South Asian ethnic groups are an
ethnolinguistic
Ethnolinguistics (sometimes called cultural linguistics) is an area of anthropological linguistics that studies the relationship between a language and the nonlinguistic cultural behavior of the people who speak that language.
__NOTOC__
Examples ...
grouping of the diverse populations of
South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;; ...
, including the nations of
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
,
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mo ...
,
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...
,
Bhutan
Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainou ...
, the
Maldives
Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...
, and
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
.
While
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...
is variously considered to be part of both
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the fo ...
and South Asia,
Afghans
Afghans ( ps, افغانان, translit=afghanan; Persian/ prs, افغان ها, translit=afghānhā; Persian: افغانستانی, romanized: ''Afghanistani'') or Afghan people are nationals or citizens of Afghanistan, or people with ancestry ...
are generally not included among South Asians.
The majority of the population fall within three large
linguistic groups:
Indo-Aryan,
Dravidian, and
Iranic. The Indian, Nepalese, and Sri Lankan societies are traditionally divided into
caste
Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultur ...
s or
clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship
and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, mea ...
s, which are based primarily on labour divisions; these categories have had no official status in India since independence in 1947, except for the
scheduled castes and tribes, which remain registered for the purpose of
affirmative action. In today's
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
, the population is categorised in terms of the 1,652
mother tongues spoken.
These groups are also further subdivided into numerous sub-groups, castes and tribes. Indo-Aryans form the predominant ethnolinguistic group in India (
North India
North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Cen ...
,
East India
East India is a region of India consisting of the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha
and West Bengal and also the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The region roughly corresponds to the historical region of Magad ...
,
West India
Western India is a loosely defined region of India consisting of its western part. The Ministry of Home Affairs in its Western Zonal Council Administrative division includes the states of Goa, Gujarat, and Maharashtra along with the Union te ...
, and
Central India
Central India is a loosely defined geographical region of India. There is no clear official definition and various ones may be used. One common definition consists of the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, which are included in alm ...
), Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. Dravidians form the predominant ethnolinguistic group in
southern India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the States and union territories of India, Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and T ...
, the northern and eastern regions of Sri Lanka and a small pocket of Pakistan.
The
Iranic peoples also have a significant presence in South Asia, the large majority of whom are located in Pakistan.
Minority groups not falling within either large group mostly speak languages belonging to the
Austroasiatic
The Austroasiatic languages , , are a large language family
A language family is a group of languages related through descent from a common ''ancestral language'' or ''parental language'', called the proto-language of that family. The te ...
and
Tibeto-Burman
The Tibeto-Burman languages are the non- Sinitic members of the Sino-Tibetan language family, over 400 of which are spoken throughout the Southeast Asian Massif ("Zomia") as well as parts of East Asia and South Asia. Around 60 million people spea ...
language families, and largely live around
Ladakh
Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu and ...
and
Northeast India
, native_name_lang = mni
, settlement_type =
, image_skyline =
, image_alt =
, image_caption =
, motto =
, image_map = Northeast india.png
, ...
, Nepal, Bhutan, and the
Chittagong Hill Tracts
The Chittagong Hill Tracts ( bn, পার্বত্য চট্টগ্রাম, Parbotto Chottogram), often shortened to simply the Hill Tracts and abbreviated to CHT, are group of districts within the Chittagong Division in southeast ...
of Bangladesh. The
Andamanese
The Andamanese are the indigenous peoples of the Andaman Islands, part of India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands union territory in the southeastern part of the Bay of Bengal in Southeast Asia. The Andamanese peoples are among the various groups ...
(Sentinel, Onge, Jarawa, and Great Andamanese) live in some of the Andaman Islands and speak a language isolate, as do the
Kusunda in central Nepal, the
Vedda
The Vedda ( si, වැද්දා , ta, வேடர் (''Vēḍar'')), or Wanniyalaeto, are a minority indigenous group of people in Sri Lanka who, among other sub-communities such as Coast Veddas, Anuradhapura Veddas and Bintenne Vedd ...
in Sri Lanka, and the
Nihali of Central India, who number about 5,000 people. The people of the
Hunza Valley
The Hunza Valley ( bsk, , Wakhi: '; ur, ) is a mountainous valley in the northern part of the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan, formed by the Hunza River, bordering Ishkoman to the northwest, Shigar to the southeast, Afghanistan's Wa ...
in Pakistan are another distinct population; they speak
Burushaski
Burushaski (; ) is a language isolate spoken by Burusho people, who reside almost entirely in northern Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, with a few hundred speakers in northern Jammu and Kashmir, India. In Pakistan, Burushaski is spoken by people in ...
, 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 also in the border regions and busy ports, where there are greater levels of contact with external cultures. There is also a lot of genetic diversity within the region. For example, most of the ethnic groups of the
northeastern parts of South Asia are genetically related to peoples of
East
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fa ...
or
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
. There are also genetically isolated groups who have not been genetically influenced by other groups, such as the
Jarawa people of the
Andaman Islands
The Andaman Islands () are an archipelago in the northeastern Indian Ocean about southwest off the coasts of Myanmar's Ayeyarwady Region. Together with the Nicobar Islands to their south, the Andamans serve as a maritime boundary between th ...
. The largest ethnolinguistic group in South Asia are the Indo-Aryans, numbering around 1 billion, and the largest sub-group are the native speakers of
Hindi languages
The Central Indo-Aryan languages or Hindi languages are a group of related language varieties Spoken across North India and Central India. These language varieties form the central part of the Indo-Aryan language family, itself a part of the ...
, numbering more than 470 million.
These groups are based solely on a linguistic basis and not on a genetic basis.
List of ethnic groups on the basis of language
![South Asian Language Families](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/South_Asian_Language_Families.jpg)
Andamanese and Nicobarese groups
*
Great Andamanese
The Great Andamanese are an indigenous people of the Great Andaman archipelago in the Andaman Islands. Historically, the Great Andamanese lived throughout the archipelago, and were divided into ten major tribes. Their distinct but closely relate ...
of the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India consisting of 572 islands, of which 37 are inhabited, at the junction of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The territory is about north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated f ...
