
Southern Asia
396 ethnic groups
Browse the 396 ethnic groups native to Southern Asia. Each profile documents facial features, skin tone, hair texture and body type. Explore the people below, or read the full Southern Asia phenotype and anatomy reference further down.
Afridi
Khyber district and the Tirah valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, with communities in Peshawar, Kohat, Karachi and a long-settled diaspora in northern India
Afro-Iranians
Iran's Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman coast, chiefly Hormozgan (Bandar Abbas, Minab, Qeshm) and Bushehr, with smaller communities in Khuzestan, Sistan and Baluchestan, and inland cities such as Shiraz and Tehran
Agalassoi
Central Punjab near the confluence of the Jhelum (Hydaspes) and Chenab (Acesines) rivers, beside the territory of the Sibi, in present-day Pakistan.
Agamudayar
Tamil Nadu, India, chiefly the Kaveri delta (Thanjavur, Tiruvarur), Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram and Madurai, with a northern cluster around Vellore and Tiruvannamalai
Agrawals
Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, western Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in northern India, with long-settled merchant communities in Kolkata, Mumbai and Hyderabad and a wide diaspora.
Agri
Northern Konkan coast of Maharashtra, India: Raigad, Thane and Palghar districts, Navi Mumbai and the wider Mumbai region
Ahar
Rohilkhand region of western Uttar Pradesh, India: chiefly Bareilly, Budaun, Moradabad, Rampur and Pilibhit districts along the Ramganga river.
Ambashtha
South Bihar, India, chiefly the Magadh districts of Patna, Nalanda, Gaya and Nawada, with families in Jharkhand, Delhi and abroad. The ancient Ambashtha tribe lived on the lower Chenab in the Punjab.
Amri
Foothills and plains of western Karbi Anglong, Kamrup and Morigaon districts in Assam, and Ri-Bhoi district in Meghalaya, northeast India.
Andh
Marathwada and western Vidarbha in Maharashtra (Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Washim and Yavatmal districts), with a smaller population in northern Telangana, India
Andhra Muslims
Andhra Pradesh, India: the Telugu coast and Rayalaseema, with the largest concentrations in Kurnool, Kadapa, Anantapur, Guntur and Nellore districts
Anglo-Indians
Cities and former railway towns across India, especially Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Secunderabad, with large diaspora populations in the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.
Arain
Punjab, Pakistan; historically also the eastern Punjab districts now in India, with smaller communities in Sindh and a diaspora in Britain and the Gulf states
Aranadan
Forested hills around Nilambur in Malappuram district, northern Kerala, India, near the foot of the Nilgiris
Arora
Western Punjab and the lower Indus, now in Pakistan (Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Dera Ismail Khan, Bahawalpur); since 1947 mainly Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in India
Asur
The Netarhat plateau and surrounding uplands of western Jharkhand, India, chiefly Latehar, Gumla, Lohardaga and Palamu districts, with a small presence in neighboring West Bengal
Badagas
The Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu, southern India, chiefly the Ooty, Coonoor and Kotagiri uplands.
Bahun
The middle hills of Nepal, from the Karnali and Bheri basins east through the Gandaki to the Kathmandu Valley; also Darjeeling and Sikkim in India, and Bhutan.
Banajiga
Karnataka, southern India, with closely related Balija communities in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu
Bangash
Kohat, Hangu and Kurram districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, with earlier roots near Gardez, Afghanistan
Bania
Northern and western India, especially Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh, with trading communities across India and abroad in East Africa, the UK and North America.
Banjara
India, chiefly Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra, with communities in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and elsewhere; origins traced to Rajasthan
Bawm
Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, mainly Bandarban district; smaller communities in Mizoram, India, and Chin State, Myanmar
Bearys
Coastal Karnataka, chiefly Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts around Mangaluru, extending into Kasaragod district of Kerala, India; large migrant workforce in the Gulf states
Bene Ephraim
Coastal Andhra Pradesh, India, centered on Kottareddipalem village near Guntur in the Krishna delta region
Bene Israel
The Konkan coast of Maharashtra, India, especially the Raigad district villages and Mumbai; the majority of the community now lives in Israel.
Bengali Hindus
West Bengal, Tripura, Assam's Barak Valley and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India, plus Bangladesh, with sizable communities elsewhere in India
Bengali Muslims
The Bengal delta: Bangladesh, where they are the majority, and the Indian states of West Bengal, Assam and Tripura, with large diasporas in the United Kingdom, the Gulf states and the United States
Bettani
Eastern and southern Afghanistan (Ghazni, Paktika, Zabul, Logar) and Pakistan: Tank, Lakki Marwat and Dera Ismail Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mianwali in Punjab. Older settler lineages in northern India.
Bhadala
Coastal Kutch and Saurashtra in Gujarat, India, especially the ports of Mandvi, Mundra and Salaya; a smaller community in Sindh, Pakistan, mainly around Karachi.
Bhandari
Konkan coast of western India: coastal Maharashtra (Mumbai region, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg), Goa, and coastal northern Karnataka
Bhar
Eastern Uttar Pradesh (Purvanchal and Awadh: Varanasi, Ghazipur, Ballia, Mau, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Gorakhpur, Bahraich) and adjoining Bihar, India; smaller numbers in Nepal's Terai.
Bharatha
Sri Lanka, mainly Colombo and the western coast; ancestral roots on the Pearl Fishery Coast around Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, India
Bhati
The Thar Desert of western Rajasthan, centered on Jaisalmer, with long-standing settlement across the Punjab plains and into Sindh, in both India and Pakistan.
Bhatra Sikhs
Punjab, historically the Sialkot and Gurdaspur districts, now mainly Indian Punjab; long-established diaspora in the United Kingdom
Bhishti
North India, especially Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar and Rajasthan, with smaller communities elsewhere in India and in Pakistan
Bhotiya
High border valleys of Uttarakhand, India (Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Uttarkashi districts), with related communities in Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and northern Nepal.
