00000nam a22000008i 4500 20260915175707.0 260919s2023 ii 00 0 eng d 9788195669486 rashmi Sinha Historical and Cultural Encyclopedia of Punjab (2 Vol set) / rashmi Sinha. New Delhi 2023. 480 pages The Punjab, also spelled and romanised as Panjâb, is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of eastern Pakistan and northern India. The boundaries of the region are ill-defined and focus on historical accounts. The geographical definition of the term “Punjab” has changed over time: in the 16th century Mughal Empire it referred to a relatively smaller area lying between the Indus and the Sutlej rivers. In 1947, the Punjab Province of British India was divided along religious lines into West Punjab and East Punjab. The western part was assimilated into Pakistan while the east became part of India. The Indian Punjab as well as PEPSU was divided into three parts on the basis of language in 1966. The history of Punjab has witnessed the migration and settlement of innumerable races, forming a melting pot of Punjabi civilisation. The first traces of human habitation in India were found in the Punjab region. With 27,704,236 inhabitants at the 2011 census, Punjab is the 16th-largest state by population, comprising 22 districts. Punjabi is the most widely spoken and official language of the state. The main ethnic group are the Punjabis, with Sikhs (58%) and Hindus (38%). The present two volume encyclopedia book offers a comprehensive historical and cultural statement on one of the largest and most important communities in India today.