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Uncategories Racial diversity in India | Caste and Race in India |Cultural Setting | Geography of India

Racial diversity in India | Caste and Race in India |Cultural Setting | Geography of India

10:30

What is race?

  • The race is a biological concept and the race of humans can be identified or categorized based on physical characteristics. 
  • That includes:
    • Skin color, Circumference of the skull, hair type, eye shape, length of the nose, the shape of the nose, etc.

All human being belongs to the same genus and Homosapien species, however, physical appearance varies from location to location due to adaptability.


Caste and Race in India:

The racial concept was more prominent in African countries like the caste system in India. However, some sociologists tried to relate race to the caste systems in India.

  • Rishlye believed that India was a unique laboratory for studying and evolution of racial types because Inter-caste Marriage was prohibited in other castes.
  • Rishlye also believed that caste must have originated from race because physical appearance is different for different caste groups.

For example, 

  • Higher caste looks like Indo-Aryan
  • Lower caste look like No-Aryan or Mangoloid

Some scholars suggested lower caste were original inhabitants in India and Aryans came from elsewhere and settled in India.

Ghurye partially agrees with Risley and Ghurye's belief, for northern India in the Indo-Gangetic plain, it is true that the higher caste belongs to the Aryan race and the lower caste belongs to the non-Aryan race, but the same is not true in other parts of India as other were mixed with each other for very long time.

Racial purity had been preserved due to prohibitions of inter-caste marriage in northern India only, in the rest of India Endogamy(other marriage groups) was practiced and groups were already mixed racially.


Racial Groups in India:

The following are the major racial group in India;

  • Negritos
  • Proto Austro
  • Mangloid
  • Mediterenean or Draviadian race
  • Nordic ( Caucasoid) 


Negritos:

  • Areas: Kerala, Andamon and Nicobar
  • Physical appearance: Black skin, flat-nose

Proto Austro:

  • Central India and Southern India
  • Hair is straight
  • Central Indian Tribal such as Gonds, Bhil, Santhal, and Dravidian belongs to the Proto Austro race.


Mangoloid;

  • Areas- Ladakh and North-Eastern India
  • Appearance;
  • Yellow skin, short height, half-open eye


Nordic ( Caucasoid) :

  • Northern India in the Indo-Gangetic plain is generally called Aryan.

Indian society is an example of "Salad Bowl" diversity where each has a separate identity living with harmony for thousands of years and has full of tolerance and mutual respect.

Try to solve the following questions:

  •  Examine the genesis of Racial diversity in India(UPSC)
  •  Critically assess the vanishing ethnic linguistic plurality of India. (UPSC 2018, 200 words, 15 marks)
  • Point out the ethnic disparities in the N.E. India. (UPSC, 2016)
  • Linguistic diversity in Northeastern states. ( UPSC 2012)
  • Describe the impact of linguistic diversity on the development of various regions of India. (UPSC 2013)

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