Religion in Lahore

It is estimated that the city of Lahore, Pakistan, has a Muslim majority with 94.7% and a Christian minority constitutes 5.1% of the population whilst Sikhs and Hindus constitute the remaining 0.2%. There is also a small but longstanding Zoroastrian community. ^[1]

Religion in Lahore City 2017 [2] [3]
Religion			Percent
Islam			94.7%
Christianity			5.14%
Hinduism			0.02%
Sikhism			0.02%
Others			0.1%

Before Partition

Religion in Lahore District (1941) [4]
Religion			Percent
Islam			60.62%
Sikhism			18.32%
Hinduism			16.79%
Christianity			4.14%
Others			0.14%

Prior to the partition of India in 1947, a third of Lahore district's population was Hindu and Sikh. Hindus and Sikhs used to reside in 'distinct enclaves'. The city's Hindu and Sikh population left en masse during the partition and shifted to East Punjab and Delhi in India. In the process, Lahore lost its entire Hindu and Sikh population. The emigrants were replaced by Muslim refugees from India. Muslim refugees and locals competed for ownership over abandoned Hindu and Sikh property. ^[5]

Lahore District

Religious groups in Lahore District (British Punjab province era)

Religious group	1901 [6]		1911 [7] [8]		1921 [9]		1931 [10]		1941 [4]
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Islam	717,519	61.74%	626,271	60.44%	647,640	57.25%	815,820	59.18%	1,027,772	60.62%
Hinduism [a]	276,375	23.78%	217,609	21%	255,690	22.6%	259,725	18.84%	284,689	16.79%
Sikhism	159,701	13.74%	169,008	16.31%	179,975	15.91%	244,304	17.72%	310,646	18.32%
Christianity	7,296	0.63%	21,781	2.1%	46,454	4.11%	57,097	4.14%	70,147	4.14%
Jainism	1,047	0.09%	1,139	0.11%	1,209	0.11%	1,450	0.11%	1,951	0.12%
Zoroastrianism	171	0.01%	209	0.02%	179	0.02%	159	0.01%	136	0.01%
Buddhism	0	0%	128	0.01%	170	0.02%	14	0%	32	0%
Judaism	0	0%	13	0%	13	0%	1	0%	2	0%
Others	0	0%	0	0%	6	0%	0	0%	0	0%
Total population	1,162,109	100%	1,036,158	100%	1,131,336	100%	1,378,570	100%	1,695,375	100%
Note: British Punjab province era district borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to district borders — which since created new districts — throughout the historic Punjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases.

Religion in the Tehsils of Lahore District (1921) ^[9]

Tehsil	Islam		Hinduism		Sikhism		Christianity		Jainism		Others [b]		Total
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Lahore Tehsil	290,325	56.31%	139,215	27%	57,337	11.12%	27,898	5.41%	478	0.09%	360	0.07%	515,613	100%
Chunian Tehsil	179,399	60.71%	61,475	20.8%	49,151	16.63%	5,408	1.83%	76	0.03%	0	0%	295,509	100%
Kasur Tehsil	177,916	55.56%	55,000	17.18%	73,487	22.95%	13,154	4.11%	655	0.2%	2	0%	320,214	100%
Note: British Punjab province era tehsil borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to tehsil borders — which since created new tehsils — throughout the historic Punjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases.

Religion in the Tehsils of Lahore District (1941) ^[4]

Tehsil	Hinduism [a]		Islam		Sikhism		Christianity		Jainism		Others [c]		Total
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Lahore Tehsil	193,714	21.77%	552,907	62.12%	103,312	11.61%	37,442	4.21%	1,095	0.12%	2,458	0.28%	890,024	100%
Chunian Tehsil	56,293	14.4%	237,829	60.85%	83,888	21.46%	11,730	3%	47	0.01%	165	0.04%	390,852	100%
Kasur Tehsil	34,682	8.37%	237,036	57.19%	123,446	29.78%	18,514	4.47%	809	0.2%	8	0%	414,499	100%
Note1: British Punjab province era tehsil borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to tehsil borders — which since created new tehsils — throughout the historic Punjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases. Note2: Tehsil religious breakdown figures for Christianity only includes local Christians, labeled as "Indian Christians" on census. Does not include Anglo-Indian Christians or British Christians, who were classified under "Other" category.

