Anthropometric Variations in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir (An Old and Rare with pin holed Book)

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The present volume is the second in the series of analytical studies on a very large set of anthropometric data of a number of population groups, by state, covered under the project "All India Anthropometric Survey: North Zone. "In the volume detailed account of the anthropometric features of the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir is presented independently. Emphasis was given to bring out the extent of variation by social category and spatial variation within a population group and the pattern of intergroup morphometric affinities within and across the broadly defined eco geographical regions in each state.
The methodological approach of the present study, in contrast to earlier trend of typological classification of human population, is altogether different. Assessment of the morphological affinities among the various castes and tribes within each state is made by computing the Mahalanobis D' distances between the pairs of groups, and further subjecting the matrix to agglomerative procedures to have a visual representation of the intergroup differences.

J. Sreenath had his M.Sc. and M.Phil. degrees from Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati and is currently working as Anthropologist in Anthropological Survey of India. He has been involved in handling large scale Anthropometric data generated through the two Anthropometric Surveys (South Zone and North Zone) since 1986. He has Co-authored three books pertaining to the analytical studies of anthropometry of the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Bihar and Orissa. His other areas of interest include computerized data processing, Bio-statistics, Bio- chemical genetics and Dermatoglyphics.
Arabinda Basu, former Superintending Anthropologist in Anthropological Survey of India, obtained his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Anthropology from Calcutta University. He has experience over a wide range of bio-anthropological studies. His contributions have covered tha fields of skeletal biology, anthropometry, dermatoglyphics, anthropological demography and ethnography. He has published more than forty research papers in various academic journals of India and abroad. He is the author of Dematoglypics of Mysore population; and Co-authored: Human Remains from Harappa, Ancient Human Remains, Human Remains from Burzahom and twelve state volumes of All India Anthropometric Survey: Basic Anthropometric Data; and Co-edited Directory of Anthropologists in India, Purum (Chothe) Revisited, Man and Environment, Frontiers of Anthropology, Andaman and Nicobar Islanders, People of India Meghalaya, Anthropometric Variations in Assam, Bihar and Orissa, and North-East India: Ethno-cultural Perspectives and Processes.

The anthropometric features of various communities of the four northern states of India Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir are presented in this volume. Systematic large-scale anthropometric studies from this part of India are almost non-existent. The present study may fill up the gap and help enhance our understanding of the whole gamut of morphometric variation.
Altogether six communities from Punjab, four from Haryana, eleven from Himachal Pradesh and five from Jammu & Kashmir are described separately under each state. A generalised morphometric profile of the state as a whole based on the analysis of individual district level data sets has been generated for each state. A multivariate assessment of the intergroup affinities has been made by computing D2 statistic.
Results of the analysis suggest greater comparability among the people of Punjab and Haryana. The average stature of the people of these two states is far greater than that of any other state of the country. The largest faces in the whole of northern zone are found among the people of Jammu & Kashmir This feature along with finer nasal form and relatively shorter stature distinguish the people of Jammu & Kashmir from Punjab and Haryana. Average morphometric features of the part of Himachal Pradesh are midway between those of Jammu & Kashmir on one side and Punjab and Haryana combine on the other. However, in their nasal and facial features they (the people of Himachal Pradesh) approximate closer to the people of Jammu & Kashmir. Head shape in all the four states exhibit an average, a dolicho-mesocephalic type, with greater variation found in Himachal Pradesh where the people tend to show mesocephalic type. In general the breadth measurements show a limited range of variation and indicate a stabilization around the same levels in all the four states.
Intergroup morphometric affinities among the groups within each state suggest a closer resemblance between the Muslims and Brahmins of the northern districts in Jammu & Kashmir. In this state the Brahmins of the southern districts are relatively far apart from either the Brahmins of northern districts or the Muslims of the same area. It is also interesting to note that though the Muslims of the north and south are comparatively similar, they are independently closer to the Brahmin of the northern districts.
Morphometric distinction corresponding to social hiararchy, which was noticed in Bihar and Orissa is found to be absent in Punjab, Haryana, as well as in Himachal Pradesh. In Haryana the Brahmin share smaller D2 values (distances) with both Rajput and Harijan. The Jat-Sikh and Rajput in this region are relatively similar in morphological features.

