Punjabi Sikhs are an ethnoreligious group of Punjabis who adhere to Sikhism. They are the second-largest religious group amongst Punjabis after the Punjabi Muslims, who predominantly inhabit Pakistani Punjab. Punjabi Sikhs form the largest religious community in the Indian states of Punjab. Sikhism is an indigenous religion that originated in the Punjab region of South Asia during the 15th century. The global Sikh population is primarily composed of Punjabis.
Punjabi Sikhs primarily inhabit the Indian state of Punjab, the only Sikh-majority administrative division on Earth. Punjabi Sikhs make up 57.69% of the state’s population.[George, Usha, and Ferzana Chaze. "Punjabis/Sikhs in Canada." Mobility and Multiple Affiliations (2016): 91-104. ]
History
The Sikh religion founder, Guru Nanak (1469–1539), was roughly a contemporary of the founder of
Mughal Empire Babur in India. Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born in a Punjabi Hindu
Khatri family, which was initially a community of scribes and traders.
In un-divided
Punjab region, the eldest son of every
Punjabi Hindu families was nominated and was represented as
Sikh and had protected their family and
Indian religions from the tyrannies of Mughal rulers and their torture.
[ Why was the first son made a Sikh] A huge number of peasants from
Punjabi Hindu and
Punjabi Muslim backgrounds in Punjab have converted to Sikhism for various motives (such as conviction, fear, or economic) since the starting of new faith.
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Militarism
The militarization of Punjabi Sikhs began after the execution of Guru Arjan Dev (5th Guru in
Sikhism). Following his execution, a conflict erupted between the
Mughal Empire and Sikhs which led to the last guru,
Gobind Singh, establishing a militarized order known as the
/ref> Punjabi Sikhs were regarded as one of the toughest and fiercest warriors by the
British Empire
/ref> Despite being only around 2% of India's population, Punjabi Sikhs constitute around 20% of the Indian Armed Forces, with the Punjab province being the 2nd largest contributor for manpower after
Uttar Pradesh.
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Language
Punjabi Sikhs speak the Punjabi language as their mother tongue. Various dialects of the Punjabi language such as Bagri language, Bilaspuri, Bhateali, Majhi dialect, Doabi dialect, Malwai dialect, and Puadhi dialect etc are spoken by Punjabi Sikhs across India and abroad as their mother tongue. In Indian Punjab, Punjabi is written in Gurmukhi script. In Pakistani Punjab, Shahmukhi script is used.
Culture
Festivals
The Punjabi Sikhs observe historic festivals such as Lohri, Basant and Vaisakhi as seasonal and cultural festivals in Punjab and outside of it. Other seasonal Punjabi festivals in India include Maghi and Teeyan respectively. Teeyan is also known as festival of females, as women enjoy it with their close friends. On the day of maghi, people fly kites and eat their traditional dish Punjabi dish khichdi.[Punjab Tourism
https://punjabtourism.punjab.gov.in › ...PDF
FESTIVALS IN PUNJAB 2021-22] Other festivals observed by Punjabi Sikhs includes the festivals of Sikhism like- Gurupurab, Bandi Chhor Divas, etc.
Separatism
The demand for Khalistan as a separate homeland for Sikhs is championed by a segment of the Punjabi Sikh population, various advocacy groups, and certain Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who demand secession of Indian Punjab from India. This movement, rooted in historical, political, and religious factors, emerged prominently in the 1970s and 1980s. Key advocates include local organizations in Punjab and Sikhs abroad, particularly in Canada, the UK, and the US. They seek to safeguard
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Notes
Further reading
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Benson, Heather Lené. "In Place/Out of Place: Punjabi-Sikhs in Reno, Nevada" (PhD dissertation, University of Nevada, Reno, 2022) online.
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Bhachu, Parminder. "Culture, ethnicity and class among Punjabi Sikh women in 1990s Britain." Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 17.3 (1991): 401-412.
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Banerjee, Himadri. "The Other Sikhs: Punjabi-Sikhs of Kolkata." Studies in History 28.2 (2012): 271-300.
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Grewal, Jagtar Singh. The Sikhs of the Punjab (Cambridge University Press, 1998).
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Usha, George, and Ferzana Chaze. "Punjabis/Sikhs in Canada." in Mobility and Multiple Affiliations (2016): 91-104.
