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Pakistan
Index
Most Punjabis trace their ancestry to pre-Islamic Jat
and
Rajput castes. However, as they intermarried with other
ethnic
groups who came to the area, certain qaums (clan or
tribal
groups) came to predominate, especially Gujjars, Awans,
Arains,
and Khokkars in northern Punjab, and Gilanis, Gardezis,
Qureshis,
and Abbasis in the south. Other Punjabis trace their
heritage to
Arabia, Persia, Balochistan, Afghanistan, and Kashmir.
Thus, in
contrast with many other areas, where people often
remained
isolated, Punjabis had very diverse origins. The extent of
this
diversity facilitated their coalescence into a coherent
ethnic
community that has historically placed great emphasis both
on
farming and on fighting.
In censuses taken in British India, Punjabis were
typically
divided into "functional castes" or "agricultural tribes."
The
word caste, however, is grounded in the Hindu
notions of
reincarnation and karma; Muslims totally reject these
religious
connotations and use the term qaum instead. Tribal
affiliation, based on descent and occupational
specialization,
tends to merge in Punjab into a qaum identity. An
occupational group typically claims descent from a single
ancestor, and many tribes traditionally followed a single
occupation. The traditional occupation gives the group its
name
as well as its general position in the social hierarchy.
An important aspect of Punjabi ethnicity is reciprocity
at
the village level. A man's brother is his friend, his
friend is
his brother, and both enjoy equal access to his resources.
Traditionally, a person has virtually free access to a
kinsman's
resources without foreseeable payback. This situation
results in
social networks founded on local (kinship-based) group
needs as
opposed to individual wants. These networks in turn
perpetuate
not only friendly relations but also the structure of the
community itself. There is great social pressure on an
individual
to share and pool such resources as income, political
influence,
and personal connections. Kinship obligations continue to
be
central to a Punjabi's identity and concerns. Distinctions
based
on qaum remain significant social markers,
particularly in
rural areas.
Punjabis predominate in the upper echelons of the
military
and civil service and in large part run the central
government.
This situation is resented by many Pakhtuns, Baloch, and,
particularly by Sindhis, whose numbers and wealth are
comparatively small and who are proportionately
underrepresented
in public positions. Particularly galling to Sindhis is
the fact
that the muhajirs, who live mainly in their
province, are
the only overrepresented group in public positions, which
is
generally traceable to better education in India prior to
migrating in 1947. In the early 1980s, tensions mounted
between
Punjabis and Sindhis because the latter group was feeling
alienated from the state. The capital had been moved from
Karachi
(in Sindh) to Islamabad (in northern Punjab) and Zulfiqar
Ali
Bhutto (from Sindh) was not only ousted but hanged. Of the
three
most prominent national politicians in the 1980s and early
1990s,
two were Punjabis: President Zia ul-Haq and Prime Minister
Mian
Nawaz Sharif. Only Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan People's Party
leader
and prime minister from October 1993, is Sindhi.
Data as of April 1994
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