At the initiative of Professor N. K. Bose two large scale Anthropometric Surveys were undertaken by the Anthropological Survey of India during 1962-1969. The All India Anthropometric Survey: South Zone was conducted between 1962 and 1963 covering the four southern states of India. Five trained Physical Anthropologists measured more than 14,000 adult male individuals belonging to 109 different castes, communities and tribes from 61 districts of the four states. Mr. H. K. Rakshit was primarily responsible for overall guidance of the anthropometric survey in south zone.
The second large-scale anthropometric survey Le. All India Anthropometric Survey North Zone was between the years 1963 and 1969, wherein fifteen well-trained Physical Anthropologists measured about 47,000 adult males from as many as 172 districts of the twelve states of north, central, eastern and western India, covering 198 population groups at distict The anthropometric survey in northern states of India commenced under the direct supervision of Dr. D. K. Sen, the then Deputy Director of the Survey.
It is a matter of great satisfaction that basic anthropometric data derived indices of the population groups of the eleven states of northern India have been published by the Anthropological Survey of India. However, anthropometric data generated from Rajasthan were not adequate for meaningful study and therefore not taken up for publication of its basic data and analysed report. The first volume containing analytical studies on a large set of anthropometric data from Assam, Bihar and Orissa (Basu and Sreenath 1995), is also available for further study.

India is the homeland of diverse population groups belonging to different ethnic and linguistic stocks and having different socio-cultural heritages. Movements of people in different streams, with various cultures and physiognomies account for India's diversities. The people of India are divided into several endogamous communities separated by differences of religion and language, and in the case of Hindus, also by caste. Diverse ethinic elements in the populations of north-west and north-east India is said to be due mainly to intermingling of local inhabitants with different migrant populations entered India through Himalayan valleys in the north and Assam-Burma border on the eastern side in successive waves at different intervals. Earlier anthropometric studies revealed dominance of autochthonous Proto-Australoid or Veddoid or Dravidian elements in the populations of southern peninsular region. Some low-ranked castes and tribals in parts of central India, Bihar and Chotanagpur are considered definitely of Proto-Australoid origin. In contrast northern states are in general peopled by medium or fair complexioned dolichocephalic caucasoid elements, described broadly as Indo-Aryan. The other foreign influx consists of the Mongoloid elements from South-east Asia, which are concentrated mainly in the hills and valleys of North-east and Eastern India. Thus all the major ethnic groups, Caucasoid, Mongoloid, Australoid, Negroid and hybrid groups involving them represented within its boundaries. Several efforts to classify the Indian populations into racial, sub-racial groups etc. have recognised this fact (Risley 1908, Guha 1931, Eickstedt 1934).
Prior to systematic anthropometric study of Risley, there were perhaps only few important studies made, namely, those by Charles de Ujfalvy in 1881-82 and Drake Brockman. Ujafalvy carried out anthropometric studies in Western Himalayas and Hindu Kush. The results being published in 1884 and 1896. Drake Brockman measured in parts of Uttar Pradesh and his measurements were printed by W. Crooke, in 1896. Edgar Thurston, Sir T. H. Holland and Lieutenant Colonel Waddell were also responsible for anthropometric studies in South India, Kulu, Lahoul, Assam, and parts of Bengal. Thurston's Study (1909) on South Indian castes and tribes primarily emphasised ethnographic information from cultural anthropological view point, although his reports included limited battery of anthropometric characters on some population groups. While Waddell's (1901) presentation of anthropometric data were based on collection of data mainly from the Brahmputra valley.
Anthropometric study encompassing a large number of population at All India level was earlier limited to a few reports only. Risley (1891), Guha (1935) and Eickstedt (1934) collected anthropometric data of different population groups of India, and on the basis of these data efforts were made to classify the Indian populations into racial, sub-racial groups. and so on.