*
Jangil
The Jangil (also Rutland Jarawa) were one of the Andamanese indigenous peoples of the Andaman Islands, located in the Bay of Bengal. They were distributed through the interior of Rutland Island, and were given the name Rutland Jarawa because i ...
of the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India consisting of 572 islands, of which 37 are inhabited, at the junction of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The territory is about north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated f ...
*
Jarawa Jarawa may refer to:
* Jarawas (Andaman Islands), one of the indigenous peoples of the Andaman Islands
** Jarawa language (Andaman Islands)
* Jarawa (Berber tribe), a Berber tribal confederacy that flourished in northwest Africa during the seventh ...
of the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India consisting of 572 islands, of which 37 are inhabited, at the junction of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The territory is about north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated f ...
*
Onge
The Onge (also Önge, Ongee, and Öñge) are an Andamanese ethnic group, indigenous to the Andaman Islands in Southeast Asia at the Bay of Bengal, currently administered by India. They are traditionally hunter-gatherers and fishers, but al ...
of the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India consisting of 572 islands, of which 37 are inhabited, at the junction of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The territory is about north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated f ...
*
Sentinelese
The Sentinelese, also known as the Sentineli and the North Sentinel Islanders, are an indigenous people who inhabit North Sentinel Island in the Bay of Bengal in the northeastern Indian Ocean. Designated a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group ...
of the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India consisting of 572 islands, of which 37 are inhabited, at the junction of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The territory is about north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated f ...
Austroasiatic people
*
Khasi people
The Khasi people are an ethnic group of Meghalaya in north-eastern India with a significant population in the bordering state of Assam, and in certain parts of Bangladesh. Khasi people form the majority of the population of the eastern part of M ...
**
Pnar/Jaintia
*
Munda peoples
The Munda peoples of eastern and central parts of the Indian subcontinent are any of several tribal groups who natively speak Munda languages of Austro-asiatic language family, formerly also known as Kolarian, and spoken by about nine million p ...
**
Bhumij people
Bhumij is a Munda ethnic group of India. They primarily live in the Indian states of West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand, mostly in the old Singhbhum district. Also in states like Bihar and Assam. There is also a sizeable population found in Ban ...
**
Bonda people
**
Ho people
The Ho or Kolha people are an Austroasiatic Munda ethnic group of India. They call themselves the ''Ho'', ''Hodoko'' and ''Horo,'' which mean 'human' in their own language. Officially, however, they are mentioned in different subgroups like K ...
**
Juang people
The Juang are an Austroasiatic ethnic group found only in the Gonsaika hills of Keonjhar district of Odisha. Some Juangs, however migrated to neighbouring plains of Dhenkanal district of Odisha during the Bhuiyan revolt in the late 19th century. ...
**
Kharia people
The Kharia are an Austroasiatic tribal ethnic group from east-central India. They originally speak the Kharia language, which belong to Austroasiatic languages. They are sub-divided into three groups known as the Hill Kharia, Delki Kharia and ...
**
Korku people
The Korku are a Munda ethnic group predominantly found in the Khandwa district, Khandwa, Burhanpur district, Burhanpur, Betul district, Betul and Chhindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh and adjoining areas near the Melghat, Melghat Tiger Reserve ...
**
Mahle people
**
Munda people
The Munda people are an Austroasiatic speaking ethnic group of India. They predominantly speak the Mundari language as their native language, which belongs to the Munda subgroup of Austroasiatic languages. The Munda are found mainly concentr ...
**
Santali people
The Santal or Santhal are an Austroasiatic speaking
Munda ethnic group in South Asia. Santals are the largest tribe in the Jharkhand and West Bengal state of India in terms of population and are also found in the states of Odisha, Bihar and A ...
**
Sora people
The Sora (alternative names and spellings include Saora, Saura, Savara and Sabara) are a Munda ethnic group from eastern India. They live in southern Odisha and north coastal Andhra Pradesh.
The Soras mainly live in Gajapati, Rayagada and ...
*
Nicobarese people
The Nicobarese people are an Austroasiatic-speaking people of the Nicobar Islands, a chain of islands in the Bay of Bengal north of Sumatra, forming part of the union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Only 12 of the 19 islands ...
*
Shompen people
The Shompen or Shom Pen are the indigenous people of the interior of Great Nicobar Island, part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The Shompen are a designated Scheduled Tribe.
Etymology and autonym
"Shompen" is po ...
Austronesian people
*
Sri Lankan Malays
Sri Lankan Malays ( ''Shri Lanka Mæle Janathava'' (Standard); ''Mæle Minissu / Ja Minissu'' (Colloquially); are Sri Lankans with full or partial ancestry from the Indonesian Archipelago, Malaysia, or Singapore. In addition, people from Brun ...
*
Urak Lawoi
Urak Lawoi ( ms, Orang Laut; th, อูรักลาโว้ย; ) are an Aboriginal Malay people residing on the islands of Phuket Province, Phuket, Phi Phi, Jum (island), Jum, Ko Lanta District, Lanta, Bulon and on Ko Lipe, Lipe and Ko Adan ...
*
Moken
The Moken (also ''Mawken or'' ''Morgan''; ; th, ชาวเล, lit=sea people, translit=chao le) are an Austronesian people of the Mergui Archipelago, a group of approximately 800 islands claimed by both Myanmar and Thailand. Most of the 2,0 ...
Dravidian people
*
Badagas
*
Brahui people
The Brahui ( brh, ), Brahvi or Brohi, are an ethnic group of pastoralists principally found in Balochistan, Pakistan. A minority speaks the Brahui language, which belongs to the Dravidian language family, while the rest speaks Balochi and tend ...
*
Dongria Kondha
*
Gondi people
The Gondi (Gōndi) or Gond or Koitur are a Dravidian ethno-linguistic group. They are one of the largest tribal groups in India. They are spread over the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pra ...
*
Irulas
Irula, also known as Iruliga'','' are a Dravidian ethnic group inhabiting the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. A scheduled tribe, their population in this region is estimated at around 200,000 people. People of Irula ethn ...
