Religion in the Punjab in ancient history was characterized by Hinduism and later conversions to Jainism, Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism and Christianity; it also includes folk practices common to all Punjabis regardless of the religion they adhere to. Such practices incorporate local mysticism, including ancestral worship and worship of local saints of all faiths.
Background
Hinduism is the oldest of the religions practised by Punjabi people; however, the term Hindu was applied over a vast territory, with much regional diversity. The historical Vedic religion constituted the religious ideas and practices in the Punjab during the Vedic period (1500–500 BCE), centered primarily in the worship of Indra. The bulk of the Rigveda was composed in the Punjab region between circa 1500 and 1200 BC, while later Vedic scriptures were composed more eastwards, between the Yamuna and Ganges rivers. An ancient Indian law book, called the Manusmriti, developed by Brahmin Hindu priests, shaped Punjabi religious life from 200 BC onward.
Later, the spread of Buddhisim and Jainism in the Indian subcontinent saw the growth of Buddhism and Jainism in the Punjab. Islam was introduced via southern Punjab in the 8th century, becoming the majority by the 16th century, via local conversion. There was a small Jain community left in Punjab by the 16th century, while the Buddhist community had largely disappeared by the turn of the 10th century. The region became predominantly Muslim due to missionary Sufi saints whose dargahs (shrines) dot the landscape of the Punjab region.
The rise of Sikhism in the 1700s saw some Punjabis, both Hindu and Muslim, accepting the new Sikh faith. A number of Punjabis during the colonial period of India became Christians, with all of these religions characterizing the religious diversity now found in the Punjab region.
History
Ancient period The Persians were the first to use the term Hindu, referring to a vast territory containing much regional variety in belief and practice. Nevertheless, the common concept was the belief in cycles of reincarnation, or sansār, and was the oldest recorded religion in the region. While law books like the Manusmriti codified socio-religious customs and were sanctified by the Hindu religion, such books more generally influenced the formation of broader traditional societal beliefs.
Medieval period Sikhism appeared in the 16th century, in reaction to both Punjabi and subcontinent-wide cultural practices of the time, including asceticism, the caste system, and female subordination, as well as in congruence with it, sharing precepts with Hinduism, including karma, sansār, and liberation, and that with Islam, including a formless God, rejection of idolatry, and social equality. It also developed its own distinct doctrines, including the belief that both intrinsic factors (egocentrism, to be ameliorated through devotion and prayer), and external forces (social and political oppression, to be addressed by community service and armed self-defense as needed, and balancing spiritual and temporal power in the world as opposed to renunciation), produced suffering.
Modern period During the colonial era, the practice of religious syncretism among Punjabi Muslims and Punjabi Hindus was noted and documented by officials in census reports:
Population exchange
During Partition, both Indian and Pakistani Punjab witnessed a large-scale population exchange of minorities. Almost all Hindus and Sikhs, who numbered 3.9 million at the time of the 1941 census, left Pakistani Punjab for Indian Punjab, while Muslims, who numbered 5.2 million at the time of the 1941 census, left Indian Punjab for Pakistani Punjab. This resulted in the near-total alienation of minorities on both sides.
The 1951 Census of India and Pakistan reported that Muslims comprised 1.77% of the population in East Punjab India, numbering 300,246, whereas Hindus comprised 0.16% of the population in West Punjab Pakistan, numbering 33,052, while only 35 others were recorded, some of whom may have been Sikh. Virtually no Muslims survived in East Punjab (except in Malerkotla, Nuh, Qadian, and Ambala district), and virtually no Hindus or Sikhs survived in West Punjab (except in Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, and Sialkot District).
Punjab region 1855 census The 1855 census detailed the population of Punjab Province totaled 19,468,427 persons. At the time, religious affiliation enumeration was solely conducted in regions of the province under direct British administration (districts), with a total population numbering 12,717,821 persons, excluding the additional 6,750,606 persons residing in the princely states. At the time of enumeration, only two religious categories broadly existed, including one response for Dharmic faiths, referred to as Hindoo; the other category included one response for Abrahamic and other faiths, referred to as Mahomedan and others non Hindoo.
