Bengali - A Hybrid Nation

 Introduction:

Bengalis are not a single ethnic group. Various theoretical groups have arrived in Bengal since ancient times for various reasons. The Bengali nation has been formed through the intermingling of different ethnic groups at different times. In ancient times, the region was inhabited by various peoples, including Negritos, Austrians, Dravidians, and Alpines. In the Middle Ages, the people of different countries of Central Asia, including Iran, Iraq, and Turkey, ruled and settled in Bengal. In later years, the British, the Portuguese, and finally Pakistan, came. In this way, the Bengali nation was formed by the meeting and mixing of different peoples.

Ethnic groups and characteristics:

An ethnic group is a group with cultural characteristics that distinguish it from a larger ethnic group, of which it is a part. Any population has certain characteristics of its ethnic identity. For example, hair color, skin color, height, head and face shape and size, body length, blood group, etc.

Ethnographic Characteristics of Bengalis:

The creation of the Bengali nation has some characteristics of its own. Bengali's own characteristics are:

1. straight or wavy hair
2. black to brown skin color.
3. mostly black eye color.
4. short to medium body length.
5. Long nose.
6. "O", "A", and "B" group blood predominance.

A mixture of different ethnic groups, the Bengalis do not retain anything as their own physical characteristics.

Generally, ethnic groups that arrived in Bengal can be divided into two groups.

      a. Aryan
      b. Non-Aryan

a. Aryan:

Aryans are foreigners. They entered India through the North India Pass and spread throughout the subcontinent. The Aryan people were divided into two groups. They are:

1. Alpine.
2.   Nordic.

Their characteristics are:

1.  long head
2. narrow to the medium nose.
3.  The predominance of beards and mustaches on the face of men and strong build.
4.  fair skin color.

 b. Non-Aryans:

Before the arrival of the Aryans, the Non-Aryans lived in Bengal. They are the roots of Bengalis and the original population of Bengal. The Non-Aryans were mainly divided into four branches. They are: Negrito, Austric, Dravidian, and Mongoloid.

Negritos: According to historians, Negritos are the primitive race of Bengal. Their native habitat is Africa. They are the first layer of the Bengali primitive population. Their characteristics are Black in complexion, curvy, lips thick and upturned.

Austrics: According to anthropologists, the main part of the Bengali nation was formed from the Austrics. They came to Bengal from Australia. Their characteristics are: The complexion is mixed black, tall, broad nose, thick hair.

Dravidians: The Dravidians entered Bengal about five thousand years ago. They are one of the original inhabitants of this country. Their characteristics are a long head, short in height, wide nose, and black to brown skin color.

Mongoloid: This population came to Bengal from South-west China. Their characteristics are black hair, round head, flat nose, and pale to the brown complexion.

Bengali Hybrid (shankara) Nation:

 The human race composed of different ethnic groups is called a hybrid race. The Bengali race is called a hybrid race, as the Bengali race is formed by combining different ethnic races. It is also called a mixed nation. Due to the settlement and governance of different communities, there is an influence of different ethnic groups on the physical structure of the people of this country. In addition to the Aryan-non-Aryan ethnic group, Central Asian, Persian, Turkish, Mughal Iranian, some English, and Portuguese, blood is also mixed in with Bengali blood.

Conclusion:

A lot of diversity can be observed in the characteristics, size, shape, structure, etc. of the Bengali nation. The characteristics of different ethnic groups exist within the Bengali nation. For consisting of ethnic groups of different people Bengali race can be called a hybrid race.