*
Kannadigas
The Kannada people or Kannadigaru IAST">nowiki/>IAST:_Kannadadavaru_or_Kannadigas_(English_term).html" ;"title="IAST.html" ;"title="nowiki/>IAST">nowiki/>IAST: Kannadadavaru or Kannadigas (English term)">IAST.html" ;"title="nowiki/>IAST">nowik ...
*
Khonds
Khonds (also spelt Kondha, Kandha etc.) are an indigenous Adivasi tribal community in India. Traditionally hunter-gatherers, they are divided into the hill-dwelling Khonds and plain-dwelling Khonds for census purposes; All the Khonds identif ...
*
Kodava
*
Kurukh/Oraon
*
Malayali
The Malayali people () (also spelt Malayalee and also known by the demonym Keralite) are a Dravidian peoples, Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala in India, occupying its southwestern Malabar coast. ...
*
Malto people
The Malto or Maler people, also known as Pahariya, are a Dravidian tribal group from the Rajmahal Hills in the northeastern Chota Nagpur Plateau. They are divided into three subgroups: Mal Paharia, Sauria Paharia and Kumarbhag Paharia. All thre ...
*
Sauria Paharia people
The Sauria Paharia people (also known as Maler Paharia) are a Dravidian ethnic people of Bangladesh and the Indian states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Bihar. They are found mostly in Santhal Parganas region in the Rajmahal Hills.
Origins
Accor ...
*
Tamil people
The Tamil people, also known as Tamilar ( ta, தமிழர், Tamiḻar, translit-std=ISO, in the singular or ta, தமிழர்கள், Tamiḻarkaḷ, translit-std=ISO, label=none, in the plural), or simply Tamils (), are a Dravi ...
**
Indian Tamils
***
Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka
Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka are Tamil people of Indian origin in Sri Lanka. They are also known as Malayaga Tamilar,
Hill Country Tamils, Up-Country Tamils or simply Indian Tamils. They are partly descended from workers sent from South India to Sr ...
**
Sri Lankan Tamils
Sri Lankan Tamils ( or ), also known as Ceylon Tamils or Eelam Tamils, are Tamils native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka. Today, they constitute a majority in the Northern Province, live in significant numbers in the Eastern Pro ...
*
Telugu people
Telugu people ( te, తెలుగువారు, Teluguvāru), or Telugus, or Telugu vaaru, are the largest of the four major Dravidian ethnolinguistic groups in terms of population. Telugus are native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh ...
*
Toda people
Toda people are a Dravidian ethnic group who live in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu. Before the 18th century and British colonisation, the Toda coexisted locally with other ethnic communities, including the Kota, Badaga and Kurumba, in a ...
*
Tuluvas
The Tulu people or Tuluvas are an ethno-linguistic group from Southern India. They are native speakers of the Tulu language and the region they traditionally inhabit is known as Tulu Nadu. This region comprises the districts of Dakshina Kannada ...
Indo-Aryan people
*
Assamese people
The Assamese people are a socio- ethnic linguistic identity that has been described at various times as nationalistic or micro-nationalistic. This group is often associated with the Assamese language, the easternmost Indo-Aryan language, a ...
*
Awadhi people
The Awadhi people or Awadhis (Awadhi/Hindi: अवधी, Urdu: ) are an Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group who speak the Awadhi dialect and reside in the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh. Many Awadhis also migrated to Madhya Pr ...
*
Banjara people
The Banjara (also known as ,Vanzara,Lambadi,Gour Rajput,Labana) are a historically Nomads of India, nomadic Trade, trading caste who may have origins in the Mewar region of what is now Rajasthan.
Etymology
The Banjaras usually refer to themse ...
*
Bhojpuri people
The Bhojpuri people or Bhojpuriyas are a group from the Indian subcontinent who speak the Bhojpuri-language and inhabit the Bhojpuri-Purvanchal region. This area is now divided between the western part of the Indian state of Bihar, the eastern pa ...
*
Bengali people
Bengalis (singular Bengali bn, বাঙ্গালী/বাঙালি ), also rendered as Bangalee or the Bengali people, are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the Bengal region of S ...
*
Bhil people
Bhil or Bheel is an ethnic group in western India. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages. As of 2013, Bhils were the largest tribal group in India.
Bhils are listed as tribal people of the s ...
*
Chakma
*
Chitrali people
The Kho (, khw, ) or Chitrali people, are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group native to the Chitral and Ghizer Districts of Gilgit-Baltistan. They speak an Indo-Aryan language called Khowar.
History
The Kho people are likely descendants ...
*
Deccani people
The Deccanis ( ur, ) or Deccani People are an ethnoreligious community of Urdu-speaking Muslims who inhabit, or trace their ancestry from, the Deccan region of Southern and Central India, and speak the Deccani dialect. The community traces its ...
*
Dhivehi people
Dhivehi, also spelled Divehi, may refer to:
*Dhivehi people, an ethnic group native to the historic region of the Maldive Islands.
*Maldivian language, Dhivehi language, an Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken by about 350,000 people in the R ...
*
Dogra people
The Dogras or Dogra people, are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group in India and Pakistan consisting of the Dogri language speakers. They live predominantly in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, and in adjoining areas of Punjab, Himachal ...
*
Garhwali people
The Garhwali people are an Indian ethnolinguistic group native to the Garhwal, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, who speak Garhwali, an Indo-Aryan language.
Etymology
In modern usage, "Garhwali" is used to refer to anyone whose linguist ...
*
Gujarati people
The Gujarati people or Gujaratis, are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who reside in or can trace their ancestry or heritage to the present-day western Indian state of Gujarat. They primarily speak Gujarati, an Indo-Aryan language. While G ...
*
Haryanvi people
The Haryanvi people are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group native to Haryana, in northern India. They speak Haryanvi, a central Indo-Aryan language related to Western Hindi, as well as other similar dialects such as Ahirwati, Mewati, Puadhi and Ba ...
*
Kalash people
The Kalasha (Kalasha: کالؕاشؕا, romanised: ''Kaḷaṣa)'', or Kalash, are an Indo-Aryan indigenous people residing in the Chitral District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The Kalash population in Pakistan numbers only i ...
*
Kamrupi people
The Kamrupi people are a linguistic group that speak the Kamrupi dialects of Assamese and are found in the colonial Kamrup district region of Assam, India.
