Here's an updated recent version of the current East Punjab. I hail from the region between the cities of Moga and Ludhiana which are located in the centre of the map. (Click to expand map)
Wednesday, 28 December 2005
Pre-partition Map of Punjab
Punjab was a huge area prior to the 1947 partition, and further subsequent dismemberment into Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. Click on map for a larger view (after clicking you should be presented with another icon option in bottom right hand corner to expand to full size)
Here's an updated recent version of the current East Punjab. I hail from the region between the cities of Moga and Ludhiana which are located in the centre of the map. (Click to expand map)
Here's an updated recent version of the current East Punjab. I hail from the region between the cities of Moga and Ludhiana which are located in the centre of the map. (Click to expand map)
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It was power hunger which lead to the division of India, and thus the first division of Punjab. History repeated itself, as it was again those hungry for power, in demanding a "Punjabi Sooba", lead to the second division.
Present day Indian Punjab's population is about 65% Sikh and remaining Hindu with a small percentage of muslims(mostly in Malerkotla) and Christians. I am a Sikh, and was born and brought up in Punjab. I grew up all over Punjab, because of my father's transferable job, and had friends at school and home who were both Hindus and Sikhs, with majority, rather 90% of them being Hindu. At that time it never occurred to me, that I was Sikh or for that matter a Jat Sikh. And that was true for my friends too, Hindu or Sikh. Thereafter, I went to attend medical college in South India. There again, my circle of friends was quite like my school days. However, there was now a new division, North Indians versus South Indians and one which, for somereasons, was more obvious. At that time I, along with all my North Indian friends, had thought that it was not because of differences in our skin colors or language or cultures but, because we were being made to realize the difference. However, in reality, it is that as we grow older we begin to take an exaggerated view of certain things which earlier wouldn't have bothered, while, at the same time, narrowing our view on certain other things. The result is a conflict, within and without, which is psychosocial/sociopolitical.
The years I spent in South India, brought me closer to realizing that I am a Jatt, a Sikh, a Punjabi, a North Indian, however, took me away from the biggest reality, which is that we are all human and that no matter what our social, cultural or economic divides, we can always be friends. While at college, I made very few South Indian friends, however, one of my best friends is a South Indian.
Enfield sahib,
From one sher Jatt to another (hahaha) - welcome to my blog and thanks for your detailed input. :) Your mention of Malerkotla has got me thinking about doing a post about that island of Muslim humanity living in an otherwise non-Muslim East Punjab. (I wonder if the singer, the late Dilshad Akhtar, came from there ?).
Anyway, good seeing ya here and we should meet up for another tennis match soon. :) (Will respond separately to your email).
Acha ji - phir milenge !
ps. LOL @ 'Everyone loves Raman' - that's funny yaar. Hope your inlaws are better than Raymond's.... :)
It never occurred to me either, but certain people in school asked about what caste I was, Jatt sikh or the rest, and I didn't know!!
You are right Enfield ji, we are made to realize these differences. More so by the power/political/religion hungry/fanatic people whose sole purpose is to spread enmity to achieve their own petty goals.
I,too, have a mixed bunch of close friends: every religion, region, country fathomable!
Sphere Ji, how have you been?
On a lighter note, here is an anecdote that was told by a friend.
A north american person was so intrigued by India and Indians that he decided to go visit India. He went to Punjab and the people told him that they were Punjabis. He toured the rest of India and everyone told him that they were Marathis, Gujaratis, Malayalis, Kannadas, Tamilians, Oriyans etc etc. He was so perplexed that finally he asked them, "But where are the Indians?". To which the reply was "Oh, they are all abroad".
Thank you Sphere Sahib. Thank you Jas Ji.
Sphere Sahib, Dilshad Akhtar was actually from Kotkapoora in Faridkot. He was shot dead at a wedding function, by a Punjab police officer, when he refused his request to sing a song sung by Hans Raj Hans. His sister Manpreet Akhtar is now a well known folk singer.
Jas Ji, that was a cool joke. Let me follow it up with a similar.
While USSR was in existence, a delegation from there visited India. Being communists, they had grown up not believing in God. While in India, they traveled a lot by road. To their surprise, there were no laws, no lanes, no traffic police, however, traffic was moving, people were reaching their destinations, and there were relatively very few accidents. They also visited a few hospitals and witnessed total chaos, however, people were being treated, surviving, and India was getting closer and closer to becoming the most populous country in the world.
On returning home, Gorbachev asked them, "So, What did you learn?" They all chorused, "There is God!"
And yes Sphere ji ! Its not Raymond's in-laws, osdey taan aapne maa-pyo ne osdee ainee jaan khaadi hoyee aa ! ha ha ! Wonder what would happen if his in-laws came on board ?! ha ha !
Haha - looks like we have a couple of comedians here...keep the jokes coming. :)
Jas ji - meiN bilkhul teek taak hai - thusi sunao. How was your Xmas break ?
Enfield - I think Russia is now one big joke. :) Also, maybe there should be a desi version of 'Raymond' except there would be a million extra relatives in the script....and in the Punjabi version none of the male characters would be sober... :))
Interesting post.
JKD.
Any chance you can tell me where I can a larger image of this map from? Cheers!
^ ^
Sorry mate. No idea. How 'bout Woolworths ? :)
http://dsal.uchicago.edu/maps/gazetteer/images/gazetteer_V20_pg394.jpg
^ ^
Good stuff !
i really felt bad for Punjab,i saw the map of old Punjab which was before 1976 & 1947 and sometimes i cried for what happens with our Punjab.Punjab always called by "Desh Punjab" but now days its just not more than a state a little state...but now nobody can do anything but one thing we can do is keep loving it , make it completely developed....
tru that brah
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