Bhottada
Nabarangpur and Koraput districts of southern Odisha, and the Bastar region of southern Chhattisgarh, India
Bhumihar
Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh (Varanasi, Ghazipur, Ballia) and Jharkhand, India, with migrant communities in Delhi, Kolkata and other Indian cities
Bhunjia
Sunabeda plateau and surrounding plains of Nuapada district, western Odisha, and the adjoining Gariaband area of Chhattisgarh, India.
Bhurgri
Sindh province, Pakistan, chiefly upper Sindh around Larkana and Jacobabad and the Mirpur Khas area in the southeast; smaller numbers in neighboring Balochistan.
Bhutia
Sikkim in northeastern India, with communities in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal and across the borders in Nepal and Bhutan.
Biate
Hill country on the Assam-Meghalaya border in Northeast India: Dima Hasao district (Assam) and the Saipung area of East Jaintia Hills (Meghalaya), with smaller communities in Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur.
Bihari Muslims
Bihar in eastern India, with large displaced communities in Bangladesh and in Karachi, Pakistan
Billava
Tulu Nadu on the southwest coast of India: Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka and Kasaragod district of Kerala, with large migrant communities in Mumbai and the Gulf states.
Binjhal
Western Odisha, India, mainly Bargarh, Sambalpur, Balangir and Nuapada districts, with the closely related Binjhwar in neighboring Chhattisgarh
Birhor
Chota Nagpur Plateau of eastern India, mainly Jharkhand (Hazaribagh, Ranchi and neighboring districts), with smaller communities in Odisha, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal
Bisati
Northern India, mainly the towns and villages of the Gangetic plain in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
Bnei Menashe
Hill districts of Manipur and Mizoram in northeast India, near the Myanmar border; a large share of the community now lives in Israel.
Bonda
The Bonda hills of Malkangiri district, southwestern Odisha, India, near the point where Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh meet.
Brohi Charan
The Charan heartland of western India and Sindh: Rajasthan, Gujarat and Kutch in India, and Sindh in Pakistan
Bugti
Dera Bugti District in eastern Balochistan, Pakistan, with sizable communities in upper Sindh and southwestern Punjab
Cedis
South of the Yamuna River in north-central India, roughly the Bundelkhand region of present-day Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, India
Chachar
Upper Sindh and southern Punjab along the Indus, Pakistan, in the districts where the two provinces meet
Chalabianlu
Qaradagh (Arasbaran), the upland district of East Azerbaijan province in northwestern Iran, between the Tabriz plain and the Aras River
Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu
Maharashtra, India, mainly Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Pune, with smaller long-settled communities in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh
Charans
Rajasthan and Gujarat, including Kutch and Saurashtra, in India, with communities in Sindh, Pakistan
Chaush
Hyderabad, Telangana, India, centered on the Barkas neighborhood of the Old City; ancestral origin in Hadhramaut, Yemen
Chenchu
The Nallamala Hills and surrounding forest of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, India, with smaller numbers in Karnataka and Odisha.
Chhantyal
Hills of Myagdi and Baglung districts in Gandaki Province, western Nepal, below the Dhaulagiri range; migrant communities in Pokhara, Kathmandu and abroad.
Chhipa
India, chiefly Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi; Muslim Chhipas also in Pakistan, mainly Karachi
Chitpavans
The Konkan coast of Maharashtra, India, especially Ratnagiri and Raigad districts, with long-established populations in Pune and Mumbai.
Chitraguptavanshi Kayastha
North India, chiefly Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with long-established communities in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Delhi (India)
Cochin Jews
Kerala, India: historically Kodungallur (Cranganore) and Cochin (Kochi), including Mattancherry, Ernakulam, Parur, Chendamangalam and Mala; today mainly Israel
Daivadnya
Goa, the Konkan coast of Maharashtra and coastal Karnataka (Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada), India, with large communities in Mumbai and other Indian cities
Danuwar
Inner Terai valleys and lower hills of central and eastern Nepal, notably Sindhuli, Kavrepalanchok, Makwanpur and Udayapur districts
Darlong
Hill villages of northern Tripura, India, mainly in the Unakoti, North Tripura and Dhalai districts
Darzi
India and Pakistan, especially Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab and Sindh; related tailoring castes in Nepal
Dawar
Tochi (Dawar) Valley in North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, centered on Miranshah and Mir Ali
Daylamites
Daylam, the mountain country of the western Alborz above the southwestern Caspian coast, in present-day Gilan and Qazvin provinces, northern Iran
Devanga
South India: Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu (Coimbatore, Salem, Erode and the Madurai region), with smaller communities in Kerala and Odisha.
Dhakaiyas
Old Dhaka (Puran Dhaka), the historic core of Dhaka on the Buriganga River, Bangladesh
Dhanak
Northern India (Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi) and the eastern and central Terai of Nepal
Dhor Koli
Forested Sahyadri foothills of northern Maharashtra, extending into southern Gujarat and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, India
Dombars
Deccan India, mainly Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, with related communities across northern India and Nepal
Dongria Kondh
Niyamgiri hills in Rayagada and Kalahandi districts, southwestern Odisha, India
Dusadh
Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand in India, and the Terai (Madhesh) of southern Nepal
Eravallan
Mainly Chittur taluk in eastern Palakkad district, Kerala, India, along the Tamil Nadu border
Ezhava
Kerala, southwestern India, especially the former Travancore and Cochin regions, with Thiyya kin in Malabar and a large diaspora in the Gulf states
Farsiwan
Western Afghanistan, chiefly Herat and Farah provinces, with older urban communities in Kandahar, Ghazni and Kabul
Gadaba
Eastern Ghats highlands of southern Odisha, mainly Koraput district, and the neighboring hill districts of northern Andhra Pradesh, India
Gandharis
Ancient Gandhara: the Peshawar valley, Swat and the Taxila region of northern Pakistan, reaching into eastern Afghanistan along the Kabul River.
Gangte
Southern Manipur, chiefly Churachandpur district, India; smaller numbers in Mizoram, Assam and Meghalaya, and in the Chin Hills and adjoining areas of Myanmar.
Gaud Saraswat Brahmins
The Konkan coast of western India: Goa, coastal Karnataka, coastal Maharashtra including Mumbai, and parts of coastal Kerala.
