Morphological and regional variations in body dimensions of the Gujjars of different

localities in North-Western India

Author(s): R. S. Balgir
Source: Anthropologischer Anzeiger , September 2003, Jahrg. 61, H. 3 (September 2003),
pp. 275-285
Published by: E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/29542470

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 Anthrop. Anz. Jg. 61 3 275-285 Stuttgart, September 2003

Morphological and regional variations in body dimensions

of the Gujjars of different localities in North-Western
India

R. S. Balgir

Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India

With 1 figure and 4 tables

Summary: Physical features and somatometric characters of the wide spread Gujjar popula-
tion in North-Western India are fascinating. It is all the more interesting to study their
morphological and regional variations in the body dimensions. In this paper, anthropometric
characters of 200 adult subjects each belonging to Hindu Gujjars in the Ropar District of
Punjab and Muslim Gujjars in the Chamba District of Himachal Pradesh in the North-Western
part of India were compared. They differ significantly from each other for many physiog-
nomic measurements, suggesting the biological diversity between the two population groups.
Further, the comparison of anthropometric measurements between the different localities of
the Gujjars showed morphological variations and regional diversity of the isolates in North-
Western India. These findings may be attributed to the founder effect, genetic drift, and
breeding and geographical isolation of the populations under study and not to secular trends.
The findings have also been compared and discussed with the available results of other local
populations in North-Western India.

Key words: Anthropometry, genetic isolates, biological diversity, regional variations, Hindu
and Muslim Gujjars, North-Western India.

Zusammenfassung: Das physische Erscheinungsbild sowie die somatometri sehen Merk-

male der über Nordwest-Indien weit verstreuten Gujjars sind in hohem Maße faszinierend,
wie auch die Analyse der morphologischen und regionalen Variationen in den Körpermerk-
malen von großem Interesse ist. In dieser Untersuchung werden die anthropometrischen
Merkmale von jeweils 200 erwachsenen Individuen der Hindu-Gujjars aus dem Ropar-Dis-
trikt des Punjab und der Muslim-Gujjars aus dem Chamba-Distrikt in Himachal Pradesh
verglichen. Beide Distrikte liegen im nordwestlichen Teil Indiens. In vielen anthropome-
trischen Merkmalen unterscheiden sich beide Gruppen signifikant voneinander, was auf
eine biologische Verschiedenheit dieser beiden Populationsgruppen schließen läßt. Weiter-
hin läßt der Vergleich der anthropometrischen Maße Unterschiede zwischen den verschie-
denen Lokalgruppen der Gujjars sowie eine regionale Diversität der isolierten Gruppen in
Nordwest-Indien erkennen. Diese Beobachtungen können durch Founder-Effekte, gene-
tische Drift sowie soziale und geographische Isolation der untersuchten Populationen erk-
lärt werden, nicht durch die Annahme säkularer Trends. Die eigenen Beobachtungen wer-
den außerdem mit denen an anderen nordwestindischen Populationen gewonnenen vergli-
chen und diskutiert.

Schlüsselwörter: Anthropométrie, genetische Isolate, biologische Verschiedenheit, regionale

Variationen, Hindu und Moslem Gujjars, Nordwest-Indien.

0003-5548/03/0061-0275 $ 2.75
© 2003 E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, D-70176 Stuttgart

