South asian cultural groups

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 Northern 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. Iranian peoples, grouped with Indo-Aryans in the Indo-Iranian language group, 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 speak an Iranian language which is not at all related to Indian languages. 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, 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 (where Turkic and Iranian peoples have had much influence) 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 and culturally 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 genetic basis. Genetically all south asians are a mixture of Indian and Indo-European genetics.

Indo-Aryan
People who speak an Indo-Aryan language.

Most of the North Indian population is of Indo-Aryan descent. The Ra1a1 gene haplotype is found in at least 50% of the populations from North/East India to Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
 * Assamese people (i.e. the Assamese speakers of the Brahmaputra valley, not to be confused with the multi-ethnic people of Assam)
 * Bengali people
 * Bihari people
 * Maithil
 * Mahuri
 * Bhumihar people
 * Dhivehi people
 * Gujarati people
 * Saurashtra people
 * Hindkis
 * Hindkowans
 * Kannadigas
 * Konkani
 * Marathi people
 * Muhajir people
 * Bihari Muslim
 * Oriya people
 * Paharis
 * Dogra people
 * Garhwali people
 * Gurkha or Gorkha
 * Nepali people
 * Khas
 * Kumauni People or Kumaoni people
 * Punjabi people
 * Khatri people
 * Arora
 * Gujjar
 * Jatt people
 * Kamboj/Kamboh
 * Punjabi Rajput
 * Rajasthanis
 * Marwaris
 * Jat people
 * Rajput
 * Meenas
 * Gujjar
 * Ahirs
 * Seraikis
 * Sinhalese people
 * Sindhi people
 * Tharu people

Iranian people

 * Pashtun people
 * Baloch people
 * Parsi people

Dardic peoples
The Dardic languages are largely seen as Indo-Aryan, but are sometimes seen as a separate Indo-Iranian branch.
 * Nuristani people
 * Chitrali people
 * Shina people
 * Kashmiri people

Dravidian peoples

 * Bhil
 * Bonda
 * Brahui people
 * Beary
 * Kurukh (Oraon)
 * Dongria Kondha
 * Khonds
 * Gondi people
 * Kannadigas
 * Tuluvas
 * Kodava
 * Badagas
 * Malayalis
 * Native Hindus
 * Mappilas Muslims of North Kerala comprising two groups
 * a group which has partial Persian/Arab ancestry through traders but speaks Dravidian language Malayalam
 * a group which includes converts to Islam from north Kerala native Hindus
 * Muslims of South Kerala which includes converts from native Hindus
 * Cochin Jews
 * Syrian Malabar Nasrani
 * Malto people
 * Tamil people
 * Indian Tamils
 * Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka
 * Sri Lankan Tamils
 * Telugu people
 * Toda people
 * Irulas

Austroasiatic peoples

 * Munda peoples
 * Juang people
 * Kharia people
 * Korku people
 * Munda people
 * Santali people
 * Sora
 * Khasi people
 * Nicobarese people

Tibeto-Burman peoples

 * Indo-European languages
 * Dravidian languages
 * Altaic Languages
 * 3 groups - Japonic (possibly Altaic), Koreanic, (possibly Altaic), and Indochinese languages
 * Austronesian languages
 * Austroasiatic languages


 * Tibetans and Tibetan-speaking speaking peoples
 * Bhutias
 * Bhotiyas
 * Sherpas
 * Tibetan Ladakhis
 * Monpa
 * Takpa
 * Tshangla
 * Sherdukpen
 * Aka
 * Miji
 * Tibetan Muslim
 * Burig
 * Baltis
 * Bodo-Kachari people
 * Chakma
 * Chepang
 * Gurung
 * Karbi people or Mikir
 * Kirat people
 * Rai
 * Limbu
 * Yakkha
 * Lepcha people
 * Magar people
 * Manipuri or Meithei people
 * Naga people
 * Newar people
 * Tamang
 * Thakali
 * Thami
 * Tripuris
 * Memba
 * Khowa
 * Nishi

