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Punjabi Sikhs

پنجابی سکھ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਸਿੱਖ
A painting of a Sikh family, circa late 19th century
Total population
c. 25-28 million approx. (Worldwide)[1][2][3]
Regions with significant populations
Punjab, India	16,004,754 (2011 census)[4][a]
Haryana	1,243,752 (2011)[4][a]
Rajasthan	872,930 (2011)[4][a]
Uttar Pradesh	643,500 (2011)[4][a]
Delhi	570,581 (2011)[4][a]
Uttarakhand	236,340 (2011)[4][a]
Maharashtra	223,247 (2011)[4][a]
Madhya Pradesh	151,412 (2011)[4][a]
Chandigarh	138,329 (2011)[4][a]
Himachal Pradesh	79,896 (2011)[4][a]
Languages
Sacred language Sant Bhasha Ethnic language Punjabi and its dialects Code language Khalsa bole Other languages Hindi, English
Religion
Sikhism
Related ethnic groups
Punjabi Hindus Punjabi Muslims Punjabi Christians

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Sikhism
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Sikh gurus Guru Nanak Guru Angad Guru Amar Das Guru Ram Das Guru Arjan Guru Hargobind Guru Har Rai Guru Har Krishan Guru Tegh Bahadur Guru Gobind Singh Guru Granth Sahib
Selected revered saints Bhagat Kabir Bhagat Ravidas Bhagat Farid Bhagat Ramanand Bhagat Beni Bhagat Namdev Bhagat Sadhana Bhagat Bhikhan Bhagat Parmanand Bhagat Sain Bhagat Dhanna Bhagat Pipa Bhagat Surdas Bhagat Jaidev Bhagat Trilochan Bhatt Kalshar Bhatt Balh Bhatt Bhalh Bhatt Bhika Bhatt Gayand Bhatt Harbans Bhatt Jalap Bhatt Kirat Bhatt Mathura Bhatt Nalh Bhatt Salh Baba Sundar Satta Doom Balvand Rai
Philosophy Naam Japo Kirat Karō Vand Chakkō Charhdi Kalā Guru Maneyo Granth Five Thieves Five Virtues
Practices Sikh Rehat Maryada Prohibitions Ardās Kirtan Amrit Velā Dasvand The Five Ks Langar Sewa Simran Nitnem Dastar (Turban) Naam Karan Amrit Sanskar Anand Karaj Antam Sanskar
Scripture Guru Granth Sahib Dasam Granth Sarbloh Granth Five Banis
Places and Takhts Gurdwara Harmandir Sahib Akal Takht Keshgarh Sahib Damdama Sahib Patna Sahib Hazur Sahib
General topics Ik Onkar Khalsa Waheguru Panj Pyare Nirgun and Sargun Khanda Literature Music Names Nanakshahi calendar Criticism Jathedar of Akal Takht War Sects
Sikhism and other religions Sikhism and Hinduism Sikhism and Islam Sikhism and Jainism
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Punjab portal

Punjabi Sikhs are adherents of Sikhism who identify ethnically, linguistically, culturally, and genealogically as Punjabis. Punjabi Sikhs are the second-largest religious group of the Punjabis, after the Punjabi Muslims. They form the largest religious community in the Indian state of Punjab. Sikhism is an indigenous religion that originated in the Punjab region of South Asia during the 15th century. Virtually all of the world's Sikh population are Punjabis.^[5]

Punjabi Sikhs primarily inhabit the Indian state of Punjab, the only Sikh-majority administrative division on Earth. Punjabi Sikhs make up 57.69% of the state’s population.^[6] Many have ancestry from the greater Punjab region, an area that was partitioned between India and Pakistan in 1947. In the contemporary era, apart from Indian Punjab, Punjabi Sikhs are found in large numbers across the Indian states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Chandigarh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Large numbers are also found in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Britain, due to various immigration waves over the centuries.^[7]

