Everything about Punjab Pakistan totally explained
The
Punjab or
Panjab (
Urdu: ) province of
Pakistan is by far the country's most populous and prosperous region and is home to the
Punjabis and various other groups. 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. The main languages are the
Punjabi,
Urdu and
Saraiki. The provincial capital is
Lahore. 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 province was founded in its current form in May 1972.
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. The provincial level-capital and main city of the Punjab is
Lahore, which has been the historical capital of the region. Other important cities include
Multan,
Faisalabad,
Sialkot, and
Rawalpindi. The province is home to six rivers: the
Indus,
Beas,
Sutlej,
Chenab,
Jhelum,
Ravi. 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. 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. In the
acronym P-A-K-I-S-T-A-N, the
P is for
PUNJAB.
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. The region contains the
Thar and
Cholistan deserts. The
Indus River and its many tributaries traverse the Punjab from north to south.
The landscape is amongst the most heavily irrigated on earth and
canals can be found throughout the province. 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. 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. In August the oppressive heat is punctuated by the
rainy season, referred to as
barsat, which brings relief in its wake. The hardest part of the summer is then over, but cooler weather doesn't 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.
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. 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). The language isn't given any official recognition in the
Constitution of Pakistan, (however, it's recognized in the
Indian Constitution). 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.
The most important tribes within Punjab include the the
Arains, the
Gakhars, the
Gujjars, the
Jats, the
Rajputs, the
Punjabi Shaikhs and the
Syeds. Other smaller tribes are the
Awans,
Rawns and the
Maliks. In Central Punjab, there's a significant population who are descendants of settlers from the Kashmir Valley. In addition, there's 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. 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. Other smaller ethnic groups in the province include the
Hindko,
Pakhtuns, the
Baloch,
Kashmiris,
Sindhis and
Muhajirs. Three decades of bloodshed in neighbouring
Afghanistan have brought a large number of
Afghan refugees to the province.
The population of Punjab (Pakistan) is over 99%
Muslim with a
Sunni majority and
Shia minority. There are small non-Muslims groups of
Zorastrians,
Bahá'ís,
Christians,
Sikhs and
Hindus. The
Ismaili and
Ahmediya communities are considered non-Muslim by some.
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. 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. The shared heritage also extends to a common
faith,
Islam. 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.
History
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. 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 spanned much of what is today Pakistan and eventually evolved into
Indo-Aryan civilization. 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. 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. 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. Its legacy is a unique culture that combines
Hindu,
Buddhist,
Persian,
Central Asian,
Islamic,
Sikh and
British elements.
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. Taxila was a great center of learning and intellectual discussion during the Hindu
Maurya Empire. It is a UN
World Heritage site, and revered for its archaeological and religious history.
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. 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. The province became an important centre and Lahore was made into a second capital of the
Ghaznavid Empire.
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. These were periods of contact between this region of Pakistan and the
Persian Empire and all the way to Greece. 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. 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. 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. Following this terrible visitation, the
Afghan conqueror
Ahmad Shah Durrani annexed the Punjab into his
Durrani Empire from 1747 until 1762.
The Afghans
The founder of Afghanistan,
Ahmad Shah Durrani, an ethnic
Pashtun (
Afghan), is believed to be born in the city of
Multan. 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 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.
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. 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. A denizen of the city of
Gujranwala, the capital of Ranjit Singh's kingdom was Lahore. The Sikhs made architectural contributions to the city and the
Lahore Fort.
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.
Some parts of Pakistani
Punjab also served as the centre of resistance in the
Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Partition and its aftermath
In 1947 the Punjab province of
British India was divided along religious lines into
West Punjab and
East Punjab. The western Punjabis voted to join the new country of
Pakistan while the easterners joined India. 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.
At the time of Partition in 1947 and due to the ensuing horrendous exchange of populations, the Punjabi Hindus and Sikhs migrated to
India. Punjabi Muslims were uprooted similarly from their homes in East Punjab which now forms part of India.
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. This includes
Khatris,
Aroras,
Rajputs,
Jats,
Gujjars,
Kambojs,
Mohyals,
Mazhabis, as well as others such as the linguistically distinct Multanis. 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. 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. This includes surnames such as
Sahgal,
Sial,
Bhatti,
Ghumman,
Sandhu,
Tiwana and
Cheema. In recent years, many of these refugees have been able to visit their ancestral homelands.