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276 R. S. Balgir

Introduction

The Gujjar population occupies an important position in the states of Jammu and
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Mahar-
ashtra, Madhya Pradesh and the western part of Uttar Pradesh in North-Western
India (Balgir 1983, 1991a). The historical accounts revealed that they were the allied
hordes of White Huns, who invaded India during the 5th or 6th century A.D. They
did not go back during that time to their native place but, subsequently, settled down
permanently in India. They had a very powerful and extensive kingdom in North-
Western India and Mihira Bhoja was their most powerful king, who ruled from 840
to 890 A.D. (Munshi 1954, Bingley 1978, Balgir 1983, 1991a). Traditionally, the
Gujjars were pastoral nomads, but now they have become partially sedentary and
practise tilling of agricultural land (Balgir 1983). Their primary occupation is culti-
vation of land, apart from other supplementary earnings. They are patriarchal, patri-
local and patrilineal, practising clan (gotra) exogamy, caste endogamy and also
polygamy in some places (Balgir 1983, 1991b, 1992a). Ethnically, they are akin
to Rajputs, Jats and Ahirs of North-Western India (Ibbetson 1970, 1974, Bingley
1978, Balgir 1983, 1991a, 1992b, 1992c, Balgir & Sharma 1986, 1988).
The influx and penetration of Muslim invaders not only forcibly converted the
massive Hindu population in North-Western India to Islam, but also broke it up into
fission groups (Balgir 1983). These Muslim converts due to biosocial hybrid tradi-
tions, hybridization with the Muslims invaders, breeding isolation, migration, dif-
ferent modes of subsistences etc. became distinct endogamous groups from their
counterpart Hindu populations with the passage of time (Balgir & Sharma 1986,
1988, Balgir 1989, 1999a). As a result of this, today, we come across not only the
Muslim converts, who were bifurcated from a common genetic pool, but also the
rudiments of such Hindu populations in the North-Western part of India.
The Gujjars of North-Western India constitute one of such populations who
became the victim of forcible proselytism of their religion by the invading Muslims
since 7th century to 17th century A.D. With the Muslim expansions from Afghan,
Iran, Iraq and Turkish sources, the Gujjars were subdued in India and forced to
embrace Islam (Munshi 1954, Balgir 1983, 1991a). The exact date of conversion of
the Gujjars to Islam is still obscure, but it is certain that their different pockets must
have been converted at different times. During the 13th century, they have been
induced as well as forced to accept Islam by various Muslim rulers, however, a
massive forcible conversion took place in India during the reign of Aurangzeb
(1658-1707 A.D.) During this period, their haphazard migrations took place in
rescue of their lives, religion, property and wealth. They were fissioned into converts
and nonconverts and their socio-cultural traditions and biosocial behaviour under-
went drastic changes with the passage of time (Balgir 1983, 1991a, 1992a, 1999a).
With the result, these days, we come across both the Hindu and Muslim Gujjars in
the North-Western part of India. The Muslim Gujjars (converts), in addition to
intense inbreeding, have also assimilated some of the biological elements of the
Muslim invaders (Balgir 1983, 1993, Balgir & Sharma 1986, 1988).
The geographical scatter of the Gujjars provide an opportunity to study their
physical as well morphological, genetic and regional group variations in North-
Western India. These people, living side by side for several centuries, have retained

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 Morphological and regional variations in body dimensions 277

their separate identities by practising endogamy, which has preserved to a large

extent their original gene pool. It would be fascinating to study the variations, which
have occurred with the passage of time in morphological and physical body dimen-
sions of the different localities of the Gujjars, especially the emerging trends
amongst them in the North-Western part of India.

Material and methods

The Hindu Gujjars are in the Sub-Himalayan regions (foothills of the Shivaliks) and adjoining
plains in Punjab, Haryana, near Delhi, etc., practising agriculture and semi-pastoralism
(Fig. 1). The Muslim Gujjars are found exclusively in the Himalayan region in the states of
Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Western Uttar Pradesh leading a pastoral, semi-
nomadic and semi-agricultural life in transhumance (Balgir 1995). The migrations of the
Muslim Gujjars to the hill states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and later on to
Western Uttar Pradesh took place about 3 to 4 centuries ago in search of grass and conducive
climate for their milch cattle (Balgir 1983).

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Fig. 1. Map of India showing the major states and Gujjar dwellings in North-Western India.

