Overview of the role and impact of Hinduism in the Pakistani province of Punjab
Hinduism is a minority religion in Punjab province of Pakistan followed by about 0.19% of its population. Punjab has the second largest number of Hindus in Pakistan after Sindh .[ 3] Hinduism is followed mainly in the Southern Punjab districts of Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur .[ 4]
Hinduism has a strong historical presence in Punjab with many mandirs , shrines (samadhis ), alongside various religious traditions and texts that were developed in the region. According to the 1941 census, Punjabi Hindus constituted approximately 13.7 percent of the population in the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, Pakistan .[ a] With violence and religious cleansing accompanying the partition of India in 1947, the vast majority departed the region en masse , primarily migrating eastward to Delhi and the region of Punjab that would fall on the eastern side of the Radcliffe Line , in the contemporary Indian states of Punjab , Haryana , and Himachal Pradesh .
One of the Amb Temples constructed between the 7th and 9th centuries.
Hindu Population HistoryPunjab, Pakistan Year 1881 1,449,913 — 1901 1,944,363 +1.48% 1911 1,645,758 −1.65% 1921 1,797,141 +0.88% 1931 1,957,878 +0.86% 1941 2,373,466 +1.94% 1951 33,052 −34.78% 1998 116,410 +2.72% 2017 211,641 +3.20% 2023 249,716 +2.80% Source: [ b] [ c] [ d] [ e] [ f] [ a] [ 14] [ 15] [ 16] [ 17] [ 1] Census of India , Census of Pakistan
Hinduism is the oldest recorded religion practiced by the Punjabi people .[ 18] The Rig Veda , the oldest and most sacred Hindu text, is believed to have been composed in the Punjab region of modern-day Pakistan (and India) on the banks of the Indus River around 1500 BCE.[ 19] The Punjab region also features heavily in the Mahabharata .[ 20] [ 21] According to Hindu religious texts, Multan was founded by the Hindu sage Kashyapa [ 22] and also asserts Multan as the capital of the Trigarta Kingdom ruled by the Katoch dynasty at the time of the Kurukshetra War that is central the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata .[ 23] [ 24] [ 25]
Historically, the Punjabi Hindus and Saraiki Hindus followed mainly a Brahminical form of Hinduism .[ 26] The Prahladpuri Temple in Multan is believed to be constructed by Prahlada in honor of Narasimha .[ 27] Most of the Hindus in Punjab once also had also influence of Sikhism on their culture and lifestyle. Nanakpanthis are the Hindus who follows the teaching of Sikh guru , Guru Nanak .[ 28]
By the early 20th century, Western Punjab (present-day Punjab, Pakistan ) had a Punjabi Muslim majority population (primarily supporting the Muslim League and Pakistan Movement ) but also included significant Punjabi Hindu and Punjabi Sikh minority populations.
According to the 1941 census, Punjabi Hindus constituted approximately 13.7 percent of the population in the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, Pakistan , numbering around 2.4 million persons.[ a] Following the partition of Punjab , according to the 1951 census , the Hindu population declined to 33,052 persons or 0.2 percent due to religious cleansing violence alongside large-scale mass migration and population transfer to East Punjab, India and Delhi in the violent events of partition of India .[ 14]
With the formation of independent Pakistan and India during the partition of India in 1947, approximately 3 million Punjabi Hindus migrated to India.[ 29] [ 30] [ 31]
Geographical distribution [ edit ]
Hindu Khatri man, Lahore circa 1859-1869
Hindu Arora Storekeeper, Lahore , circa 1862–72
Rattan Chand temple, Lahore , 1880
Hindu Shivite temple, Lahore , 1914
