The century opens with Babur's invasions and the fall of the Lodhis at Panipat in 1526, and the Babarvani hymns describing the sack of Saidpur.
Sher Shah Suri's five years in the middle of the century rebuild the Grand Trunk Road, the serai system and the rupee. Akbar is enthroned at Kalanaur in 1556 and Lahore becomes an imperial capital from 1584.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji dies at Kartarpur in 1539 having established a working community there. Guru Angad Dev Ji settles Gurmukhi at Khadur. Guru Amar Das Ji builds the baoli at Goindwal, organises the manjis and sets the assembly days. Guru Ram Das Ji founds Amritsar. Guru Arjan Dev Ji builds the Harmandir and Tarn Taran.
Shah Hussain writes his kafis at Lahore and is buried at Baghbanpura in 1599.
By 1600 the Punjab has a new religious community with a town, a scripture in preparation, an organised network and a distinct script, inside a stable and prosperous Mughal province.
The century after this one undoes the stability and the community survives it.
The century opens with Babur's invasions and closes with Akbar's settlement, and the Punjab was the road for the first and a prosperous subah under the second.
Guru Nanak Sahib Ji was born in 1469 and died in 1539, so the first four Gurus and the founding of Amritsar, Goindwal, Khadur and Kartarpur all fall in this century.
It is also the century of the Persian revenue settlement, the Grand Trunk Road's rebuilding under Sher Shah, and the serais and kos minars that still stand along it.