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278 R. S. Balgir

The Hindu Gujjars for the present study were randomly selected from the Majrian village
and its four hamlets namely Majri, Guhra, Kasauli and Karaundewala in the Ropar District of
Punjab. The Muslim Gujjars were the inhabitants of Paddar, Proatha, Sra, Qureel and Raj indu
villages in the Chamba District of Himachal Pradesh. The Hindu Gujjars reside in the foothills
of the Shivaliks and adjoining plain areas. The altitude of this Sub-Himalayan region varies
between 600 to 650 metres above the sea level. The Muslim Gujjars are nomadic people in the
Peer Punjal Range of the Greater Himalayas (Balgir 1995, 1999b). The altitude of this area
varies between 1900 to 2700 metres above sea level. The Hindu Gujjars have been declared as
Backward Community in Punjab since 1979 and the Muslim Gujjars are a Scheduled Tribe
since 1956 in Himachal Pradesh. The inter-population marriages are prohibited (Balgir 1983,
1991b, 1992a). Therefore, they have now their separate gene pools and observe polygamy.
The Hindu Gujjars practise fraternal polyandry, whereas the Muslim Gujjars observe poly-
gyny (Balgir 1991b, 1992a, 1995, 1999b).
Thus, the population groups under study from the District Chamba in Himachal Pradesh
belong to Muslim sect and those of the Districts Hoshiarpur and Ropar in Punjab and near
Delhi are the Hindu Gujjars in the North-Western part of India.
The anthropometric measurements were taken during day time on 200 adult male indivi-
duals aged 20-50 years each belonging to Hindu and Muslim Gujjar populations during the
years 1980-1981. They were free from any deformity or pathological condition. Data were
collected as per the description of anthropometry (Singh & Bhasin 1968). Data on adult Hindu
Gujjars of the Hoshiarpur District in Punjab and on Tomar Gujjars belonging to the near Delhi
area were compared from Field (1970) as these were studied independently from two different
localities but belonging to the same common ethnic stock of the Hindu Gujjars. Moreover,
both these studies, i.e. Field (1970) and the present are more or less contemporary to each
other. The Student's t-test was applied to assess the significance of the differences, if any,
between the two population groups under study.

Results

The somatometric measurements taken on the Hindu and Muslim Gujjars are pre-
sented in Table 1 and that of various indices in Table 2. It is apparent that the Muslim
Gujjars significantly differ from the Hindu counterparts in the absolute body dimen-
sions, head and facial measurements (Table 1), and various indices (Table 2). Con-
trary to other hill populations, the Muslim Gujjars of the Himalayan region of
Himachal Pradesh studied here are taller, heavier and have longer extremities than
the Hindu Gujjars of plain regions.
Both the Hindu and Muslim Gujjars studied here are characterized by tall, stal-
wart robust physique, dolichocephalic head, leptoprosopic face and leptorrhine nose
(Table 2).

Discussion

The human populations in the North-Western part of India, in general, are charac-
terised by a significant biological heterogeneity due to multiple ethnicity. The strict
caste endogamy, religiously-bound traditions, socio-economic strata, mode of sub-
sistence, occupational mobility, biological and geographical isolation have all con-
tributed to the emergence of small genetic isolates in the North-Western part of the
country (Balgir 1986, 1992b). Each isolate in a particular geographical and ecolo-
gical niche is an endogamous group and has a distinct genetic structure with limited

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 Morphological and regional variations in body dimensions 279

Table 1. Regional variations in body dimensions of the Gujjars in different localities of North-
western India.

Body DCHP DHP DRP ND

Measurements N=200 N=88 N=200 N=69
(in cm) Mean ± S.D. Mean ± S.D.* Mean ± S.D. Mean ± S.D.*

