THE RISE OF PUNJABIYAT AND RANJIT REIGN

Sadia Masood1

1
The writer is Ph.D scholar at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad and also teaches at National University of
Modern languages, Islamabad.
 ABSTRACT
Pakistan’s largest province Punjab is seen as the hub of Pakistani nationalism but it’s widely
criticized by other comparatively small provinces/nations in Pakistan on the basis of lacking
regional nationalism i.e Punjabiyat. The criticism cannot be rejected as the regional history
of Punjab itself shows that Punjab due to its geographic location has remained a central point
of foreign attractions, its location as the gateway to India for traders, invaders and
conquerors, has frequently affected the nature of local politics, culture and even identity.
The region was repeatedly subject to annexation, partition and reorganization which on one
hand crushed the local essence of identity and on the other also paved the way for the its
emergence in late 18th century. The last decades of 18th and the early half of the 19th century
witnessed the emergence of short lived Nationalism in Punjab in form of an independent rule
under Ranjit Singh. The turning of Punjab into a sovereign and imperial entity shaped a
proto-type identity or nationalism among the people of land that was rooted in history.
Interestingly the people of Pakistan including the Punjabis themselves know little about this
glorious period of Punjab. They do not have the knowledge of the centuries old Punjab which
was a hub of diverse social and religious identities with the only unifying factor the Punjabi
identity or Punjabyat. Therefore this paper is attempted to examine the genesis of Punjabi
nationalism and its peak time in 19th century which is attainment of native ruler Ranjit
Singh. This paper will focus on the Punjabi nationalism before and during Ranjit rule while
using diverse political and cultural literature available on Punjab.
Key Words: Punjabiyat, Identity, Language, Harmony
INTRODUCTION
Punjab the heartland of Pakistan has always been center of political debate and political studies,
although most of the time presented as rogue. Among others Ethno-nationalists all around Pakistan
are critical of the role played by Punjab in suppression of diverse regional identities, they also
accused Punjab of being ignorant towards its own identity and history. Current state of affairs
although supports the allegations made by other nationalists but study of Punjab’s history shows
that Punjab was a nation and a country in its own right, even if occupied by foreigners. Punjabi
literature, regional historiographies and other scholarly works provides enough evidences to prove
Punjab as a distinct and proud Nation fully aware of its cultural and regional history and identity.
Although this sense of national distinction was always there in Punjab but Punjabi identity really
flourished in late 18th and early half of 19th century because of acquisition of Political power,
economic prosperity and development of Punjabi literature. The rise of Punjabi nationalism in 18th
century was not a sudden development instead it was developed through ages and the roots can be
found in sixteenth and seventieth century. Therefore to understand the Punjabi nationalism in 18th
century the paper will also try to trace the rise of Punjabiyat.

Initial Phase: tracing the rise of Punjabiyat

Tracing the roots of Punjabiyat is not an easy task given the fact that history is complex and a
major part of history is not written therefore we have to link different aspects together while using
established assumptions in order to understand the history and rise of Punjabiyat. Geographical
location, regional economy, cultural characteristics, the development of Punjabi language all
contributed in diverse ways in the formation of a Punjabi identity which made the people of the
Punjab region stand out in a distinctive way from the rest of India. But the tools used here while
tracing Punjabi nationalism in its initial phase will be language and political struggle.
Language is important because of its ability to unite the people of one group and differentiates it
from the other groups. The Punjabi language is no doubt has remained rich enough to form
nationalism on its own. Various poets and philosophers has contributed in uniting the people of
Punjab through language. Baba Farid is considered the forefather of the Punjabi language; he was
the poet who attracted the masses with his philosophical poetry. Besides Baba Farid various other
poets advanced the Punjabi language including Guru Nank, Bulle Shah and Waris Shah in their
respective periods. These poets and philosophers were not ordinary people they were in fact
Punjabi nationalist response to the historical changes taking place in Punjab in their respective
era2. The role of Sikh gurus is of mere importance in this regard, Guru Nanak used Punjabi as the
medium of communication with masses against than established languages Sanskrit and Persian;
Pritam Singh argues that then local elites used these classical languages to exercise their
intellectual hegemony therefore the use of Punjabi was welcomed by masses3. The introduction of
Punjabi script Gurhmukhi in 1550’s4 and the credit of introducing the Punjabi alphabets goes to
the second guru of Sikhs Guru Angad Dev Ji (1563–1606)5. Although these classical poets did not