Adherents of Sikhism were only enumerated in the districts of the Lahore Division, which found that the Sikh population stood at 181,172 persons or 5.2 percent of the total population (3,458,694) of the division. The district breakdown within Lahore Division included 71,364 persons in Amritsar District (8.1 percent), 55,709 persons in Lahore District (9.4 percent), 24,746 persons in Gurdaspur District (3.1 percent), 19,775 persons in Sialkot District (3.1 percent), and 9,578 persons Gujranwala District (1.7 percent). Sikh populations existed interspersed throughout all regions across the province as a whole, including in other districts under direct British administration, alongside the princely states. Significant populations in the former region existed in the Chaj Doab, with the Cis-Sutlej states and Trans-Sutlej states also featuring significant populations in the latter region.
+ Religion in the districts of Punjab Province under direct British Administration (1855 census)DistrictAbrahamic religions & Others(Islam, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, others)Dharmic religions(Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, others)Total Ambala District 219,570 562,447 782,017 Thanesar District 125,121 371,627 496,748 Ludhiana District 196,411 331,311 527,722 Firozpur District 209,479 266,145 475,624 Jalandhar District 318,229 390,499 708,728 Hoshiarpur District 279,861 565,493 845,354 Kangra District 50,709 668,246 718,955 Lahore District 323,529 268,154 591,683 Amritsar District 391,854 492,575 884,429 Gurdaspur District 355,704 431,713 787,417 Gujranwala District 366,975 186,408 553,383 Sialkot District 350,982 290,800 641,782 Rawalpindi District 480,488 73,262 553,750 Jhelum District 365,945 63,475 429,420 Gujrat District 420,229 97,397 517,626 Shahpur District 216,361 45,331 261,692 Multan District 328,786 82,600 411,386 Jhang District 206,258 45,511 251,769 Googaira District 234,611 73,409 308,020 Layyah District 267,167 42,529 309,696 Khangarh District 176,833 35,087 211,920 Dera Ghazi Khan District 199,566 39,398 238,964 Dera Ismail Khan District 323,071 38,970 362,041 Peshawar District 403,534 46,565 450,099 Hazara District 276,927 19,437 296,364 Kohat District 95,602 5,630 101,232 Total British Punjab Districts 6,084,668 5,423,417 11,508,085 Total British NWFP Districts 1,099,134 110,602 1,209,736 Total British Punjab Territory(1855 borders) 7,183,802 5,534,019 12,717,821
1881 to 1941 censuses + Religious groups in Punjab Province (1881–1941)Religiousgroup1881189119011911192119311941 Islam 9,872,745 10,827,628 12,183,345 12,275,477 12,813,383 14,929,896 18,259,744 Hinduism 9,095,175 10,070,716 10,344,469 8,773,621 8,799,651 9,018,509 10,336,549 Sikhism 1,706,165 1,849,371 2,102,896 2,883,729 3,107,296 4,071,624 5,116,185 Jainism 42,572 45,575 49,983 46,775 41,321 43,140 45,475 Christianity 28,054 48,472 66,591 199,751 332,939 419,353 512,466 Buddhism 3,251 6,236 6,940 7,690 5,912 7,753 854 Zoroastrianism 413 364 477 653 526 569 4,359 Judaism 29 24 54 19 13 39 Others 57 28 12 0 13 0 34,190 Total population 20,748,432 22,848,419 24,754,737 24,187,750 25,101,060 28,490,857 34,309,861
1951 census + Religious groups in the Punjab Region (1951 Census of India & 1951 Census of Pakistan)ReligiousgroupPunjab ProvinceRegionWest Punjab Region(Pakistan)East Punjab Region(India)PopulationPercentage Islam 20,501,040 20,200,794 300,246 Hinduism 11,002,672 33,052 10,969,620 Sikhism 5,558,937 5,558,937 Christianity 501,792 402,617 99,175 Jainism 45,130 45,130 Buddhism 1,671 9 1,662 Zoroastrianism 370 195 175 Judaism 159 159 Others 685 35 650 Total responses 37,612,456 20,636,702 16,975,754 Total population 37,895,496 20,651,140 17,244,356