Hindus in the administrative divisions that compose the contemporary Punjab, Pakistan region (1881–1941)
District or Princely State
1881[ 5] [ 6] [ 7] [ 32]
1901[ 8] : 34 [ 33] : 62
1911[ 9] : 27 [ 10] : 27
1921[ 11] : 29
1931[ 12] : 277
1941[ 13] : 42
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Sialkot District
299,311
29.57%
302,012
27.86%
242,325
24.74%
217,912
23.24%
206,421
21.07%
231,319
19.43%
Lahore District
193,319
20.92%
276,375
23.78%
217,609
21%
255,690
22.6%
259,725
18.84%
284,689
16.79%
Gujranwala District
127,322
20.64%
169,594
22.41%
176,075
19.07%
101,566
16.29%
92,764
12.6%
108,115
11.85%
Multan District
112,001
20.29%
133,560
18.79%
126,603
15.54%
134,013
15.05%
182,029
15.49%
249,872
16.83%
Shakargarh Tehsil [ g]
109,241
49.77%
111,819
47.69%
93,052
44.22%
90,645
42.59%
101,318
40.96%
116,553
39.98%
Bahawalpur State
91,272
15.92%
114,670
15.91%
109,548
14.03%
114,621
14.67%
149,454
15.18%
174,408
13%
Rawalpindi District
86,162
10.5%
86,269
9.27%
48,449
8.84%
57,185
10.05%
59,485
9.38%
82,478
10.5%
Montgomery District
83,974
19.69%
109,945
23.72%
66,803
12.48%
94,791
13.28%
136,783
13.68%
210,966
15.87%
Gujrat District
72,450
10.51%
69,346
9.24%
49,430
6.63%
62,529
7.59%
73,356
7.95%
84,643
7.66%
Jhang District
64,892
16.42%
79,650
21.03%
73,426
14.24%
85,339
14.96%
102,990
15.49%
129,889
15.81%
Jhelum District
60,949
10.34%
51,801
8.72%
34,261
6.7%
34,837
7.3%
36,068
6.67%
40,888
6.49%
Shahpur District
59,026
14%
68,489
13.06%
72,695
10.58%
82,182
11.42%
90,561
11.02%
102,172
10.23%
Dera Ghazi Khan District
46,697
12.85%
57,815
12.27%
56,485
11.3%
56,346
12.01%
57,217
11.65%
67,407
11.59%
Muzaffargarh District
43,297
12.79%
52,221
12.87%
68,158
11.97%
69,878
12.29%
72,577
12.27%
90,643
12.72%
Lyallpur District [ h]
—
—
210,459
26.58%
154,603
18.03%
181,488
18.53%
173,344
15.06%
204,059
14.61%
Mianwali District
—
—
50,202
11.82%
36,326
10.64%
45,974
12.83%
49,794
12.1%
62,814
12.41%
Biloch Trans–Frontier Tract
—
—
136
0.56%
169
0.59%
180
0.67%
173
0.58%
160
0.4%
Attock District [ i]
—
—
—
—
19,741
3.8%
26,184
5.11%
31,932
5.47%
43,209
6.39%
Sheikhupura District [ j]
—
—
—
—
—
—
85,781
16.4%
81,887
11.75%
89,182
10.46%
Total Hindus
1,449,913
18.26%
1,944,363
18.65%
1,645,758
14.82%
1,797,141
15.12%
1,957,878
13.94%
2,373,466
13.68%
Total Population
7,942,399
100%
10,427,765
100%
11,104,585
100%
11,888,985
100%
14,040,798
100%
17,350,103
100%
According to the 2023 Cenus , Hinduism is followed by 0.2 percent of the population, [ 34] which is roughly the same proportion as reported in the 2017 Census.[ 3] There are 249,716 Hindus in Punjab.[ 34] However according to the Pakistan Hindu Council , there are 349,230 Hindus in Punjab. [ 35]
According to estimates in religious minorities in Pakistan's elections, there are above 50,000 or more in 11 districts in Pakistan. All of these are in Sindh except the Rahim Yar Khan District in Punjab and is the only district in Punjab with more than 2% of its population as Hindu .[ 36]
About 90% of the Hindus in Punjab province live in Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur .[ 37]
Hindus in the administrative divisions in Punjab, Pakistan (1951–2023)
District
1951[ 14]
2017[ 16] [ 17]
2023[ 1]
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Sialkot District
14,397
0.98%
2,870
0.07%
3,195
0.07%
Rahim Yar Khan District
10,755
1.26%
150,093
3.12%
176,416
3.17%
Lahore District
2,433
0.13%
2,670
0.02%
2,811
0.02%
Bahawalpur District
1,916
0.2%
41,051
1.12%
48,684
1.14%
Gujranwala District
1,211
0.12%
287
0.01%
1,033
0.02%
Faisalabad District
888
0.04%
598
0.01%
2,150
0.02%
Sheikhupura District
461
0.05%
323
0.01%
820
0.02%
Attock District
308
0.04%
575
0.03%
501
0.02%
Multan District
