‘Sindhis Of India, Pakistan Are Deeply Intertwined In Genome’, Says Recent Study

Varanasi: Sindhi communities in India and Pakistan are deeply intertwined not only culturally and linguistically, but also in their genome. Their shared heritage dates back to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation.

This has been revealed in the DNA analysis of 113 Sindhis that was carried out by Chanchal Devnani of Gyan Lab of Banaras Hindu University along with Professor. Gyaneshwar Choubey, Dr. Khushboo Gautam and Professor Rakesh Rawal of Gujarat University.

They have pointed out that the Sindhi diaspora has dispersed from its homeland and spread across the world while preserving its genetic identity. This research has been published in the international science journal ‘Human Genetics’.

The researchers have stated that during the Indus valley civilization, an ethnic group flourished in the Sindh region, known today as the Sindhis. This community developed on the banks of the Indus river. Its civilization and culture are as ancient as the Indus Valley Civilisation itself.

They have pointed out that the most vivid evidence of this cultural continuity is the Ajrak, a distinctive type of traditional block-printed cotton fabric that symbolises Sindhi identity, respect and hospitality.

The trifoli pattern seen in Ajrak is also seen on the shawl draped over the shoulder of the statue of the priest king found in the excavations of Harappa and Mohenjodaro. The researchers say that this means that not only the DNA, but the attire also preserves the 5000-year-old heritage till date.

Following the partition of India in 1947, the Sindh province became a part of Pakistan. Subsequently, a large number of Sindhi Hindus and Sikhs fled their homes and settled in various parts of India, particularly in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi.

It is being claimed that no comprehensive genome-wide study of the Sindhi diaspora had been conducted until now. For the first time, researchers from Banaras Hindu University, in collaboration with Gujarat University, studied 730,000 DNA markers in 113 Sindhi individuals and compared them with 2,000 others.

Chanchal Devnani disclosed, “This important study proves that the Sindhi communities settled in India and Pakistan are deeply connected to each other even in their genome.”

The scientist stated that when the DNA of modern Sindhis was compared with ancient samples, it was found that 60-66 per cent of their DNA comes from people of the ancient Indus Valley region. This means that even about 2500 years ago, the people of the Indus valley region had already established their own distinct identity. Today's Sindhis, no matter where they live in the world, carry the same ancient DNA.

The scientists have underlined that the pattern remained almost the same in the state-wise analysis of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana. The original genetic structure remained intact even among the Sindhis spread across India after partition.

The most notable difference between the two groups was observed at the level of inbreeding. Pakistani Sindhis had a significantly higher number and length of identical DNA fragments. This is primarily due to the greater prevalence of the tradition of intermarriage among relatives.