Racial Origin of Caste (Re: varna and jati)

[Paul Kekai Manansala]

Hi Samar,

Obviously the opinions of Clyde Winters and Runuko Rashidi won't
be too popular with some on this list. I've corresponded with
both these researchers over the Internet.  The genetics articles are
mainstream though.

I notice that you are posting from an Indian address.  Were you able
to see Rashidi when he came to India?  The Black identity movement seems
to be gaining a lot of popularity among Dalits.  And Winters is widely
published in South Indian journals.

Regards,
Paul Kekai Manansala

Samar Abbas wrote:
>
> On Sat, 22 May 1999, Yaroslav V. Vassilkov wrote:
> > 'VarNa' never meant 'skin colour' or 'race' - such interpretation seems
> > to be a survival of XIX century racist or "colonial" ideas.
>
>  Genetics has recently proven that the caste system of India is racial in
> origin, with different castes representing different races :
>
> - M. Bamshad et al, "mtDNA Variation in Caste Populations"
>   Human Biology vol. 68 (1996) p.1
>
> - ` p53 polymorphisms and haplotypes show distinct differences between
>   major ethnic groups', A. Sjalander et al,
>   Human Heredity (GE9) ( 1996 Jan-Feb ) 46 (1): 41-8.
>
> Both papers show that the Sudroids are of African (and not Caucasoid)
> stock, explaining the `black' colour associated with them in Vedic texts.
> IndoPedia has a good page on this -
>
>  `The Sudroid or Indian Negro Race'
>  - http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/1335/Anthro/sud_afr.html
>
> Prof. Clyde A. Winters has given linguistic evidences of Indo-African
> languages at (and has deciphered the Harappan script based on African
> models):
>
>  - http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Bay/7051/dra2.htm (ekwesi)
>  - http://homepages.luc.edu/~cwinter/wrharap.htm
>
>  The `yellow' colour of Vaisyas may be due to darkening of Aryan skin, or
> due to Mongoloid (`Naga') admixture; other surveys show considerable
> Mongoloid racial admixture, esp. in East India.
>
> Some more entirely political links, not very scholarly, but
> shows that Sudras (Dravidians, Dalits and Adivasis) are becoming more
> concious of their Black Heritage. Please do not visit if offended by
> political `Indology' :
>
>  `Africoid Populations In India', Runoko Rashidi
>   - http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/8192/india.html
>   (Has a photo of a Dravidian girl. Anyone claim she is Aryan ?)
>
>  `The African Presence in India' by Runoko Rashidi
>   - http://saxakali.com/Saxakali-Publications/runoko19.htm
>   - http://www.cwo.com/~lucumi/india.html
>   - http://pan.afrikan.net/history.notes/home.html
>   (Rashidi recently visited India, and gave several speeches of solidarity
>   with the Dalit Panthers, a movement modelled on the Black Panthers)
>
>  `Revival Movement for Dravidian Religion', Dr. M. Deivanayagam
>   & Dr. D. Devakala
>   - http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/1412/index.html
>  (some nonsense, some sense)
>
>  `Dalit : The Black Untouchables of India', V.T.Rajshekar,
>   - http://www.bookmasters.com/clarity/b0001.htm
>
> Samar