Punjabi Sikh DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · India · South Asia
Sikhism was founded in Punjab by Guru Nanak in the late 15th century, and today most Sikhs live in the Indian state of Punjab, around holy sites such as the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The Partition of 1947 split Punjab between India and Pakistan and moved millions of people across the new border. In our model, the Indian Punjabi Sikh average is 38.6% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy), 28.1% steppe, 27.6% Iranian Neolithic farmer and 5.7% Anatolian Neolithic farmer. Compared with the Lahore average on our Punjabi page (56.3% Irula proxy, 18.6% steppe), the Sikh one sits further toward the northwestern end of the South Asian genetic gradient. Its neighbours cut across religion: Jat Muslims, Sikh Jats, Rajputs, Awans and Khatris, the eight closest all within 0.0158. The closest ancient group is a historical-period population from Saidu Sharif in the Swat valley (0.0188), followed by Iron Age Katelai, also in Swat.
- Largest ancient components in our model: South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) 38.6%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 28.1%, Iranian Neolithic farmers 27.6%
- Closest modern population in our data: Punjabi (Jat Muslim), distance 0.0113
- Closest ancient group in our data: Pakistan HP Saidu Sharif, distance 0.0188
Where does Punjabi Sikh DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Punjabi Sikh individuals sampled in India, listed in the G25 sheet as "Punjabi_Sikh_India" and compare them with deep ancestral reference populations, with other modern groups and with ancient genomes. It is one of 335 populations in our atlas.
Ancient make-up of the Punjabi Sikh average
The ancient make-up of the Punjabi Sikh average is led by South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) (38.6%), followed by Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (28.1%) and Iranian Neolithic farmers (27.6%). The South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) component reflects the deep hunter-gatherer ancestry of South Asia (Ancient Ancestral South Indians). The Steppe herders (Yamnaya) share (28.1%) reflects the Bronze Age herders of the Pontic-Caspian steppe (Yamnaya and related groups), whose ancestry spread across Europe and into Asia from about 3000 BC.
The fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.027): treat the proportions as a good approximation rather than exact values. This population was modelled with a global set of reference populations (ancient genomes, plus modern stand-ins where no suitable ancient genome exists), because West Eurasian sources alone cannot describe it.
Sindhu – South Asian Report
Closest modern populations to Punjabi Sikh
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Punjabi Sikh average is Punjabi (Jat Muslim), at a distance of 0.011 (very close). Next come Jat (Punjab Sikh) at 0.012 and Punjabi (Rajput) at 0.012. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Jat (Punjab Sikh) (0.012), Awan (0.014) and Pahari (Jat Muslim) (0.014). Even the tenth closest, Arora, is only 0.018 away: Punjabi Sikh belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Punjabi (Jat Muslim) | 0.0113 | Very close |
| 2 | Jat (Punjab Sikh) | 0.0121 | Very close |
| 3 | Punjabi (Rajput) | 0.0124 | Very close |
| 4 | Awan | 0.0139 | Very close |
| 5 | Pahari (Jat Muslim) | 0.0144 | Very close |
| 6 | Tarkhan (Sikh/Hindu) | 0.0153 | Very close |
| 7 | Jat (Punjab Muslim) | 0.0157 | Very close |
| 8 | Khatri | 0.0158 | Very close |
| 9 | Rajput (Potohar) | 0.0171 | Very close |
| 10 | Arora | 0.0181 | Very close |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Punjabi Sikh
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Punjabi Sikh average is Pakistan HP Saidu Sharif (Historical period), at 0.019, followed by Pakistan IA Katelai and Pakistan HP Aligrama. That is a very close match, which suggests strong genetic continuity between those ancient people (or close relatives of theirs) and the modern population. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pakistan HP Saidu Sharif | Historical period | 0.0188 |
| 2 | Pakistan IA Katelai | Iron Age | 0.0271 |
| 3 | Pakistan HP Aligrama | Historical period | 0.0278 |
| 4 | Pakistan High Medieval Barikot | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0290 |
| 5 | Pakistan IA Gogdara | Iron Age | 0.0296 |
| 6 | Pakistan IA Udegram | Iron Age | 0.0304 |
| 7 | Pakistan IA Loebanr | Iron Age | 0.0306 |
| 8 | Pakistan HP Barikot | Historical period | 0.0326 |
| 9 | Pakistan Late Medieval Barikot | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0338 |
| 10 | Pakistan IA Butkara | Iron Age | 0.0365 |
Ancient DNA from India
Our ancient DNA database holds 59 individuals excavated in present-day India, dated from about 2,350 BC to 1860 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are R2a (4), H1a (3) and J2b (3), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are M3 (6), H1 (4) and U2 (4). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Punjabi Sikh population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on India
- Blending borders: reconstructing the genetic history of the Sindhi population (2026)
- Blending borders: reconstructing the genetic history of the Sindhi population (2026)
- The Old Lady spider cave skeletons in Ladakh have diverse maternal genetic origin (2026)
- Layers in the sand: The genetic imprint of migration, culture, and Indus craft in the Thar desert (2026)
- Admixture and Genetic Connectivity: Autosomal Insights Into Indo-Aryan Speakers at the Eastern Edge of the Indian Subcontinent (2026)
- Novel 4400-year-old ancestral component in a tribe speaking a Dravidian language (2025)
- Ancient mitogenomes from Neolithic, megalithic and medieval burials suggest complex genetic history of Kashmir valley, India (2025)
- 50,000 years of evolutionary history of India: Impact on health and disease variation (2025)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 59 from India.
Compare yourself with Punjabi Sikh
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Punjabi Sikh average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Punjabi Sikh and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
Keep in mind that a population average is a statistical summary of a limited number of sampled individuals. Real people inside any group vary, some carry more of one ancestry and some less, and no genetic profile decides who is or is not Punjabi Sikh. Use these numbers as a map of deep ancestry, not as a label.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Punjabi Sikh average. Your own DNA has its own story: Sindhu – South Asian Report (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built for people of South Asian ancestry: ancient regional core (Indus Valley Civilization, BMAC, Steppe migration, Himalayan Iron Age & Classical layers) versus non-regional outside admixture, across 13 communities (Punjabi...
More populations from South Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Punjabi Sikh?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Punjabi Sikh average is about 38.6% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy), 28.1% Steppe herders (Yamnaya) and 27.6% Iranian Neolithic farmers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Punjabi Sikh?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Punjabi (Jat Muslim)), the closest modern populations to the Punjabi Sikh average are Jat (Punjab Sikh), Awan and Pahari (Jat Muslim). The closest ancient matches are Pakistan HP Saidu Sharif, Pakistan IA Katelai and Pakistan HP Aligrama.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Punjabi Sikh?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Punjabi Sikh average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Punjabi Sikh ancestry?
For the Punjabi Sikh average, the regional report to choose is Sindhu – South Asian Report, which our fit test rates as an excellent match. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.