PUNJAB, pnn-jab', or PANJAB (Persian, CFive Waters"), an extensive territory in the northwest of Hindustan, formerly under the dominion of the Sikhs, but in 1849 annexed to British India. It is so called from its position, being intersected by the five great rivers which unite to pour their waters into the Indus. In 1901 the northwestern part of the Punjab was separated to form a chief commissionership under the government of India (see NORTH WEST FRONTIER PROVINCE). The lieutenant governorship as thus limited is bounded on the east by Kashmir, Tibet, and the river Jamna; on the south by Sind and Rajputana, the river Sutlej being in part a boundary river; on the west by Baluchistan and Northwest Frontier Province; on the north by the Northwest Fron tier Province. For administrative purposes it is divided into divisions (Jalandhar, Lahore and Rawal Pindee). Lahore is the capital, while Amritsar, the sacred city of the Sikhs, is the next largest city, since Delhi has been detached. Simla, the mountain capital, is within the province, and is the residence of the viceroy during the hot season. Murree is the summer headquarters of the military com mand. The total area of the province is about 95,000 square miles, with a population of about 19,974,956. The area of the Native States is 38,299, with a population of about 4,250,000.
General Description.— The province of the Punjab is a triangular tract of land between the Sutlej and the Indus, and, with the excep tion of the hill country on the slopes of the Himalayas, it is a great allnvial plain. On the northeast side is the margin of the Himalayas, on which there are beautiful sanitaria, or hill stations—Simla (the mountain capital of India), Dagshai, Sabathu, Kassauli, Dharmsala, Dalhousie and Murree, the military headquar ters of the province. The country between Jhelam and the Indus is known as the salt range, as it contains inexhaustible mines of rock salt which have been worked for many centuries. It is abundantly irrigated by six rivers. These rivers (proceeding from west to east) are the Indus, the Jhelam (ancient Hydaspes), Chenah (ancient Acesines), the Ravi (ancient Hrodrootes), the Beas (ancient Hyphasis) and the Sutlej (ancient Hesudrus).
The Jhelam and Chenab unite their waters, and then are joined by the Ravi; the united stream is then augmented by the Sutlej, which has pre viously received the Beas. The combined
waters of these rivers form the Panjnad, which joins the Indus near Mithankot. The rivers of the Punjb divide it into five districts, or doabs (countries between two rivers) : namely, the Sind-Sagar Doab, between the Indus and Jhe lam; the Jech Doab, between the Jhelam and Chenab; the Rechna Doab, between the Chenab and Ravi; the Bari or Manja Doab, between the Ravi and Beas; and the Jallandar Doab, between the Beas and Sutlej. Of these the first is by far the largest, but also the most sterile and least inhabited, abounding with bare eminences and rugged declivities, inter spersed here and there with rich and fertile valleys. The second is mostly level, and has been described as as sterile waste of under the abode of shepherds, and scantily irrigated; the Rechna Doab is bare and neg lected, though susceptible of high cultivation; the Bari Doab, though bare, has a large sur face under cultivation, and is the most popu lous and important of all, containing the large towns of Amritsar, Multan and Lahore; while the Jallandar Doab is highly cultivated, well peopled and excelled in climate and produc tions by no province in India. Speaking gen erally, the plains east of Lahore are the most fertile, wealthy and populous of the province, and the granary of the Punjab; while those on the west present a striking contrast. The soil of the level country varies remarkably from stiff clay and loam to sand, mixed with each other in variable proportions, and with vege table matter•, besides which, carbonate and sul phate of soda are sometimes mixed with it in such quantities as to render the land almost worthless. 'the mineral wealth of the Punjab is almost confined to its rich deposits of rock salt. The climate is hot and dry, and little rain falls, except in the higher country and under the influence of the southwest monsoon. The part of the province to the east of Lahore can be cultivated in most seasons without irriga tion, but owing to this its crops are much more likely to fail from a deficiency of rainfall than those of the western irrigated tracts. The summer heat is very great, and in the early part of January sharp frosts are common.