The Punjab

The Punjab ( Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬ, پنجاب), also spelled Panjab, panj-āb, "five rivers",[1] is a geographical region in South Asia comprising vast territories of eastern Pakistan and northern India. In Pakistan it includes the Punjab province and part of the Islamabad Capital Territory. In India it includes the state of Punjab and parts of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Jammu and the National Capital Territory of Delhi.[2]

The name of the region is Persian in origin[3] and means "(The Land of) Five Rivers" referring to the following rivers: the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Sutlej, and the Beas.[4] All are tributaries of the Indus River, the Jhelum being the largest.

The region has a long history and rich cultural heritage. It has been inhabited by Greeks,[5] Persians,[6] Arabs,[7] Turks,[8] Mughals, Balochis, and British. The people of the Punjab today are called Punjabis and their principal language is called Punjabi. The main religions of the Punjab region are Islam, Sikhism and Hinduism. Other religious groups are Christians, Jains and Buddhists.

In 1947, with the dissolution of British India, the region was partitioned between India and Pakistan.