Punjab PCS 2025 Lecture-1 PDF

www.civilstaphimachal.com Contact: 7814622609 LECTURE-1 INTRODUCTION Website: www.civilstap.in Contact us: 9056723751 PUNJAB PCS 2025 PUNJAB Punjab is a land of five rivers. Punjab is also kno...

www.civilstaphimachal.com Contact: 7814622609 LECTURE-1 INTRODUCTION Website: www.civilstap.in Contact us: 9056723751 PUNJAB PCS 2025 PUNJAB Punjab is a land of five rivers. Punjab is also known as cradle of Indian history and culture. It is the home of one of the oldest civilizations known as Indus valley civilization. It remained a gateway to the various invaders like Aryans, Greeks, Kushans, Ghaznavi, Taimoors, Mughals, Afghans. Nomenclature Sapta Sindhu in the Vedic period meaning “Land of the seven rivers” flowing into the sea. Brahmavarta in Rig Vedic times and was inhabited by five major tribes or ‘panch-janas’-Anus, Purus, Bharatas, Yadus and Tirvasus. Panchanada in the Ramayana and Mahabharata (epics) and Puranas which means "Land of the Five Rivers (nadas)". Punjab is mentioned in Epics like Mahabharata as an independent Madra, Kamboja, Bahlika, Trigarta and Kekaya Pradesh with its borders touching Gandhara (which we now call Kandhar in Afghanistan) and Kuru Raj (of the Kauravs). The Greeks called Punjab a Pentapotamia, an inland delta of five (penta) converging rivers (potamia). According to Alexander Cunningham in his book ‘Ancient Geography of India’, ‘Tak’ Tribe was once lived in Punjab and therefore it was also known as ‘Tak’ Pradesh/ Taki. In Persian period, the land was known as Punjab after the Muslim conquests. The word Punjab is a compound of the Persian words panj (five) and āb (waters). Thus, Panjab roughly means "the land of five rivers". The five rivers are the Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum. During Akbar’s reign, Punjab was divided into two states: namely ‘Lahore suba’ in the centre and ‘Multan suba’ in the south. During the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Punjab was known as Lahore Kingdom with its capital at Lahore. Website: www.civilstap.in Contact us: 9056723751. Ancient Name Present Name Sindhu Indus Vitista Jhelum Aksini Chenab Purushni Ravi Vipasa Beas Sutudri Satluj Surusti Saraswati (now dried up) For a very short time just after partition in 1947, the Indian part of Punjab was also called ‘East Punjab’. Punjab lies between Ganga-Yamuna doab in the east and Sulaiman Kirthar mountains in the west and Kashmir in the north and the deserts of Sindh and Rajputana in the south. Website: www.civilstap.in Contact us: 9056723751 GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION Punjab is situated in North-West of India. It is the western component of the Great Northern Plains or the Satluj-Ganga Plains of India. Punjab extents from the latitudes 29°30' North to 32°32' North and longitudes 73°55' East to 76°50' East. Its North-South distance is about 335 kms and it extends for 300 kms in east-west direction. It shares international border with Pakistan (553 kms) in the west, Jammu & Kashmir lies in the north and is bounded by Himachal Pradesh in the north-east. The state of Haryana lies in its south. It shares border with Rajasthan in the south-west Its total area is 50,362 square kilometers. It consists of 1.6% of total land area of India. Size wise, it comes at 19th spot. It is triangular in shape. Pathankot district is at the top of the triangle. Fazilka and Patiala are at the bottom left and right corners of the triangle respectively. The western side is formed by Pakistan border and Himachal Pradesh border forms its eastern side. The apex lies in the north in the Dharkalan block of district Pathankot. STATE PROFILE OF PUNJAB State Emblem of Punjab: Punjab's emblem is a Lion Capital of Ashoka encircled by a Wheat stem and two crossed swords. It depicts Sanghol as an ancient Ashoka-era heritage site. In English, Hindi, and Punjabi is written "Government of Punjab" around the lion. State Motto of Punjab: सत्यमेव जयते(Satyameva Jayate) Means Truth alone triumphs State Animal of Punjab: Blackbuck (Antilope Cervicapra) State Aquatic Animal of Punjab: Indus River Dolphin (Bhulan) Website: www.civilstap.in Contact us: 9056723751 State Bird of Punjab: Baaz (Accipiter Gentilis) or Northern Goshawk State Flower of Punjab: Gladiolus (Gladiolus Grandiflorus) State Tree of Punjab: Sheesham (Dalbergia Sissoo) GEOGRAPHY & PHYSIOGRAPHY Relief Lying between the Yamuna River on the east and the Indus on the west (in fact, even going beyond the Indus), and fringed by a dissected foot-hill zone and the Shivalik Hills in the northeast and the north, the Punjab is an extensive alluvial plain gently sloping from about 350 metres above sea-level in the northeast and the north to about 180 metres in the southwest. The southwestern fringe of the region is desertic and undulating. In between the