Portal:Punjab/Intro

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Punjab is a region in the north-west of the Indian subcontinent. It is mainly inhabited by people of the ethno-linguistic Punjabi community. The region is split over two countries, India and Pakistan, which both contain states called Punjab (see Punjab (Pakistan) and Punjab (India)). The Punjabi culture is spread over various other states and territories of India, including Haryana and Delhi. The northernmost parts of both the Indian and Pakistani states reach the foot of the Himalayas. The Pakistani side is bordered by the North West Frontier Province while the Indian side is bordered by Himachal Pradesh.

The region of Punjab has had a long history which comprises of ethnic fusions and various civilizations and empires. The Indus Valley Civilization was based in regions of Punjab and Sindh. This was followed by Vedic Civilization, Indo-Greek kingdoms and other native civilizations like the Mauryan Empire and the Gupta Empire. For much of Punjab's middle ages, it was conquered by Muslim invaders as part of Muslim conquest of the Indian subcontinent. The Mughal Empire, which established itself in India, tried to conquer Punjab many times, but it defended itself under the rule of the Sikh Confederacy. It was the last region to fall into British hands when they established the British Raj in British India.

Punjab was a major centre of the Indian independence movement, but it was divided on religious lines in 1947 to Pakistani Punjab and Indian Punjab. The remainder of their histories has been separated but has sometimes been brought together in the Indo-Pakistani wars, particularly that of 1971. Indian Punjab was later split into Punjab, Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh on the basis of language. Punjab bears considerable influence in both regions, with numerous political figures being Punjabi in ethnicity, including the current Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh.