Punjab

This article details the Indian state of Punjab. For other meanings see Punjab (disambiguation) Punjab is a state in northwest India, part of the larger Punjab region, which includes Punjab, Pakistan. Neighbouring regions are the Punjab region of Pakistan to the west, Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Himachal Pradesh to the northeast, Haryana to the south and southeast, the Union Territory of Chandigarh to the southwest and Rajasthan to the southwest. The total area of the state is 50,362 square kilometres (19,445 square miles). The population is 24,289,296 (2000). Punjab's capital is Chandigarh which lies outside the state limits. Other major cities include Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Patiala.

The word "Punjab" is a combination of the words 'Punj', meaning five and 'Aab', meaning water. Punjab is a region of five rivers: the Jhelum; the Chenab; the Ravi; the Beas and the Sutlej. In 1947, the region was partitioned between newly-independent India and Pakistan along religious lines, with the mostly Muslim western portion of the region going to Pakistan and the mostly Sikh and Hindu eastern portion to India. Punjab is a predominantly agricultural state, with land fertility unparalleled in the world. The largest grown crop is wheat. Other important crops are rice, cotton, sugarcane, millet, maize, barley and fruit. Textiles and flour milling are the major industries. Road, rail and river transport links are extensive throughout the region.

Culture

Punjab is one of the five states in India that does not have a Hindu majority. Sikhism is the main religion of Indian Punjab, and is the persuasion of about 65% of the population. Amritsar is the site of the Golden Temple, the main place of pilgrimage for the Sikhs. Amritsar is also a place of religious significance for Jains.

The language of the people of Punjab, on both sides of the international border, is Punjabi; however, the alphabet used is different (Gurmukhi on the Indian side and Shahmukhi on Pakistani side).

History since Partition

The Indian state of Punjab was created in 1947, when the Partition of India split the former Raj province of Punjab between India and Pakistan. The mostly Muslim western part of the province became Pakistan's Punjab Province; the mostly Sikh and Hindu eastern part became India's Punjab state. Many Hindus and Sikhs lived in the west, and many Muslims lived in the east, and so the partition saw many people displaced and much intercommunal violence. Several small Punjabi princely states, including Patiala, also became part of India. In 1950, two Punjab states were created; Punjab included of the former Raj province of Punjab, while the princely states were combined into a new state, the Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU). Himachal Pradesh was created as a union territory from several princely states and Kangra District. In 1956, PEPSU was merged into Punjab state, and several northern districts of Punjab in the Himalaya were added to Himachal Pradesh.

The capital of undivided Punjab province, Lahore, ended up in Pakistan after partition, so a new capital for Indian Punjab state was built at Chandigarh. On November 1, 1966, the mostly Hindu southeastern half of Punjab became a separate state, Haryana. Chandigarh was on the border between the two states, and became a separate union territory which serves as the capital of both Punjab and Haryana. Chandigarh was due to transfer to Punjab alone in 1986, but the transfer has been delayed.

During the 1970s, the Green Revolution brought increased economic prosperity for the Sikh community in Punjab. This propensity rekindled an age-old fear in the Sikh community - that of being absorbed into the Hindu fold and led to the rise of Sikh extremists. The insurgency intensified during 1980s when the movement turned violent and the name Khalistan resurfaced and sought independence from the Indian Union. Soon things turned bloody with the movement turning into terrorism, with India alleging that neighbouring Pakistan supported these rebels. The insurrection was stopped in 1984 by a massive military operation that ended in a intense clashes with approximately 500 killed. By the mid-1990s, Punjab once again became peaceful and the economic boom of the nation quelled any lingering separatist ideas.

Districts

Punjab state is divided into 17 administrative districts: Amritsar, Bathinda, Firozpur, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Mansa, Moga, Muktsar, Nawan Shahr, Patiala, Rupnagar, and Sangrur.

Agriculture

The historical Punjab, is considered one of the most fertile regions on Earth. The region is ideal for wheat-growing. Rice, sugar cane, fruits and vegetables are also grown. Indian Punjab produces some 40% of India's rice and 60% of India's wheat, and is called the "Granary of India". Indian Punjab produces 1% of the world's rice, 2% of its wheat and 2% of its cotton.

Indian Punjab is considered to have the best infrastructure in India. The Punjabi people are statistically on average the wealthiest in India.

All data for the agricultural output for the Indian State of Punjab is acquired from the Official Government of India Website for the Indian state of Punjab.