India is a melting pot of races. It is an ethnological
museum. The ancestors of the majority of present population have migrated to
India from surrounding territories across the Himalayas. Indian population is
constituted of major races of the world. We find people of different races in
India.
Herbert Risley’s Racial Classification: According to
Herbert Risley, there are seven racial types in Indian population.
1. The Turk-Iranian: These types of people are found in
the Frontier Province and Beluchistan. These parts now belong to Pakistan.
Turks-Iranian people are very tall and have a fair complexion. They possess
dark eyes, narrow nose.
2. Indo-Aryan: This racial type is found among the
Eastern Part of Punjab, Rajasthan and Kashmir. Most of the people have long
heads and prominent noses. They are tall, their complexion is fair and eyes are
of dark color.
3. Scytho-Dravidian: Scytho-Dravidian is a mixed racial
type of Scythians and Dravidians. People, having this racial ancestry are said
to be found in Saurashtra, Coorg and hilly tracts of Madhya Pradesh. It is also
said that while the upper strata people are predominantly Scythian, the lower
strata people are fairly dominated by Dravidian elements. They are broad
headed, have a fine nose, are of medium height and their complexion is fair.
4. Aryo-Dravidian: This racial type is found in Uttar
Pradesh. Rajasthan and Bihar. They are the product of inter-marriages between
the Indo-Aryans and the Dravidians. They have long head and the complexion
varies from lights brown to black.
5. The Mongol-Dravidians: In the population of Bengal
and Orissa this racial type is most prominent. Bengali Brahmins and Kayasthas
form the largest percentage. This racial type has come into existence as a
result of intermixture of Mongolians and Dravidians while some element of
Indo-Aryan race is also found. These people are generally black and round
headed having medium nose and medium height.
6. The Mongoloid: This racial type stretches from Nepal
and Assam to Burma. Mizo, Naga, Adi, Nishi, Tripuri, Bodo, Kachari etc. are the
examples of this group that found in the region.
7. The Dravidian: This
racial type is found in Southern India, particularly south of M.P, Chotnagpur,
Madras and Hyderabad. The Santhals of Chotnagpur represent this type. They have
dark complexion, dark eyes, short stature, long head and broad nose.
Classification
of B. S. Guha: Dr.
Guha has divided the population of India into the following races:
1. The Negrito: According to him the presence of
Negrito race in India is a controversial issue. However, it is claimed that
there is an element of Negrito race in Indian population and Negrito element is
found in the blood of Andaman Islanders. Further, it is also pointed out that
Negrito element is found in the blood of some South Indian tribal people like
the Kadar and blood of Nagas. There are some who maintain that there are is no
weighty evidence to prove conclusively the existence of Negrito element in
Indian population. Whatever evidence is available, according to them, is
inadequate to establish the presence of Negrito element in Indian population. Although
there is controversy, it may be stated that the Negrito race existed in the
past and has left little trace in India.
2. The Proto-Austroloid: The
Proto-Austroloid is also known as the Pre-Dravidian race. Dr. Guha says that
the tribal population of central India is fairly dominated by this racial
element. The Santhals, the Mundas, the Juangas, the Soaras, the Kondhs are some
of the many tribes belonging to this racial type.
3. Mongoloid: People of this
racial ancestry are mainly found in North-Eastern India. Dr. Guha divides this
race into two types, namely (a) The Palaeo-Mongoloid and (b) The
Tibeto-Mangoloid.
(a) The Palaeo-Mongoloid: This
racial type is further divided into two types, one the long headed type and the
other Broad headed type. The Angami Nagas are of the long headed type of the
Palaeo-Mongoloid race. The people inhabiting in the Himalayan foot hills from
Kashmir to Assam are said to be the brood headed type of the Palaeo-Mongoloid
race.
(b)
The Tibeto-Mongoloid: The people of Sikkim and Bhutan are said to belong to
the Tibeto-Mongoloid branch of Mongoloid race.
4. The
Mediterranean: This race is one of the dominated race in India.
Mediterranean is divided into three types. They are (a) Palaeo-Mediterranean
(b) Mediterranean, (c) Oriental.
5. Western Brachycephals: This
race is of three types, namely (a) the Alpenoid, (b) the Dinaric, (c) the
Armenoid.
6. Nordic Race: People of this
racial origin came to India from the North and South-East Asia spread all over
Northern India during the 2nd millennium B.C. This race is mainly
found in North India in a mixed form with the Mediterranean race. The people of
this stock are believed to have greatly enriched Indian culture.
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