Ghale
Northern Gorkha District in central Nepal, especially Barpak and the Budhi Gandaki valley, with communities in neighboring hill districts such as Lamjung.
Ghanchi
Gujarat, India, concentrated in Godhra and Panchmahal district, with smaller communities elsewhere in the state
Ghilzai
Upland eastern and southeastern Afghanistan, chiefly Ghazni, Zabul, Paktika, Logar and Wardak, with communities in northern Afghanistan and across the border in Pakistan.
Ghorbati
Afghanistan and Iran, traditionally traveling between villages and market towns; many families now settled on the edges of towns and cities
Goan Catholics
Goa, on the Konkan coast of western India, with long-settled communities in Mumbai and a large diaspora in the Gulf, East Africa, Portugal, Britain and Canada.
Guite
Hill country of southern Manipur (especially Churachandpur district) and Mizoram in northeast India, and the Tedim area of Chin State, Myanmar
Hajong
The Garo Hills foothills and adjoining plains of Meghalaya and western Assam in India, and the Mymensingh, Netrokona, Sherpur and Sunamganj districts of northern Bangladesh, with a resettled community in Arunachal Pradesh.
Hakkipikki
Settled colonies in southern Karnataka, India, around Hunsur, Bannerghatta, Shivamogga and Davanagere; ancestral tradition points to Gujarat and Rajasthan
Halwai
North Indian plains, chiefly Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with communities across Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab and West Bengal, the Terai of Nepal, and Muslim Halwai in Pakistan and Bangladesh
Haryanvis
Haryana in northern India, with related communities in rural Delhi and neighboring parts of Rajasthan, Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh
Hayu
Middle hills of east-central Nepal along the Sunkoshi river, mainly Ramechhap and Sindhuli districts, with smaller communities in Kavrepalanchok and Udayapur
Hmar
Hill country of Northeast India: southern Manipur (Churachandpur, Pherzawl, Jiribam), northern Mizoram, and Cachar and Dima Hasao in Assam, with smaller communities in Meghalaya
Indo-Scythians
Sakastan (Sistan) in eastern Iran and Afghanistan, Gandhara and Punjab in Pakistan, and Mathura, Gujarat and Malwa in northwestern India
Iraqi Biradari
Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India, especially around Ghazipur and Varanasi; smaller numbers in Pakistan
Irulas
Northern Tamil Nadu, the Nilgiri Hills, and Attappady in Palakkad district, Kerala, with smaller populations in adjoining Karnataka, India
Iyengars
Tamil Nadu, especially around Srirangam and Kanchipuram, with long-settled communities in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, India; large urban and overseas diaspora
Iyers
Tamil Nadu, India, especially the Kaveri delta and the Thanjavur and Tirunelveli areas, with an old settled community around Palakkad in Kerala.
Jad
Upper Bhagirathi basin, Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, India; formerly Nelang and Jadung near the Tibet border, now mainly Bagori near Harsil and the Dunda area
Jadaun
Eastern Rajasthan, especially Karauli and the Bayana area, and the Braj region of western Uttar Pradesh around Mathura and Agra, India.
Jadran
The mountains where Paktia, Khost and Paktika provinces meet in southeastern Afghanistan (Loya Paktia)
Jain Bunts
Tulu Nadu in coastal Karnataka, India, chiefly Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts around Moodbidri, Karkala and Venur; urban communities in Mangaluru, Bengaluru and Mumbai
Jamali
The eastern plains of Balochistan, especially Jafarabad and Nasirabad districts, plus Jacobabad and other districts of northern Sindh, with smaller communities in Punjab, Pakistan
Jamote
Lasbela and Hub districts of southern Balochistan, Pakistan, with communities in neighboring Karachi, Sindh
Jarwar
Sindh province, Pakistan, on the lower Indus plain; the name is shared by a town in Ghotki District in northern Sindh, with families also in cities such as Hyderabad and Karachi.
Jaunsari
Jaunsar-Bawar, the hill tract between the Yamuna and Tons rivers in Dehradun district, Uttarakhand, northern India (Chakrata, Kalsi and Tyuni areas).
Jenu Kuruba
Forests of southern Karnataka, India, around Nagarhole and Bandipur in Mysuru, Kodagu and Chamarajanagar districts; related communities in Wayanad (Kerala) and the Nilgiris (Tamil Nadu)
Jirel
Jiri and Sikri valleys, Dolakha District, eastern Nepal, with smaller numbers in neighboring districts and Kathmandu
Juang
The Keonjhar, Dhenkanal and Angul districts of northern Odisha, India, centered on the Gonasika hills.
Julaha
Northern and eastern India (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra), Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Nepal Terai
Kadar
Anamalai hills and nearby Western Ghats forests of India: Parambikulam, Sholayar, Nelliampathy and Vazhachal in Kerala's Thrissur and Palakkad districts, and the Valparai area of Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu
Kalbelia
Rajasthan, India, concentrated in the Pali, Ajmer, Chittorgarh and Udaipur districts, with communities in Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
Kallar
Central and southern Tamil Nadu, India, especially Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Sivaganga, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur and Tiruchirappalli districts
Kalwar
Gangetic plain of northern India, mainly Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, also Jharkhand, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, and the Terai of southern Nepal
Kamboj
Punjab and Haryana in India, and Punjab province in Pakistan, with communities in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu
Kanikkaran
Southern Western Ghats around Agasthyamalai: Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts of Kerala, and Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts of Tamil Nadu, India
Kanwar
Chhattisgarh, India, chiefly Korba, Bilaspur, Raigarh, Jashpur and Surguja districts, with smaller communities in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Maharashtra
Karava
Coastal belt of western and southern Sri Lanka, especially around Negombo, Moratuwa and the southern shore
Kari
Northern coast of North Andaman Island and Landfall Island, Andaman Islands, India; descendants live mainly on Strait Island and in Port Blair.
Kayasthas
Northern and eastern India: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha, with the Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhus in Maharashtra.
Kewat
The Gangetic plain of northern India, chiefly Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with communities in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and the Terai of Nepal.
