The genetic makeup of the people of Rajasthan is linked far more closely to the populations of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, according to findings presented by Professor Gyaneshwar Chaubey, a geneticist at Banaras Hindu University.
Chaubey presented this conclusion during a research-based lecture at the international seminar titled 'Rajasthan: Antiquity and Transformation,' held at the Vedic Science Centre auditorium.
At the two-day seminar, organised by the Varanasi Institute of History in collaboration with the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), New Delhi, Chaubey presented findings from his long-term DNA study on various castes and tribes of Rajasthan.
He stated that the genetic profile of Rajasthan's population shows the closest affinity with the central-western region of the Indian subcontinent, particularly Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
A 2005 study by French scientist Lluis Quintana-Murci and international collaborators, based primarily on mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosomes, had previously depicted the genetic landscape of the Indus Valley and surrounding areas in a way that suggested a close affinity between the populations of Rajasthan and present-day Pakistan.
The findings of the 2005 study were interpreted as evidence of long-standing gene flow from west to east across the northwestern frontier. However, subsequent genome-wide research conducted by Chaubey and his colleagues has now challenged and effectively negated that earlier interpretation, presenting a different picture of the genetic relationship of Rajasthan's population.
{{/usCountry}}The findings of the 2005 study were interpreted as evidence of long-standing gene flow from west to east across the northwestern frontier. However, subsequent genome-wide research conducted by Chaubey and his colleagues has now challenged and effectively negated that earlier interpretation, presenting a different picture of the genetic relationship of Rajasthan's population.
{{/usCountry}}An analysis involving 669 individuals from the Meena and Gujjar communities, as well as the general mixed population of Rajasthan, and utilising various statistical measures of genetic distance and clustering, revealed that these populations are more closely related to groups from North and Central India.
This discrepancy arises because earlier studies (such as one in 2005) examined only small segments of DNA, whereas the current study sequenced the entire genome. The data clearly indicate that the primary genetic makeup of most Rajasthani communities is linked to a broad Indian cline rather than a simple West-Pakistan continuum.
Genome-wide analyses conducted by Chaubey’s team consistently show that the studied populations of Rajasthan share greater genetic affinity with groups from North-Central India than with populations across the border in Pakistan.
This genetic study incorporated data from 669 individuals belonging to the Meena and Gujjar communities and the general mixed population of Rajasthan.
During the seminar, Chaubey elaborated specifically on the study of the Bhil tribe. The Bhil is India's second-largest tribe, distributed across Western-Central India, specifically Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Their genome-wide study indicates that Bhil groups from various regions share a common "Pan-Bhil" ancestry.
Admixture with neighbouring populations was found to be lowest among the Bhils of Gujarat, whereas the Bhils of Rajasthan exhibited the highest levels of diversity and admixture with surrounding castes and tribes. It is this admixture that establishes Rajasthan as a genetic bridge.
Chaubey stated, "The DNA of the Bhil tribe constitutes a significant component of India's genetic foundation. The castes and tribes of Rajasthan bear the imprint of a common ancient ancestor. This represents not merely socio-cultural continuity, but a scientific continuity evident in both maternal and paternal lineages."
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The most notable part of the lecture was the presentation of mitochondrial DNA lineages, dating back approximately 52,000 years, found among the castes and tribes of Rajasthan. Since mitochondrial DNA is passed from mother to offspring, it preserves the most ancient layer of maternal lineage.
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India-specific haplogroups, including lineages such as M, R5 and U2i, are linked to the early settlement of modern humans in South Asia; these are estimated to be between 50,000 and 70,000 years old.
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Chaubey demonstrated that these ancient maternal lineages persist today in both the castes and tribes of Rajasthan. This implies that the current population of Rajasthan is not the result of external replacement but rather of deep-rooted local continuity.
When these studies are viewed together, a clear picture of Rajasthan emerges: its population is linked more closely to the Gujarat-Madhya Pradesh axis of the Indian heartland; there is genetic continuity between tribes and castes; and the roots of these maternal lineages extend back to the Palaeolithic era.