Punjabi Banias
Encyclopedia
Punjabi Vysyas or Punjabi Baniyas are one of the communities in Punjab, India. Most of the Vaishya community in Punjab follows Hinduism
, Sikhism
and Jainism
.
s and Sood
s were the premier mercantile communities of the province.
Prior to the Partition
, Vaishya were spread all over the Punjab, from the northwestern districts bordering the North West Frontier Province to Delhi
in the southeast; and from Multan
in the southwest, bordering Sindh
to Jammu
in the northeast. However, the majority were in the east (present-day Haryana, Delhi and Punjab
).These areas were encompassed by the Jullunder and Delhi divisions.
In the villages of the province, Vaishya sometimes used to be the only shopkeepers. In addition to being shopkeepers, they also acted as small-time traders, middle-level tradesmen, money-lenders and rich industrialists. The title, 'Lala' or 'Seth' was common to Vaishyas as well as the other four communities
There are some Vaishyas from Rajasthan
like Agarwals, who also settled in Punjab, but they are culturally different from the Punjabi Vaishyas such as Aroras and Soods.
The Vaishyas in West Punjab
(mostly Arora
s) were migrated to East Punjab
after independence in 1947. However, with most of their population in East Punjab, Punjabi Vaishyas were not hit as badly as their Khatri
, Jat and Chamar
counterparts, the bulk of whose population was in West Punjab, and hence were forced to migrate thereby losing their homes, businesses, properties and bank accounts.
, Dev Samaj, Radhaswami
, Namdhari
and Nirankari
sects of Sikhism
.
Like their counterparts in other parts of India, many Punjabi Vaishyas are followers of Jainism
.Marriages between Vaishanva Vaishyas and Jain Vaishyas is very common.
In addition to this, Vaishyas in the Punjab are also influenced by Sikhism
. Hence, it is not uncommon to find them paying visits to Gurdwara
s.
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
and Jainism
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
.
Punjabi Vysyas
Punjabi Vaishya castes like AroraArora
Arora is an Indo-Aryan community of the Punjab region. Commentators differ in their opinions regarding the relationship between the Arora and the Khatri community....
s and Sood
Sood
Sood/Sud is a mercantile caste similar to Khatri and Arora. They claim Kshatriya descent. Soods are found in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Nepal....
s were the premier mercantile communities of the province.
Prior to the Partition
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
, Vaishya were spread all over the Punjab, from the northwestern districts bordering the North West Frontier Province to Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
in the southeast; and from Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
in the southwest, bordering Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
to Jammu
Jammu
Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
in the northeast. However, the majority were in the east (present-day Haryana, Delhi and Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
).These areas were encompassed by the Jullunder and Delhi divisions.
In the villages of the province, Vaishya sometimes used to be the only shopkeepers. In addition to being shopkeepers, they also acted as small-time traders, middle-level tradesmen, money-lenders and rich industrialists. The title, 'Lala' or 'Seth' was common to Vaishyas as well as the other four communities
There are some Vaishyas from Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
like Agarwals, who also settled in Punjab, but they are culturally different from the Punjabi Vaishyas such as Aroras and Soods.
The Vaishyas in West Punjab
West Punjab
West Punjab was a province of Pakistan from 1947 to 1955. The province covered an area of 160,622 km², including much of the current Punjab province and the Islamabad Capital Territory, but excluding the former princely state of Bahawalpur. The capital was the city of Lahore and the province...
(mostly Arora
Arora
Arora is an Indo-Aryan community of the Punjab region. Commentators differ in their opinions regarding the relationship between the Arora and the Khatri community....
s) were migrated to East Punjab
East Punjab
East Punjab was the part of the Punjab region that went to India following the Partition of the Punjab Province of British India between India and Pakistan in 1947...
after independence in 1947. However, with most of their population in East Punjab, Punjabi Vaishyas were not hit as badly as their Khatri
Khatri
Khatri is a caste from the northern Indian subcontinent. Khatris in India are mostly from Punjab, region but later they migrated to regions like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu, Uttarkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber...
, Jat and Chamar
Chamar
Chamar |tanner]]"; from the Sanskrit Charmakara) is a prominent occupational caste in India, Pakistan and Nepal. Chamar is a Dalit sub-caste mainly found in the northern states, such as Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi and in Nepal at least north to the Himalayas...
counterparts, the bulk of whose population was in West Punjab, and hence were forced to migrate thereby losing their homes, businesses, properties and bank accounts.
Religion
Punjabi Vaishyas are mostly Hindus. The majority are devout Sanatan Dharmis, but some are also members the Arya SamajArya Samaj
Arya Samaj is a Hindu reform movement founded by Swami Dayananda on 10 April 1875. He was a sannyasi who believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayananda emphasized the ideals of brahmacharya...
, Dev Samaj, Radhaswami
Radhaswami
Radhaswami can refer to:* Krishna* Radhaswami , a Brahmin Buddhist sage, under whose guidance the Mauryan emperor Ashoka adopted Buddhism* Radha Soami, a spiritual movement founded by Shri Shiv Dayal Singh Sahab...
, Namdhari
Namdhari
Namdhari are a sect of Sikhism. The main difference between Namdhari Sikhs and mainstream Sikhs is their belief in Jagjit Singh as their living Guru...
and Nirankari
Nirankari
The Sant Nirankari Mission , abbreviated as, SNM, and also known as Universal Brotherhood Mission, is a spiritual organization.The Sant Nirankari Mission is neither a new religion nor a sect of an existing religion, but an all-embracing spiritual movement dedicated to human welfare...
sects of Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
.
Like their counterparts in other parts of India, many Punjabi Vaishyas are followers of Jainism
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
.Marriages between Vaishanva Vaishyas and Jain Vaishyas is very common.
In addition to this, Vaishyas in the Punjab are also influenced by Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
. Hence, it is not uncommon to find them paying visits to Gurdwara
Gurdwara
A Gurdwara , meaning the Gateway to the Guru, is the place of worship for Sikhs, the followers of Sikhism. A Gurdwara can be identified from a distance by tall flagpoles bearing the Nishan Sahib ....
s.