r/Sindh • u/Specialist-Code8666 • 1d ago
Are Sindhis more culturally and ethnically similar to Punjabis or Balochs?
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u/azhargreat1234 1d ago edited 1d ago
Punjabis -> Seraikis -> Sindhis. Indus Valley has always been navigable unlike Balochistan hence there has been mixing. In fact genetically (not culturally or linguistics) Seraikis especially in Bahawalpur and surrounding are closer to Sindhi than they are to Northern Punjabis. Seraikis and Sindhis have much more IVC and Western Iranian farmer genetics while northern Punjabis have more steppe genetics (really long time ago and not to say that they dont have IVC genetics).
Baloch have much more Western iranian farmer genetics and not as much IVC genes in comparison.
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u/Arh_1 1d ago
to some extent yes, but baloch and sindhis have had a lot of cultural exchange, as well as intermarriage historically. both cultures and people are closer than non-sindhis and baloch often think them to be. in fact i think a good chunk of sindhis in pakistan, (like 30-40%) trace their roots back to balochustan
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u/historyeeter 1d ago
Those are assimilated Sindhi Baloch, who aren't native to Sindh, much like Punjabi clans like khokhars, Sials etc who migrated to Sindh and adopted Sindhi identity while their relatives back in Punjab are Punjabi. If anything even jutts are originally from Sindh
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u/FadeInspector 1d ago
The Jatt tribe is from Sindh, and it is said that they moved north and east during the medieval era. Idk how true that is though because there isn’t any data on how related Punjabi and other Jatt groups are to Sindhi Jats (via FST)
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u/Dot_Horror 3h ago
Jatts being from Sindh is likely a myth, as Jatt genes are very different, with much higher Steppe. In fact, Haryanvi Jats and Rajasthani Jats, along with Rors, have the highest Steppe in the whole Indus Valley and India region. Punjabi Jats also have higher Steppe.
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u/Arh_1 1d ago
yes im aware, but the fact a large chunk of sindhis are actually sindhi baloch, not native to sindh, if anything goes to show just how close the two groups have been historically.
so many aspects of sindhi culture have also had a lot of baloch influence.
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u/historyeeter 1d ago
It's actually the other way around, it's Baloch who adopted the Sindhi culture not Sindhis adopting Baloch culture.
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u/TheRighteousHand ڪراچي | Karachi 1d ago
I would say people from South Punjab seem to be closer. I feel Baloch people tend to be a bit different.
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u/bluepartyhat93 1d ago
Neither but if I had to pick then it’d be the Punjabis. Sindhis and Punjabis were both once part of the Indus Valley Civilisation.
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u/Fresh-Violinist-8882 1d ago
I mean most of us are ethnically and culturally closer to Punjabis, Seraikis and even Gujaratis and Rajasthanis than we are to Pashtun or Balochi people.
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u/Electronic_Iron5269 لاڙڪاڻو | Larkano 1d ago
I mean most of us are ethnically and culturally closer to Punjabis, Seraikis and even Gujaratis and Rajasthanis than we are to Pashtun or Balochi people.
Except for Jaisalmeris from Rajasthan, we are not culturally or ethnically closer to Gujaratis and other Rajasthanis.
Sindhi speaking baloch is much closer to me culturally than gujju, rajasthani, or punjabi.
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u/Fresh-Violinist-8882 1d ago
I agree. I was referring to most of the Sindhis who are originally from mainland Sindh except for the districts which border Balochistan such as Karachi(Lasi Sindhis), Dadu, Larkana, Qambar or Jacoababad districts where Sindhi speaking Balochis are more common.
A Sindhi person from Tharparkar is more closer to Kutchis from Gujarat and Jaisalmer and Barmer Rajasthanis. Sindhis from Kandhkot, Ghotki or Sukkur are more ethnically closer to Seraikis given it's proximity to Southern Punjab. I'm a Sindhi, I have been to Thar and they were different from Sindhi from Hyderabad or Sukkur and most of them were Hindu majority hence making it culturally closer to Western Indian people.
Sindh is really diverse place with multitude of dialect variations in Sindhi language as well.
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u/historyeeter 1d ago
Because tharis are ethnically rajhisthanis.
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u/Low-Information5609 7h ago
Most thari Muslims are ethenically sindhi sammat tribes even in barmeer jaislmeer and kutch most Muslims are sindhi smmats
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u/historyeeter 7h ago
Most of the Hindus in Thar are rajhisthani stock, the sodhas, bheels etc.
While Muslims are Sindhis.
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u/Electronic_Iron5269 لاڙڪاڻو | Larkano 1d ago
You forgot to mention Siraikis. We share many tribes with Siraikis such as Chachar, Dahar, Bhaya, Bohar, Uttera, Samtia, Sandana, Mahar, Daudpotra, Sameja, Abra, Dhareja, Koreja, Kanju and countless others.
Even Sindhi Hindus share communities with Siraikis. For instance Aroras are found among both Siraikis and Sindhis. In Sindh, Arora community has largely assimilated into Lohana community and is generally known as Lohanas. If Im not mistaken both Siraiki and Sindhi Hindu Aroras worship Jhule Lal or share similar religious customs.
So ethnically, linguistically, and genetically Siraikis are closest to us.
Ethnic Baloch who speak Balochi and follow Baloch traditions tend to be quite different from us. However Baloch who speak Sindhi and follow the culture of this land are much more similar to us culturally and linguistically than Punjabis are.