Punjabi Peoples
| پنجابی ਪੰਜਾਬੀ |
|
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| c. ~121 million | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Pakistan
|
90,512,900 |
 India
|
29,102,477 |
 Canada
|
430,705 |
 United Kingdom
|
296,381 |
 United States
|
250,000 |
 Australia
|
71,228 |
 Malaysia
|
56,400 |
 Libya
|
54,000 |
 Norway
|
24,000 |
 Bangladesh
|
23,700 |
 New Zealand
|
19,752 |
 Nepal
|
808 |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
|
India: Sikhism (57.7%), Hinduism (38.5%)
|
|
India: Sikhism (57.7%), Hinduism (38.5%)
Pakistan: Islam (97%)
The Punjabis (Punjabi: پنجابی, ਪੰਜਾਬੀ), or Punjabi people, are an ethnic group associated with the Punjab, who speak Punjabi, an Indo-Aryan language. The name Punjab literally means the land of five waters in Persian: panj ("five") āb ("waters"). The name of the region was introduced by the Turko-Persian conquerors of South Asia and more formally popularised during the Mughal Empire. Punjab is often referred to as the breadbasket in both Pakistan and India.
The coalescence of the various tribes, castes and the inhabitants of the Punjab into a broader common "Punjabi" identity initiated from the onset of the 18th century CE. Prior to that the sense and perception of a common "Punjabi" ethno-cultural identity and community did not exist, even though the majority of the various communities of the Punjab had long shared linguistic, cultural and racial commonalities.
Traditionally, Punjabi identity is primarily linguistic, geographical and cultural. Its identity is independent of historical origin or religion, and refers to those who reside in the Punjab region, or associate with its population, and those who consider the Punjabi language their mother tongue.Integration and assimilation are important parts of Punjabi culture, since Punjabi identity is not based solely on tribal connections. More or less all Punjabis share the same cultural background.
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Wikipedia