What Are the Differences Between the Aryan and Dravidian Tribes?
- Aryans tend to have lighter hair and fairer skin than Dravidians. In Hindu religious stories the Dravidians were often portrayed as dark skinned demons that the noble Aryans fought. In other stories, Aryan men married darker-toned women that were coined seductive and mischievous. In present Indian society, nonetheless, such racist notions tend to be avoided. There are some instances in which Aryans and Dravidians have little difference in morphology, such as the Brahui Dravidians and the Aryan Baluchi.
- Aryans occupy most of the northern states in India, while the Dravidians tend to live in the south. In the Indian legend that has been debunked, the Aryans came from Iran and southern Russia to invade the north. This geographical distinction, nonetheless, is less definitive than in the past, as the two races have become more integrated with time. Still, the north is considered to be mostly influenced by Aryan culture, and the south by Dravidian society.
- Perhaps the most prominent difference between the Aryans and the Dravidians is the languages they speak. The two languages are entirely unrelated. The early Dravidian language appears to share correlation with Sanskrit, as Sanskrit has a similar grammar structure. Dravidian also includes a lot of Sanskrit words, especially those related to Hinduism. Aryan and Dravidians are also distinguished by the different accents with which they speak. The five southern states speak Dravidian languages.
- The Aryan and Dravidian people mostly share a common Hindu culture and religious tradition. In the past, the Aryan culture was considered patrilinear, emphasizing the role of the father, while many Dravidian tribes were matrilinear. Today, that distinction is less prominent. According to Indian legend, the caste system was invented by the Aryans in their domination over the Dravidians. Modern India does not use the caste system anymore, although in some rural areas discrimination is still evident.