Punjabis

The Punjabis (Punjabi: پنجابی (Shahmukhi), ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Gurmukhi); Hindi: पंजाबी (Devanagari)), also spelt Panjabis, are an ethnic group of Indo-Aryan peoples, originating from the Punjab region, found in Pakistan and northern India. Punjab literally means the land of five waters (Persian: panj ("five") āb ("waters"). The name of the region was introduced by the Turko-Persian conquerors of India and more formally popularized during the Mughal Empire. Punjab is often referred to as the breadbasket in both Pakistan and India.

The coalescence of the various tribes, castes and the inhabitants of the Punjab into a broader common "Punjabi" identity initiated from the onset of the 18th century CE. Prior to that the sense and perception of a common "Punjabi" ethno-cultural identity and community did not exist, even though the majority of the various communities of the Punjab had long shared linguistic, cultural and racial commonalities.

Traditionally, Punjabi identity is primarily linguistic, geographical and cultural. Its identity is independent of historical origin or religion, and refers to those who reside in the Punjab region, or associate with its population, and those who consider the Punjabi language their mother tongue.Integration and assimilation are important parts of Punjabi culture, since Punjabi identity is not based solely on tribal connections. More or less all Punjabis share the same cultural background.

List of Punjabi people

This is a full spectrum list of notable Punjabi people from Pakistan, India and the emigrant Punjabi worldwide, including in the EU, United States, Canada and other places.

Military leaders

Indian Armed Forces

Airforce

Army