Religious diktat enforced more than a millennium ago can have repercussions in genetic make-up of modern-day Indians.
This is the result of a study of numerous communities undertaken by researchers from the National Institute of BioMedical Genomics in West Bengal.
The team has found, through genetic analysis, that the country’s billion inhabitants have a far more complex origin than previously imagined.
However, in the complexities of genes lie the secret of one of the country’s most persistent practices: the caste system.
By looking at “ancient” genes within modern genomes, the scientists have been able to figure out when the “mixing” of genes ended — that is, when the caste system closed its grasp. The results point to the Gupta period, nearly 1,500 years ago, when many historians believe prohibition of marriage between castes was enshrined in the Dharmasastra. Similarly, other communities can trace their caste consolidation to kingdoms such as Rashtrakutas or the Pala dynasty, shows the study.
