Lehal Library

12 The Punjab and the Birth of Sikhism northern India did not recover for many decades. A hundred years later Babar, who was one of Taimur's descendants, started cfreaming of an empire in India His opportunity came with the decline of the Lodhi dynasty. After a few wisuccessful attempts, he fin.ally defeated and slew the reigning Afghan, Ibrahim Lodhi, on the field of Panipat in 1526, and set up the most powerful and long-lived dynasty in the history of India. People of the Punjab The t:thnic µatte1 u of the Puajab has changed with every new conquest. At the time of the birth of Nanak (AD 1469) it was somewhat as follows: In the north-west stretching along both sides of the Indus were Pathans and Balnchls-the former on the upper and the latter on the lower reaches of the river. These people, like their neighbours (Gakkhars, Awans, Janjuas, and ochers who settled between the Indus and the Jl1elum) were divided into innumerable warring tribes,jealously preserving their traditions and way of life but united in their fierce loyalty to the Islamic faith. On the northern fringe of the country in a narrow belt mnning along the foothills of the Himalayas -were the domains of Hindu princes who had fled the plains in front of Lhe Muslim onslaughts. In this sub-montane region intersected by mountain streams and deep ravines, made impassable by entangled bushes of lantana, vasicka, and ipomea12 they built chains of fons which defended them from further inroads of Muslim invaders. Here they burnt incense to their gods and preserved their inegalitadan society in which the Brahmin and Kshatriya exploited the lesser castes. In the rest of the Punjab, consisting of the vast champaign stretching to the Jumna and beyond, the countryside was inhabited by Jats and Rajput agricultural tribes, the cities by the trading Banias, Mahajans, Suds, and Aroras. 12 111ese three floweriug bushes are found all over India. The adhatoda vasicka is u.sed to make medicinal symp; the ipomea is grown to reinforce canal banks. Since it blossoms most tin_,es oftht· year it is known in Punjabi as sarlii suhl1ga7J (ever-in-mruital-hliss).