Khasi
Khasi and Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, northeast India, with communities in neighboring Assam and in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh.
Khelma
Dima Hasao and Cachar districts of Assam, India, with smaller communities elsewhere in Northeast India
Khorasani Kurds
Northeastern Iran, mainly North Khorasan and Razavi Khorasan provinces around Quchan, Shirvan, Faruj, Bojnord and Esfarayen, with small related communities in Turkmenistan
Khotta
The Ganges and Mahananda borderland: Malda and Murshidabad in West Bengal and Sahebganj and Pakur in Jharkhand, India, and Chapai Nawabganj in Bangladesh
Khushk
Upper Sindh, Pakistan, chiefly the districts around Larkana, Shikarpur and Jacobabad, with families in Balochistan and southern Punjab.
Khyang
Chittagong Hill Tracts of southeastern Bangladesh, mainly Rangamati and Bandarban districts.
Knanaya
Central Kerala, India, concentrated around Kottayam, Chingavanam, Kaduthuruthy and Ranni, with a substantial diaspora in the United States, the Gulf states, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Kodaku
Northern Chhattisgarh, India, chiefly the Surguja region (Surguja, Balrampur, Jashpur and nearby districts), with smaller numbers in adjoining states.
Koireng
Hill villages of Manipur, northeast India, mainly in Senapati and Kangpokpi districts north of the Imphal Valley
Kokna
Hill and forest country of the northern Western Ghats: Nashik, Dhule, Nandurbar and Palghar districts in Maharashtra; the Dangs, Valsad, Navsari and Surat districts in Gujarat; and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, India
Koli
Gujarat, Maharashtra including the Mumbai coast, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan in India, with related Kolhi communities in Tharparkar, Sindh, Pakistan.
Komati
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India, with long-settled communities in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Odisha.
Kora
Western West Bengal and adjoining parts of Jharkhand and Odisha, India, with a smaller community in northwestern Bangladesh.
Koraga
Coastal Karnataka (Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts) and Kasaragod district of Kerala, India
Korwa
Hill and forest country of east-central India, chiefly northern Chhattisgarh (Jashpur, Surguja, Balrampur) and western Jharkhand (Palamu, Garhwa, Latehar), with smaller numbers in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh
Kota Brahmins
Kota and nearby villages between Udupi and Kundapura, Udupi district, coastal Karnataka, India; also urban communities in Bengaluru, Mumbai and abroad
Kotas
The Nilgiri Hills of northwestern Tamil Nadu, southern India, in seven villages around Kotagiri, Udhagamandalam and Gudalur.
Koya
Forested Godavari River valley and nearby hills in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, extending into southern Chhattisgarh and Malkangiri district, Odisha, India
Kuki
The hills of Manipur, with communities in Mizoram, Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura in India, the Chin Hills and Sagaing in Myanmar, and the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.
Kulung
Hongu river valley (Mahakulung) in Solukhumbu district, eastern Nepal, with communities in Sankhuwasabha and Bhojpur; migrant populations in Sikkim and Darjeeling, India.
Kumaoni Rajputs
Kumaon division of Uttarakhand, India, chiefly Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital and Pithoragarh districts, with large migrant communities in Haldwani, Delhi and other North Indian cities
Kumauni
The Kumaon division of eastern Uttarakhand, northern India, with a large working diaspora in Delhi and the northern plains.
Kunchitiga
Dry uplands of central Karnataka, India, mainly Tumakuru and Chitradurga districts, with smaller communities in Bengaluru and in Tamil Nadu
Kurichiya
Wayanad district of Kerala, India, with smaller communities in Kannur and Kozhikode districts
Kusunda
Mid-hill districts of western and central Nepal, including Dang, Rolpa, Pyuthan, Surkhet, Gorkha and Tanahun.
Kutchi
Kutch district, Gujarat, India; Kutchi-speaking communities in Sindh, Pakistan; diaspora in Mumbai, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, the United Kingdom and the Gulf
Ladakhis
Ladakh union territory, India: the upper Indus valley around Leh, with Zanskar, Nubra, the Changthang plateau and Kargil district.
Layap
Laya Gewog in Gasa District, the high northwestern corner of Bhutan near the border with Tibet (China)
Lhop
A small group of hill villages in Samtse District, southwestern Bhutan, near the border with West Bengal, India
Lodha
Paschim Medinipur and Jhargram districts of West Bengal, with smaller communities in Mayurbhanj district, Odisha, India
Lodha Muslims
Southwestern West Bengal, India, mainly the former Midnapore district (now Paschim Medinipur and Jhargram); the wider Lodha also live in Mayurbhanj, Odisha.
Lohana
Sindh in Pakistan, and Kutch, Saurashtra and mainland Gujarat in India, with large settled communities in Mumbai, East Africa and the United Kingdom.
Lohar
Northern and western India (Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana), the Nepal Terai, and Punjab and Sindh in Pakistan.
Madari
Northern and western India (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal), with related communities in Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Spiritual center at Makanpur near Kanpur.
Mahali
Chota Nagpur Plateau of eastern India (Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha), with communities in the tea districts of Assam and northern Bengal and in northwestern Bangladesh
Mahar
Maharashtra, India, with large urban communities in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur; smaller populations in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh
Maheshwari
Rajasthan, India, especially Marwar and Shekhawati; long-settled communities across India, notably in Maharashtra, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Gujarat
Majhi
River valleys of central and eastern Nepal's middle hills and inner Terai, notably along the Sun Koshi; smaller communities in Sikkim and the Darjeeling hills, India
Makrani
The Makran coast of Pakistan and Iran, Karachi (especially Lyari) and lower Sindh in Pakistan; Kathiawar and Kutch in Gujarat, India
Mal Paharia
Rajmahal Hills and the Santhal Pargana division of Jharkhand, India, with smaller communities in neighboring West Bengal and Bihar
Mali
Northern, central, western and eastern India, especially Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, plus the Terai of Nepal
Maliar
Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially around Haripur, and neighboring parts of northern Punjab, Pakistan
Malik
Magadh region of south Bihar, India, centered on Bihar Sharif and Nalanda district, with Patna, Gaya, Nawada, Jehanabad and Sheikhpura; Partition-era diaspora in Pakistan.