Festivals
Bihu, Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Diwali, Holi, Janmastami, Shivratri to name a ...
*
Kashmiri people
Kashmiris are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group speaking the Kashmiri language, living mostly, but not exclusively, in the Kashmir Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, India.(a) (subscription required) Quote: "Kashmir, region of the northwestern ...
*
Khas people
Khas people (; ne, खस) popularly known as Khas Arya are an Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group native to the Himalayas, Himalayan region of South Asia, what is now present-day Nepal, Indian states of Uttarakhand, West B ...
*
Konkani people
The Konkan people ( Konkani) Konkanis
The Konkan people (Konkani language, Konkani) Konkanis
The Konkan people (Konkani language, Konkani) Konkanis
The Konkan people (Konkani language, Konkani) Konkanis
The Konkan p ...
*
Kumaoni people
Kumaonis, also known as Kumaiye and Kumain (in Nepal), are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group who speak Kumaoni language as their first-language and live mostly in Kumaon region in the Indian Himalayas .
Kumaoni is also used as an addr ...
*
Kutchi people
The Kutchi people ( Kutchi and Gujarati: ڪڇّی; કચ્છી) traditionally hail from the Kutch district of the western Indian state of Gujarat and the Sindh region of Pakistan.
History
Some of the Kutchi people of India converted from ...
*
Maithili people
Maithils (Tirhuta: মৈথিল, Devanagari: मैथिल), also known as Maithili people, are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group from the Indian subcontinent, who speak the Maithili language as their native language. They inhabit the ...
*
Maldivian people
*
Marathi people
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...
*
Magahi people
The culture of Magadh division, Magadh is rich with its distinct language, folk songs and festivals. In ancient period it was known as Magadha mahajanpada. The present-day Magadh region split between the states of Bihar and Jharkhand, India. The ma ...
*
Meena people
*
Muhajir people
Muhajir or Mohajir ( ar, مهاجر, '; pl. , ') is an Arabic word meaning ''migrant'' (see immigration and emigration) which is also used in other languages spoken by Muslims, including English. In English, this term and its derivatives may refer ...
*
Nagpuria people
The Nagpuria people, also Nagpuri or Sadan, are an Indo-Aryan speaking ethnolinguistic group who are the native speakers of the Nagpuri language and natives of the western Chota Nagpur Plateau region of Indian states of Jharkhand, Bihar, C ...
*
Odia people
The Odia (), formerly spelled Oriya, is an Indo-Aryan ethnic group native to the Indian state of Odisha who speak Odia language. They constitute a majority in the eastern coastal state, with significant minority populations in neighboring An ...
*
Pahari people
*
Punjabi people
The Punjabis ( Punjabi: ; ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ; romanised as Panjābīs), are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group associated with the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of eastern Pakistan and northwestern India. The ...
*
Rajasthani people
Rajasthani people or Rajasthanis are a group of Indo-Aryan peoples native to Rajasthan ("the land of kingdoms"), a state in Northern India. Their language, Rajasthani, is a part of the western group of Indo-Aryan languages.
History
The fi ...
**
Marwaris
The Marwari or Marwadi (Hindi: मारवाड़ी, Urdu: مارواڑی) are an Indian ethnic group that originate from the Rajasthan region of India. Their language, also called Marwari, comes under the umbrella of Rajasthani languages, ...
*
Rohingya people
The Rohingya people () are a stateless Indo-Aryan ethnic group who predominantly follow Islam and reside in Rakhine State, Myanmar (previously known as Burma). Before the Rohingya genocide in 2017, when over 740,000 fled to Bangladesh, an ...
*
Sindhi people
Sindhis ( sd, سنڌي Perso-Arabic: सिन्धी Devanagari; ) are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group who speak the Sindhi language and are native to the province of Sindh in Pakistan. After the partition of British Indian empire in 1947, m ...
**
Memons
The Memon are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group that originated in the Sindh region of Pakistan. The majority of the Memon people around the world follow the Hanafi fiqh of Sunni Islam. The Memon people have cultural similarities with the Khoja, Khat ...
*
Saraiki people
The Saraikis ( skr, ), are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group inhabiting parts of central and southeastern Pakistan, primarily in the southern part of the Pakistani province of Punjab
They are mainly found in a region of southern Punjab known ...
*
Saurashtra people
The Saurashtra people, or Saurashtrians, are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic Hindu Brahmin community of South India who speak the Saurashtra language, an Indo-Aryan language, and predominantly reside in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala ...
*
Sinhalese people
Sinhalese people ( si, සිංහල ජනතාව, Sinhala Janathāva) are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group native to the island of Sri Lanka. They were historically known as Hela people ( si, හෙළ). They constitute about 75% of t ...
*
Shina people
The Shina or shin (Shina: ݜݨیاٗ, ) are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group primarily residing in Gilgit–Baltistan and Indus Kohistan in Pakistan, as well as in the Dras Valley and Kishenganga Valley (Gurez) in the northern region of ...
*
Sylheti people
The Sylheti () are an Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethnocultural group that are associated with the Sylhet region in South Asia, specifically in northeast of Bengal presently divided between the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh, and the Barak Va ...
*
Tanchangya people
The Tanchangya people or Tanchangyas () are an indigenous ethnic group living in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh, Indian states of Tripura and Mizoram, and Rakhine state of Myanmar.
The beginning of the Tanchangya nation
No histo ...
*
Tharu
*
Urdu-speaking people
Native speakers of Urdu are spread across South Asia. The vast majority of them are Muslims of the Hindi Belt, Hindi–Urdu Belt of northern India, followed by the Deccanis, Deccani people of the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in south-central Ind ...
Iranic people
*
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch ( bal, بلۏچ, Balòc) are an Iranian peoples, Iranian people who live mainly in the Balochistan region, located at the southeasternmost edge of the Iranian plateau, encompassing the countries of Pakistan, Iran, and Afgh ...
*
Hazara people
The Hazaras ( fa, , Həzārə; haz, , Āzərə) are an ethnic group and the principal component of the population of Afghanistan, native to, and primarily residing in the Hazaristan (Hazarajat) region in central Afghanistan and generally scatte ...
