Question.
Examine the genesis of racial diversity in India. ( UPSC 2024 PYQ)
Answer.
India’s population is racially diverse due to a long history of migrations, invasions, intermixing, and geographic isolation. This racial diversity has shaped the ethnic and cultural fabric of the country. The genesis of this diversity can be traced through prehistoric and historic population movements from different parts of the world.
Major Racial groups in India:
As per anthropologists like B.S. Guha, India is home to six main racial groups, shaped through waves of migration and geographical diffusion:
1. Negrito:
It is considered the earliest inhabitants of India.
Features: dark skin, short stature, woolly hair.
Present in Andamanese tribes (e.g., Jarwas, Onges) and Kerala.
2. Proto-Australoid:
They came after Negrito, possibly from Africa or Southeast Asia.
Features: dark skin, broad nose, long head.
Present among tribal populations in central and eastern India (e.g., Gonds, Bhils).
3. Mongoloid:
They migrated from Tibet, China, and Southeast Asia.
Features: yellowish skin, flat face, epicanthic fold.
Found in Northeast India and the Himalayan regions (e.g., Nagas, Bhotias).
4. Mediterranean (Dravidian):
They arrived during the Neolithic-Chalcolithic periods.
Features: medium stature, wavy hair, long head.
Present in South India and parts of Northwest India.
5. Western Brachycephals:
Includes three subgroups:
Alpine – from Central Asia
Armenoid – from West Asia
Iranian – ancient Persians
Found in Punjab, Kashmir, and the western Himalayan foothills.
6. Nordic ( Caucasoid):
Features: Tall stature, fair skin, long nose.
Came from Northwestern Europe.
Influences seen among upper castes in North India.
Causes of Racial Diversity in India:
Geographic location:
Situated at the crossroads of Asia and surrounded by mountains, deserts, and seas, India has been accessible to migrations from all directions.
Open river valleys and trade routes:
Encouraged population movement.
Cultural assimilation:
Repeated intermixing over millennia led to racial blending.
Isolation in some regions:
Like the Andaman Islands and the Himalayan valleys, preserved primitive racial traits.
Conclusion:
India’s racial diversity is not the result of a single factor but a complex interplay of prehistoric migrations, geographic isolation, and historical invasions.
This diversity has enriched India’s cultural, linguistic, and social structure and continues to be a defining feature of its human geography.
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