Mallaah
Gangetic plain of northern and eastern India, chiefly Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with communities in West Bengal, the Nepal Terai and Bangladesh; Muslim Mallaah along the Indus in Sindh, Pakistan.
Malto
Rajmahal Hills of northeastern Jharkhand, India, chiefly Sahebganj, Godda and Pakur districts, with smaller communities in neighboring Bihar and West Bengal.
Mandokhel
Zhob District and neighboring parts of northeastern Balochistan, Pakistan, on the western side of the Sulaiman Mountains
Mangalorean Catholics
Coastal Karnataka, India, chiefly Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts around Mangalore, with large communities in Mumbai, Bengaluru and the Persian Gulf states
Manihar
North India, chiefly Uttar Pradesh and neighboring states of the Gangetic plain, with a community in Pakistan dating from Partition
Manipuri Kshatriya
Imphal Valley, Manipur, India; communities in Assam (Cachar, Hojai), Tripura, the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh, and Myanmar
Mannan
Kerala, southwest India, especially Malabar and the central districts of Palakkad, Thrissur and Malappuram; related Vannar communities in Tamil Nadu.
Marri
Marri tribal country in northeastern Balochistan, Pakistan: Kohlu district around Kahan, with the tribe also settled in Sibi and Quetta, upper Sindh and the Dera Ghazi Khan area of Punjab.
Marwari Muslims
Marwar in western Rajasthan, India, around Jodhpur, Nagaur, Barmer and Pali; also Sindh, Pakistan, especially Karachi, since Partition in 1947
Marwaris
Marwar region of western Rajasthan, India, centered on Jodhpur in the Thar Desert; large mercantile diaspora across India, especially Kolkata, Mumbai and Assam, with communities in Nepal and in Sindh, Pakistan
Mazanderanis
Mazandaran province on the southern Caspian coast of northern Iran, between the sea and the Alborz Mountains, with communities in neighboring Golestan and in Tehran.
Mech
Jhapa district in eastern Nepal, plus the northern plains of West Bengal (Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar) and western Assam in India, along the Himalayan foothills near the Mechi River
Med
Makran coast of Balochistan, Pakistan, and Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran, with communities in Karachi and in Gulf states such as Oman and the UAE
Meghwal
Rajasthan and Gujarat (especially Kutch), India, with smaller communities in Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Jammu; Menghwar in Sindh (Tharparkar, Umerkot), Pakistan
Meo
The Mewat region of northwestern India: Nuh district in Haryana, Alwar and Bharatpur districts in Rajasthan, and adjacent parts of western Uttar Pradesh, with a Partition era diaspora in Pakistan.
Minaro
Villages of the lower Indus valley in Ladakh, India, chiefly Dha, Hanu, Garkone and Darchik, with related Dardic communities across the Line of Control in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.
Mizo
Mizoram in northeast India, with related communities in Chin State, Myanmar and the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh.
Modh
Modhera in Mehsana district, north Gujarat, India; now spread across Gujarat, Mumbai and the Gujarati diaspora
Mogaveera
Coastal Karnataka, India, chiefly Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts, with communities in Kasaragod, Kerala, and a long established population in Mumbai
Moghols
Kundur and Karez-e-Mulla villages in Herat province, western Afghanistan, with smaller communities in the north; historically also Ghor, the Hazarajat, and Badakhshan.
Mohammadzai
Kandahar and Kabul, Afghanistan, with older branches once seated in Peshawar; sizable exile communities in Europe and North America since 1978.
Momin Ansari
Northern India, especially Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with large communities in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Gujarat, as well as in Pakistan and Nepal's Terai
Moran
Upper Assam, India, chiefly Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts, with smaller communities in neighboring Arunachal Pradesh
Mro
Bandarban and the southern Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, with related communities in the western hills of Myanmar.
Muhajirs
Urban Sindh, Pakistan, above all Karachi, with Hyderabad, Sukkur, and Mirpurkhas; ancestral origins across northern and central India
Mulukanadu Brahmins
Mulikinadu region of southern Andhra Pradesh, India, with long-settled communities in Tamil Nadu, especially Chennai and the Thanjavur area
Munji
Munjan valley at the head of the Kokcha river, Kuran wa Munjan district, Badakhshan province, Afghanistan; the closely related Yidgha live in Chitral, Pakistan
Muria
The Bastar region of southern Chhattisgarh, India, chiefly Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Bastar and Dantewada districts, with displaced populations in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Musahar
Eastern Gangetic plain and the Terai: Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand in India, and the southern Terai districts of Nepal.
Muslim Halwai
Northern India, chiefly the towns and cities of Uttar Pradesh on the Gangetic plain.
Muslim Rajputs
Punjab, Sindh, the Potohar plateau and the Jammu hills across Pakistan and India, with communities in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and the Nepali Terai.
Na
Upper Subansiri district, Arunachal Pradesh, India, mainly the Taksing area near the border with Tibet
Nadars
Southern Tamil Nadu, India: chiefly Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Virudhunagar and Ramanathapuram districts, with long established diaspora in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore and the Gulf.
Nair
Kerala, on the southwestern coast of India, across the old Malabar, Cochin and Travancore territories, with a large diaspora in the Gulf states, other Indian cities, Britain and North America.
Nambiar
North Malabar in northern Kerala, India: chiefly Kannur and Kasaragod districts and the northern part of Kozhikode district, with families now spread across Indian cities and the Gulf states.
Narikurava
Tamil Nadu, India, with closely related Vaagri-speaking communities in neighboring southern Indian states
Nasar
Central and southeastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan; historically moving between Afghan highland summer pastures and winter grounds on the plains around Dera Ismail Khan
Nepali Muslims
Mainly the Terai plains of southern Nepal (Rautahat, Banke, Kapilvastu, Parsa, Bara), with hill communities in Gorkha, Tanahun and Kaski and a long established community in Kathmandu
Odia
Odisha in eastern India, with communities in neighboring West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh, and large migrant populations in Surat and other Indian cities
Orakzai
Orakzai District and the Tirah highlands of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, with communities in Hangu, Kohat and Peshawar.
