Ancient Punjab

Ancient Punjab formed part of the vast Indo-Iranian region. In later years it saw the rise and fall of the Mauryans, Bactrians, Greeks, Sakas, Kushans and Guptas. Punjab of Medieval times saw a supremacy of the Muslims, Ghaznavi were followed by the Ghoris, the slaves, the Khiljis, the Tughlaks, the Lodhis and the Mughals. Fifteenth and sixteenth centuries mark a period of watershed in the history of Punjab. Through teachings of Guru Nanak, Bhakti movement received a great impetus. Prima facie, Sikhism was a socio-religious movement which was more interested in fighting evils in religion and society. It was Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru who transformed the Sikhs into the Khalsa. They rose to challenge tyranny and after centuries of servitude established a humane Punjabi Raj based on secularism and patriotism, Ranjit Singh has in the words of a Persian writer changed Punjab from Madam-Kada to Bagh-I-bahisht, from the abode of sorrow to the garden of paradise. But soon after his death, the entire edifice collapsed on account of internal intrigues and British machinations. After two abortive Anglo-Sikh wars, Punjab was finally annexed to British Empire in 1849.

The fight against British rule had begun long before Mahatma Gandhi’s arrival on the scene the revolt found expression through the movement of a revivalist or reformist character. First, it was the Namdhari sect which believed in self-discipline and self-rule. Later, it was Lala Lajpat Rai who played a leading role in the freedom movement. Punjab was in the vanguard of India’s freedom struggle on all fronts in India and abroad. Punjab’s tale of woe did not culminate with Independence and it had to face the holocaust of Partition along with displaced persons with harrowing memories. Besides their rehabilitation, there was the stupendous task of reorganisation of the State.

Eight princely states of East Punjab were grouped together to form one single state called PEPSU-Patiala and the East Punjab States Union with Patiala as its capital. PEPSU state was merged with Punjab in 1956.

Situated in North-western corner of the country, Punjab is bound on the west by Pakistan, on north by Jammu and Kashmir, on north-east by Himachal Pradesh and in the south by Haryana and Rajasthan. The population of state according to 1991 census was 2,02,81,969 and its area is 50,362 sq. km. Punjabi is the principal language of the state. There are 17 districts of the state the largest being Ferozepur with an area of 5,865 sq. km. and smallest being Faridkot having an area of 1,472 sq. km.