Yamuna and the Satluj in the east, the Ghaggar river and its tributaries contributed to the same process of alluviation in what is now called the Malwa Tract. GEOGRAPHICAL DIVISION OF PUNJAB The whole Punjab region may be divided into the following landform types: 1. The Shivalik Hills 2. The dissected foot-hill zone/ Kandi zone 3. The Alluvial Plains 4. South-Western Sand Dunes Website: www.civilstap.in Contact us: 9056723751 The Shivalik Hills The Shivalik hills were formed during the latest phase of Himalayan orogeny. These deposits belong to upper Miocene to Lower Pleistocene in age. These are alluvial detritus derived from sub-aerial waste of mountains swept down by numerous rivers and streams and deposited at their footsteps. Later these deposits were involved in the Himalayan orogeny and were folded and uplifted. They are composed of coarsely bedded sandstones, sand rock, conglomerates, schists, clays, shales, etc. The thickness of deposits varies from 4500 to 5200 m. The Shivalik hill tract is 5 to 12 km in width and hills has generally elevation range between 400 m and 700 m above sea level. It extends between river Ravi in the north and river Ghaggar, near Chandigarh in the south, for roughly 280 kms. Between river Ravi and river Ghaggar, the continuity of Shivalik hills is broken by rivers Beas and Satluj. This division covers nearly 2.6% of the total area of the state. The Shivalik hills covers the Easternmost areas of five districts. These are Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar and Nawanshahr. Chandigarh is located near the foothills of the Shivalik range of Himalayas in North-West India The Shiwaliks in Punjab are in the form of two ranges separated from each other by river Satluj in district Ropar. The first range runs from river Ravi to river Satluj in the districts of Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr and Nurpur Bedi block of Ropar.It is about 180 kms long and average width is 6 to 8 kms. This range widens in the middle to the east of Garhshankar town of Hoshiarpur district to form a plateau like upland called Beet Manaswal. The average height of the upland is 12-15 kms. The range then narrows southward to abruptly terminate near the Nurpur Bedi block. The second range runs to the south-east of first range and river Satluj. This range extends between river Satluj near Nangal township in the north to river Ghaggar near Chandigarh in the south to break in the north-centre by river Sirsa. Website: www.civilstap.in Contact us: 9056723751 The Kandi Area The Shiwalik Hills on their west and to the east of Nurpur Bedi block in the Rupnagar district, degrade into a dissected, rolling and porous and coarse-grained material formed upland plain called the Kandi. It extends in the form of a narrow and long belt along the entire length of the Shiwalik Hills under different names, such as Kandi, Ghar (west of Shiwaliks in Ropar district and to the south of Sirsa river), and Changar (Anandpur Sahib block). It covers 8.5% area of the total land area of Punjab. It runs along Shiwalik hills as narrow belt with an average width of 10-12 kms and extends from 300 to 400 meter of contour height. This dissected plain lies roughly to east of Pathankot-Hoshiarpur-Ropar-Chandigarh Road, with gaps formed by the flood plains (Bet) of rivers Beas and Satluj upto the Shiwalik Hills proper. The level of underground water is very low in the area. Kandi area near Anandpur Sahib is known as 'Changar' and in the region near Sarsa river it is known as ‘Ghar’. The region slopes primarily South-westwards and numerous choes pass through the region from the Shiwaliks towards the alluvial plains of Punjab. Many choes disappear in the region without joining any mainstream river or stream. As a result, the region is badly dissected with numerous seasonal and ephemeral choes and khad (sandy beds of stream), devastating the region with pebbles and sand and shifting courses. This region is akin to Bhabbar, a piedmont plain resulting from the coalescence of several alluvial fans at the foothills of Shiwaliks. The Choes have formed their small valleys and raised terraces, which contain fertile cultivated land and small settlements. These valleys are called Khols. The deposits are young, coarse textured and highly stratified, with sand mainly mixed with pebbles or gravel at places and relatively fine sand or sandy clay at other places. It is a dry upland region and settlements lie on the outer margins of the fans where underground water near and helps in soil cultivation. Website: www.civilstap.in Contact us: 9056723751 Alluvial Plains These are part of synclinal basin (trough) formed during the elevation of Himalayas. The Punjab plains form the western part of the northern plain. In the east, the Delhi-Aravalli ridge separates it from the Ganga plains. To the