*
Irani people Irani may refer to the following:
* Anything related to Iran
* Irani (India), an ethno-religious group of Zoroastrian Iranian ancestry in the Indian subcontinent
* Irani, Santa Catarina
* Irani café
People with the surname
* Adi Irani (born 1942) ...
*
Tajik people
Tajik, Tadjik, Tadzhik or Tajikistani may refer to:
* Someone or something related to Tajikistan
* Tajiks, an ethnic group in Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan
* Tajik language, the official language of Tajikistan
* Tajik (surname)
* Tajik c ...
*
Pashtun people
Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically re ...
**
Rohilla people
Nuristani people
*
Nuristani people
The Nuristanis, formerly known as Kafiristanis, are an ethnic group native to the Nuristan Province of northeastern Afghanistan and Chitral District of northwestern Pakistan. Their languages comprise the Nuristani branch of Indo-Iranian langua ...
**
Kata people
The Katir (also spelled Kati, Kator and Kata) are a Nuristani tribe in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Etymology
The Katir a 'tɘor Kata Kafir group was ''numerically'' the most dominant group of the Siah-Posh (Persian "Black Wearer/Clothed") tribes. ...
**
Kom people
**
Mumo people
Semitic people
*
Arabs
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Wester ...
or mixed Arab and Indo-Aryan or Dravidian
**
Arabs in Gujarat
**
Sri Lankan Moors
Sri Lankan Moors ( ta, இலங்கைச் சோனகர், translit=Ilaṅkaic Cōṉakar; si, ලංකා යෝනක, translit=Lanka Yonaka; formerly Ceylon Moors; colloquially referred to as Sri Lankan Muslims) are an ethnic minorit ...
(trace ancestry to Arab traders who settled in Sri Lanka)
**
Iraqi biradri - a community of Muslims in north India (trace ancestry from Arab tribe of
Bani Tamim
Banū Tamīm ( ar, بَنُو تَمِيم) is an Arab tribe that originated in Najd in the Arabian Peninsula. It is mainly present in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Algeria, and has a strong presence in Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, ...
)
**
Labbay
Labbay (Labbai, Labba, Labbabeen, Lebbay, Lebbai), is a Muslim trading community in southern India found throughout the southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.
Etymology
''Labbay'' means "Here I am", and is used as a title ...
Arab traders who settled in South India
**
Konkani Muslims
Konkani Muslims (or ''Kokani'' Muslims) are an ethnoreligious subgroup of the Konkani people of the Konkani region along the west coast of India, who practice Islam. ''Nawayath'' Muslims from the North Canara district of Karnataka have similar ...
trace their ancestry to Arab traders.
**
Mappila Muslims
Mappila Muslim, often shortened to Mappila, formerly anglicized as Moplah/Mopla and historically known as Jonaka/Chonaka Mappila or Moors Mopulars/Mouros da Terra and Mouros Malabares, in general, is a member of the Muslim community of same n ...
trace their ancestry to Arab traders.
**Boras trace ancestors to Arab traders and merchants.
**
Chaush trace ancestors to traders from
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
.
**
Syrian Malabar Nasranis
The Saint Thomas Christians, also called Syrian Christians of India, ''Marthoma Suriyani Nasrani'', ''Malankara Nasrani'', or ''Nasrani Mappila'', are an ethno-religious community of Indian Christians in the state of Kerala (Malabar region), ...
are descendants of both Brahmin, Nair and Jewish converts to Christianity. (Some mixed later with Persians and Europeans later on)
**
Knanaya
The Knānāya, (from Syriac: ''Knā'nāya'' (Canaanite)) also known as the Southists or Tekkumbhagar, are an endogamous ethnic group found among the Saint Thomas Christian community of Kerala, India. They are differentiated from another part of ...
Syriac Christians who trace their origins to Mesopotamia
*
Indian Jews
The history of the Jews in India dates back to antiquity.
**
Cochin Jews
Cochin Jews (also known as Malabar Jews or Kochinim, from ) are the oldest group of Jews in India, with roots that are claimed to date back to the time of King Solomon. The Cochin Jews settled in the Kingdom of Cochin in South India, now pa ...
(Malayali Jews)
**
Bene Israel
The Bene Israel (), also referred to as the "Shanivar Teli" () or " Native Jew" caste, are a community of Jews in India. It has been suggested that they are the descendants of one of the Ten Lost Tribes via their ancestors who had settled there ce ...
(Marathi Jews)
**
Baghdadi Jews
The former communities of Jewish migrants and their descendants from Baghdad and elsewhere in the Middle East are traditionally called Baghdadi Jews or Iraqi Jews. They settled primarily in the ports and along the trade routes around the Indian ...
(
Arab Jews
Arab Jews ( ar, اليهود العرب '; he, יהודים ערבים ') is a term for Jews living in or originating from the Arab world. The term is politically contested, often by Zionists or by Jews with roots in the Arab world who prefer ...
in
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
)
**
Bnei Menashe
The Bnei Menashe ( he, בני מנשה, "Children of Menasseh", known as the Shinlung in India) is a community of people from various Tibeto-Burmese ethnic groups from the border of India and Burma who claim descent from one of the Lost Tribes ...
(
Mizo and
Kuki Jews)
**
Bene Ephraim
The Bene Ephraim ( he, בני אפריים) ''Bnei Ephraim'' ("Sons of Ephraim"), also called Telugu Jews because they speak Telugu, are a small community living primarily in Kotha Reddy Palem, a village outside Chebrolu, Guntur District, an ...
(Telugu Jews)
**
Paradesi Jews
Paradesi Jews were Jews, Jewish people who immigrated to the Indian subcontinent during the 15th and 16th centuries following the expulsion of Jews from Spain. ''Paradesi'' refers to the Malayalam word that means ''foreign'' as they were newc ...
(
European Jews
The history of the Jews in Europe spans a period of over two thousand years. Some Jews, a Judaean tribe from the Levant, Natural History 102:11 (November 1993): 12–19. migrated to Europe just before the rise of the Roman Empire. A notable e ...
in India)
Tai people
*
Ahom people
The Ahom (Pron: ), or Tai-Ahom is an ethnic group from the Indian states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The members of this group are admixed descendants of the Tai people who reached the Brahmaputra valley of Assam in 1228 and the local indi ...
