Bar region
Baṛ Regionis an area in Punjab, now part of the Punjab Province of Pakistan.
Variants
- Baṛs (Bār) (Punjabi: بار (Shahmukhi); Punjabi pronunciation: [bäːɾə̆]),
Etymology
The term "Bāṛ" is commonly linked to the Sanskrit root "Vri," meaning "to cover" or "to enclose," which relates to terms like "Bár (fence)," "Bári (garden)," and "Bir (forest)."[1] These terms are associated with boundaries, enclosures, or spaces that separate cultivated land from natural areas.
Some have suggested an Arabic origin from the word "Barr," meaning barren or uncultivated land, but this connection is considered uncertain.[2]
Overall, "Bāṛ" refers to a boundary or enclosed space, often separating human settlements from wilderness or uncultivated land.
Characteristics of the area
The area consists of agricultural land that was cleared in the nineteenth century for the then 'new' canal irrigation system that the British were developing at the time. The soil of the Bar Region is fertile. The plains of fertile land have been created by the stream deposits driven by the many rivers flowing from the Himalayas. [3]
The region is predominantly inhabited by ethnic Punjabis, with various local Punjabi tribes. Jatki is the dominant language, with major spoken dialects including Jhangvi, Shahpuri, Dhanni, and Majhi.[4] The origin of the Punjabi folktales of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban also lie in this region.
The natural boundaries of the Bar region stretch from the Jhelum River in the north to the Sutlej River in the south. It is divided into sub-regions:
- Kirana Bar between the Jhelum River and the Chenab River,
- Sandal Bar between the Chenab River and the Ravi River,
- Ganji Bar between the Ravi River and the old bed of the Beas River, and the
- Neeli Bar between the old bed of the Beas River and the Sutlej River.
History
The Bar Region, located in present-day Punjab Province of Pakistan, has a history that dates back to the time of the Harappan Civilization, with its earliest settlements dating to around 2600 BC. Over time, the area evolved through various cultural and agricultural phases, and today remains an important part of Punjab, known for its fertile lands and historical significance.[5]
Districts of the Bar Region in Punjab
The indigenous people of the Bar region speak the Jatki dialect of Punjabi language, which includes sub-dialects such as Jhangvi, Shahpuri, and Dhani. While Dhani is not spoken in the natural Bar region, areas outside its boundaries that speak the Dhani and Shahpuri sub-dialects are still considered part of the Bar due to cultural and linguistic ties.
The following districts are classified as Bar:
| Bar districts of Punjab, Pakistan |
|---|
| Faisalabad |
| Jhang |
| Toba Tek Singh |
| Hafizabad |
| Okara |
| Vehari |
| Khanewal |
| Pakpattan |
| Sargodha |
| Chiniot |
| Nankana Sahib |
| Bahawalnagar |
| Mandi Bahauddin |
| Sahiwal |
| Bahawalpur (only Hasilpur tahsil and Khairpur Tamewali) |
| Sheikhupura (only Safdarabad tahsil and Sheikhupura tahsil) |
| Chakwal |
| Talagang |
| Jhelum (only Pind Dadan Khan and Khewra) |
| Attock (where Jatki dominates, with 65% of the district's population speaking it) |
| Khushab |
External links
References
- ↑ Guénon, René (2004). Symbols of Sacred Science. Sophia Perennis. p. 159. ISBN 978-0-900588-77-8.
- ↑ Kaul Pandit Harikishan (1912). Census Of India 1911 Vol XIV Punjab Part - I. p. 353. Bar, which is said to be derived from Barr meaning land (particularly barren land). On the other hand, we have terms like Bár (fence), Bári (garden), Bárá (enclosure), and Bir (forest), all connected with forest growth, ordinarily derived from Sanskrit Vri to cover; and Bár meaning stack. The Arabic derivation is therefore doubtful.
- ↑ "The Bar Region: A Historical Perspective". The Nation. 28 September 2015.
- ↑ Sir William Wilson Hunter. Imperial Gazetteer of India. Clarendon Press. p. 128. Retrieved 14 November 2024. The language of the nomadic tribes who originally inhabited the Bar is called Jangli, a form of Western Punjabi.
- ↑ Beck, Roger B. (1999). World History: Patterns of Interaction. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell. ISBN 978-0-395-87274-1. Q., Madella, Marco Fuller, Dorian (18 January 2006). Palaeoecology and the Harappan Civilization of South Asia: a reconsideration. Elsevier. OCLC 1103344632.