Body stature 174.24 ± 4.71 175.50 ± 5.37 168.05 ± 5.40 171.90 ± 5.80
Span 183.57 ±6.75 183.91 ±6.24 175.24 ±7.91
Relative Span - 10.59 ±1.87
Weight (in kg) 62.89 ±6.78 - 55.71 ±4.36 -
Head Length 19.48 ± 0.77 19.63 ± 0.65 18.47 ± 1.45 19.43 ± 0.48
Head Breadth 14.19 ±0.54 14.27 ±0.40 13.93 ±0.87 14.17 ±0.39
Head Height 13.03 ±1.55 12.10 ±0.68 12.18 ± 1.67 12.45 ±0.71
Transverse Arc 36.29 ±1.21 34.15 ± 1.11 35.39 ±2.47 33.43 ±1.03
Horizontal Head 56.72± 1.41 55.67 ± 2.1 1 55.81 ± 1.43 55.32 ±1.22
Circumference
Minimum 11.15 ±0.68 10.33 ±0.47 11.07 ±1.10 10.34 ±0.35
Frontal Diameter
Bizygomatic Arc 13.70±0.63 13.64±0.53 13.40±0.85 13.59±0.45
Bigonial Diameter 10.68 ±0.65 10.43 ±0.62 10.73 ±1.13 10.38 ±0.53
Inter-Orbital - 3.20 ±0.23 - 3.22 ±0.36
Breadth
External Orbital 9.63 ± 0.75 8.86 ± 0.35 8.96 ± 0.91 8.79 ± 0.32
Breadth
Morphological 12.42 ±0.77 12.37 ±0.55 12.36 ±0.93 12.54 ±0.61
Facial Length
Mouth Breadth 5.36 ±0.53 5.52 ±0.37 5.23 ±0.56
Height of Lips - 2.12 ±0.44 - -
Nasal height 5.77 ±0.56 5.72 ±0.47 5.85 ±0.94 5.78 ±0.40
Nasal Breadth 3.69 ± 0.42 4.03 ± 0.25 3.86 ± 0.84 3.90 ± 0.27
Ear Length 6.20 ± 0.48 6.59 ± 0.43 6.27 ± 0.40 6.5 1 ± 0.36
Ear Breadth 3.55 ±0.51 3.74 ±0.23 3.47 ±0.38 3.69 ±0.24

* calculated by the author from standard error and samp

DCHP= District of Chamba, Himachal Pradesh (Muslim
DHP = District of Hoshiarpur, Punjab (Hindu Gujjars)
DRP = District of Ropar, Punjab (Hindu Gujjars)
ND = Near Delhi (Hindu Gujjars)

biological interaction with other far off population

emerging trends in biological as well as somatic and
the scattered Gujjars in North-Western India.
It is interesting to note that the Muslim Gujjars o
present study significantly differ from the counter
District in Punjab with respect to 12 biological meas
indices (Table 3), suggesting the biological diversity
These findings are consistent and get further suppor
variability of dermatoglyphics (Balgir & Sharma 19
1989, 1992b, Balgir & Sharma 1988), morphogen
anthropogenetic variables (Balgir 1989, 1992c), soma

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280 R. S. Balgir

Table 2. Regional variations in body dimensions (indices) of the Gujjars in different localities
of North-Western India.

Indices DCHP DHP DRP ND

N=200 N=88 N=200 N=69
Mean ± S.D. Mean ± S.D.* Mean ± S.D. Mean ± S.D.*

Head Length- 66.94 ±08.01 62.42 ±03.82 69.19 ±08.39 63.35 ±03.57
Height
Head Breadth- 92.01 ± 11.75 85.73 ±05.22 87.76 ± 12.80 86.45 ±05.07
Height
Transverse 78.64 ±05.12 72.50 ±03.00 79.72 ± 09.98 73.09 ±02.99
Frontoparietal
Transverse 96.40 ±05.63 95.66 ±03.00 96.35 ± 08.55 96.04 ±03.16
Cephalofacial
Morphological 90.95 ±07.21 90.83 ±04.75 92.53 ±08.14 92.18 ±04.90
Facial
Vertical - 101.25 ±07.05 - 102.12 ±07.34
(Cephalic Facial)
Zygo-Frontal 81.39 ± 05.12 75.78±02.81 82.61 ±04.12 75.70±02.66
Zygo-Mandibular 78.05 ± 04.53 76.48 ±03.84 80.06 ±07.68 76.72 ± 03.90
Cephalic 72.78 ±03.65 72.76 ±03.09 75.73 ±05.33 73.05 ±02.41
Nasal 64.31 ± 10.14 70.14 ±07.13 66.01 ±08.03 67.45 ± 06.79
Ear 56.92 ±04.72 56.76 ±03.82 55.43 ±06.59 56.70 ±03.38

* calculated by the author from standard error and sample size.

