Last reviewed 1 Oct 2026 · Facts as of 1 Oct 2026 · 5 min read
Cross-reference. This is a general-knowledge note in English for state-level exams. For grammar and language skills, see the separate Punjabi Language subject notes written in Punjabi.
1. The language
- Punjabi belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European family; it is a tonal language, unusual among Indo-Aryan languages.
- Spoken by over 100 million people worldwide, in India (Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh), Pakistan (where it is the most widely spoken language) and the diaspora (Canada, UK, USA, Australia).
- Dialects: Majhi (standard; spoken in Majha — Amritsar, Lahore), Malwai, Doabi, Powadhi, plus Pothohari, Multani/Saraiki (sometimes treated as a separate language), and Dogri (related).
- Official status: the official language of Punjab under the Punjab State Language Act, 1967. Punjabi is one of the original 14 languages of the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution (1950). Later additions were Sindhi (1967), Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali (1992), and Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali (2003).
2. Scripts
| Script | Used by | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gurmukhi | Sikhs and Indian Punjab | Literally "from the mouth of the Guru"; standardised by Guru Angad Dev; it has 35 original letters (the paintis akhri), with later additions; written left to right |
| Shahmukhi | Muslim Punjabis in Pakistan | Based on the Persian–Arabic script, right to left |
| Devanagari / Roman | Occasional use | Hindu writers and diaspora sometimes |
- Paintis Akhri (35 letters) was an early hymn composition (by Guru Nanak and Guru Arjan) using the Gurmukhi alphabet as its structure.
3. Periods of Punjabi literature
a) Early period: Nath-yogis, Farid and the Gurus
- Nath-yogi literature (Gorakhnath and others) used early Punjabi/Apabhramsha.
- Baba Farid (1173–1266) — first major poet of the language.
- Guru Nanak (1469–1539) — Japji Sahib, Asa di Vaar, Sidh Gosht; Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das (Anand Sahib), Guru Ram Das (Laavan), Guru Arjan (Sukhmani Sahib, compilation of the Adi Granth, 1604), Guru Tegh Bahadur (salok and shabads), Guru Gobind Singh (Jaap Sahib, Zafarnama in Persian, Dasam Granth tradition).
- Adi Granth / Guru Granth Sahib is the greatest work of the period, written in a mixture called Sant Bhasha (Sadhukkari), with Punjabi, Lahnda, Braj, Persian and Hindi elements.
b) Janamsakhis and prose
- Janamsakhis — life stories of Guru Nanak; the main traditions: Puratan (Bhai Bala), Miharban, Gyan Ratnavali (Bhai Mani Singh), Adi Sakhian. They represent early Punjabi prose.
- Bhai Gurdas (c. 1551–1636) — nephew of Guru Amar Das, the scribe of the Adi Granth; wrote Varan (39 vaars), called the "key to the Guru Granth Sahib," and Kabits.
c) Qissa and Sufi poetry (16th–19th century)
| Poet | Work |
|---|---|
| Damodar | First "Heer" qissa (Akbar's era) |
| Shah Hussain | Kafis |
| Sultan Bahu | Abyat |
| Bulleh Shah | Kafis |
| Waris Shah | Heer (1766) — considered the finest qissa |
| Peelu | Mirza–Sahiban |
| Hashim Shah | Sassi–Punnu |
| Hafiz Barkhurdar | Qissa Mirza Sahiban, Sohni Mahiwal |
| Fazal Shah | Sohni–Mahiwal |
| Kadaryar | Puran Bhagat |
| Shah Muhammad | Jangnama Singhan te Firangian (on the First Anglo-Sikh War) |
d) Modern Punjabi literature (from the late 19th century)
| Writer | Dates (approx.) | Genre / major works |
|---|---|---|
| Bhai Vir Singh | 1872–1957 | "Father of modern Punjabi literature"; novels Sundari, Satwant Kaur, Bijay Singh; epic Rana Surat Singh (1905); poetry; Khalsa Tract Society; Sahitya Akademi awardee (Mere Saiyan Jio) |
| Puran Singh | 1881–1931 | Poet and mystic; Khule Maidan, Khule Lekh (free verse) |
| Dhani Ram Chatrik | 1876–1957 | Poet and printer |
| Mohan Singh | 1905–1978 | Poet (Savé Pattar, Kasumbhra) |
| Amrita Pritam | 1919–2005 | Poet-novelist; Ajj Aakhan Waris Shah Nu; novel Pinjar; Sahitya Akademi (1956); Jnanpith (1981); Padma Vibhushan |
| Shiv Kumar Batalvi | 1936–1973 | Romantic poet; verse-epic Luna (Sahitya Akademi, 1967; the youngest recipient) |
| Nanak Singh | 1897–1971 | Novelist (Pavitar Papi, Chitta Lahu) |
| Gurdial Singh | 1933–2016 | Novelist; Jnanpith (1999); Marhi da Deeva, Anhe Ghore da Daan |
| Kartar Singh Duggal | 1917–2012 | Fiction writer, playwright |
| Sant Singh Sekhon | 1908–1997 | Critic, dramatist |
| Surjit Patar | 1944–2024 | Contemporary poet; Hawa Vich Likhe Harf; Padma Shri (2012) |
| Jaswant Singh Kanwal | 1919–2020 | Novelist |
| Dr. Harbhajan Singh | 1920–2002 | Poet and critic |
Check the death/birth dates against your prescribed book; they are shown here for orientation only.
Genres and features
- Early modern period: religious and reformist poetry, nationalist themes.
- Progressive (1930s–40s): socially conscious fiction and poetry.
- Partition literature: Pinjar, Ajj Aakhan Waris Shah Nu, short stories of Kulwant Singh Virk.
- Post-1960s: experimental poetry, Navi Kavita, the novel of rural Punjab.
4. Institutions and awards
| Institution / Award | Details |
|---|---|
| Punjabi University, Patiala | Established 1962; a university dedicated to Punjabi language and culture |
| Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar | 1969 |
| Punjab Sahit Akademi, Ludhiana | Founded 1954 |
| Language Department, Punjab | Government body promoting Punjabi |
| Sahitya Akademi Award | Awarded for Punjabi each year |
| Jnanpith Award | Punjabi winners: Amrita Pritam (1981) and Gurdial Singh (1999) |
| Shiromani Sahitkar Award | Punjab government's highest literary honour |
5. Quick revision
- First Punjabi poet: Baba Farid.
- Gurmukhi standardised by: Guru Angad.
- Heer by Waris Shah: 1766.
- Father of modern Punjabi literature: Bhai Vir Singh.
- Punjabi Jnanpith winners: Amrita Pritam (1981), Gurdial Singh (1999).
- Punjabi University, Patiala: 1962.
Common MistakeCommon mistakes
- Saying Gurmukhi was invented by Guru Nanak (it was standardised by Guru Angad).
- Writing that Bhai Vir Singh wrote the Heer (it was Waris Shah; Bhai Vir Singh wrote Rana Surat Singh).
- Believing the Punjab State Language Act is from 1947 (it is 1967).
Revision SummarySummary
- Punjabi is a tonal Indo-Aryan language written in Gurmukhi (India) and Shahmukhi (Pakistan).
- Its literature grew from Farid and the Gurus through the Sufi poets and qissa tradition to modern writers like Bhai Vir Singh, Amrita Pritam and Gurdial Singh.
- The Guru Granth Sahib is the greatest early work; Waris Shah's Heer is the greatest qissa.
- Punjabi University (Patiala, 1962) and the Sahitya Akademi are key institutions.