Sindhi DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Pakistan · South Asia
Sindh lies in the lower Indus valley of southern Pakistan, and it holds Mohenjo-daro, one of the great cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Sindhi is an Indo-Aryan language with a long written tradition. In our model, the Sindhi average is 39.9% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy), 32.0% Iranian Neolithic farmer, 21.5% steppe and 6.6% Anatolian Neolithic farmer. Compared with Punjabis and Jats further north, the Iranian-related share is clearly higher, which fits Sindh's position next to Balochistan and the Iranian plateau. Ancient DNA shows that people of the Indus era combined Iranian-related ancestry with South Asian hunter-gatherer ancestry, before steppe-related ancestry arrived in the second millennium BC. The closest ancient group is a historical-period population from Saidu Sharif in the Swat valley, at a close 0.0173. The closest modern averages are Saraiki Jats, Punjabi and Rajasthani Rajputs and Gujars, all within about 0.016, a reminder of how much the peoples of the Indus plains share.
- Largest ancient components in our model: South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) 39.9%, Iranian Neolithic farmers 32.0%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 21.5%
- Closest modern population in our data: Saraiki (Jat), distance 0.0134
- Closest ancient group in our data: Pakistan HP Saidu Sharif, distance 0.0173
Sindhi is one of the 335 modern populations in our population genetics atlas. The numbers on this page describe the average Global25 (G25) genome of the Sindhi individuals sampled in Pakistan. Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Sindhi average
Modelled as a mix of deep ancestral reference populations, the Sindhi average comes out as 39.9% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy), 32.0% Iranian Neolithic farmers and 21.5% Steppe herders (Yamnaya). The South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) component reflects the deep hunter-gatherer ancestry of South Asia (Ancient Ancestral South Indians). The Iranian Neolithic farmers share (32.0%) reflects the early farmers and herders of the Zagros mountains in Iran.
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 Sindhi
Genetically, the Sindhi average sits nearest to Saraiki (Jat) at 0.013, Punjabi (Rajput) at 0.014 and Rajput (Rajasthan) at 0.015. On our scale, a distance of 0.013 counts as very close. Even the tenth closest, Gawar, is only 0.017 away: Sindhi belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saraiki (Jat) | 0.0134 | Very close |
| 2 | Punjabi (Rajput) | 0.0143 | Very close |
| 3 | Rajput (Rajasthan) | 0.0148 | Very close |
| 4 | Punjabi (Rajput Potohar) | 0.0149 | Very close |
| 5 | Gujar (Punjab) | 0.0152 | Very close |
| 6 | Pahari (Jat Muslim) | 0.0154 | Very close |
| 7 | Rajasthani (Rajput) | 0.0155 | Very close |
| 8 | Gujar (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) | 0.0163 | Very close |
| 9 | Rajput (Potohar) | 0.0164 | Very close |
| 10 | Gawar | 0.0168 | 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 Sindhi
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Sindhi average is Pakistan HP Saidu Sharif (Historical period), at 0.017. Pakistan HP Aligrama and Pakistan IA Katelai come next. 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 | 0.0173 |
| 2 | Pakistan HP Aligrama | Historical period | 0.0216 |
| 3 | Pakistan IA Katelai | Iron Age | 0.0247 |
| 4 | Pakistan IA Loebanr | Iron Age | 0.0287 |
| 5 | Pakistan HP Butkara | Historical period | 0.0300 |
| 6 | Pakistan IA Udegram | Iron Age | 0.0312 |
| 7 | Pakistan IA Gogdara | Iron Age | 0.0316 |
| 8 | Pakistan HP Barikot | Historical period | 0.0321 |
| 9 | Pakistan High Medieval Barikot | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0328 |
| 10 | Pakistan IA Butkara | Iron Age | 0.0349 |
Ancient DNA from Pakistan
Our ancient DNA database holds 136 individuals excavated in present-day Pakistan, dated from about 1,266 BC to 1568 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are L1a (14), E1b (11) and R2a (10), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are U2 (14), M30 (9) and M65 (8). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Sindhi population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on Pakistan
- Contrasting maternal and paternal genetic histories among five ethnic groups from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan (2025)
- Phylogenetic analysis of the enigmatic Kalash population in Pakistan (2025)
- Ethnogenetic analysis reveals the Bronze Age genetic affiliation of Yashkuns with West Eurasians (2024)
- Multiple-Wave Admixture and Adaptive Evolution of the Pamirian Wakhi People (2024)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 136 from Pakistan.
Compare yourself with Sindhi
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Sindhi average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Sindhi 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 Sindhi. 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 Sindhi 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 Sindhi?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Sindhi average is about 39.9% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy), 32.0% Iranian Neolithic farmers and 21.5% Steppe herders (Yamnaya). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Sindhi?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Sindhi average are Saraiki (Jat), Punjabi (Rajput) and Rajput (Rajasthan). The closest ancient matches are Pakistan HP Saidu Sharif, Pakistan HP Aligrama and Pakistan IA Katelai.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Sindhi?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Sindhi 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 Sindhi ancestry?
For the Sindhi 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.