Punjabis

Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group

The Punjabis (Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Gurmukhi) / پنجابی (Shahmukhi), romanized: Pañjābī) also spelt Panjabis, are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group associated with the Punjab region, comprising areas of northwestern India and eastern Pakistan, who generally speak any of the several Punjabi dialects. The coalescence of the various tribes, castes and the inhabitants of the Punjab region into a broader common "Punjabi" identity initiated from the onset of the 18th century CE. Historically, the Punjabi people were a heterogeneous group and were subdivided into a number of clans called biradari (literally "brotherhood") or tribes, with each person bound to a clan. With the passage of time, tribal structures became replaced with a more cohesive and holistic society, as community building and group cohesiveness form the new pillars of Punjabi society.

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