Religious Demography of Punjab in 1871-72.

Henry Waterfield, (1875), Memorandum on the Census of British India 1871-72, London, Eyre and Spottiswoode, p.17, mention about the “Religious Demography of Punjab in 1871-72” that;

In dealing with the population of Punjab, it is necessary to take into consideration a third religion, that of the Sikhs, who in this province form an important element, though in the others they are so few as to be merely reckoned among the higher castes of the Hindoos.

In every 100 persons in Punjab, there are, on an average, 53 Mahomedans, 34 Hindoos, and 6 Sikhs.

Total Population of Punjab = 17,611,498

Mahomedans, 9,337,685

Hindoos, 6,125,460

Sikhs, 1,144,090

Buddhists and Jains, 36,190

Christians Others, 22,154

Religion not known, 945,919

Percentage of the Total Population of Punjab.

Mahomedans, 53%.

Hindoos, 34.78%.

Sikhs, 6.50%.

Buddhists, 0.2%.

Christians, 0.13%.

Religion not known, 5.37%.

As might be expected, the Hindoos are most numerous in the more southern divisions bordering on the North-West Provinces; in Delhi, Hissar, Umballa, and Jullundhur, they comprise 68, 74, 56, and 58% of the people, while in Amritsar they only form 24%., in Mooltan 17, in Lahore 15, in Rawalpindi 10, in the Derajat 11, and in Peshawar not more than 5%.

The returns vary, however, some comprising the sweeper castes among Hindoos, while some, treating them as outcasts, include them in the "other" population.

The Mahomedans muster from 21 to 30%, in the four lower divisions, but in Amritsar, Lahore, and Multan they come up to 51, 57, and 65%.; in Rawalpindi and the Derajat they have 86 and 87, and in Peshawar no less than 93% of the population.

The stronghold of the Sikhs in the country between the rivers Ravi and Sutlej, including the central districts of Lahore where they form 17, Amritsar where they are 13% of the people, Umballa where they amount to 9, and Jullundhur where they are 8%.; in the other districts they range from 3 to 1%.