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Eternal India
encyclopedia
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Assam and a good part of the erstwhile state of Bombay is said to
be Alpanoid" (S.N. Chopra).
The Dinaric strain can be seen in Bengal, Orissa and Coorg,
blending with the Mediterranean. Its characteristics are a slight
darker complexion with a high and vault-like occiput.
The Armenoid with a tawny white skin and an acquiline nose
but with depressed and broad wings are represented by Parsis.
The Nordics who moved into India through the mountain passes
of the north-west around 1500 B.C. were the original inhabitants of
the region between, the Caspian Sea and Russian steppes. They
were fair skinned, long-headed with arched foreheads and protrud-
ing occiput, a prominent but narrow nose and tall in stature. They
introduced the culture which is today described as Aryan and has
been the fountainhead for Hinduism, Indian literature, philosophy
and art. It must not be forgotten that the term 'Aryan' primarily
denotes a linguistic concept. Max Mueller who is mainly respon-
sible for the vogue of this term declared: "Aryan, in scientific lan-
guage, is utterly inapplicable to race. It means language and nothing
but language . It is not an ethnic term."
"There has been much amalgamation of the various ethnic
strains through inter-marriage and inter-communication. The Ne-
groid is nearly extinct. The Proto-Austroloid are found dispersed in
pockets and tribal hide-outs, particularly in southern, western and
central India. The Mongoloid inter-mixed the least and, physically,
are easily traced in north-east India and in north Bengal and along
the foothills of the Himalayas. The Mediterraneans, the founders
of the Indus Valley civilisation, moved on as their civilisation died
and distributed themselves into the valley of the Ganga. When the
Alpine races penetrated into this valley, there was much inter-
mixture between distinct ethnic strains. The upper portion of the
Ganga is dominated by Mediterraneans while in the lower Alpo-
Dinarics predominate. In the South, the Dravidians and pre-Drav-
idians predominate, the Deccan being the least influenced by the
Nordic wave of immigration." (S.N. Chopra).
SELECTED REFERENCES
*
S.N. Chopra,
India : An Area Study,
New Delhi 1977.
*
The Cultural History of India,
Vol I, Calcutta 1970.
Nayar Female
Sama Naga Male
Brahmin Male (UP)
Kadar Female
Nambudiri Male (Kerala)
Chenchu Male