The Sikh religion founder, Guru Nanak (1469–1539), was roughly a contemporary of the founder of Mughal Empire Babur in India. Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born in a Punjabi Hindu Khatri family, which was initially a community of scribes and traders.^[8] In un-divided Punjab region, the eldest son of every Punjabi Hindu families was nominated and was represented as Sardars and had protected their family and Indic communities from the tyrannies of Mughal rulers and their torture.^[9][10][11] A huge number of peasants from Hindu and Muslim backgrounds in Punjab have converted to Sikhism for various motives (such as conviction, fear, or economic) since the starting of new faith.^[12]

The militarization of Punjabi Sikhs began after the execution of Guru Arjan Dev (5th Guru in Sikhism). Following his execution, a conflict erupted between the Mughal Empire and Sikhs which led to the last guru, Gobind Singh, establishing a militarized order known as the Khalsa, in 1699.^[13] Punjabi Sikhs were regarded as one of the toughest and fiercest warriors by the British during their rule in the Indian subcontinent. Punjabi Sikh soldiers constituted a significant chunk of the British Indian Army due to their distinguished service in action.^[14][15] Despite being only around 2% of India's population, Punjabi Sikhs constitute around 20% of the Indian Armed Forces, with the Punjab province being the 2nd largest contributor for manpower after Uttar Pradesh.^[16][17]

Punjabi Sikhs speak the Punjabi language as their mother tongue. Various dialects of the Punjabi language such as Bagri, Bilaspuri, Bhateali, Majhi, Doabi, Malwai, and Puadhi etc are spoken by Punjabi Sikhs across India and abroad as their mother tongue. In Indian Punjab, Punjabi is written in Gurmukhi script. In Pakistani Punjab, Shahmukhi script is used.^[18] Gurmukhi is written from left to right, while Shahmukhi is written from right to left.^[19][20] The use of Gurmukhi script generally started and developed during the time of second Sikh guru, Guru Angad Dev (1504–1552) who standardized it.^[21] It is commonly regarded as a Sikh script. The Shahmukhi script has been used by Punjabi Muslims since the 12th century, when it was used by Punjabi Sufi poets. Shahmukhi is a Perso-Arabic alphabet script.^[22]

The Punjabi Sikhs observe historic festivals such as Lohri, Basant and Vaisakhi as seasonal and cultural festivals in Punjab and outside of it. Other seasonal Punjabi festivals in India include Maghi and Teeyan respectively. Teeyan is also known as festival of females, as women enjoy it with their close friends. On the day of maghi, people fly kites and eat their traditional dish Punjabi dish khichdi.^[23] Other festivals observed by Punjabi Sikhs includes the festivals of Sikhism like- Gurupurab, Bandi Chhor Divas, etc.

The demand for Khalistan as a separate homeland for Sikhs is championed by a segment of the Punjabi Sikh population, various advocacy groups, and certain Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who demand secession of Indian Punjab from India. This movement, rooted in historical, political, and religious factors, emerged prominently in the 1970s and 1980s. Key advocates include local organizations in Punjab and Sikhs abroad, particularly in Canada, the UK, and the US. They seek to safeguard Sikh identity, achieve political autonomy, and address historical grievances such as Operation Blue Star and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. However, not all Sikhs support this idea, with many preferring integration within India to address issues through democratic means. While the Khalistan movement does not dominate mainstream Sikh politics today, it remains a contentious issue with varying levels of support.^[24]

• Benson, Heather Lené. "In Place/Out of Place: Punjabi-Sikhs in Reno, Nevada" (PhD dissertation, University of Nevada, Reno, 2022) online.
• Bhachu, Parminder. "Culture, ethnicity and class among Punjabi Sikh women in 1990s Britain." Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 17.3 (1991): 401-412.

• Banerjee, Himadri. "The Other Sikhs: Punjabi-Sikhs of Kolkata." Studies in History 28.2 (2012): 271-300.

• Grewal, Jagtar Singh. The Sikhs of the Punjab (Cambridge University Press, 1998).

• Usha, George, and Ferzana Chaze. "Punjabis/Sikhs in Canada." in Mobility and Multiple Affiliations (2016): 91-104.