The ethno-linguistic composition of the population of South Asia, that is the nations of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka is highly diverse. The majority of the population fall within two large linguistic groups, Indo-Aryan and Dravidian. Indian society is traditionally divided into castes or clans, not ethnicities, and these categories have had no official status since independence in 1947, except for the scheduled castes and tribes which remain registered for the purpose of affirmative action. In today's India, the population is categorized in terms of the 1,652 mother tongues spoken.
These groups are further subdivided into numerous sub-groups, castes and tribes. Indo-Aryans form the predominant ethno-linguistic group in Indo-Gangetic Plain (North India, East India, West India, Central India), Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Dravidians form the predominant ethno-linguistic group in southern India and the northern and eastern regions of Sri Lanka, and a small pocket in Pakistan. Certain Iranian speaking peoples also have a significant presence in South Asia, the large majority of whom are located in Pakistan, with heavy concentrations in Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas. Dardic peoples form a minority among the Indo-Aryans. They are classified as belonging to the Indo-Aryan language group, though sometimes they are also classified as external to the Indo-Aryan branch. They are found in northern Pakistan (Northern Areas and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa) and in Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Minority groups not falling within either large group mostly speak languages belonging to the Austroasiatic and Tibeto-Burman language families, and mostly live around Ladakh and Northeast India, Nepal, Propan-Bhutan, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh. The Andamanese (Sentinel, Onge, Jarawa, Great Andamanese) live on some of the Andaman Islands and speak a language isolate, as do the Kusunda in central Nepal, the Vedda in Sri Lanka, and the Nihali of central India, who number about 5000 people. The people of the Hunza valley in Pakistan are another distinct population. They speak Burushaski, a language isolate.
The traditions of different ethnic groups in South Asia have diverged, influenced by external cultures, especially in the northwestern parts of South Asia and in the border regions and busy ports, where there are greater levels of contact with external cultures. This is particularly true for many ethnic groups in the northeastern parts of South Asia who are ethnically related to peoples of the Far East. The largest ethno-linguistic group in South Asia are the Indo-Aryans, numbering around 1 billion, and the largest sub-group are the native speakers of Hindi languages, numbering more than 470 million.
These groups are based solely on a linguistic basis and not on a genetic basis.
Video South Asian ethnic groups
List of ethnic groups on the basis of language
Indo-Aryan people
- Assamese people (i.e. the Assamese speakers of the Brahmaputra valley, not to be confused with the multi-ethnic people of Assam)
- Bengali people
- Sylheti people
- Dhivehi people
- Dogra people
- Garhwali people
- Gujarati people
- Kutchi people
- Hindavi people
- Awadhi people
- Bhojpuri people
- Rajasthanis
- Marwaris
- Muhajirs
- Kashmiri people
- Khas people
- Konkani people
- Kumaoni people
- Magahi people
- Maithils
- Marathi people
- Nagpuria people
- Odia people
- Punjabi people
- Sindhi people
- Memons
- Saurashtra people
- Sinhalese people
- Tharu people
Iranian people
- Baloch people
- Irani people (India)
- Parsi
- Pashtun people
Dardic people
The Dardic languages are largely seen as Indo-Aryan, but are sometimes seen as a separate Indo-Iranian branch.
