{"id":78812,"date":"2023-08-07T06:23:38","date_gmt":"2023-08-07T11:23:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/?p=78812"},"modified":"2026-03-13T15:19:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T20:19:07","slug":"south-asian-genetic-genealogy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/es\/south-asian-genetic-genealogy\/","title":{"rendered":"Pioneering Genetic Genealogy in South-Asian Family History"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/1″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”501925″]By: Awais Hussain<\/p>\n

Despite the lack of research of South-Asian genealogy, Awais Hussain has made many exciting discoveries in the Northern Punjab & Jammu-Kashmir FamilyTreeDNA Project.<\/h2>\n

In the sun-soaked fields where farmers toil, amidst bustling markets where villagers barter, and within the humble homes of clay that grace the foothills of the Himalayas, lies a treasure trove of stories that shape the identity and ancestry of my community.<\/p>\n

These memories not only dwell in our hearts and minds, whispered from generation to generation, but they are also intricately woven into our very DNA<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Join me on my journey with genealogy, sharing my own experiences, what I have learned as a group project administrator with FamilyTreeDNA, and offering advice if you too are keen on discovering your roots!<\/p>\n

My Interest in Family History Began as a Child<\/h2>\n

This year marks the tenth in my personal venture into family history research. But how did it all begin? I think my curiosity has always existed.<\/p>\n

Growing up, my parents often took me to family gatherings\u2014weddings, funerals, and other events\u2014where I had the chance to meet the extended family (or biraderi). I would ask who everyone was and how they were connected to us<\/strong>, but many times it was unclear.<\/p>\n

The people we met on these occasions were somehow linked to us, and they intimately knew my family\u2019s elders; they could precisely pinpoint whose descendants we were based on facial resemblances, and yet we barely knew them apart from these brief encounters.<\/p>\n

A Trip to my Ancestral Village Ignited my Passion for Genealogy<\/h3>\n

It was during a visit to my ancestral homeland in 2013 that my passion for genealogy truly sparked. There, I met my elderly great-grandmothers and spent valuable time with them, eagerly listening to stories from their youth.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=”78813″ caption=”yes” media_lightbox=”yes” media_width_percent=”75″ lbox_caption=”yes” lbox_social=”yes” uncode_shortcode_id=”196688″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”885840″]From these conversations, I realised that all the details my great-grandmothers recalled would fade away and be lost if not preserved. Belonging to an understudied and under-documented community left me with the vigour to try and preserve whatever I could to safeguard our heritage.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I initially focused on my immediate family, but as our connections spanned far and wide, they quickly expanded to cover my surroundings.<\/p>\n

South-Asian Settlement Patterns<\/h2>\n

My family originates from villages in District Mirpur, and most villages here have independent origins. Typically, a family would settle in the area, and the small household of parents and children would expand and develop<\/strong> so that their grandchildren, great grandchildren, and so on, eventually became the whole village (mohra<\/em>, mohalla<\/em>, or dhok<\/em>).<\/p>\n

Consequently, everyone in the same sub-village is usually descended from a common ancestor. Families were patrilocal<\/strong>, meaning that married couples resided with or near the husband’s family. As a result, if a grandmother was from another village, by virtue of that link, you end up being related to everyone there somehow too, though relationships are also dependent on caste<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Understanding the Caste System<\/h3>\n

A caste (qaum<\/em>) is a sort of macro-web of families<\/strong>, an ethnic group. Caste is often connected to hereditary profession (paisha) in that people of the same caste traditionally had the same occupation.<\/p>\n

There are two main types of caste:<\/p>\n