Lahore City

Religion in Lahore City (1941)
Religion			Percent
Islam			64.49%
Hinduism			26.71%
Sikhism			5.07%
Christianity			3.20%

Religious groups in Lahore City (1881−1941)

Religious group	1881 [11] [12] : 520		1891 [13] : 68		1901 [14] : 44		1911 [15] : 20		1921 [16] : 23		1931 [17] : 26		1941 [18] : 32
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Islam	86,413	57.85%	102,280	57.83%	119,601	58.93%	129,801	56.76%	149,044	52.89%	249,315	58.01%	433,170	64.49%
Hinduism [a]	53,641	35.91%	62,077	35.1%	70,196	34.59%	77,267	33.79%	107,783	38.25%	139,125	32.37%	179,422	26.71%
Sikhism	4,627	3.1%	7,306	4.13%	7,023	3.46%	12,877	5.63%	12,833	4.55%	23,477	5.46%	34,021	5.07%
Christianity	529 [d]	0.35%	4,697	2.66%	5,558	2.74%	8,436	3.69%	11,287	4.01%	16,875	3.93%	21,495	3.2%
Jainism	227	0.15%	339	0.19%	420	0.21%	467	0.2%	474	0.17%	791	0.18%	1,094	0.16%
Zoroastrianism	—	—	132	0.07%	166	0.08%	198	0.09%	177	0.06%	150	0.03%	—	—
Judaism	—	—	14	0.01%	—	—	13	0.01%	13	0%	0	0%	—	—
Buddhism	—	—	0	0%	0	0%	128	0.06%	170	0.06%	14	0%	—	—
Others	3,932	2.63%	9	0.01%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	2,457	0.37%
Total population	149,369	100%	176,854	100%	202,964	100%	228,687	100%	281,781	100%	429,747	100%	671,659	100%
Note: 1881-1941: Data for the entirety of the town of Lahore, which included Lahore Municipality and Lahore Cantonment. [18] : 32

Religious heritage

Hindu legends mention Lahore was once named Lavapura, ^[19] after Lava, son of Lord Rama, Hindu God from Ramayana as one of etymological theory of Lahore. ^{[20] [21]} A vacant temple, the Lava Temple, dedicated to this figure is contained inside the Lahore Fort. ^{[22] [23]}

The first Persian text on Sufism was written, by Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh Shaykh Abul Hasan 'Ali Hujwiri R.A. in Lahore which became a major source for early Sufi thought and practice. Hazrat e Hujwiri R.A's tomb in Lahore is one of the major Sufi shrines in the subcontinent. ^[24] Several other leading Sufi saints are buried in Lahore. ^[25] These Sufi shrines have contributed to making Lahore an important place of pilgrimage. ^[26] During the Mughal era, several impressive buildings including mosques were constructed, contributing to the city's rich Mughal heritage. ^{[27] [28]}

The city is also of importance to Sikhs as some Sikh sites such as the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh are situated inside Lahore. ^{[29] [30] [31]}

Gallery

• 
  Samadhi of Ranjit Singh
• 
  Sher Singh in Lahore
• 
  Maharajah Duleep Singh, entering his palace in Lahore.

• 
  Badshahi Mosque
• 
  Inside the Badshahi Mosque
• 
  Lahore Fort
• 
  Shalimar Gardens, Lahore

Notes

1. 1931-1941: Including Ad-Dharmis
2. Including Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Tribals, others, or not stated
3. Including Anglo-Indian Christians, British Christians, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Tribals, others, or not stated
4. Only includes protestant population. ^{[11] : 152}