DCHP = District Chamba, Himachal Pradesh (Muslim Gujjars)
DHP = District Hoshiarpur, Punjab (Hindu Gujjars)
DRP = District Ropar, Punjab (Hindu Gujjars)
ND = Near Delhi (Hindu Gujjars)

1993), skinfold thickness (Balgir 1996), biodemographic stru

fertility and mortality differentials (Balgir 1992a), environm
1995) and biomedical epidemiology (Balgir 1999b) of the pop
The Muslim Gujjars of the Chamba Dstrict in Himachal Pra
the Hindu Gujjars of the Hoshiarpur District in Punjab for 9
ments and 6 anthropometric indices (Table 3). Similarly, they
variability for 10 biological measurements and 6 anthropom
Tomar (Hindu) Gujjars of the area adjoining Delhi. Beyond De
exists dolichocephaly in the large area and the Tomar (Hindu
area. These findings confirm the somatometric diversity bet
groups of the Gujjars, which originally belonged to the same
The Hindu Gujjars constitute a wide spread population in N
The anthropometric data collected from different pockets
indicate that there are significant biological variations in the
pology. In other words, the Hindu Gujjars show genetic as w
heterogeneity with respect to different geographical dwelli
strengthened by the most striking findings of biological measu
study (Table 3). The most plausible explanation for their div

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 Morphological and regional variations in body dimensions 281

Table 3. Statistical significance of variations in body dimensions of the Gujjars in different

localities of North-Western India.

DCHPxDHP DCHPxDRP DCHPxND DHPxDRP DHPxND DRPxND

t-value t-value t-value t-value t-value t-value

Body measurements
Body stature 1.895 12.227** 3.008* 10.781** 3.960** 4.806**
Span 0.413 11.326** - 9.943**
Weight - 12.591** -
Head Length 1.948 8.728** 0.649 9.508** 3.636** 8.421**
Head Breadth 1.818 3.587** 0.364 4.416* 1.818 3.117*
Head Height 7.154** 5.261** 4.203** 0.507 3.211* 1.862
Transverse Arc 14.750** 4.592** 19.324** 5.933** 4.235** 9.032**
Horizontal Head 4.286** 6.417** 7.954** 0.567 1.296 2.737*
Circumference
Min. Frontal 13.016** 0.872 12.857** 8.315** 0.158 2.579*
Diameter
Bizygomatic Arc 0.952 3.942** 1.746 3.117* 0.649 2.262*
Bigonial 5.682** 0.515 3.896** 3.000* 0.561 3.500**
Diameter
Inter-Orbital - 0.444
Breadth
Ext. Orbital Breadth 12.222** 8.051** 13.333** 1.408 1.591 2.394*
Morphological 0.649 0.719 1.348 0.120 1.910 1.895
Facial Length
Mouth Breadth 3.556** 2.424* - 6.591**
Nasal Height 0.794 1.023 0.182 1.688 0.952 0.909
Nasal Breadth 0.340 2.578* 6.562** 3.091* 4.062** 0.635
Ear Length 7.090** 1.745 5.636** 7.273** 1.269 7.742**
Ear Breadth 5.937** 1.776 4.375** 0.270 0.050 0.220
Indices
Head Length-Height 6.457** 0.982 5.035** 9.377** 1.563 7.945**
Head Breadth- 6.261** 3.456** 5.372** 1.904 0.866 1.195
Height
Transverse 12.660** 1.356 10.839** 9.304** 1.219 8.350**
Fronto-Parietal
Transverse 1.445 0.069 0.651 1.007 0.760 0.432
Cephalo-Facial
Morphological Facial 0.166 2.059* 1.571 2.210* 1.726 0.423
Vertical - - 0.745
(Cephalic Facial)
Zygo-Frontal 11.615** 0.797 11.708** 16.301** 0.181 15.885**
Zygo-Mandibular 3.013* 3.176* 2.329* 5.249** 0.383 4.632**
Cephalic 0.047 6.447** 0.694 5.904** 2.318* 5.618**
Nasal 5.557** 1.852 2.873* 4.333** 2.395* 1.438
Ear 0.303 2.607* 0.417 2.142* 0.103 2.045*
*p < 0.05, **p < 0.001
DCHP= District Chamba, Himachal Pradesh (Muslim Gujj
DHP = District Hoshiarpur, Punjab (Hindu Gujjars)
DRP = District Ropar, Punjab (Hindu Gujjars)
ND = Near Delhi (Hindu Gujjars)

