Differences between Majha, Doaba and Malwa Sikhs

[proactive]

2 hours ago, Premi5 said:

@proactive so much knowledge, how ?!

Super impressed

I've read a lot since I was younger, any new books about Punjab or Sikhi I couldn't wait to get. Plus I tend to retain a lot of knowledge. In my younger days I used to go to the SOAS and India office library a lot spending the whole day looking though old British gazetteers on Punjab etc. 

[GurjantGnostic]

14 minutes ago, proactive said:

I've read a lot since I was younger, any new books about Punjab or Sikhi I couldn't wait to get. Plus I tend to retain a lot of knowledge. In my younger days I used to go to the SOAS and India office library a lot spending the whole day looking though old British gazetteers on Punjab etc. 

What about the acreage allotments? Is that from a document? On point. 

[proactive]

35 minutes ago, GurjantGnostic said:

What about the acreage allotments? Is that from a document? On point. 

I did a search and there is a book which can be read online written by the officer in change of the rehabilitation of refugees in Punjab which gives a lot of the same info. Pages 95,98,111 and 112 contain charts which give details of acreage allotments. 

The wonders of the internet, I had to make a special trip by train to SOAS library and spend the whole day there to get a hold of these books and top up my photocopying card to get all this info. Now it's available at the click of a mouse!! 

English eBook: Out of Ashes: An Account of Rehabilitation of Refugees from Pakistan (apnaorg.com)

 

 

 

[5aaban]

On 12/15/2021 at 6:05 PM, Guest 111 said:

Are there any differences in how Sikhi is practiced by Majha, Doaba and Malwa Sikhs? Which Sikhs are dominant in the diaspora? 

Sikhs from Doaba are the most visible and dominant in the diaspora. Doaba is also known as the NRI Belt of Panjab. 

Doaba Sikhs are said to be less religious and Majha Sikhs as the most religious. However, Gurdaspur and Amritsar in Majha have the highest Christian percentages in Panjab, 7.68% and 2.18% respectively.

Doaba is is also dominated by Hindus and Sikhs are outnumbered in Nawansheher, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur districts. Sikhs are more dominant in Malwa districts such as Moga, Barnala, Mansa, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib and Sri Muktsar Sahib.  

District with the highest Sikh percentage from each region (as of last Indian census) 

Majha: Tarn Taran Sahib 93.33% Sikh

Malwa: Moga  82.24% Sikh

Doaba: Kapurthala, 55.66% Sikh 

 

[Premi5]

6 hours ago, 5aaban said:

. 

The stereotype is Doaba Sikhs are least religious and Majha Sikhs are most religious.  But this is just a stereotype because Gurdaspur and Amritsar in Majha have the highest Christian percentages in Panjab, 7.68% and 2.18% respectively.

 

Doaba region is also dominated by Hindus where they outnumber Sikhs in Nawansheher, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur districts. Sikhs are more dominant in Malwa districts like Moga, Barnala, Mansa, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib and Sri Muktsar Sahib.  

District with the highest Sikh percentage from each region (as of last India census) 

Majha: Tarn Taran Sahib, 93.33% Sikh

Malwa: Moga,  82.24% Sikh

Doaba: Kapurthala, 55.66% Sikh 

 

Becoming Christian as has been posted variously here recently has likely more to do with incentives like healthcare and other support for the family. Majha have traditionally provided most of the shaheeds, even in 1980s and 1990s when Malwa had much higher number of Sikhs. 

As you have said, Tarn Taran Sahib  area seems the ultimate stronghold of Sikhs

Doabe-wale love bhangra, which I wonder is a reason why went away from Sikhi more than the other regions

[5aaban]

On 1/11/2022 at 7:35 PM, Premi5 said:

Becoming Christian as has been posted variously here recently has likely more to do with incentives like healthcare and other support for the family. Majha have traditionally provided most of the shaheeds, even in 1980s and 1990s when Malwa had much higher number of Sikhs. 

As you have said, Tarn Taran Sahib  area seems the ultimate stronghold of Sikhs

Doabe-wale love bhangra, which I wonder is a reason why went away from Sikhi more than the other regions

You're right, Majha  has heavily contributed to Sikh history. However, only Tarn Taran Sahib has 93.33% Sikhs in Majha region. Amritsar is 68.94% Sikh and Gurdaspur district is only 43.64% Sikh. 

Malwa region's western districts also appear to be strongholds of Sikhs. 

Moga: 82.24%

Barnala: 78.54%

Mansa: 77.75%

Faridkot: 76.08% 

Bathinda: 70.89% 

Sri Muktsar Sahib: 70.81%

Doaba is a lost cause. Sikhs are only a majority in Kapurthala district (55.66%). 

Nawanshahr: 31.50%  

Jalandhar: 32.75%

Hoshiarpur: 33.92%

 

[Premi5]

23 minutes ago, 5aaban said:

You're right, Majha region has greatly contributed to Sikh history. However, only Tarn Taran Sahib has 93.33% Sikhs in Majha region. Amritsar is 68.94% Sikh and Gurdaspur district is only 43.64% Sikh. 

Malwa region's western districts also appear to be strongholds of Sikhs. 

Moga: 82.24%

Barnala: 78.54%

Mansa: 77.75%

Faridkot: 76.08% 

Bathinda: 70.89% 

Sri Muktsar Sahib: 70.81%

Doaba seems to be a lost cause, Sikhs only make up the majority in Kapurthala district (55.66%). 

Nawansheher: 31.50%  

Jalandhar: 32.75%

Hoshiarpur: 33.92%

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe Doaba has always had a high Hindu population and since it's the NRI belt of Punjab, many Doabi Sikhs moved to other countries.  

Sikhs generally more rural , hence Amritsar (which contains City), Ludhiana, Jalandhar districts percentage of Sikhs are lowered by higher non-Sikh in city. 

Doaba had high Muslim population prepartition. 

The other districts you quoted don't have big cities. 

It's interesting to know more about the western part of Malwa, since not many NRI's are from there, and we don't hear much about the area in the news. However, politically it is significant due to Badal family. 

[5aaban]

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[5aaban]

On 1/11/2022 at 8:35 PM, Premi5 said:

Sikhs generally more rural , hence Amritsar (which contains City), Ludhiana, Jalandhar districts percentage of Sikhs are lowered by higher non-Sikh in city. 

Doaba had high Muslim population prepartition. 

The other districts you quoted don't have big cities. 

It's interesting to know more about the western part of Malwa, since not many NRI's are from there, and we don't hear much about the area in the news. However, politically it is significant due to Badal family. 

Malwa's western districts tend to be more rural compared to other regions of Panjab.  The region is also stronger in faith due to a large Sikh percentage. Pre-partition, it didn't have a high Muslim population.  

[dallysingh101]

4 hours ago, 5aaban said:

Malwa's western districts are much more rural compared to other regions of Punjab.  NRI's from this region tend to be more traditional and the region is also strong Sikhi-wise due to a large Sikh percentage. Pre-partition, it didn't have a high Muslim population like Doaba. Historically the people from this half of Malwa voted for Akali Dal. 

Like alluded to before, Ludhiana itself, seems to have a lot of refugees from Lahore settled therein. Those guys are more 'progressive' and value things like Sikh education and heritage more (?), they seem quite 'cultured' (for lack of a better word) compared to some others, and this could be linked to early colonial reports of Lahore being a sort of educational hotspot during Sikh raj? This might also have influenced Malwa recently?

Plus lots of movements like Rara Sahib, Taksaal etc. It seems like there is a concentration of respectable Sikh institutes there? Ones that haven't outright, full on been corrupted like those in Majha like the Badals have done?