151
0.01%
2,366
0.05%
1,709
0.03%
Rawalpindi District
114
0.01%
1,244
0.02%
1,013
0.02%
Gujrat District
99
0.01%
120
0%
217
0.01%
Sahiwal District
90
0%
297
0.01%
217
0.01%
Jhelum District
72
0.01%
356
0.03%
343
0.03%
Jhang District
69
0.01%
195
0.01%
73
0%
Sargodha District
58
0%
141
0%
456
0.01%
Muzaffargarh District
24
0%
733
0.02%
716
0.01%
Dera Ghazi Khan District
6
0%
248
0.01%
166
0%
Mianwali District
0
0%
21
0%
63
0%
Bahawalnagar District
—
—
2,631
0.09%
3,106
0.09%
Rajanpur District
—
—
1,442
0.07%
1,030
0.04%
Narowal District
—
—
657
0.04%
833
0.04%
Layyah District
—
—
553
0.03%
252
0.01%
Mandi Bahauddin District
—
—
357
0.02%
326
0.02%
Khanewal District
—
—
297
0.01%
304
0.01%
Nankana Sahib District
—
—
245
0.02%
1,196
0.07%
Kasur District
—
—
243
0.01%
475
0.01%
Okara District
—
—
214
0.01%
214
0.01%
Chakwal District
—
—
187
0.01%
142
0.01%
Vehari District
—
—
179
0.01%
226
0.01%
Toba Tek Singh District
—
—
123
0.01%
279
0.01%
Pakpattan District
—
—
97
0.01%
61
0%
Lodhran District
—
—
93
0.01%
97
0.01%
Chiniot District
—
—
62
0%
132
0.01%
Hafizabad District
—
—
48
0%
380
0.03%
Bhakkar District
—
—
13
0%
25
0%
Khushab District
—
—
12
0%
55
0%
Total Hindus
33,052
0.16%
211,641
0.19%
249,716
0.2%
Total responses
20,636,702
100%
109,989,655
100%
127,333,305
99.72%
Total population
20,636,702
100%
109,989,655
100%
127,688,922
100%
Hindus in Punjab is mainly concentrated in the Southern Punjab districts. According to a study, the majority (86.5%) of the scheduled caste Hindus in Southern Punjab have experienced discrimination. The study found that majority (i.e 91.5%) of the respondents in Rahimyar Khan districts believed that political parties are not giving importance to them.[ 38] In Central Punjab, the population of Hindus are very low, so many of the Hindus have married Sikhs and vice versa. Intermarriages between the Hindus and Sikh community are very common there.[ 39] The Forced conversion of Hindu girls are a problem faced by the Hindu community. According to a report by Minority Rights Commission, the number of forced conversions and forced marriages increasing in South Punjab, particularly the Rahim Yar Khan District and adjacent areas.[ 40]
Hindu marriages in Punjab are registered under the Hindu marriage act of 2017 .[ 41] [ 42]
Punjab Assembly has eight reserved seats for non-Muslims and most of them are Christians.[ 36] In 1997, the Seth Bharta Ram became the first Hindu to be elected to the minority reserved seat in Punjab Provincial assembly . It was only after 16 years, another Hindu member Kanji Ram was elected to the provincial assembly.[ 43] [ 44] Currently there are no Hindu member in the 17th Punjab provincial assembly .
Hindus form a significant electoral role in the assembly seats of Rahim Yar Khan District .[ 36]
There are many temples in the Punjab and mainly of them served as a worship place for multi-religious community. The notable of them includes:
^ a b c 1941 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Lahore , Sialkot , Gujranwala , Sheikhupura , Gujrat , Shahpur , Jhelum , Rawalpindi , Attock , Mianwali , Montgomery , Lyallpur , Jhang , Multan , Muzaffargargh , Dera Ghazi Khan ), one tehsil (Shakargarh – then part of Gurdaspur District ), one princely state (Bahawalpur ), and one tract (Biloch Trans–Frontier) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the western side of the Radcliffe Line . See 1941 census data here: [ 13] : 42 Immediately following the partition of India in 1947 , these districts and tract would ultimately make up the subdivision of West Punjab, which also later included Bahawalpur . The state that makes up this region in the contemporary era is Punjab, Pakistan .