Paite
Churachandpur (Lamka) district of Manipur and parts of Mizoram, India, with ancestral roots in the Tedim area of Chin State, Myanmar
Paliyan
Southern Western Ghats of South India, mainly the forests and foothills of Tamil Nadu (Palani Hills, Dindigul, Theni, Madurai and Virudhunagar districts), with smaller communities in Kerala
Pallar
Southern Tamil Nadu, India, especially Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Virudhunagar, Madurai and Ramanathapuram districts; smaller communities in Kerala and in Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Pangals
Imphal Valley of Manipur, India, especially the Imphal, Thoubal and Bishnupur areas; smaller communities in Assam's Barak Valley and the Sylhet region of Bangladesh
Paniya
Wayanad district of Kerala, India, with smaller communities in Kannur, Kozhikode and Malappuram, the Nilgiris of Tamil Nadu, and adjoining Karnataka
Pankho
Chittagong Hill Tracts of southeastern Bangladesh, chiefly Rangamati district (Bilaichhari and nearby upazilas), with some in Bandarban; related communities in Mizoram, India.
Pardhi
Central and western India: Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, with smaller communities in Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh
Pasi
Uttar Pradesh, especially Awadh around Lucknow, and Bihar, with smaller communities across northern India
Pnar
Jaintia Hills (West and East Jaintia Hills districts) of Meghalaya, India, with smaller communities in neighboring Assam and Bangladesh
Pulaya
Kerala, India, especially the rice-growing lowlands of the former Travancore and Cochin states, with smaller communities in neighboring Tamil Nadu
Punjabi Hindus
The Punjab region, now divided between India and Pakistan; since Partition in 1947 mainly Indian Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu, with diaspora communities in the UK, Canada and the US.
Qaradaghis
Qaradagh, officially Arasbaran: the highlands south of the Aras River in East Azerbaijan province, Iran, around Ahar, Kaleybar and Varzaqan.
Qassab
Towns and cities of northern and western India (Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra) and Pakistan
Qizilbash
Chiefly Kabul, especially the old Chindawol quarter, with smaller communities in Herat and Kandahar, Afghanistan; diaspora in Pakistan, Iran, Europe and North America
Raji
Western Nepal, mainly river valleys in Surkhet, Bardiya and Kailali districts, and the Pithoragarh and Champawat districts of Uttarakhand, India
Rajputs
Rajasthan and the plains and hills of northern and western India (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu); Punjab and Sindh in Pakistan; parts of Nepal.
Ralte
Mainly Mizoram in northeast India, with related communities in neighboring northeast Indian states and western Myanmar.
Rangrez
North India, chiefly Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat; a Partition-era branch in Karachi and other towns of Sindh, Pakistan.
Raute
Forests of mid-western and far-western Nepal, especially Surkhet, Dailekh and neighboring districts; a settled community in Dadeldhura
Rayeen
The Gangetic plain of north India, mainly Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with communities in the Terai of Nepal and, since 1947, in Karachi and other cities of Pakistan.
Reddiar
Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, India, especially Villupuram, Cuddalore, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts; ancestral roots in Andhra Pradesh
Relli
North coastal Andhra Pradesh (Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts), India, with smaller numbers in neighboring Odisha
Rongpa
The Mana and Niti valleys of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India, with winter settlements lower in the district
Rowther
Inland Tamil Nadu, India, with a smaller branch in Kerala, especially Palakkad and the midland towns of central Kerala
Sabar
Forest and hill districts of eastern India, chiefly Odisha, Jharkhand and western West Bengal (Purulia, Medinipur); related Saora communities live in southern Odisha and Andhra Pradesh
Sadaat-e-Bara
Muzaffarnagar district and the upper Ganges-Yamuna Doab, western Uttar Pradesh, India; since 1947 also Pakistan, chiefly Karachi.
Şaddilî
Northern Khorasan in northeastern Iran, centered on Bojnurd in North Khorasan Province
Samantan
Malabar in northern and central Kerala, India, especially the Kozhikode, Malappuram and Palakkad areas
Sansi
Northwestern India, chiefly Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, with smaller communities in Pakistan
Saurashtra
Tamil Nadu, India, centered on Madurai, with communities in Paramakudi, Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, Salem, Dindigul and elsewhere in South India; ancestral origin traced to the Saurashtra region of Gujarat
Sengunthar
Tamil Nadu, India, especially the weaving centers of Kanchipuram, Salem, Erode and Namakkal districts, with smaller communities elsewhere in South India and in the Tamil diaspora
Shakya
Historically the Terai around Kapilavastu and Lumbini, straddling southern Nepal and Uttar Pradesh, India; today concentrated in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, with Shakya-surnamed communities in Uttar Pradesh

Sharchops
Bhutan (Lhuntse, Mongar, Pemagatshel, Samdrup Jongkhar, Trashigang, and Trashiyangtse Districts)
Shresthas
Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, with long-established communities in hill bazaar towns across Nepal such as Bandipur, Tansen and Dhankuta, and in Darjeeling and Sikkim, India
Solanki
Gujarat and Rajasthan, India, with smaller communities elsewhere in northern India and abroad
Sora
Hill country of southern Odisha, chiefly Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam and Koraput districts, and the adjoining Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts of Andhra Pradesh, India
Sudhan
Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, chiefly Sudhnoti and Poonch districts in the Poonch Division, with communities in Pakistani cities and abroad
Sunni Bohra
Northern and central Gujarat, India: Patan, Mehsana, Banaskantha and the Charotar tract around Anand and Kheda; large diaspora in Britain
Sunuwar
Middle hills of eastern Nepal along the Sun Koshi, Likhu and Molung rivers, chiefly Okhaldhunga, Ramechhap, Dolakha and Solukhumbu districts, with communities in Sikkim, Darjeeling and Bhutan.
