Religions[edit]

In ancient and the medieval era, before the arrival of Islam into the Indian subcontinent, Hinduism
and Buddhism were the predominant religions in the Punjab region. After Islamic conquest,
conversions began leading to a mixed population of Muslims and Hindus, and Buddhism
vanished.[80][81][82] After Guru Nanak founded Sikhism in the 15th century, the population increasingly
became a mix of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs, as with the contemporary Punjabis.[19]
The region of Punjab is the birthplace of one monotheistic religion that is known as Sikhism.[83][84] Also
many well known followers of Sufism [85] were born in Punjab.[86]
Religion in the Punjab Province
(1941 Census of India)[87]

Religion Percent

Islam   53.2%

Hinduism   29.1%

Sikhism   14.9%

Christianity   1.5%

Others   1.3%

Due to religious tensions, emigration between Punjabi people started far before the partition and
dependable records.[88][89] Shortly prior to the Partition of British India, Punjab had a slight
majority Muslim population at about 53.2% in 1941, which was an increase from the previous
years.[90] With the division of Punjab and the subsequent independence of Pakistan and later India,
mass migrations of Muslims from Indian Punjab to Pakistan, and those
of Sikhs and Hindus from Pakistan to Indian Punjab occurred. Today the majority of Pakistani
Punjabis follow Islam with a small Christian minority, and less Sikh and Hindu populations, while the
majority of Indian Punjabis are either Sikhs or Hindus with a Muslim minority. Punjab is also the
birthplace of Sikhism and the movement Ahmadiyya.[91]
Following the independence of Pakistan and the subsequent partition of British India, a process of
population exchange took place in 1947 as Muslims began to leave India and headed to the newly
created Pakistan and Hindus and Sikhs left Pakistan[92] for the newly created state of India.[93] As a
result of these population exchanges, both parts are now relatively homogeneous, where religion is
concerned.
Population trends for major religious groups in the Punjab Province of British India (1881–
1941)[87]