India has a diverse culture that is comprised of people who belong to various religions and communities. Indian and Punjabi are two interrelated terms.
People who live or reside in India are considered Indians, while Punjabi are those people who reside in the Punjab region.
As the Punjab region was divided earlier during the partition of India, some Punjabis live in India, and others would be in Pakistan.
Key Takeaways
- Indian culture encompasses the diverse customs, traditions, and languages of all states in India, whereas Punjabi culture specifically originates from the Punjab region in India and Pakistan.
- Indian cuisine includes various regional dishes and cooking styles, while Punjabi cuisine features butter chicken, tandoori dishes, and makki di roti with sarson da saag.
- Indian traditional clothing varies across states, but Punjabi clothing includes outfits like salwar kameez, kurta pajama, and the traditional Phulkari embroidery.
Indian vs Punjabi
Indian refers to a person originating from India, a diverse country located in South Asia with 28 states and 8 union territories, and has a diverse range of religions and ethnicities. Punjabi is an ethnicity that primarily originates from the state of Punjab in northern India and eastern Pakistan.
Indian is used for those individuals who are natives of India. India is officially called the Republic of India. It is a country situated in the South Asia region and the seventh-largest country in the world by area.
India is popular for its unity in diversity because the nation comprises people from various cultures and communities.
Punjabi is the term used for the people of Punjab. In other words, people who originated from the Punjab region are considered Punjabis.
Punjabi people are majorly found in the North part of India and a few regions of Pakistan as well because Punjab gets divided into two parts during the partition of India, and now there would be Indian Punjab and Pakistani Punjab.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Indian | Punjabi |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | People who are the native of the Republic of India are considered as Indian | Punjabi are those individuals who belong or originated from the Punjab region |
| Language | Indian is comprised of people who belong to different communities, caste, and religions and speak different languages. | Punjabi majorly speak one language and that is Punjabi (also called Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi) |
| Religion | Indian follow various religions that include Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism | Punjabi living in India mainly follow Sikhism, and those who are living in Pakistan follow Islam |
| What is it? | Indian is used for the individuals who are living in a country called ‘India’ which is situated in the South Asia region of the world | Punjabi is used for a specific group of people originating from the Punjab region which is situated in North India |
| Foreign Country | Any individual who resides in a foreign country cannot be considered an India unless they are a natives of the country | Punjabi reside worldwide in different countries. They are not particularly associated with a specific country. |
What is Indian?
India is the Republic of India, and every individual who originated from India or a native of the country is considered an Indian. India is a country situated in the South Asia region of the world.
The country is popular worldwide for its culture and the unity it represents in diversity. India has the highest number of languages spoken countrywide. Every state in the country has a different culture and values.
Indians belonging to various religions, mainly including Hindu, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism, Christianity, Jainism, etc. India is a populous country that contributes nearly 17% of the world’s total population.
Apart from the tribes and castes, India has various linguistic groups as well that are different from one another.
What is Punjabi?
As the name suggests, the term ‘Punjabi’ is used for those individuals who originated from the Punjab region. After the partition of India, Punjab was divided or segmented into Indian Punjab and Pakistan Punjab.
Punjabi live majorly in the northern part of India. The primary language of these people is Punjabi only, and they follow their respective cultures, values, and tradition.
In the cultural aspect, Punjabi people are associated with Indo-Aryan people culturally and also located worldwide in the countries like Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the USA, etc.
Even in Pakistan, nearly 39 percent of the population is comprised of people who belong to the Punjab region or are considered Punjabi, but the language they use is majorly not Punjabi but instead, they use Hindko, Potwari, etc.
Main Differences Between Indian and Punjabi
- Indian and Punjabi are two interrelated terms. People who are natives of the Republic of India are considered Indian. On the contrary, Punjabi are those individuals who belong to or originated from the Punjab region.
- Indian is a wide term that includes people from various cultures, traditions, tribes, and castes with different perspectives and languages. India speaks hundreds of languages, but Punjabi, on the other hand, speaks one major language, Punjabi (also called Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi).
- Indian follow various religions, including Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism. On the contrary, Punjabi living in India mainly follow Sikhism, and those who are living in Pakistan follow Islam.
- Indian is used for the individuals who are living in a country called ‘India,’ which is situated in the South Asia region of the world. On the contrary, Punjabi is used for a specific group of people who originated from the Punjab region which is situated in North India.
- Indian is used for those who are natives of the country Republic of India. Any individual living in a foreign and not a native of India is not considered Indian. In contrast, Punjabi is located worldwide and not specifically associated with one country. Any individual originating from the Punjab region is considered as Punjabi. The person doesn’t need to be individually related to the region.
- https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/153569
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ajpa.1330700304
Last Updated : 14 October, 2023
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
I have learned a lot about the differences between these two cultures, thank you.
I found the comparison table particularly useful for comprehending the disparities among these two cultures.
I see where you’re coming from Adele, but I believe the aim of this article was to focus solely on the differences.
The references added at the end of the article provide a trust component to the content.
This article is quite informative and detailed.
I don’t think it’s fair to blame the author for not including negative aspects when the purpose of the article seems to be just to differentiate between Indian and Punjabi culture.
This article was very good, but I think the author did not emphasize the negative aspects of diversity among the Indian culture.
This is a really fascinating read.