Recent History
Since the 1950's, Punjab industrialized rapidly. New factories came up in
Lahore,
Multan,
Sialkot. In the 1960's the new city of
Islamabad was built near
Rawalpindi.
Agriculture continues to be the largest sector of Punjab's economy. The province is the breadbasket of the country as well as home to the largest ethnic group in Pakistan, the
Punjabis. 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 1950's 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. In 1972, after
East Pakistan seceded and became
Bangladesh, Punjab again became a province.
Punjab witnessed major battles between the armies of
India and
Pakistan in the wars of
1965 and
1971. Since the 1990's Punjab hosted several key sites of Pakistan's nuclear program such as
Kahuta. It also hosts major military bases such as at
Sargodha and
Rawalpindi. 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. Indian Sikh pilgrims visit holy sites such as
Nankana Sahib.
Starting in the 1980's large numbers of Punjabis migrated to the
Middle East,
Britain,
Spain,
Canada and the
United States for economic opportunties. Business and cultural ties between the
US and Punjab are growing.
The rise of radical Islamic
jihad in Punjab gained international attention. The bloody legacy of partition violence resulted in an anti-minority sentiment since its formation. In the 1980's society got even more polarized with funding by certain Middle Eastern countries of radical madrassas, both
Sunni and
Shia. Throughout the 1990's there were a series of gun battles between
Shia and
Sunni groups which claimed many lives. There were also attacks on
Christian,
Ahmadiya and
Hindu minorities. 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. In the 2000's, in the
Musharraf era, the
Sufi heritage of Punjab slowly started staging a comeback. In addition non-religious holidays such as
Basant and
New Year's Eve are again celebrated openly. Some Middle Eastern countries started to provide development assistance not driven by fundamentalist compulsions, such as by the
UAE in
Rahim Yar Khan.
However the spread of radicalism hasn't 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.
Districts
There are 35
districts in Punjab, Pakistan.
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. 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.
Despite its dry
climate, extensive irrigation makes it a rich agricultural region. Its canal-irrigation system established by the British is the largest in the world.
Wheat and
cotton are the largest crops. Other crops include
rice,
sugarcane,
millet,
corn,
oilseeds,
pulses,
fruits, and
vegetables.
Livestock and
poultry production are also important. 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. 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. 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.
(External Link
) This is a chart of the education market of Punjab
estimated by the government in 1998. Also see
(External Link)
| 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
[[Kingadward medical University Lahor
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 ruins of Harappa show an advanced urban culture that flourished over 5000 years ago. Taxila, another historic landmark also stands out as a proof of the achievements of the area in learning, arts and crafts in bygone ages. 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.
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. 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. 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. 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. Emperor Akbar in the 15th century established the first factory in Lahore. 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 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. 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.
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. 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. 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.
Folklore
The folk heritage of the Punjab is the traditional urge of thousands of years of its history. 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. 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.
The mystic folk songs include the Kafees of Khwaja Farid in Saraiki, Punjabi and the Shalooks by Baba Farid. They also include Baits, Dohas, Lohris, Sehra and Jugni.(External Link)
The most famous of the romantic love songs are Mayhiah, Dhola and Boliyan. Punjabi romantic dances include Dharees, Dhamaal, Bhangra, Giddha, Dhola, and Sammi.
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's 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's 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. 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. 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.
Famous people of Punjab
Malik Khizar Hayat Tiwana -- First Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1942-1947, also a service men in British India Army.
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
Sight and Sounds of Punjab
Image:Faisalabad ClockTower.jpg|Faisalabad Clock Tower, built during the British Raj
Image:Clk Towe Slk.jpg|Sialkot Clock Tower, more than a century old historical landmark
Image:Shalamar Garden July 14 2005-Sideview of marble enclosure on the second level.jpg|The Shalimar Gardens in Lahore
Image:Shalamar Garden July 14 2005-First pavilion on first level.jpg|The Shalimar Gardens
Image:Taxila Pakistan juillet 2004.JPG|Taxila is a World Heritage Site
Image:GCU Tower P1140896.jpg|Clock Tower at Govt College University, Lahore
Image:Murray College Sialkot.jpg|Murray College Sialkot, established in 1889
Image:SarsonFarm.jpg|Sarson Fields
Image:WheatFields.jpg|Wheat Fields
Image:Noor palace bwp.jpg|Noor Palace, Bahawalpur
Further Information
Get more info on 'Punjab Pakistan'.
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