2
Khushwant singh, A History of the Sikhs 1469-1839. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1999., vol. 1 (New Delhi,
india: Oxford University, 1999), 13-16.
3
pritam singh, “Competing Nationalisms in the Contestations over Sikh Role in 1857 ”(Edinburgh , n.d.).
4
Shaaista Nuzhat, Imraaniyat-i-Waris Shah (Lahore: Jumhori Publications, 2006), 76-78.
5
Pritam, 2007.
used the concept of coherent nationalism but they showed pride and honor of having roots in
Punjab.
The other important tool to investigate Punjabiyat in this period is local resistive political struggle.
The resistance in Punjab was an outcome of frequent invasions and oppressive policies by the
invaders. The first widely known resistance in Punjab was from the peasants, led by Dullah Bhatti.
This resistance was basically against the Mughal imperial administration in the north western
Punjab and was a result of imposition of heavy taxation on agriculture 6. Dullah Bhatti due to his
brave resistance is remembered as symbol of Punjabi identity, resistance and as a working class
revolutionary7. Besides Dullah Bhatti in the same period another conflict arose between Mughal
state and Sikh Guru Arjan because of Guru gave blessings to a rebel of the Mughal court. Like
Dullah Guru Arjan also tortured to death in 1606 by the Moghul Emperor, thus becoming the first
martyr of the Sikhs8.Both events created Malaises in Punjabi society. Besides Mughal atrocities in
the last half of seventieth century Punjab confronted constant afghan invasions whereas the
creation of Khalsa in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh happened to be an important development, the
Sikhs started forming Missals and frequently opposed the imperial rulers and invaders 9. The
Afghan invasions on one hand crushed the local administration, looted Punjab on great scale but
on the other hand gave a further impetus to Punjabiyat 10. Waris shah has rightly said about the
situation that, ‘what is in your mouth is yours; the rest Ahmed shah will steal’. Mughals after losing
control over Punjab in 1752 handed over it to Ahmed shah Abdali against whom the natives
organized themselves11. The most active group of natives was of the Sikhs, they fought for nine
years and defeated Abdali forces. In September, 1761, the Sikhs defeated the appointed governor
of Abdali near Gujranwala and threw out the other appointees of Ahmad Shah Abdali like 'a fly
from milk' and brought the entire land from the Satlej to the Indus under their control 12. In 1765
the Sikhs took control of Lahore and formally declared their sovereignty over Lahore 13. These
Sikh Missals were first form of self-rule by natives14. Sikh Missals were engaged in internecine
conflict among themselves and freely looted their fellow Punjabis15. After Mughal downfall
Lahore came under the control of Bhangi misl, they imposed cruel policies, imposed various heavy
taxes, and banned religious activities which forced people of Lahore to invite Ranjit Singh of

6
surinder singh and Ishwer Dayal Gaur, “Mughal Centralization and Local Resistance in North-Western India: An
Exploration in the Ballad of Dulla Bhatti,” in Popular Literature and Pre-Modern Societies in South Asia (Delhi:
Pearson Longman, 2008), pp. 89-113.
7
Malik Fatḥ Muḥ ammad, Punjabi Identity (Lahore, Pakistan: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 1989).
8
Singh, Pritam. "Globalisation and Punjabi identity: Resistance, relocation and reinvention (yet again!)." Journal of
Punjab Studies 19, no. 2 (2012): 153-172.
9
Sheikh, Majid. "HARKING BACK: First proletarian revolution and self-rule after 744 years." Dawn, 02 11, 2018.
10
Nuzhat, 80.
11
Majid Sheikh, “HARKING BACK: First Proletarian Revolution and Self-Rule after 744 Years,” Dawn, n.d., accessed
February 11, 2018.
12
Jagtar Singh. Grewal, The Sikhs of the Punjab, vol. 2 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), 91.
13
Sheikh, 2018.
14
Patwant singh and Jyoti M. Rai, Empire of the Sikhs: The Life and Times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (Peter Owen
Publishers, 2008), 88-89.
15
Nuzhat, 83.
Sukerchakia Misl16 eighteen people among whom two were Hindus and the rest were Muslim
invited him to Lahore through a letter17. Ranjit Singh captured Lahore in 1799 and formed first
ever sovereign state of Punjab his policies brought cohesion in Punjab on a larger scale. The
creation of Punjabi state was the highest attainment of Ranjit in un-conscious process of
developing Punjabiyat, therefore the focus of the paper is Punjab under Ranjit Singh while
considering this period as Golden time of Punjabiyat.

