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Answer
The Dravidians are considered to be the most ancient people of India. However, the recent research indicates that about six tribes came and settled before the Dravidlans in India. These are as follows:
$1.$ Negrltoit: Negritoit are, according to some historians, the most ancient inhabitants of India. They came to India from Africa via Baluchistan. Their physical features were dark complexion, short stature —$4$ to $5$ feet height and curly hairs.
$2.$ Australoid : Australoid people came to India from South-east Asia. The Aryans who came later, called this people as ‘Nishad’. The Kol, the Munda, the Khasi tribals In Assam as well as the tribals in Nicobar and Myanmar are the descendants of the Australoid race. Their physical features are dark complexion, broad head, flat nose and short stature.
$3.$ Mongoloid: Mongoloid people came to India from North China via Tibet. They are known as ‘Ktrat’. Their physical features were yellow complexion, flat face, chubby cheeks and almond-shaped eyes.
$4.$ Alpine, Dinarik and Armenold : Alpine, Dinarik and Armenoid people migrated to India from Central Asia. Their physical features were similar. Their descendants are found in a large number In Gujarat, Saurashtra, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Odisha.
$5.$ Dravidian : The people belonging to the Dravidian race were the original inhabitants of India. They were the direct decendants of the Stone Age civilization and the creator of Mohen-Jo-Daro culture. After the invasion of the Aryans, they shifted to and settled down in the southern part of India. Thereby their language and culture have survived. They gave the concept of mother as “Goddess’ and father as ‘God’. Thereby the religious belief of Parvati as the mother and Shiva as the father evolved. They evolved the tradition of worshipping with Dhup, Deep and Aartt. They also undertook nature and animal worship. The Aryan culture was internalised by the Dravidians. They had matriarchal family systems and permitted inter-caste marriage. They made progress in the crafts like boat and raft making, weaving, spinning and dyeing cotton. Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malyalam are the Dravidian family languages spoken by the people in the South India. Rich literature in Tamil and other Dravidian languages was developed.
$6.$The Aryan culture The people belonging to the Nordic — Aryan were the creators of the Aryan culture-civilization in India. The Aryans were more developed people than their contemporaries. They adopted the good ways of life of the other tribals in India and formed a harmonious culture. They were nature lovers. They worshipped trees, rivers, the mountains, the sun, the wind and rain and composed Richas — hymns for seeking their blessings. Recitation of vedas, performing Yagna became part of their religious rituals. Initially they lived in the densely populated Sapta-Sindhu, region in north-west India. Which was called Aryavrata’. Subsequently Aryavrata extended upto Mithila and Vlndhyanchal in the post-vedic period. Their vast area was recognised by names: such as Bharatbhumi, Bharatkhand and Bharatvarsha after the name of the King Bharat. The rich composite culture of India is the heritage of the Aryans.
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