ABSTRACT
The monetarization of the Punjabi economy through the new taxation system and Punjab’s gradual incorporation into the global economic system had contributed to increasing levels of indebtedness among rural elites. Patriarchal, patrilineal and patrilocal, the Punjabi family virtually revolves around its males, although the females are responsible for the internal tasks of the household such as food preparation and child rearing. Though the influence of Islam in the Punjab has been substantial for centuries, so too has that of Hinduism and Sikhism. While few members of the latter communities remain in the Punjab, elements of their cultural orientations remain influential, particularly in the realm of kinship. Instead of embarking on a path of industrial growth, the Punjab maintained its traditional system of villages as self-contained economic units. Cultural values stemming from religion are closely tied in with Islam.