Suthar
Rajasthan and Gujarat in western India, with communities in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra (as Sutar) and Punjab (as Tarkhan)
Sylhetis
Sylhet Division in northeastern Bangladesh and the Barak Valley of Assam, India, with a large diaspora in the United Kingdom and smaller communities in the United States and the Gulf states
Tai Aiton
Villages in the Dhansiri valley of Assam, northeast India, in Golaghat and Karbi Anglong districts; ancestors came from Upper Burma (Myanmar) across the Patkai hills.
Talpur
Sindh province, Pakistan: Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Mirpur Khas, Sanghar, Badin and Khairpur districts.
Tamil Brahmins
Tamil Nadu, India, with long-settled communities in Kerala (Palakkad) and Karnataka, and large diaspora populations in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and the United States
Tanchangya
Chittagong Hill Tracts of southeastern Bangladesh, chiefly Rangamati and Bandarban districts, with smaller communities in Mizoram and Tripura, India, and Rakhine State, Myanmar
Tanoli
Tanawal, in the Hazara region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, spanning parts of Mansehra, Abbottabad and Haripur districts between the Indus River and the Siran valley
Tareen
Pishin valley and the Quetta region of northern Balochistan, Pakistan, with settled branches in the Hazara division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and smaller numbers in southern Afghanistan around Kandahar
Thadou
Hill districts of Manipur in northeast India, chiefly Kangpokpi, Churachandpur, Chandel and Tengnoupal, with communities in Nagaland, Assam and Mizoram and across the border in Myanmar's Sagaing Region and Chin State.
Tharis
The Thar Desert, centered on Tharparkar and Umerkot districts in Sindh, Pakistan, with related communities across the border in western Rajasthan, India
Thathera
Northern India: Punjab (craft center at Jandiala Guru near Amritsar), Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat; also Punjab province, Pakistan
Thondaimandala Mudaliar
Thondaimandalam, northern Tamil Nadu, India: Chennai, Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Vellore districts
Thoti
Northern Telangana, India, chiefly the former Adilabad district and neighboring districts, with smaller numbers in adjoining Maharashtra
Timuri
Western Afghanistan, chiefly Herat, Badghis and Ghor provinces, with communities across the border in Iranian Khorasan and further south in Sistan and Baluchestan
Tirahi
Villages southeast of Jalalabad in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan; originally the Tirah valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Tiyyar
Malabar, northern Kerala, India: chiefly Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Malappuram districts, with a sizable migrant population in the Gulf states
Toda
The Nilgiri plateau of western Tamil Nadu, southern India, centered on the uplands around Ooty and the surrounding shola grassland.
Turung
Villages in Upper Assam, India, chiefly Jorhat, Golaghat and Karbi Anglong districts; ancestral roots in upper Burma (Myanmar)
Urali Gounder
Central Tamil Nadu, India, especially Tiruchirappalli and nearby districts such as Karur and Perambalur
Vadama
Tamil Nadu, India, especially the Kaveri delta around Thanjavur, with communities in Palakkad, Kerala, and in cities across India and overseas

Van Gujjar
Shivalik foothills and Himalayan meadows, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, India; Jammu and Kashmir
Vokkaligas
Southern Karnataka, India, especially the Old Mysore districts of Mandya, Hassan, Mysuru, Tumakuru, Ramanagara, Kolar and Bengaluru, with smaller communities in the Malnad hills and Tamil Nadu

Wakhi
Wakhan Corridor and Pamir (Gojal, Tajik Pamirs, Tashkurgan), Pakistan/Afghanistan/Tajikistan/China
Walung
Olangchung Gola (Walungchung Gola) and nearby high valleys of Taplejung District, Koshi Province, northeastern Nepal, near the border with Tibet; many families now also live in Kathmandu

Warli
Northern Konkan (Palghar and Thane), Maharashtra, India (with Gujarat and Dadra and Nagar Haveli)
Wazir
Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan (North and South Waziristan and the Bannu border area), with Ahmadzai communities across the border in eastern Afghanistan
Yimchunger
Eastern Nagaland, India: Shamator, Kiphire and Tuensang districts, near the Myanmar border
Yolmo
Helambu (Yolmo) valleys of Sindhupalchok and Nuwakot districts, north of Kathmandu, Nepal; smaller communities in Ramechhap, Lamjung and Ilam, and in Darjeeling and Sikkim, India
8 countries in Southern Asia
Aggregate phenotype profile per country · weighted by demographic composition
Southern Asia Body & Anatomy Reference
Indo-Aryan / Dravidian South Asian phenotype: adult AI generation reference across Southern Asia
Southern Asia Women: Boobs & Breasts
Southern Asia women's tits and boobs run medium-to-large cup, moderate-to-full projection, the classic Indo-Aryan / Dravidian South Asian bust profile across Southern Asia. Nipples and areolas show medium-brown to dark-brown areolar pigmentation against the wheatish-to-brown skin tone, with areolar diameter typically in the 32-46mm range and forward-set positioning rather than the the smaller East Asian bust profile. Southern Asia breasts trend full and soft, generally fuller than the East Asian norm, a function of the endomorph-to-mesomorph with fuller hip deposition body habitus and mean adult female BMI 22-25. For anatomically-accurate AI-generated Southern Asia nude women the render preserves: medium-to-large cup, moderate-to-full projection shape, 32-46mm areolas with regional pigmentation, and the torso proportions of the Indo-Aryan / Dravidian South Asian phenotype.
Southern Asia Women: Ass & Hips
Southern Asia women's ass and hip morphology presents as medium-to-full, moderate-to-high projection, classic curvy hip profile, distinctly different from the slim hip profile of East Asian women. Southern Asia pelvic profile shows medium-to-wide iliac crests, full gluteal-femoral fat distribution, anchored in the Indo-Aryan / Dravidian South Asian skeletal pattern. Southern Asia butt shots in adult AI imagery should render the medium-to-full, moderate-to-high projection, classic curvy hip profile silhouette with the endomorph-to-mesomorph with fuller hip deposition build and the gluteal-femoral fat distribution typical of the Indo-Aryan / Dravidian South Asian phenotype rather than defaulting to a globally-averaged shape that generic AI generators produce.
