Vinay, the article for you Indian Muslims are as Indian as Brahmins or any other social group according the findings of genomic studies of northern Indian Muslims. This gives credence to the long held views of historians that Muslims in India are descendants of local populations who converted to Islam.
The study was collaboration by Florida International University, Spanish Universidad de Vigo, and Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow. Mitochondrial DNA which is passed from mother to children is a preferred way for establishing descent of a person.
The study looked at the genetic composition of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of Sunnis and Shias of UP. Blood samples from 60 Sunnis and 59 Shias volunteers were taken for this study. Their mtDNA was analyzed for specific genetic markers. Frequencies of the presence of these markers were compared to various groups in India and other countries.
While there are some differences among Sunnis and Shias in terms of their mtDNA, in general they found to be closer to the larger Indian population.
Principal component analysis (PCA), a statistical tool that separates individuals on the basis of differences in their properties was employed to place each social group on a plot. According to this plot Shias and Sunnis are much closer to Brahmins, Bhargavas, and tribals from Karnataka than people from UAE, Yemen, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and or Central Asian countries. PCA generated a plot that showed three
