Are Dravidians the true Indians?

**Breathe** · 02-08-2023, 08:42 PM

Since they migrated to India before anyone else ?

**Loki** · 02-08-2023, 08:49 PM

That's like asking if the Celts are the true English... The Indian nation is the result of several groups' input, not just one.

**SilverKnight** · 02-08-2023, 08:51 PM

basically what Loki said.. Indians are basically an ancient mixed race.. .a lot of ancient groups within them.

**Breathe** · 02-08-2023, 08:52 PM

Originally Posted by Loki

That's like asking if the Celts are the true English... The Indian nation is the result of several groups' input, not just one.

Which several groups? Can you elaborate?

**sean** · 02-08-2023, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by Breathe

Are Dravidians the true Indians? Since they migrated to India before anyone else ?

Kind of.

Australoid group of tribes have the longest ancestry in India, they're part of the same migration that settled the Nicobar Islands, however they mixed with the populations that arrived later in India, whereas the tribes in Nicobar remained the same (the Sentinelese are the remnants of these people). Mainland Dravidian tribes like Bhils and Gonds have the highest ratio of this ancient admixture which dates back to 30,000 years. Even South Indian tribals have almost no Steppe ancestry.

**Mingle** · 02-08-2023, 09:45 PM

They weren't the first people in India, they were just there before Indo-Aryans. Dravidians themselves came from West Asia and India was inhabited by hunter gatherers when they came. Also, India as a concept exists because of Indo-Aryans. So no, Dravidians aren't the "true Indians".

**Loki** · 02-08-2023, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by Breathe

Which several groups? Can you elaborate?

As already mentioned, Indo-Aryans for one. There were other influences too, just consult history.

**Jingle Bell** · 02-08-2023, 10:42 PM

They have a lot of AASI (Indigenous S. Asian) but the identity of modern Indians comes from the mix of that many ancient groups (AASI, IRAN N, PIE, Tibetans etc. . ) its like in Brazil, the average of indigenous blood in my state its abt 9% (I myself am just 3% or 2%) but despite the natives were the oldest here the brazilian culture was just born with the mix of the portuguese, native and african, theres no Brazil indentity before Portuguese and SSA input like there no Indian identity before Iran N and Indo Europeans.
So they are one of the with most native DNA but that dont makes they more or less "indian" than others groups