This PSEB 10th Class Social Science Notes History Chapter 1 Physical Features of the Punjab and their influence on its History will help you in revision during exams.
PSEB 10th Class Social Science Notes History Chapter 1 Physical Features of the Punjab and their influence on its History
→ Punjab (meaning): The word Punjab is derived from two Persian words, Pan (Five) and Aab (water or river) meaning five glasses of water or rivers. Thus the Punjab is the region of five glasses of water.
→ The ancient names of Punjab: Punjab was known by different names during different periods of history. The ancient names of Punjab were: Saptsindhu, Panjnad, Lahore Suba, the North-Western Frontier Province, etc.
→ The Geographical Divisions: From the geographical point of view, Punjab can be divided into three divisions:
- The Himalayas and its North-West ranges
- The foothills or Terai region
- The Plains.
→ The Malwa Region: The Malwa region is surrounded by the rivers Satluj and Ghagghar. In ancient times, the ‘Malava’ tribe lived here. The region is named Malwa after the name of that tribe.
→ The effects of the Himalayas on the history of Punjab: Punjab was the “Gateway of India” due to the existence of a number of passes in the North-West ranges of the Himalayas. During the medieval period, all the invaders came through these passes to invade India.
→ The Plains of Punjab: The plains of Punjab are very fertile. The prosperity of Punjab encouraged foreign invaders to attack India.
→ The influence of rivers of Punjab on its history: The rivers of Punjab were a hurdle in the path of the invaders. They also played the role of providing natural boundaries. The Mughal rulers had adopted river boundaries as the administrative divisions like Parganas, Sarkars, and Subas.
→ Terai Region: The Terai region is covered with dense forests. The Sikhs took shelter in these forests during their hard times (the Dark Period of their history). They organized themselves and increased their military strength and effectively faced the oppressive rulers.
→ The different Castes and Tribes of Punjab: The people of different castes and tribes lived in Punjab. The prominent tribes, sects, and castes in Punjab were the Jats, Sikhs, Rajputs, Khatris, Aroras, Gujjars, Arians, etc.