Genetic evidence suggests European migrants may have influenced

[Batzec]

Genetic evidence suggests European migrants may have influenced
the origins of India's caste system By Bijal P. Trivedi

May 14, 2001
new study has revealed that Indians belonging to higher castes are genetically closer to Europeans than are individuals from lower castes, whose genetic profiles are closer to those of Asians.


The study compared genetic markers—located on the Y chromosome and the mitochondrial DNA—between 265 Indian men of various castes and 750 African, Asian, European and other Indian men. To broaden the study, 40 markers from chromosomes 1 to 22 were analyzed from more than 600 individuals from different castes and continents. The comparison of the markers among these groups confirmed that genetic similarities to Europeans increased as caste rank increased.
The study, led by Michael Bamshad of the University of Utah, in Salt Lake City, and his colleagues, is reported to be the most comprehensive genetic analysis to date of the impact of European migrations on the structure and origin of the current Indian population. The article appears in the current issue of Genome Research.
The caste system, defined in ancient Sanskrit texts, determines a person's rank in society: The Brahmin, who were traditionally priests and scholars, held the highest rank in Hindu society. Warriors and rulers made up the Kshatriya who were the next in line to the Brahmin. Merchants, traders, farmers, and artisans were the third caste called the Vysya. The Shudra were the fourth rank and consisted of laborers. Because of strict rules forbidding marriage between men and women of different castes, these four classes remained distinct for thousands of years.
Bamshad's team found that Y chromosomes from the Brahmin and Kshatriya closely resembled European Y chromosomes rather than Asian Y chromosomes. The Y chromosomes from the lower castes bore more similarities to the Asian Y chromosome. The mitochondrial DNA showed the same pattern.
The authors believe their results support the notion that Europeans who migrated into India between 3,000 and 8,000 years ago may have merged with or imposed their social structure on the native northern Indians and placed themselves into the highest castes.
Analysis of the paternally transmitted Y chromosome among Indians in general indicated that the Y chromosome had a more European flavor. Maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA among Indians is more Asian than European. This suggests that the Europeans who entered India were predominantly male.

. . .

Bamshad, M. et al. Genetic evidence on the origins of Indian caste populations. Genome Res 11, 994-1004 (May 2001).
Majumder, P.P. Indian caste origins: genomic insights and future outlook. Genome Res 11, 931-932 (May 2001)

[Galaico]

Very interesting. The caste separation system may have first started as a racial apartheid to separate the invaders from the defeated ones. That would be a very common tradition among the European peoples; for example, the Visigothic Law at first forbiddened inter-racial marriages between invaders (Visigoths and assimilated Suebi) and defeated ones (Hispano-Romans).

So at first, the system more than a caste separation one, was a racial one. Aryans (Europeans) on one side and Dasas (Dravidians) on the other. Actually, Dasa literally means "dark", in contrast with the light skinned invaders. Later, caste division also appeared among Aryans, I suppose that as an aristocratic structure: Brahmins=Priests, Kshatriyas=Warriors and Vayshyas=Traders, craftsmen and small landlords, this social structure also existed in Europe: High Clergy=Priests, Feudal Lords and Nobility=Warriors, and Burgeoise=Traders, craftsmen and small landlords, and this structure remained unaltered in Europe until the XIX century.

[Señor Malo]

Originally Posted by Galaico

Very interesting. The caste separation system may have first started as a racial apartheid to separate the invaders from the defeated ones. That would be a very common tradition among the European peoples; for example, the Visigothic Law at first forbiddened inter-racial marriages between invaders (Visigoths and assimilated Suebi) and defeated ones (Hispano-Romans).

So at first, the system more than a caste separation one, was a racial one. Aryans (Europeans) on one side and Dasas (Dravidians) on the other. Actually, Dasa literally means "dark", in contrast with the light skinned invaders. Later, caste division also appeared among Aryans, I suppose that as an aristocratic structure: Brahmins=Priests, Kshatriyas=Warriors and Vayshyas=Traders, craftsmen and small landlords, this social structure also existed in Europe: High Clergy=Priests, Feudal Lords and Nobility=Warriors, and Burgeoise=Traders, craftsmen and small landlords, and this structure remained unaltered in Europe until the XIX century.

Yes, very interesting.
Very close to Dumezil's theory of the three functional society among I.E. ... I'll made some researches beofre comming back with more explicit date about that theory

[Menydh]

Originally Posted by Galaico

Very interesting. The caste separation system may have first started as a racial apartheid to separate the invaders from the defeated ones. That would be a very common tradition among the European peoples; for example, the Visigothic Law at first forbiddened inter-racial marriages between invaders (Visigoths and assimilated Suebi) and defeated ones (Hispano-Romans).

Actually, the Visigothic army entered Hispania as foederati to the Roman Empire, i.e. as aide to expel the [other] Barbarian marauders. The Visigothic people (mostly nomadic farmers) entered as migrants and settled in some of the harshest and most pauper lands (Campos Gothicos, modern Tierra de Campos).

The Hispano-Romans --or to be more precise the Hispano-Roman senatorial aristocracy--, while they didn't like the idea of having the Visigoths on Hispanic soil, they did not oppose it as they understood it as a better (and needed) evil given that the Roman legions were scattered, busy on other parts of the Empire, or inoperant.

That I know of, there was only one significant opposition to the entrance of the Visigothic army by one Hispano-Roman aristocrat in the administrative province of Tarraco (and around the area of modern Tarragona).

As for the prohibition of mixed marriages, this probably may not have been an imposition of the Goths but an imposition to the Goths.

Though the Goths had been marauding large through the Roman Empire and by that time they had acquired a certain degree of civilisation (if compared to other Germanic tribes), they were still looked from down upon by the Hispano-Romans who felt them as still barbarian peoples.

A strong opposition to mixed marriages would have come from --especially-- the landed H-R senatorial aristocracy. Thus, for a time, Visigoths and Hispano-Romans were judged by different codes of laws, the Germanic and the Roman respectively.

The H-R aristocracy were owners of large estates of land, whereas the new V-G nobility took over the lands belonging to the public aerarium (administration) of Rome. It should be interesting to read the juridico-historical researches of Prof. García Gallo with respect to the partition of the land and the administration, in particular his Notas sobre el reparto de tierras entre visigodos y romanos (Notes on the repartment of lands between Visigoths and Romans, Hispania, IV (1941), 40-63.).

One must not forget that intermarrying with the H-R senatorial class would have been much profitable for this new nobility of Goths, who even looked to increase their personal patrimonial wealth through the Church.. becoming a bishop would be just as good.. actually even better.. than becoming a comites.

Apart from those facts, at the time when the prohibition was lifted it had been long ineffective. What it is not known is if it was ever completely effective.