Punjabiyat in Independent Punjab 1799-1839

The emergence of the sovereign state of Punjab in 1799 under Maharaja Ranjit Singh was a
glorious moment in the evolution of Punjabiyat, although the kingdom itself was certainly not the
result of solely Punjabiyat but it had created proto-type of Punjabiyat and got recognition on a
larger scale. In order to unfold Punjabiyat in this phase this part of the paper will deal with Ranjit’s
political strategies/polices/dealing and some of the Punjabi literature.
Ranjit after establishing his Sovereign state adopted a humane behavior with the people of
conquered territories 18 which helped him in extending his rule over Punjab.
Ranjit Singh was aware of existing diversity in Punjab, so in attempt to acquire the trust of most
people he decided to deal them equally, for this purpose he used the only connection the
‘Punjabiyat’ effectively in his policies and dealings with people. He managed to have minimum
state interference at existing social state19. The Ranjit Empire happened to be a secular state in its
outlook as the base of state was more on culture instead of religions. Darshan Singh argues that
‘Ranjit promoted Punjabi identity despite the fact that he was in position to promote his religion,
but his focus was collectivity’20. Ranjit in order to promote religious harmony made it sure that all
religious festivals to be celebrated by all people, he encouraged people by frequently participating
in all religious festivals without any religious distinction21which later turned to be a tradition of
Punjab. Ranjit in another attempt to create cohesive society announced that religious institutions
will be supported by State, and the laws according to respective religions will be applied to people
led by their own religious leaders22. Ranjit’s cabinet was based on representatives of all religious
communities, he had three Muslim ministers’ and assigned them important designations of the
empire23.