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282 R. S. Balgir

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 Morphological and regional variations in body dimensions 283

founder effect, genetic drift, and breeding and geographical isolation. They do not
seem to have any biological interaction with their far off brethrens inhabiting at
different places and for all practical purposes they have formed a localised group in
which they breed and have marriage alliances.
The Hindu Gujjars of the Hoshiarpur District in Punjab differ from those of the
adjoining District of Ropar in Punjab for 1 1 biological measurements and 8 anthro-
pometric indices. However, the Hindu Gujjars of the Hoshiarpur District in Punjab
differ only for 5 anthropometric measurements and 2 indices from the Tomar (Hin-
du) Gujjars belonging to the near Delhi area (Table 3). The Hindu Gujjars of the
Ropar District of Punjab show diversity for 10 biological measurements and 6
anthropometric indices from the Tomar Gujjars of the adjoining Delhi area. These
results show an independent evolution of different localities of the Gujjars, who
originally belonged to a common ethnic stock. These Gujjars are an offshoot of the
Gujjar dynasty, which first appeared near Broach in Gujarat and was succeeded by
dynasties in other parts of the peninsula of Gujarat, in Ujjain and in North-Western
India (Balgir 1991a). Due to their haphazard migrations in rescue of their life,
property and wealth during the Muslim expansions in India, they remained cut off
from each other during the course of history and now found isolated at different
localities in North-Western India.
Further, these observed differences between the various regional population
groups of the Gujjars could not be caused by secular trend because the time gap
of 10-12 years between the present study (1980-1981) and Field's data (1970) is too
small to account for such a trend in a population. We cannot expect to indicate
secular trend in a population for biological or genetic characters within a short span
of less than one generation gap of 10-12 years in any way. Thus, these results show
only the evolutionary tendencies (genetic drift) for isolation rather than secular
trends among the Gujjar populations.
There are limited numbers of studies carried out on adult individuals pertaining to
regional and ethnic variation of body dimensions in India. Table 4 presents the
comparative account of some salient somatometric measurements available for
some North-West Indian populations. It is apparent that the Hindu Gujjars of the
present study are on average taller than the Banias, Aroras, Khatris, Chuhras, Sansis
and Sikligars of Punjab, and heavier than the Jat Sikhs, Banias and Sikligars of
Punjab. The cephalic index is higher and the nasal index is lower among the Hindu
Gujjars as compared to the Jat Sikhs, Aroras, Khatris and Chuhras of Punjab. The
Muslim Gujjars are taller and heavier than the adjoining Gaddis of Himachal Pra-
desh. Similar results have been obtained for the skinfold measurements (Balgir
1996).
Further studies on the genetic distance matrix will throw significant light on the
evolution of these emerging Gujjar isolates in North-Western India.

Acknowledgements
The author gratefully acknowledges the steadfast guidance of Prof. J.C. Sharma, Professor of
Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, during the course of this study. Thanks are also
due to all the subjects for their kind co-operation during the collection of the data.

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 284 R. S. Balgir

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Received April 20, 2000,

revised October 7, 2000

Address for correspondence:

Dr. R. S. Balgir, Deputy Director & Head, Division of Human Genetics, Regional Medical
Research Centre (ICMR), Chandrasekharpur, Nandan Kanan Road, Bhubaneswar- 751 023
(Orissa), India

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