west of Kandi plains, the land becomes subdued, almost monotonous and flattish over an extensive area including the western part of Ropar, Nawanshahr, Hoshiarpur districts, most of Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib and Patiala districts, large part of Sangrur and Moga districts and northern part of Faridkot and Ferozpur districts. It is intercepted by the floodplains of river Satluj, Beas and Ravi rivers and ultimately joins the sand dunes of South-west Punjab. The upland plains are essentially interfluvial tracts. From the Satluj to the Indus the Punjab plain gradually slopes westward resulting in the westward shift of the rivers’ courses. All these plains are made of old alluvium originally deposited by the major rivers descending from the Himalayas (gradational plains) and has resulted from the infilling of a fore deep wrapped down between the peninsular block and the advancing Himalayas. The plains generally slope from the northeast to the southwest. The average height of these plains from sea level is 200 (Southwest Punjab) to 300 meters (Shivalik hills region). It is composed of sediments (massive beds of clay, silt and sand) brought down by various rivers during Pleistocene period and recent times. The presence of lumps and nodules of impure calcareous material in the form of irregular concretions is an important characteristic of Punjab alluvial plains. The existing or former course of rivers provide somewhat lower areas which are intercepted by interfluvial regions of slightly higher elevations called ‘upper terraces or ‘Doab’. At places, sand dunes or sand ridges occur in these interfluvial areas. Website: www.civilstap.in Contact us: 9056723751 Therefore, the topographical change in relief in Punjab plains having broad flood plains of Khadar is the edge or bluffs, locally known as Dhayas which separates Khadar rich flood plains (bet) (new alluvium) from raised Bhangar plains (interfluvial regions) (old alluvium) (more clayey and contains kankars). These bluffs are as high as 3 metres. While coming from Ludhiana city towards Jalandhar, one comes across such a change in the form of dhaya while crossing river Satluj bridge and enters the town of Phillaur. One can see such Dhaya along the right bank of river Satluj extending westwards from Balachaur town passing across Rahon, Aur and Phillaur town. The bluffs are badly gullied and the elevation of dhayas ranges from 1 metre to 6 metres. Approximately 70% area of Punjab is covered by plains. These may be divided into three major geographical units. These are the well recognized sub-regions and folk areas of Punjab i.e Majha, Malwa and Doaba. The area between Ravi and Beas in known as ‘Bari Doab’. This is known as area of 'Majha' consisting of four districts namely, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, and Taran Taran. Bist Doab is the area between Satluj and Beas and is known as ‘Doaba’ region. It includes Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr)districts. Malwa is the largest region of Punjab and covers the region of south and south-west of river Satluj. Ferozepur, Faridkot, Moga, Ludhiana, Barnala, Sangrur, Patiala, Roopnagar, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali), Fatehgarh Sahib districts are included in this. Website: www.civilstap.in Contact us: 9056723751 South-Western Sand Dunes In the south-west part of Punjab, sand dunes are commonly found along the Rajasthan border. Sand dunes are found in Bathinda, Mansa, Fazilka, Faridkot, Muktsar, central portion of Ferozpur and southern parts of Sangrur and Patiala districts. The average elevation of the region is about 220 meters. They are locally known as ‘tibbas’ and their shapes corelate with the dominant wind action during the dry season. The uplands of Fazilka, Abohar, Jalalabad, districts of Muktsar and Faridkot are called Kotkapura plateau or the Upper Terrace. The tract is also called Rohi or Utar in Ferozpur and Muktsar districts. Below the plateau spreads the sandy plain, also called as Mudki Plain. Here sand flats are common and low sand dunes are also found. Bet Area in Punjab The floodplains along the rivers of Punjab are locally called as Bet area. These areas are found all over the state in form of large belts along the rivers. Because of the floods in this area, new soil is deposited every year. These areas are known as Mand, Bet, Tilla, Changar and Ghaarh in Punjabi. Such area is known as ‘Bela’ near Anandpur Sahib. Some of the blocks having most of their villages classified as bet area are: Sidhwan Bet, Machhiwara, Ludhiana-II (Ludhiana) Chamkaur Sahib (Ropar) Bhunerheri (Patiala) Derabassi (Mohali) Shahkot, Lohian Khas (Jalandhar) Dorangla, Kahnuwan, Narot Jaimalsingh (Gurdaspur) Balachur (Nawan Shehar) Ajnala, Chogawan (Amritsar) Firozpur, Makhu, Mamdot, Guru Har Sahai (Firozpur)