Amritsar
Amritsar’s history centres on faith, trade and conflict at the northwest frontier of India. The city began in…
State
Punjab
Punjab, literally “land of five rivers,” has a history that stretches from the Indus Valley Civilization to modern India and Pakistan. Ancient cities like Harappa and Ropar show that this region was a cradle of early urban culture, agriculture and trade. Later, Punjab formed part of major empires – Maurya, Kushan, Gupta – and lay on the route of invaders such as the Greeks, Scythians, Huns and later Turko-Afghans, giving it a long tradition of cultural mixing and military significance.
From the 15th century, Punjab became the heartland of Sikhism, founded by Guru Nanak Dev Ji and developed through the line of ten Gurus, culminating in the formation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. In the 18th–early 19th centuries, Maharaja Ranjit Singh united much of the region in a powerful Sikh Empire, with Lahore as its capital, before it fell to the British in the mid-19th century and was incorporated into British India.
In 1947, Partition split historic Punjab between India and Pakistan, causing massive migration and violence. Indian Punjab later saw the Green Revolution, turning it into a major producer of wheat and rice. Today, Punjab is known for its agriculture, diaspora, robust cultural traditions, music and religious centres like Amritsar’s Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple).
Cities in Punjab
Anandpur Sahib (Rupnagar district)
Anandpur Sahib, in Rupnagar district of Punjab, is one of the holiest cities of Sikh history. It was…
Bathinda
Bathinda, in the Malwa region of Punjab, is considered one of the oldest surviving cities of North India.…
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is unique in India because it is a completely planned modern city, created after Independence to serve…
Fatehgarh Sahib (Sirhind)
Fatehgarh Sahib district, with its historic core at Sirhind, has a history deeply tied to both imperial power…
Gurdaspur
Gurdaspur, in northern Punjab, has a history shaped by its position near the Ravi and Beas rivers and…
Jalandhar
Jalandhar is one of the oldest cities of the Punjab region, with roots going back to ancient times.…
Kapurthala
Kapurthala’s history is closely tied to the rise of the Ahluwalia Sikh rulers and the story of the…
Ludhiana
Ludhiana, today Punjab’s largest city, began as a small Lodhi outpost on the banks of the Sutlej. In…
Mohali
Mohali, today officially known as Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (SAS Nagar), is a new city with an old…
Pathankot
Pathankot, in the northern tip of Punjab, has grown historically as a gateway town between the plains and…
Patiala
Patiala, in the Malwa region of Punjab, rose to prominence in the 18th century as the capital of…
Sangrur
Sangrur, in south-eastern Punjab, grew from a small walled town into an important centre because of its links…