*
Tai Aiton
*
Tai Phake or Tai Phakial
Tibeto-Burman people
*
Bodo–Kachari people
Bodo–Kacharis (also Kacharis or Bodos) is a name used by anthropologist and linguists to define a collection of ethnic groups living predominantly in the Northeast Indian states of Assam, Tripura, and Meghalaya. These peoples are speakers of ...
**
Bodo Bodo may refer to:
Ethnicity
* Boro people, an ethno-linguistic group mainly from Northwest Assam, India
* Bodo-Kachari people, an umbrella group from Nepal, India and Bangladesh that includes the Bodo people
Culture and language
* Boro cu ...
**
Dimasa
**
Garo
Garo may refer to:
People and languages
* Garo people, a tribal people in India
** Garo language, the language spoken by the Garo tribe
Places
* Kingdom of Garo, a former kingdom in southern Ethiopia
* Garo, Colorado
* Garo Hills, part of the Ga ...
**
Hajong
**
Sonowal
**
Sutiya
*
Chepang
*
Gurung
Gurung (exonym; ) or Tamu (endonym; Gurung: ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the hills and mountains of Gandaki Province of Nepal. Gurung people predominantly live around the Annapurna region in Manang, Mustang, Dolpo, Kaski, Lamjung, Gorkha, ...
*
Khowa
*
Kirati people
The Kirati people, also spelled as Kirant or Kiranti, are a Sino-Tibetan ethnic group. They are peoples of the Himalayas, mostly the Eastern Himalaya extending eastward from Nepal to North East India (predominantly in the Indian state of Sikkim ...
**
Rai
RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many ter ...
**
Limbu
**
Yakkha Yakkha may refer to:
* Yakkha people, an ethnic group of South Asia
* Yakkha language, a Sino-Tibetan language
* Yaksha
The yakshas ( sa, यक्ष ; pi, yakkha, i=yes) are a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, but sometime ...
,
Sunuwar
The Sunuwar or Koinch (; ''Sunuwār Jāti'') is a Kirati tribe native to Nepal, parts of India (West Bengal and Sikkim) and southern Bhutan. They speak the Sunuwar language. According to the 2001 census of Nepal, 17% of the tribe follow the Kir ...
*
Lepcha people
The Lepcha (; also called Rongkup ( Lepcha: , ''Mútuncí Róngkup Rumkup'', "beloved children of the Róng and of God") and Rongpa ( Sikkimese: )) are among the indigenous peoples of the Indian state of Sikkim and Nepal, and number around 80,0 ...
*
Magar people
The Magar, also spelled as Mangar, and Mongar, are the third largest ethnolinguistic groups of Nepal, indigenous to Western Nepal and representing 7.1% of Nepal's total population according to the 2011 Nepal census.
The original home of the Magar ...
*
Memba
The Memba are a people of Arunachal Pradesh. The Memba population is currently around four to five thousand. They mainly live in the districts of Shi Yomi, West Siang and Upper Siang. Some also in nearby Tibet. The religious life of the Memba ...
*
Meitei people
The Meitei people, also known as the Manipuri people,P.20: "historically, academically and conventionally Manipuri prominently refers to the Meetei people."P.24: "For the Meeteis, Manipuris comprise Meeteis, Lois, Kukis, Nagas and Pangal." is ...
(
Manipuri people
The Meitei people, also known as the Manipuri people,P.20: "historically, academically and conventionally Manipuri prominently refers to the Meetei people."P.24: "For the Meeteis, Manipuris comprise Meeteis, Lois, Kukis, Nagas and Pangal." is ...
)
*
Naga people
Nagas are various ethnic groups native to northeastern India and northwestern Myanmar. The groups have similar cultures and traditions, and form the majority of population in the Indian states of Nagaland and Manipur and Naga Self-Administered ...
**
Anāl people
The Anāl (also spelled as Anaal) are some of the oldest settlers of the present day Manipur. They belong to the Naga tribe native to Manipur state in North-East India and part of Myanmar. The name "Anal" was given by the Meitei people of Manip ...
**
Angami Naga
The Angamis are a major Naga ethnic group native to the Northeast Indian state of Nagaland. The Angami Nagas are predominantly settled in Kohima District, Chümoukedima District and Dimapur District of Nagaland and are also recognized as one ...
***
Southern Angami
Southern Angami or ''Japfüphiki'' is a geo-cultural region located in the southern part of Kohima District in the state of Nagaland in India with a portion of its territory also lying across the inter-state border in the Senapati District of M ...
**
Ao Naga
The Ao Nagas are a major Naga ethnic group native to Mokokchung District of Nagaland, Northeast India. Their main territory is from Tsüla (Dikhu) Valley in the east to Tsürang (Disai) Valley in the west in Mokokchung District.
The Ao Nagas ...
**
Chakhesang Naga
The Chakhesangs are a major Naga ethnic group found in the Indian state of Nagaland. Chakhesangs were previously known as the former Eastern Angamis, now recognized as a separate ethnic group. The Chakhesangs are divided into two groups know ...
**
Chang Naga
Chang is a Naga ethnic group of Nagaland, India. It is one of the recognized Scheduled Tribes.
The tribe was also known as Mazung in British India. Other Naga ethnic groups know the Changs by different names including ''Changhai'' ( Khiamniunga ...
**
Chiru Naga
Chiru people is a Zo ethnic group that mostly resides in Manipur and some in Assam, India. They are listed as a Scheduled Tribe, in accordance with The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendment) Act, 1976 Indian Constitution
...
**
Chothe people
The Chothe tribe is one of the oldest tribes found in the state of Manipur, India. Some historians and anthropologists have erroneously recorded the Chothe as the Purum of India. Some Chothe are called Chawhte in Mizoram and they are part of ...
**
Khiamniungan Naga
Khiamniungan is a major Naga ethnic group, with approximately 35% of the population found in Noklak District of Nagaland, India and the rest in Naga Self Administered Zone and Hkhamti district of Myanmar. They were also called Kalyo-Kengnyu ("sl ...
