The history of Punjab is as old as
the history of the Indian Civilization. The land of five rivers, this state
was known as Panchal when the Aryans came to India in the third millennium BC.
before that, the whole region of the Sindhu (Indus) and its tributaries were
inhibited by the Harappans or the people of Copper age who constructed great
cities in this region. Ropar in modern Punjab is a great example of this civilization.
The Harappan culture declined suddenly between 1800-1700 BC and its end is as
puzzling as its beginning. After the decline of the Harappans, Aryans from Central
Asia ventured into this land and made this their home.
Punjab was the first place on the Indian subcontinent where the Aryans actually
decided to settle after a long period of grazing and fighting with the aboriginal
communities. This was the place where later parts of the Rgveda and other Vedas
were written. This was also the place where first war for the control of entire
north India or Aryawart (as it was known in those days) was fought between the
Aryans and non-Aryans, known as Dasragya War (war of 10 kings).
Punjab always had a strategic importance due to its position on the famous Grand
Trunk Road that connected the eastern parts of India to the extreme northwest
point of Taxila (now in Afghanistan). This road was first constructed by Ashoka
to have a better administration of the northwestern frontier, which was always
a problem. After the decline of the Mauryan Empire, the Indo Greeks, Guptas,
and Vardhans ruled this region in succession. After the coming of Muslims in
the 9th-10th century AD, the region became an integral part of the Delhi Sultanate
and the Mughal Empire. It was also under the Maratha rule for some time.
After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the most prominent ruler in this land
was Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the early 19th century. After the death of Maharaja
Ranjit Singh, the Sikhs could not hold on to their territory for long and the
British controlled most of the region either directly or through the princely
states.
The Partition of India in 1947 was a turning point for this state. Most of the
Muslim dominated areas went out with Pakistan; while the Sikh and Hindu dominated
areas remained with India. Lakhs of people were killed in the mayhem that engulfed
in this region in the wake of the Partition. After independence, a new state
of Punjab was created with modern day Haryana and Himachal Pradesh being a part
of this state.
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