The Punjab derives its name
from two persian words, panj (five) and ab (water),
meaning five waters. It stands for the land enclosed
by the rivers Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum.
In the Rigveda this region has been refered to as
the land of Sapta-Sindhavah or seven rivers. These
seven rivers are believed to have been : Sindhu
(Indus), Vitasta (Jhelum), Asikni (Chenab), Parushni
(Ravi), Vipash (Beas), Sutudri (Sutlej) and Sarasvati
(Sarsuti).
Culture
Due to the
geographical location of the Punjab the people of
this region had to bear the burn brunt of the foreign
onslaughts through the past centuries. From the very
beggining the Punjabis were brought up under the shadows
of swords, which made them active and dynamic, virile
and warlike. The Punjabis have always been the protectors
of the motherland. Even today they are considered
to be among the best soldiers and warriors of India.
The Punjabis in course of the past centuries came
into contact with foreign people of different races
and cultures.
The
Mystic Poets
Sufism is the
other name of Islamic mysticism, According to available
sources on the subject, these ascetics, said to be
45 in number, were dedicated followers of the prophet
Muhammad. Poverty and Austerity were their basic rules
of life which they had derived from the traditional
source saying "Alfakar Fakhri" (poverty
is my glory). The members of this sect used to wear
clothes made of wool. It was a coarse, woolen sack
cloth called 'SUF'. Accordingly they were
termed as Sufis.