16
Syed Muhammad Latif, History of Punjab: from the Remotest Antiquity to the Present Time (Lahore: Peoples
Publishing House, 1891), 349.
17
Fakir syed, “the untold story of Ranjit singh,” TEDxULahore (May 26, 2014).
18
Latif, History of Punjab, 352.
19
Gulshan Lal Chopra, the Punjab as a Sovereign State 1799-1839 (Lahore: Al-Biruni, 1928), 148-150.
20
pritam singh and Shinder s. thandi, Punjabi Identity in a Global Context (Oxford University Press, 2000), 71.
21
Singh, empire of Sikhs, 119-121.
22
Latif, History of Punjab, 350-355.
23
Ibid.
In Ranjit’s time Quran was translated for the first time in Punjabi, in both Gurmukhi and
Shahmukhi script24.
He basically introduced an administrative system in which no religious prejudice existed, the
administrators were chosen on merit from all religious communities, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and
even visitor European Christians25. Regarding Ranjit Singh a story is very famous among Punjabis
which has been orally transferred to generations, it is said that once a calligrapher tried to sell a
copy of Quran to Ranjit’s foreign minister Fakir Aziz-ud-din who would not buy it, Ranjit Singh
overheard the argument took the holy Quran, kissed it and bought it and said ‘God gave me one
eye so that I could see all religions with the same eye’. Ranjit Singh extended the Punjab and
conquered provinces like Kashmir, Multan, Peshawar, Jammu and Kangra for which the Punjabi
people felt proud and were appreciative of the Ranjit. Interestingly Ranjit did not replaced Persian
with Punjabi as official language which raises question regarding his role in promotion of
Punjabiyat. Darshan Singh views his decision as another act of promoting harmony he argues that
Ranjit didn’t introduced Punjabi as official language in order to avoid misunderstanding, as
Punjabi was considered religious language of Sikhs’26. Persian was the court/official language of
Lahore Darbar but daily affairs were conducted in Punjabi. The newly emerged ruling class
belonged to agricultural background so the only easily understood language for them was Punjabi,
so the use of Persian was just to keep court records27.
Apart from the political affairs language and literature played an important role in developing the
sense of Punjabi identity during this phase. If we look at the language and culture in this period
we will see that during 1750-1850 the volume of Punjabi literature increased. Like politics the
Punjabi literature also turned into Secular nature28. The analysis of the 19th century
literature/poetry shows that most of the literature revolves around the political turmoil of the time.
The poets took wars and war heroes as Centre of their poetry. Poets like Hakam Singh, Najabat,
Qadir Yar, Ram dial, Sahir Singh, Shah Muhammad and Matak wrote about the political situations
and showed allegiance to Punjab and Punjabi people. The most famous of all were Shah
Muhammad and Qadiryar.
Shah Muhammad wrote ‘Jangnama Singhan Wa Firangian Da’ which occupied prominent place
in heroic literature of the Punjab. Shah in his poetry praises the fifty year rule of Maharaja Ranjit
Singh. He depicts the social and political situation of Punjab and narrates that Hindus and Muslims
of the Punjab were coexisting happily prior to the British. Shah Muhammad presents Sikh identity
as synonym of Punjabi identity. He also termed the Anglo-sikh war as the war between Hind and
Punjab29. The other major poet of that time was Qadirayar. Qadiryar wrote ‘Var Hari singh Nalwa
Di’ (Ballad) to celebrate the bravery of Hari Singh Nalwa colonel of the Ranjit’s army who was

24
Fakir.
25
Chopra, the Punjab as sovereign state, 152-190.
26
Singh and shinder, Punjabi identity in the globel context, 71.
27
Singh,empire of siks,
28
Ibid., 45-47.
29
Singh and thandi, Punjabi identity in global context, 70-75.
killed during a battle with afghan in 183730. In his poetry the most interesting thing is that Qadiryar
being a Muslim celebrated the bravery of Sikh against his fellow Muslim Afghans. Both Shah
Muhammad and Qadiryar expressed well the then existing Punjabiyat in their poetry. Apart from
these two works there is a lot of work on various social and political issues, such as ‘Pir
Muhammad chatthian di var’ which provides information about the rise of sukerchakia chiefs, Var
hari singh nalwa by Sahai singh nalwa, Fateh Nama by Dial Singh, and Zafarnamai-Ranjit Singh
by Diwan Amar to celebrate the victory of Lahore Darbar over Peshawar in 1834. These are few
glimpses of Punjabi nationalism more time and sources are needed to uncover more details.

Conclusion
The nationalistic history of Punjab is full of ups and downs, various heroes has unconsciously
played their role in promoting the identity in the times when there was no such concept existed.
But their struggles/movements for rights created the difference of US & OTHERS among fellow
Punjabis which later in 1799 took the shape of an independent Punjabi state. The credit of which
goes to Ranjit Singh. Various scholars criticize Ranjit Singh and argues that he shared power with
people to expand his rule, which could be right but he promoted Punjabi identity through his
policies such as the sharing of power with all communities, minimizing religious prejudice and
equal distribution of resources and charity. It was the time of Ranjit that people got cultural
consciousness and got affiliated with the land of Punjab instead of particular groups. But here a
question arises why the Punjabi nationalism that is said to have been building up over a period of
several centuries vanished so suddenly with British conquest and was immediately replaced by
conflict among all three religious communities in the Punjab? To answer to this question one has
to go through history again because the then crashed Nationalism is still absent in current Punjab
and is most neglected part of the current academic research attractions. If we want to bring peace
around we have to back to our histories because the problem and solution both are somewhere in
history.

30
Ibid., 55-58.