Discovering the Hidden Ties of Sindhi Genes

The Sindhi people belong to a language family that stretches across the Indian subcontinent. Their roots lie mainly in Sindh, now part of Pakistan, where they are known for lively customs and a distinct tongue.

After the 1947 division of India, many Sindhis left their homeland for India and other countries. They set up new communities far from the Indus River.

Scientists have studied Sindhis in Pakistan for years, but little work has focused on those who moved to India.

This research filled that gap by looking at the DNA of 113 Indian Sindhi individuals and comparing it with samples from Pakistani Sindhis.

The team examined hundreds of thousands of genetic markers, which are tiny variations in DNA that reveal ancestry.
Results: a tight genetic bond between Indian and Pakistani Sindhis, confirming they share recent ancestors.

Further analysis of DNA segments called haplotypes reinforced this connection and linked both groups to neighboring populations in the region.

Identity‑by‑descent tests, which track shared DNA segments from common ancestors, strengthened the evidence of close ties between the two groups.

When scientists counted long stretches of identical DNA—runs of homozygosity—they found that Pakistani Sindhis have more of these stretches, suggesting a higher rate of cousin marriages in Pakistan compared to India.

A study of local ancestry identified a main genetic component that matches modern people from the ancient Indus Valley area.

Together, these findings paint a picture of a complex genetic landscape in the Sindh region and show that the worldwide Sindhi diaspora traces back to this historic area.