Punjab-Location

Punjab is a state in Northwest India. It situated in the northwestern corner of the country. The Indian state borders the Pakistani province of Punjab to the west, Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Himachal Pradesh to the northeast, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest. It has an area of about 19,445 square miles (50,362 square km). The state is located between 29° 30' N to 32° 32' N latitude and between 73° 55' E to 76° 50' E longitude.

Punjab's capital is Chandigarh, which is administered separately as a Union Territory since it is also the capital of neighbouring Haryana. Punjab state lies between the great systems of the Indus and Ganges rivers.Punjab consists mainly of Punjabis, Jats, and Rajputs.The majority of the population is Sikh, the largest minority is Hindu, and a very small percentage is Muslim, Buddhist, Christian.

The history of Punjab dates back to 7000 B.C. The earliest human civilization known as the Indus valley civilization is believed to have been established in this region. The earliest signs of human activity were also started in this period. The Indus valley civilization grew from small village and settlements to highly refined urban life. At its height, around 3000 B.C., it boasted the splendid cities of Harappa (Near present Day Sahiwal in West Punjab) and Mohenjo Daro in the lower Indus valley. It was in about 900B.C that the battle of Kurukshetra mentioned in the Epic Mahabharata was believed to have taken place in Kurukshetra. During this period the region formed small principalities ruled by chieftains.

In 321 B.C. Alexander invaded this region and asked all the chieftains to surrender their power. The next was the reign of Chandragupta Maurya that lasted till about 1st century A.D. By 318 A.D. the Gupta dynasty exercised their influence. They were followed by the Huns in about 500A.D.

By 1000A.D the Muslims invaded Punjab led by Mahmud of Ghazni. In 1030 A.D. the Rajputs gained control of this territory. In about 1192A.D the Ghoris defeated the Chauhans and ruled till the establishment of the Mughal rule, a spirit of religious liberation led to the rise of the Militant Sikh power.

Punjab subsequently came under the reign of various Muslim rulers until the victorious entry of the Mughals in 1526 Under the Mughals the province enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity for more than 200 years. Punjab came under British occupation in 1849, after the British victory over the Sikhs. When the Indian subcontinent received its independence in 1947, Punjab was divided into two parts, i.e. Pakistan and India, with the larger western portion becoming part of Pakistan. In 1966 the Indian smaller half was further divided into three: Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. The present provincial boundaries were established in 1970.

Agriculture is the largest industry in Punjab, it is the largest single provider of wheat to India. Others major industries include the manufacture of scientific instruments, electrical goods, financial services, machine tools, textiles, sewing machines, sports goods, starch, tourism, fertilizers, bicycles, garments, and the processing of pine oil and sugar. Other crops include corn, rice, millet, barley, and edible seeds, together with cotton, sugarcane, potatoes, and oilseeds. manufacture of textiles, sewing machines, sporting goods, starch, fertilizers, bicycles, scientific instruments, electrical goods, and machine tools. Major industrial towns are Bhatinda, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Jullundur, Amritsar.