an ethnolinguistic group originating in the Punjab region of South Asia, historically centered on cities such as Lahore, Amritsar, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi. Its members participate in cultural networks that connect institutions like Harimandir Sahib, Akal Takht, Anandpur Sahib, and secular hubs such as Punjab University and Punjabi University. The community's identity has been shaped by events like the Partition of British India, the Sikh Empire, and movements associated with figures such as Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Bhagat Singh.
The region's history links to ancient polities and texts such as the Indus Valley Civilization, the Vedic period, and the Maurya Empire, later intersecting with invasions by the Mughals, campaigns of the British East India Company, and conflicts including the Anglo-Sikh Wars. Sikh institutional development involved the founding of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh, and later political awakenings featured leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai and Mahatma Gandhi influencing Punjabi activists. Twentieth-century upheavals included the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the Partition of India, and insurgencies tied to the Punjab insurgency (1980s–1990s), all shaping migration to metropolises such as London, Toronto, and New York City.
Speakers use the Punjabi language in scripts including Gurmukhi script in eastern regions and Shahmukhi script in western regions, with literary figures like Waris Shah, Bulleh Shah, Amrita Pritam, and Pash contributing to canon formation. Dialects include Majhi dialect, Doabi dialect, Malwai dialect, and Pothohari dialect, each associated with districts such as Sialkot, Jalandhar, Patiala, and Rawalpindi. Language policy debates touch institutions like All India Radio, Punjab National Bank (as a patron), and universities such as Panjab University and Government College University, Lahore.
Religious life encompasses Sikhism with pilgrimage to Harmandir Sahib and rites officiated at Gurdwaras, Hinduism rituals tied to temples in Amritsar and Jallianwala Bagh memorial contexts, Islamic practices in Badshahi Mosque and Data Darbar, and Christianity communities present in urban centers like Lahore Cathedral. Key events include observances of Vaisakhi, Baisakhi, Gurpurab, and commemorations connected to figures such as Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh. Religious reform movements engaged organizations like the Singh Sabha movement and the Akhil Bharatiya Kirtani Jatha.
Cultural expression features music, dance, and literature: performers and composers such as Gurdas Maan, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Lehmber Hussainpuri, and poets like Baba Farid shape folk and classical repertoires; dances include Bhangra and Giddha practiced at festivals like Lohri and Teeyan. Visual and material culture is seen in crafts from Amritsar and Patiala, cuisine represented by dishes such as Sarson ka saag and Makki di roti and restaurants across diasporic hubs like Southall and Jackson Heights. Media outlets and cinemas—Lollywood, Punjabi cinema, and radio channels—promote artists such as Diljit Dosanjh and writers like Khushwant Singh.
Social organization intersects with castes and clans including Jat, Arora, Khatri, Raina, Ramgarhia, and Sikh jat and incorporates kinship systems found in districts like Amritsar, Gurdaspur, and Sheikhupura. Reformist trends influenced by movements such as the Singh Sabha movement and figures like Bhagat Puran Singh challenged hierarchies, while land reforms and legislation enacted post-Partition of India and under administrations in Punjab (India) and Punjab (Pakistan) altered agrarian relations. Social institutions such as panchayats and bodies like the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee mediate disputes and community affairs.
Traditional agriculture around riverine plains of the Indus River and rivers like the Sutlej supported staples and cash crops in regions such as Ludhiana and Multan, while industrialization produced textiles in Amritsar and manufacturing clusters in Jalandhar and Sialkot. Trade networks linked to ports like Karachi and markets in Delhi fostered entrepreneurship and businesses such as tailoring and sports goods manufacturing associated with firms in Sialkot. Contemporary involvement includes service sectors in cities like Chandigarh and finance roles in global centers including London and Toronto, and remittances from migrants affect local investment and institutions like Punjab National Bank and cooperatives.
Waves of migration occurred after events including the Partition of India, labor recruitment to the United Kingdom and Canada post-World War II, and later professional migration to United States, Australia, and United Arab Emirates. Diaspora communities concentrated in neighbourhoods such as Southall, Brent, Brampton, and Richmond maintain transnational ties through religious centers like local Gurdwaras, cultural festivals such as Vaisakhi parades, media like BBC Punjabi, and remittances that influence development projects in districts like Amritsar and Lahore. Political mobilization and representation involve parties and organizations including the Shiromani Akali Dal, activists linked to Ghadar Party history, and civic groups in metropolitan hubs such as Toronto City Council.
Category:Ethnic groups in South Asia