**
Konyak Naga
The Konyaks are one of the major Naga ethnic groups. In Nagaland, they inhabit the Mon District, which is also known as ''The Land of the Anghs''. The ''Anghs''/''Wangs'' are their traditional chiefs whom they hold in high esteem. Facial tattoo ...
**
Lainong Naga
The Lainong tribe (also known as Htang Ngan, Leinong) is one of the Naga tribes that mostly resides in Naga Self-Administered Zone in Myanmar . They are one of the major Naga tribes of Myanmar and mostly inhabits around Lahe Township
Lahe Town ...
**
Lamkang people
**
Lotha Naga
The Lotha Nagas, also known as Kyong, are a major Naga ethnic group native to Wokha District in the Indian state of Nagaland.
Origins
Scholars have presented several theories about the migration of the Lothas and the other Naga tribes, base ...
**
Mao people
The Mao languages are a branch of the Omotic languages spoken in Ethiopia. The group had the following categories:
*Bambasi, spoken in the Bambasi woreda of Benishangul-Gumuz Region,
* Hozo and Seze (often described together as 'Begi Mao'), spok ...
**
Maram people
Maram tribe is one of the tribes that form the Naga tribe of Northeast India. The Marams occupy a large portion of Senapati district of Manipur. They are the only tribe of Nagas who did not consume pork in the past; today, with the advent of Ch ...
**
Maring people
**
Monsang people
Monsang people are one among the indigenous tribes of North-East India, inhabiting the south-east part of Manipur state border to Myanmar particularly in Chandel district. Monsangs have their own distinct culture and tradition and are traditiona ...
**
Moyon Naga
**
Nocte Naga
**
Para Naga
The Para people, also known as the Para Naga, are a Tibeto-Burmese ethnic group inhabiting mostly in the Naga Self-Administered Zone in Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions ...
**
Poumai people
**
Phom Naga
Phom is a Naga tribe from Nagaland, India. Their traditional territory lies between the territories of Konyak in the north-east, the Ao in the west and the Chang in the south. Yongnyah is the largest Phom village.
Economy
Agriculture is ...
**
Pochury Naga
Pochury is a Naga tribe of Nagaland, India. The tribe's native territory is located in the eastern part of the Phek district, centered at Meluri town (160 km from the state capital Kohima).
History
The Pochury identity is of relatively ...
**
Rengma Naga
Rengma is a Naga people, Naga tribe found in Nagaland and Assam states of India. According to the 2011 Census of India, the population of Rengmas in Nagaland stands at 62,951 and the population of Rengmas in Assam is around 22,000. Tseminyü dis ...
**
Sangtam Naga
The Sangtams are one of the major Naga ethnic group native to Kiphire District of Nagaland, India.
Like many other ethnic groups in Northeast India, they practice jhum, or shifting cultivation. Unlike other Naga ethnic groups in Nagaland, ma ...
**
Sümi Naga
The Sümi Naga also known as Sema Naga are a major Naga ethnic group in the Indian state of Nagaland. The Sümis mainly inhabit Zünheboto District, parts of Niuland District and Kiphire District although many have spread and are now living in ...
**
Tangkhul people
The Tangkhuls are a major Naga ethnic group living in the Indo–Burma border area, occupying the Ukhrul district and Kamjong district in Manipur, India and the Somra tract hills, Layshi township, Homalin township and Tamu Township in Burma. ...
**
Tangsa Naga
**
Tarao people
The Taraos are one of the lesser-known tribes of Manipur mostly settled in Chandel district of Manipur.
They use Meitei language as their second language (L2) according to the Ethnologue
''Ethnologue: Languages of the World'' (stylized as ...
**
Thangal people
The Thangals are one of the indigenous Naga tribes restricted to the Senapati district of the state of Manipur in north-east India. Presently there are 13 Thangal villages. They are found in eleven hill villages of the Senapati District. Mapao T ...
**
Tikhir Naga
The Tikhir are a Naga tribe from Nagaland, India. They are listed as a Scheduled Tribe
The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups ...
**
Tutsa Naga
**
Wancho Naga
The Wancho are Naga indigenous people inhabiting the Patkai hills of Longding district in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. Culturally Naga, they are ethnically related to the Nocte of Arunachal Pradesh and Konyak of Nagaland The Wancho a ...
**
Yimkhiung Naga
Yimkhiung (formerly formally misspelled as Yimchunger) is a Naga ethnic group whose traditional territory includes Shamator and Kiphire District in the Indian state of Nagaland and western areas of Burma.
Etymology
The word Yimkhiung means "t ...
***
Chirr Naga
Chirr is a Naga ethnic group that are mostly native to Nagaland, India. They are listed as a Scheduled Tribe, in the official Census of India. However, due to lack of official recognition from Government of Nagaland are considered sub-tribe of ...
***
Makury Naga
The Makury tribe (sometimes spelt Makuri, Makware) is one of the Naga tribes that mostly resides in Naga Self-Administered Zone in Myanmar and some in Nagaland, India. They are one of the major Naga tribes of Myanmar and mostly inhabits around L ...
**
Zeliangrong
Zeliangrong people are one of the major indigenous Naga communities living in the tri-junction of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland
Nagaland () is a landlocked state in the northeastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of A ...
***
Inpui people
***
Liangmai people
***
Rongmei people
***
Zeme Naga
*
Newar people
Newar (; new, नेवार, endonym: Newa; new, नेवा, Pracalit script:) or Nepami, are the historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding areas in Nepal and the creators of its historic heritage and civilisation ...
*
Nishi
*
Tamang
The Tamang (; Devanagari: तामाङ; ''tāmāṅ'') are an Tibeto-Burmese ethnic group of Nepal. In Nepal Tamang/Moormi people constitute 5.6% of the Nepalese population at over 1.3 million in 2001, increasing to 1,539,830 as of the 2011 c ...
*
Thakali
*
Tibetans
The Tibetan people (; ) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Tibet. Their current population is estimated to be around 6.7 million. In addition to the majority living in Tibet Autonomous Region of China, significant numbers of Tibetans liv ...
and
Tibetan-speaking peoples
**
Tibetan Ladakhis
**
Uttarakhandi Bhotiya
**
Sikkimese people
Sikkimese are people who inhabit the Indian state of Sikkim. The dominance ethnic diversity of Sikkim is represented by 'Lho-Mon-Tsong-Tsum' that identifies origin of three races since seventeenth century. The term 'Lho' refers to Bhutias (Lhopo) ...