2011 & 2017 censuses + Religious groups in the Punjab Region (2011 Census of India & 2017 Census of Pakistan)ReligiousgroupPunjab ProvinceRegionWest Punjab Region(Pakistan)East Punjab Region(India)TotalPopulationPercentage Islam 111,971,638 109,453,479 2,518,159 Hinduism 40,446,983 212,378 40,234,605 Sikhism 17,466,731 17,466,731 Christianity 2,569,859 2,149,910 419,949 Ahmadiyya 160,759 160,759 Buddhism 120,570 120,570 Jainism 101,418 101,418 Others 169,917 16,497 153,420 Total population 173,007,875 111,993,023 61,014,852
West Punjab + Religion in West Punjab (1881–1947)Religiousgroup18811891190119111921193119411947 estimates Islam 6,201,859 6,766,545 7,951,155 8,494,314 8,975,288 10,570,029 13,022,160 14,760,215 Hinduism 1,449,913 1,727,810 1,944,363 1,645,758 1,797,141 1,957,878 2,373,466 2,663,488 Sikhism 272,908 366,162 483,999 813,441 863,091 1,180,789 1,530,112 1,788,007 Christianity 12,992 30,168 42,371 144,514 247,030 324,730 395,311 444,923 Jainism 4,352 4,408 5,562 5,977 5,930 6,921 9,520 11,527 Zoroastrianism 354 215 300 377 309 413 312 Buddhism 0 0 6 168 172 32 87 Judaism 17 9 36 16 6 7 Others 21 17 0 0 8 0 19,128 187,413 Total Population 7,942,399 8,895,342 10,427,765 11,104,585 11,888,985 14,040,798 17,350,103 19,855,573
East Punjab + Religion in East Punjab (1881–1947)Religiousgroup18811891190119111921193119411947 estimates Hinduism 7,645,262 8,342,906 8,400,106 7,127,863 7,002,510 7,060,631 7,963,083 8,558,976 Islam 3,670,886 4,061,083 4,232,190 3,781,163 3,838,095 4,359,867 5,237,584 5,846,517 Sikhism 1,433,257 1,483,209 1,618,897 2,070,288 2,244,205 2,890,835 3,586,073 4,081,450 Jainism 38,220 41,167 44,421 40,798 35,391 36,219 35,955 35,804 Christianity 15,062 18,304 24,220 55,237 85,909 94,623 117,155 133,182 Buddhism 3,251 6,236 6,934 7,522 5,740 7,721 767 Zoroastrianism 59 149 177 276 217 156 4,047 Judaism 12 15 18 3 7 32 Others 36 11 12 0 5 0 15,062 34,714 Total Population 12,806,033 13,953,077 14,326,972 13,083,165 13,212,075 14,450,059 16,959,758 18,690,643
Subregions Following the creation of the North-West Frontier Province in 1901, the Punjab region (Punjab Province) was divided into four natural geographical divisions by colonial officials on the decadal census data: Indo−Gangetic Plain West geographical division (including Hisar district, Loharu State, Rohtak district, Dujana State, Gurgaon district, Pataudi State, Delhi, Karnal district, Jalandhar district, Kapurthala State, Ludhiana district, Malerkotla State, Firozpur district, Faridkot State, Patiala State, Jind State, Nabha State, Lahore District, Amritsar district, Gujranwala District, and Sheikhupura District); Himalayan geographical division (including Sirmoor State, Simla District, Simla Hill States, Bilaspur State, Kangra district, Mandi State, Suket State, and Chamba State); Sub−Himalayan geographical division (including Ambala district, Kalsia State, Hoshiarpur district, Gurdaspur district, Sialkot District, Gujrat District, Jhelum District, Rawalpindi District, and Attock District); North−West Dry Area geographical division (including Montgomery District, Shahpur District, Mianwali District, Lyallpur District, Jhang District, Multan District, Bahawalpur State, Muzaffargarh District, Dera Ghazi Khan District, and the Biloch Trans–Frontier Tract).