A Biological Comparison of Eight Endogamous Groups of the Same Rank [and Comments and Replies]

Abstract

In order to examine the hypothesis that some Indian groups formerly called "sub-castes" (with the implication of common origin) are in fact separate groups which at different times and places achieved the same social rank, members of eight endogamous groups, all called Brahmins, in Maharashtra were studied for morphological and genetic characters. The statistics developed by Sanghvi-T and G -and an additional one, S (somatoscopic difference) based on his method were used to assess quantitatively the biological affinities between these groups. On the basis of these statistics, independent origins can be suggested for five of the eight groups, and this finding is supported by the scanty historical records. Although the data from a biological survey cannot positively confirm a sociological hypothesis such as this one, it is significant that there is nothing in the data to contradict it.