^ 1881 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Lahore , Sialkot , Gujranwala , Gujrat , Shahpur , Jhelum , Rawalpindi , Montgomery , Jhang , Multan , Muzaffargargh , Dera Ghazi Khan ), one tehsil (Shakargarh – then part of Gurdaspur District ), and one princely state (Bahawalpur ) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the western side of the Radcliffe Line . See 1881 census data here: [ 5] [ 6] [ 7] Immediately following the partition of India in 1947, these districts and tract would ultimately make up the subdivision of West Punjab, which also later included Bahawalpur . The state that makes up this region in the contemporary era is Punjab, Pakistan .
^ 1901 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Lahore , Sialkot , Gujranwala , Gujrat , Shahpur , Jhelum , Rawalpindi , Mianwali , Montgomery , Lyallpur (inscribed as the Chenab Colony on the 1901 census), Jhang , Multan , Muzaffargargh , Dera Ghazi Khan ), one tehsil (Shakargarh – then part of Gurdaspur District ), one princely state (Bahawalpur ), and one tract (Biloch Trans–Frontier) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the western side of the Radcliffe Line . See 1901 census data here: [ 8] : 34 Immediately following the partition of India in 1947, these districts and tract would ultimately make up the subdivision of West Punjab, which also later included Bahawalpur . The state that makes up this region in the contemporary era is Punjab, Pakistan .
^ 1911 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Lahore , Sialkot , Gujranwala , Gujrat , Shahpur , Jhelum , Rawalpindi , Attock , Mianwali , Montgomery , Lyallpur , Jhang , Multan , Muzaffargargh , Dera Ghazi Khan ), one tehsil (Shakargarh – then part of Gurdaspur District ), one princely state (Bahawalpur ), and one tract (Biloch Trans–Frontier) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the western side of the Radcliffe Line . See 1911 census data here: [ 9] : 27 [ 10] : 27 Immediately following the partition of India in 1947 , these districts and tract would ultimately make up the subdivision of West Punjab, which also later included Bahawalpur . The state that makes up this region in the contemporary era is Punjab, Pakistan .
^ 1921 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Lahore , Sialkot , Gujranwala , Sheikhupura , Gujrat , Shahpur , Jhelum , Rawalpindi , Attock , Mianwali , Montgomery , Lyallpur , Jhang , Multan , Muzaffargargh , Dera Ghazi Khan ), one tehsil (Shakargarh – then part of Gurdaspur District ), one princely state (Bahawalpur ), and one tract (Biloch Trans–Frontier) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the western side of the Radcliffe Line . See 1921 census data here: [ 11] : 29 Immediately following the partition of India in 1947 , these districts and tract would ultimately make up the subdivision of West Punjab, which also later included Bahawalpur . The state that makes up this region in the contemporary era is Punjab, Pakistan .
^ 1931 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Lahore , Sialkot , Gujranwala , Sheikhupura , Gujrat , Shahpur , Jhelum , Rawalpindi , Attock , Mianwali , Montgomery , Lyallpur , Jhang , Multan , Muzaffargargh , Dera Ghazi Khan ), one tehsil (Shakargarh – then part of Gurdaspur District ), one princely state (Bahawalpur ), and one tract (Biloch Trans–Frontier) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the western side of the Radcliffe Line . See 1931 census data here: [ 12] : 277 Immediately following the partition of India in 1947 , these districts and tract would ultimately make up the subdivision of West Punjab, which also later included Bahawalpur . The state that makes up this region in the contemporary era is Punjab, Pakistan .
^ Part of Gurdaspur District which was awarded to Pakistan as part of the Radcliffe Line .
^ District formerly inscribed as the Chenab Colony on the 1901 census, later renamed to Lyallpur District , created between Jhang District , Gujranwala District , Lahore District , Montgomery District , and Multan District to account for the large population increase in the region, primarily due to the Chenab Canal Colony .
^ District created in 1904 by taking Talagang Tehsil from Jhelum District and Pindi Gheb , Fateh Jang and Attock Tehsils from Rawalpindi District .
^ District created between Gujranwala District , Sialkot District , Amritsar District , Lahore District , Montgomery District , and Lyallpur District in 1920 to account for the large population increase in the region, primarily due to the Chenab Canal Colony .
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