East Punjab facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Province of East Punjab (1947-1950)State of Punjab (1950-1966) |
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| Former State of India | |||||||||||||||
| 1947–1966 | |||||||||||||||
.png) The Punjab state in India from 1956 to 1966 |
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| Capital | Shimla (1947–1953) Chandigarh (1953–1966) |
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| History | |||||||||||||||
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• Established
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1947 | ||||||||||||||
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• Disestablished
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1966 | ||||||||||||||
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| Today part of | Chandigarh Haryana Himachal Pradesh Punjab |
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East Punjab was an important region in India. It was created when India was divided in 1947. This event is known as the Partition of India. East Punjab was separated from West Punjab, which became part of Pakistan. The border between them was called the Radcliffe Line.
East Punjab existed for nearly 20 years, from 1947 to 1966. It included areas that are now the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and the modern state of Punjab. If East Punjab still existed today, it would cover about 150,037 square kilometers. In 2011, this area would have had a combined population of around 59.9 million people.
Contents
How East Punjab Was Formed
Before 1947, the larger region of Punjab was part of British India. When India gained independence, it was decided to divide the country. This division also split the Punjab region into two parts. East Punjab became part of India. West Punjab became part of the new country, Pakistan. This division led to many people moving between the two new countries.
The Radcliffe Line
The border between East and West Punjab was drawn by a British lawyer named Cyril Radcliffe. This border is known as the Radcliffe Line. It was a very important line because it decided which towns and villages would be in India and which would be in Pakistan. This line helped create the new map of India and Pakistan.
Life in East Punjab
East Punjab had two different capital cities during its time. From 1947 to 1953, the capital was Shimla. Shimla is a beautiful hill station. Later, from 1953 to 1966, the capital moved to Chandigarh. Chandigarh is a planned city, meaning it was specially designed. It is now the capital of both Punjab and Haryana.
Changes Over Time
When East Punjab was first formed in 1947, it was called the Province of East Punjab. In 1950, when India became a republic, its name changed to the State of Punjab. This change reflected India's new government structure. The state continued to grow and develop during this period.
What Happened to East Punjab?
In 1966, the State of Punjab was reorganized. This means it was divided into smaller states. This reorganization was based on the languages spoken by the people. The areas where people mostly spoke Hindi became Haryana. The hilly areas became part of Himachal Pradesh. The remaining part, where people mostly spoke Punjabi, continued to be called Punjab. This is why East Punjab no longer exists as a single state today.
Images for kids
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A map of the distribution of native Punjabi speakers in India and Pakistan
See also
In Spanish: Punyab Oriental para niños