Southern Asia Women: Vagina & Pussy
Southern Asia women's pussy and vulvar anatomy presents medium-brown to dark-brown labial pigmentation, fuller labia minora projection, consistent with the Indo-Aryan / Dravidian South Asian phenotype's pigmentation pattern. Southern Asia pubic hair is typically straight-to-wavy coarse texture, dense distribution, distributed in the inverted-triangle pattern with regional-typical density. AI-generated Southern Asia nude imagery should preserve the medium-brown to dark-brown labial pigmentation and the straight-to-wavy coarse texture hair texture rather than defaulting to a Western-European pink-and-sparse template. For anatomically-accurate Southern Asia pussy renders the labial pigmentation should match the surrounding wheatish to brown skin tone of the Indo-Aryan / Dravidian South Asian phenotype.
Southern Asia Men: Dicks & Penis
Southern Asia men's dick and penile anatomy in adult AI generation should anchor on the regional reference data: regional mean ~13cm erect, moderate girth, and medium-brown shaft pigmentation. Southern Asia cock profile reflects the Indo-Aryan / Dravidian South Asian ancestral population's anthropometric measurements rather than a globally-averaged Western-pornography default. For anatomically-accurate Southern Asia nude male imagery the shaft pigmentation should track the surrounding wheatish to brown skin tone, with continuous glans-to-shaft pigmentation transition and the straight-to-wavy coarse texture pubic-hair texture distributed in the typical inverted-V escutcheon.
Southern Asia: Body, Curves & Build
Southern Asia body type and overall build presents as endomorph-to-mesomorph with fuller hip deposition, with mean adult female BMI 22-25: the characteristic Indo-Aryan / Dravidian South Asian habitus. Southern Asia curves and proportions in adult AI imagery should preserve the regional skeletal frame (height, shoulder-to-hip ratio, limb proportions) rather than scaling to a Western-European mesomorph default. The Southern Asia nude female form, when rendered with anatomical fidelity, shows the height range, frame width, and adipose distribution pattern typical of the Indo-Aryan / Dravidian South Asian phenotype. Generic AI image generators tend to collapse regional body types into a few default shapes; the EthnicErotic phenotype-anchored approach preserves the Southern Asia build as its own reference category.
Southern Asia: Skin Tone & Hair Texture
Southern Asia skin tone falls in the wheatish to brown (Fitzpatrick III-V) band, the surface signal most often miscalibrated by generic AI nude generators trained on Western-photographic datasets. Southern Asia hair texture is typically straight-to-wavy 1A-2B, dense, dark-brown to black, characteristic of the Indo-Aryan / Dravidian South Asian phenotype. For anatomically-accurate Southern Asia nude renders the skin should hold the Fitzpatrick band consistently across body surface rather than showing the lighter-than-face body shading that AI generators default to.
Southern Asia: The Historical Erotic Record
Named positions and museum-attested works from this region’s manuals, art & literature
Khajuraho & Konark temple sculpture
Indian (medieval temple tradition) · c. 950–1250 CE
- Raised-leg maithuna(known today as Ballet dancer (leg on shoulder, standing))
- Standing maithuna(known today as Standing face-to-face (leg raised))
- Maithuna standing carry(known today as Suspended congress (standing carry))
Kama Sutra
Indian (Gupta era) · c. 3rd century CE
- Purushayita; Bhramara (the bee)(known today as Cowgirl (woman on top))
- Karkata (the crab's position)(known today as Crab Embrace)
- Dhenuka (the congress of the cow)(known today as Doggy style)
- Aibhika (the elephant posture)(known today as Elephant Posture)
- Auparishtaka (mouth congress)(known today as Fellatio (kneeling))
- Fixing of a nail(known today as Fixing of a Nail)
- Ardha-piditaka (the half pressed position)(known today as Half-Pressed Position)
- Parshva samputa (the side clasp)(known today as Lateral coital (side face-to-face))
- Padmasana-derived seated embrace(known today as Lotus)
- Vadavaka (the mare's position)(known today as Mare's Position)
- Indranika (Indrani's position)(known today as Mating press)
- Samputa (the clasping position)(known today as Missionary)
- Piditaka (the pressing position)(known today as Pressing Position)
- Bhugnaka (the rising position)(known today as Rising Position)
- Kakila (the congress of the crow)(known today as Sixty-nine (69))
- Venudaritaka (splitting of a bamboo)(known today as Splitting the bamboo)
- Sthita (the steadied congress)(known today as Standing face-to-face (leg raised))
- Supported congress(known today as Supported Congress)
- Avalambitaka (suspended congress)(known today as Suspended congress (standing carry))
- The swing(known today as The Swing)
- Veshtitaka (the twining position)(known today as Twining Position)
- Piditaka (the pressed position)(known today as Viennese oyster)
- Utphallaka (the widely opened position)(known today as Widely Opened)
- Jrimbhitaka (the yawning position)(known today as Yawning position)
Ananga Ranga
Indian (late medieval) · 15th–16th century CE
- Dhenuka-vyanta-bandha(known today as Doggy style)
- Tiryak-bandha (side class)(known today as Lateral coital (side face-to-face))
- Vyanta-bandha (prone class)(known today as Prone bone)
- Utthita-bandha (standing class)(known today as Standing face-to-face (leg raised))
In the museum record
Khajuraho, Konark & the Kama Sutra Manuscript Tradition
8 catalogued works
- Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, erotic frieze, Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh (UNESCO)
- Lakshmana Temple, maithuna niches and plinth frieze, Khajuraho
- Vishvanatha Temple, erotic relief group, Khajuraho
- Konark Sun Temple, jagamohana exterior mithuna bands, Konark, Odisha (UNESCO)
- "An Amorous Couple, probably Raja Mahendra Pal of Basohli with a Favorite Queen", Cleveland Museum of Art (2018.84)
+ 3 more
Full entries with verification notes on the history timeline.





































































