References

1. "Largest Christian Community of Pakistan resides in Lahore District". christiansinpakistan.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
2. http://pakgeotagging.blogspot.in/2014/10/partition-of-punjab-in-2017.html ^{[ user-generated source ]}
3. "Final Results (Census-2017)". Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
4. India Census Commissioner (1941). "Census of India, 1941. Vol. 6, Punjab". p. 42. JSTOR   saoa.crl.28215541 . Retrieved 23 March 2024.
5. Gandhi, Usha (2007-06-01). "Review of Talbot, Ian, Divided Cities: Partition and Its Aftermath in Lahore and Amritsar, 1947-1957". www.h-net.org. Retrieved 2017-04-05.
6. "Census of India 1901. [Vol. 17A]. Imperial tables, I-VIII, X-XV, XVII and XVIII for the Punjab, with the native states under the political control of the Punjab Government, and for the North-west Frontier Province". 1901. p. 34. JSTOR   saoa.crl.25363739 . Retrieved 23 March 2024.
7. "Census of India 1911. Vol. 14, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables". 1911. p. 27. JSTOR   saoa.crl.25393788 . Retrieved 23 March 2024.
8. Kaul, Harikishan (1911). "Census Of India 1911 Punjab Vol XIV Part II". p. 27. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
9. "Census of India 1921. Vol. 15, Punjab and Delhi. Pt. 2, Tables". 1921. p. 29. JSTOR   saoa.crl.25430165 . Retrieved 23 March 2024.
10. "Census of India 1931. Vol. 17, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables". 1931. p. 277. JSTOR   saoa.crl.25793242 . Retrieved 23 March 2024.
11. "Census of India, 1881 Report on the Census of the Panjáb Taken on the 17th of February 1881, vol. I." 1881. JSTOR   saoa.crl.25057656 . Retrieved 14 January 2024.
12. "Census of India, 1881 Report on the Census of the Panjáb Taken on the 17th of February 1881, vol. II". 1881. JSTOR   saoa.crl.25057657 . Retrieved 14 January 2024.
13. "CENSUS OF INDIA, 1891 GENERAL TABLES BRITISH PROVINCES AND FEUDATORY STATES VOL I". Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
14. "CENSUS OF INDIA, 1901 VOLUME I-A INDIA PART II-TABLES". Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
15. "CENSUS OF INDIA, 1911 VOLUME XIV PUNJAB PART II TABLES". Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
16. "CENSUS OF INDIA, 1921 VOLUME XV PUNJAB AND DELHI PART II TABLES". Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
17. "CENSUS OF INDIA, 1931 VOLUME XVII PUNJAB PART II TABLES". Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
18. "CENSUS OF INDIA, 1941 VOLUME VI PUNJAB". Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
19. Bombay Historical Society (1946). Annual bibliography of Indian history and Indology, Volume 4. p. 257. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
20. Baqir, Muhammad (1985). Lahore, past and present. B.R. Pub. Corp. p. 22. ISBN   978-81-85557-22-9 . Retrieved 6 December 2015.
21. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-08-25. Retrieved 2017-05-15.
22. Ahmed, Shoaib (16 April 2004). "Hindu, Sikh temples in state of disrepair". Daily Times. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
23. Naqoosh, Lahore Number 1976
24. Metcalf, Barbara (2009). Islam in South Asia in Practice. Princeton University Press. p. 5. ISBN   978-1400831388.
25. Malik, Iftikhar (2006). Culture and Customs of Pakistan. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 154. ISBN   9780313331268.
26. Gharipour, Mohammad; Ozlu, Nilay (5 March 2015). The City in the Muslim World: Depictions by Western Travel Writers. Routledge. p. 92. ISBN   9781317548225.
27. Malik, Iftikhar Haider (2008). The History of Pakistan. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 79. ISBN   978-0-313-34137-3.
28. Chandra, Satish (2005). Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals Part – II. Har-Anand Publications. p. 365. ISBN   978-81-241-1066-9.
29. "Sikh pilgrims from India arrive in Lahore". Dawn. Pakistan. 21 November 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
30. Reporter, The Newspaper's Staff (2025-04-13). "Guidebook on Sikh shrines launched". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
31. Khalid, Haroon (2019-01-09). "A forgotten shrine near Lahore stands witness to the havoc wreaked by Ahmed Shah Abdali". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2025-05-13.