***
Bhutia
The Bhutia (; sip, Drenjongpa/Drenjop; ; "inhabitants of Sikkim".) are a community of Sikkimese people living in the state of Sikkim in northeastern India, who speak Drenjongke or Sikkimese, a Tibetic language fairly mutually intelligible w ...
s
**
Monpa
***
Takpa
The Takpa is a linguistic northern sub-group of the Monpa people, while the southern sub-group is identified as the Tshangla. Monpas of the Takpa group are found in Tawang and Dirang of Arunachal Pradesh, Cuona of Tibet as well as Trashigang in Bhu ...
***
Tshangla
Tshangla is a Sino-Tibetan language of the Bodish branch closely related to the Tibetic languages. Tshangla is primarily spoken in Eastern Bhutan and acts as a lingua franca in the region; it is also spoken in the adjoining Tawang tract in the I ...
**
Sherpas
**
Bhotiya
Bhotiya or Bhot ( ne, भोटिया, ) are groups of ethno-linguistically related Tibetan people living in the Transhimalayan region that divides India from Tibet. The word ''Bhotiya'' comes from the classical Tibetan name for Tibet, , . ...
s
**
Sherdukpen
The Sherdukpen are an ethnic group of Arunachal Pradesh state of India. Their population of 9,663 is centered in West Kameng district in the villages of Rupa, Jigaon, Thongri, Shergaon, to the south of Bomdila. All of these are at elevations be ...
**
Aka
**
Miji
**
Tibetan Muslim
Tibetan Muslims, also known as the Kachee (; ; also spelled Kache), form a small minority in Tibet. Despite being Muslim, they are officially recognized as Tibetans by the government of the People's Republic of China, unlike the Hui Muslims, w ...
***
Burig
***
Baltis
Baltis was an ancient Arabian goddess. She was revered at Carrhae and identified with the planet Venus.
Isaac of Antioch mentions Baltis in a text written in the middle of the 5th century CE as a deity worshipped by the Arabs. Baltis here is e ...
*
Tripuri
Tripuri refer to:
*Tripuri people, an ethnic group in India and Bangladesh, also known as Tipra people
**Tripuri language
**Tripuri nationalism
**Tripuri calendar
**Tripuri culture
**Tripuri cuisine
**Tripuri dances
**Tripuri dress
**Tripuri games ...
*Karbi people or Mikir
*Thami
*Zo people
**Bawm people
**Chin people, Chin
**Kuki people, Kuki
***Halam tribe, Halam
***Hrangkhol people, Hrangkhol
**
Mizo
Turkic peoples
*Turks in India, Turkish Indian
*Rowther are alleged descendants of Seljuk Empire, Seljuk Turks in Turco-Persian tradition, Turko-Persian tradition. They have since become the tradition of Turko-Indian in 12th Century.
*Mughal (tribe), 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 Turkification, Turkified Mongol tribe to which Babur belonged)
**Changezi (Those who were in army of Hulagu Khan)
Afro-Asian groups
*
Chaush
*Sheedi, Sheedis/Siddis, an ethnic community of Black African descent, found primarily in Pakistan, Gujarat, and Karnataka.
*Sri Lanka Kaffir people, Sri Lanka Kaffirs
European and Eurasian people
*Anglo-Burmese
*Anglo-Indian
*Armenians in Bangladesh, Bangladeshi-Armenians
**Armenian community of Dhaka, Dhakaiya Armenians
*Burgher people
*French people in India, French-Indian
*Luso-Indian
*Romani people
*Eurasians
East Asian people
Chinese
*Chinese people in Bangladesh, Bangladeshi Chinese
*Chinese community in India, Indian Chinese
*Chinese people in Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan Chinese
Linguistically isolate groups
* Hunza people
*
Kusunda
* Nihali language, Nahali
*
Vedda
The Vedda ( si, වැද්දා , ta, வேடர் (''Vēḍar'')), or Wanniyalaeto, are a minority indigenous group of people in Sri Lanka who, among other sub-communities such as Coast Veddas, Anuradhapura Veddas and Bintenne Vedd ...
Diaspora
Many South Asian ethnic groups and nationalities have substantial diasporas outside of South Asia.
*South Asian American
**Bangladeshi American
**Bengali American
**Gujarati Americans, Gujarati American
**Indian American
**Nepalese American
**Pakistani American
**Punjabi American
**Sri Lankan American
**Tamil American
**Telugu Americans, Telugu 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
*Indians 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
*Indian diaspora in France
*Indians in Israel
*Indians in Italy
*Indians in Portugal
*Indian community in Spain
*Indians in Fiji, Indo-Fijian
**South Indians in Fiji
*Indians in New Caledonia
See also Bangladeshi diaspora, Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin, Indian diaspora, Non Resident Nepali, 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 Bhutan
*Languages of India
*Maldives#Languages, Languages of Maldives
*Languages of Nepal
*Languages of Pakistan
*Languages of Sri Lanka
*List of ethnolinguistic regions of South Asia
*List of indigenous peoples#South Asia, List of indigenous peoples of South Asia
*List of Scheduled Tribes in India
*Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
*Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin
*Non Resident Nepali
*Overseas Pakistani
*Desi
*Ethnic groups in Pakistan
*Ethnic groups in Nepal
*Genetics and archaeogenetics of South Asia
*Y-DNA haplogroups in populations of South Asia
National demographics:
*Demographics of Bangladesh
*Demographics of Bhutan
*Demographics of India
*Demographics of the Maldives
*Demographics of Nepal
*Demographics of Pakistan
*Demographics of Sri Lanka
References
16. Vij SB, Webb ML. Culturally competent occupational therapy practice for South Asians in the United States of America: A narrative review. Indian J Occup Ther 2022;54:4-9.
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:South Asian Ethnic Groups
Ethnic groups in Pakistan
Ethnic groups in India,
Ethnic groups in South Asia,