- Chitrali people
- Kalash people
- Kashmiri people
- Nuristani people
- Shina people
Dravidian people
- Badagas
- Bhil
- Bonda
- Brahui people
- Dongria Kondha
- Gondi people
- Irulas
- Kannadigas
- Khonds
- Kodava
- Kurukh (Oraon)
- Malayali
- Syrian Malabar Nasrani
- Malto people
- Tamil people
- Indian Tamils
- Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka
- Sri Lankan Tamils
- Indian Tamils
- Telugu people
- Toda people
- Tuluvas
Austroasiatic people
- Khasi people
- Munda peoples
- Juang people
- Kharia people
- Korku people
- Munda people
- Santali people
- Sora
- Nicobarese people
Tibeto-Burman people
- Ethnic Assamese (people of Tibeto-Burman pure and mixed ancestry speaking Assamese as their mother tongue)
- Tibetans and Tibetan-speaking peoples
- Kuki people
- Tibetan Ladakhis
- Uttarakhandi Bhotiya
- Sikkimese people
- Bhutias
- Monpa
- Takpa
- Tshangla
- Sherpas
- Bhotiyas
- Sherdukpen
- Aka
- Miji
- Tibetan Muslim
- Burig
- Baltis
- Bodo-Kachari people
- Bodo People
- Dimasa
- Garo
- Hajong
- Sonowal
- Sutiya
- Chakma
- Chepang
- Gurung
- Kirat people
- Rai
- Limbu
- Yakkha
- Lepcha people
- Magar people
- Newar people
- Tamang
- Thakali
- Meitei (Manipuri)
- Naga people
- Karbi people or Mikir
- Thami
- Tripuris
- Memba
- Khowa
- Nishi
Sino-Tibetan people
Chinese
- Chinese community in India
- Sri Lankan Chinese
Turko-Mongol people
- Turkish Indian
- Mughal (Moghul) (A Sunni Islamic dynasty of Asia which originated in Central Asia)
- Chughtai Tartars (Those people who originated in Uzbekistan and fought for Chagatai Khan who was son of Genghis Khan).
- Barlas (A Turkified Mongol Tribe to which Babur belonged)
- Qizilbash
- Changezi (Those who were in army of Hulagu Khan)
- Garda (Tribes of Farmers and shepards who came from Afghanistan)
- Hazaras (Turko-Mongol origins, but Iranic language)
Austronesian people
- Sri Lankan Malays
Semitic people
- Arabs or mixed Arab and Indo-Aryan or Dravidian
- Arabs in Gujarat
- Mappila (Muslims of Malabar (North Kerala) - ancestry to Southern Arab people or Persian traders who intermarried Nair/ Menon /Nambiar (upper class descents) or Thiyya /Mukkuva (lower class descents) of Hindu community of North Kerala)
- Konkani Muslims of Maharashtra coast
- Sri Lankan Moors (trace ancestry to Arab traders who settled in Sri Lanka)
- Muhajirs
- Iraqi biradri - a community of Muslims in north India (trace ancestry from Arab tribe of Bani Tamim)
- Dakhini Muslims (group has various ancestries) - a community of Muslims in Southern and Northern parts of the Deccan Plateau such as the Hyderabadi Muslim community
- Labbay Arab traders who settled in South India
- Rowther Muslims of Tamil Nadu and Kerala who descended from Turkish traders and soldiers from the expedition of Sindh
- Boras trace ancestors to Arab traders and merchants.
- Chaush trace ancestors to traders from Yemen.
- Indian Jews
- Cochin Jews (Malayali Jews)
- Bene Israel (Marathi Jews)
- Baghdadi Jews (Arab Jews in Bengal)
- Bnei Menashe (Mizo and Kuki Jews)
- Bene Ephraim (Telugu Jews)
- Syrian Malabar Nasranis are descendents of both Hindu and Jewish converts to Christianity
- Paradesi Jews (European Jews in India)
Tai people
- Ahom people
- Tai Aiton
- Tai Khamti
- Tai Phake or Tai Phakial
- Tai Turung
- Tai Khamyang
European and Eurasian people
- Anglo-Burmese
- Anglo-Indian
- Burgher people
- Romani people
- Luso-Indian
Afro-Asian groups
- African Pakistani
- Chaush
- Sheedis/Siddis, an ethnic community of Black African descent
- Siddi
- Siddis of Karnataka, an ethnic community of Black African descent
- Sri Lanka Kaffirs
Andamanese and Nicobarese groups
- Great Andamanese of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Jangil of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Jarawa of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Onge of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Sentinelese of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Linguistically isolate groups
- Hunza people
- Kusunda
- Nahali
- Vedda
Maps South Asian ethnic groups
Diaspora
Many South Asian ethnic groups and nationalities have substantial diasporas outside of South Asia.
