The Doabs of Punjab: Where Five Rivers Shape a Land
The term Doab is a Persian word used to describe the area/ land between two bodies of water; Do - two, Aab - water.
The word Punjab translates to The Land of Five Rivers - Panj; five, Aab; water. But it is also the land of five doabs. These doab have existed throughout ancient civilisations, but were formally named during the Mughal Empire, under Emperor Akbar’s administration. This was also when they were considered important units of revenue collection for the empire. Beyond their administrative importance, the doabs influence Punjab’s agriculture, cities, dialects, and culture.
Mughal Influence & Origins of the Names
Like Punjab, doab is a Persian word and is used to generally refer to the land between two bodies of water. Under the Mughals, officials gave names to each doab by combining the rivers that framed them.
Chaj - Chenab and Jhelum
Rachna - Chenab and Ravi
Bari - Beas and Ravi
Bist - Beas and Sutlej
Sindh Sagar - The Indus River was originally called Sindh in Sanskrit; Sagar is also a Sanskrit word literally meaning ocean, but referred to a vast expanse of land in Mughal/ Persian usage. This name referred to the dominance and size of the Indus River over the doab.
These names made administration easier, but they also stuck in everyday language, and are still used centuries later.
The doabs were more than convenient labels. They defined patterns of settlement, irrigation, and culture. Over time, the fertility of the soil, the crops grown, and even the dialects spoken came to be tied to the geography of each doab, and the greater culture of Punjab itself.
Sindh Sagar Doab (Jhelum–Indus)
The Sindh Sagar doab is the most distinct. It covers the greatest area, and is the most rugged of the doabs, encompassing the Salt Range, Indus plains, and the main cities of Rawalpindi, Attock, and Mianwali. It is unlike all other doabs as the land is semi-arid, and the sandy, stony soils limit cultivation greatly. Historically, the Sindh Sagar doab has less agricultural output, with the main output being from hardy crops like millet, chickpeas, and pulses. This changed during the British Raj, when large scale canal irrigation projects introduced wheat on a wider scale.
Linguistically, the dialects spoken within the Sindh Sagar doab vary the most from the standard Punjabi. Potohari dominates the greater Rawalpindi region, and Hindko in both Attock and Mianwali. The most commonly spoken dialect in the southern region of the doab is Saraiki.
Chaj Doab (Chenab–Jhelum)
The Chaj doab lies between the Jhelum and Chenab rivers, encompassing the main cities of Gujrat, Sargodha, and Mandi Bahauddin. The soil here is more fertile than the Sindh Sagar, as it has higher alluvium content, but still lesser than the Rachna, Bari, and Bist doabs. Although wheat is commonly grown here, this doab is famous for its many citrus orchads - specifically, Sargodha’s Kinnow oranges.
Culturally, the Chaj doab is an area of transition. Although the north of the doab speaks both Potohari and Hindko, the dominant language is Punjabi (with slight regional variations). This doab is also where the Battle of Chillianwala (1849) happened during the Second Anglo-Sikh War.
Rachna Doab (Ravi–Chenab)
Arguably the most popular doab, the Rachna houses Gujranwala, Faisalabad (formerly Lyallpur), and Sheikupura. The soils here are highly alluvial, and among the most fertile in South Asia. The main crops grown here are wheat, sugarcane, cotton, and rice. Both the Mughal Empire, and British Raj invested heavily in the Rachna Doab, with emperor Jahangir building the Hiran Minar in Sheikupura as a monument to the abundance of the land, and the British building canal colonies to further irrigate the fields. Specifically, the Upper Chenab Canal greatly amplified the agricultural output of the Rachna doab.
Linguistically, the Rachna Doab is where the standard Majhi dialect of Punjabi is spoken. This is the dialect used for both literary and broadcast forms, and also the dialect that most people refer to when referencing the Punjabi language.
Bari Doab (Beas–Ravi)
Similar to the Rachna doab, the Bari doab also has highly fertile alluvial soils, and much of the agricultural output is from wheat and sugarcane as well. However, other vegetables, and orchards also contribute to the Bari Doab’s output. The main cities of Lahore, Amritsar, and Gurdaspur are in this doab, making it home to Mughal, Sikh, and British sites.
The dialect of Punjabi spoken here is also Majhi, however it is not uniform throughout, with regional changes becoming prominent in the dialect in areas closer to the Sutlej river.
Bist Doab (Beas–Sutlej)
Also called the Jullundur Doab, the Bist doab includes Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, and Karputhala. The soils here are extremely fertile but more loamy than alluvial, and the main crops grown here are wheat, maize, cash crops, and fruits.
Linguistically, the Doabi dialect of Punjabi is spoken in the Bist doab, it is close to Majhi but has some key differences.
To the Doabs of Punjab, where rivers meet and land shapes our heritage.
With great respect - TrishSaab 