Turko-Mongol peoples

 * Turkish Indian
 * Mughal (Moghul)
 * Chughtai
 * Barlas
 * Qizilbash
 * Hazaras (Turko-Mongol origins, but Iranian language)
 * possibly Hunza (may be related to Yenisei Siberians)

Austronesian peoples

 * Sri Lankan Malays

Semitic peoples

 * 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
 * Knanaya(a sub-group of Syrian Malabar Nasranis)
 * Paradesi Jews (European Jews in India)
 * Arabs or mixed Arab and Indo-Aryan or Dravidian
 * Iranian Arabians
 * Konkani Muslims (trace ancestry to Arab traders on the west coast of India)
 * Mappila (( Muslims of Malabar(North Kerala)- ancestry to Arab or Persian traders who intermarried Nair/ Menon /Nambiar (upper class descents) or Thiyya /Mukkuva(lower class descents) of Hindu community of North Kerala))
 * Sri Lankan Moors ( trace ancestry to Arab traders who settled in Sri Lanka)
 * Muhajirs
 * Iraqi biradri A community of Muslims in north India
 * Deccan A community of Muslims in Southern and Northern parts of the Deccan Plateau such as Hyderabadi Muslims
 * Labbay Arab traders who settled in South India (trace ancestry back to Egyptian traders)
 * Memons Possibly the earliest Muslims to arrive in India,(trace ancestry to Syrians who came with Muhammad Bin Qasim) during the expedition of Sindh.
 * Boras Trace ancestors to Arab traders and Merchants.
 * Chaush Trace ancestors to traders from Yemen
 * Punjabi Shaikhs Dawah workers that arrived in India

Tai peoples

 * Ahom people
 * Tai Aiton
 * Tai Khampti
 * Tai Phake or Tai Phakial
 * Tai Turung

European and Eurasian peoples

 * Anglo-Burmese
 * Anglo-Indian
 * Burgher people

Afro-Asian

 * African Pakistani
 * 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 (Kalto)
 * Vedda

Diaspora
Many South Asian ethnic groups and nationalities have substantial diasporas outside of South Asia.
 * South Asian American
 * Bangladeshi American
 * Indian American
 * Nepalese American
 * Pakistani American
 * Sri Lankan American
 * Tamil American
 * South Asian Canadian
 * Indo-Canadian
 * Pakistani Canadian
 * Sri Lankan Canadian
 * Tamil Canadian
 * Bangladeshi Canadian
 * British Asian
 * British Indian
 * British Pakistani
 * British Bangladeshi
 * British Tamil
 * Sri Lankans in the United Kingdom
 * Nepalis in the United Kingdom
 * British Indo-Caribbean community
 * Mauritians in the United Kingdom
 * Asian-Scots
 * South Asian Australian
 * Indian Australian
 * Pakistani Australian
 * Sri Lankan Australian
 * Bangladeshi Australian
 * Indo Kiwi
 * Indians in Singapore
 * Malaysian Indian
 * Tamil Malaysians
 * Chitty
 * Indian Indonesian
 * Indo-Mauritian
 * Bihari Mauritian
 * Indo-Caribbean
 * Indo-Trinidadian
 * Indo-Jamaican
 * Burmese Indians
 * South Asians in Hong Kong
 * South Asians in the Philippines
 * Indians in Germany
 * Indian South Africans
 * Tamil South Africans
 * Indians in Botswana
 * Indians in Kenya
 * Indians in Madagascar
 * Indo-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 Barbados
 * Indians in Belize
 * Indo-Guyanese
 * Indo-Grenadians
 * Indians in Guadeloupe
 * Indians in Panama
 * Indians in Belgium
 * Indian diaspora in France
 * Indians in Israel
 * Indians in Italy
 * Indians in Portugal
 * Indian community in Spain
 * Indo-Surinamese
 * Indo-Fijian
 * Indians in New Caledonia

See also Punjabi diaspora, Bangladeshi diaspora, Tamil diaspora, Pakistani diaspora, Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora and Indian 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)