- South Asian American
- Bangladeshi American
- Indian American
- Indo-Caribbean American
- Nepalese American
- Pakistani American
- Sri Lankan American
- Tamil American
- South Asian Canadian
- Bangladeshi Canadian
- Indo-Canadian
- Nepalese Canadian
- Pakistani Canadian
- Sri Lankan Canadian
- Tamil Canadian
- British Asian
- British Bangladeshi
- British Indian
- British Nepalese
- British Pakistani
- British Tamil
- Sri Lankans in the United Kingdom
- British Indo-Caribbean community
- Mauritians in the United Kingdom
- Asian-Scots
- South Asian Australian
- Bangladeshi Australian
- Indian Australian
- Nepalese Australian
- Pakistani Australian
- Sri Lankan Australian
- Indo Kiwi
- Indians in Singapore
- Malaysian Indian
- Nepalis in Singapore
- Tamil Malaysians
- Chitty
- Nepalese people in Malaysia
- Indian Indonesian
- Indo-Mauritian
- Bihari Mauritian
- Indo-Caribbean
- Indians in Barbados
- Indians in Belize
- Indians in the Dominican Republic
- Indians in French Guiana
- Indo-Grenadians
- Indians in Guadeloupe
- Indo-Guyanese
- Indo-Haitians
- Indo-Jamaican
- Indo-Martiniquais
- Indo-Saint Lucian
- Indo-Surinamese
- Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian
- Indo-Vincentian
- Indian in South America
- Indians in Argentina
- Indians in Brazil
- Indians in Panama
- Indians in Venezuela
- Burmese Indians
- South Asians in Hong Kong
- South Asians in the Philippines
- Indians in Germany
- Nepalis in Germany
- Indian South Africans
- Tamil South Africans
- Indians in Botswana
- Indians in Kenya
- Indians in Madagascar
- Indo-Mauritian
- Bihari Mauritian
- Indians in Mozambique
- Indo-Réunionnaise
- Indo-Seychellois
- Indians in Tanzania
- Indians in Uganda
- Indians in Zambia
- Indians in Zimbabwe
- Indians in Iran
- Indians in Thailand
- Indians in the United Arab Emirates
- Indians in Vietnam
- Indians in Panama
- Indians in Belgium
- Indian diaspora in France
- Indians in Israel
- Indians in Italy
- Indians in Portugal
- Indian community in Spain
- Indo-Fijian
- South Indians in Fiji
- Indians in New Caledonia
See also Bangladeshi diaspora, Indian diaspora, Nepalese diaspora, Pakistani diaspora, Punjabi diaspora, Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora, Tamil diaspora.
Two (or possibly three) other people groups have ethnic and linguistic ties with the region:
- Dom people
- Romani people
- Lom people (who speak a language both related to Indo-Aryan and Armenian)
See also
- Languages of South Asia
- Languages of Bangladesh
- Languages of India
- Languages of Nepal
- Languages of Pakistan
- Languages of Sri Lanka
- Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
- Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin
- Non Resident Nepali
- Overseas Pakistani
- Desi
- Demographics of Bangladesh
- Demographics of Sri Lanka
- Ethnic groups in Pakistan
- Ethnic groups in Nepal
- Assamese people
- Sikkimese people
- Genetics and archaeogenetics of South Asia
- Y-DNA haplogroups in populations of South Asia
National demographics:
- Demographics of Afghanistan
- Demographics of Bangladesh
- Demographics of Propan-Bhutan
- Demographics of India
- Demographics of the Maldives
- Demographics of Myanmar
- Demographics of Nepal
- Demographics of Pakistan
- Demographics of Sri Lanka
References
External links
Media related to Ethnic groups in India at Wikimedia Commons Media related to Ethnic groups in Pakistan at Wikimedia Commons Media related to Ethnic groups in Nepal at Wikimedia Commons
Source of article : Wikipedia
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