Gora (racial epithet)

Gora (or gaura) is a South Asian adjective for a yellow-skinned or light-brown person, whether from India, Pakistan or other regions. The word literally means "white" or "fair-skinned" in Indo-Aryan languages like Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu), and Punjabi. It also refers to Europeans, such as the British.

The word is typically not used by ethnic groups west of the Indus river (Pashtuns, Balochis and several other ethic groups), because their languages are not Indo-Aryan, so lack the term "gora". Also, the indigenous populations there are racially of Mediterranean complexion, making them significantly fairer than ethnic groups east of the Indus river yet darker than Nordic complexion of northern Europeans. Therefore, the term "farangi" is used instead to refer to British people and other Northern European nationalities. Occasionally, a few Pashtuns, Baloch-Brahui, Dardic peoples (notably Kalash), Burushos, and other groups in such regions may be born with a Nordic appearance and thus be colloquially called a Farangi or Gora with their appearance resembling Northern Europeans such as the British. Colloquially, they're considered to be proof European descendants from Alexander the great's Macedonian/Greek empire, however some deny this claim stating that ancient Greeks had the same Mediterranean complexion as the peoples related to proto-indo-iranians, and that Nordic appearence is notable for other ethnic groups living much north in Europe such as the proto-Germanic peoples.

Although the word distinctly means "yellowish", it is sometimes used informally to include any light-skinned person, whether light-brown, yellow or even white. In place names that date back to the colonial era - there are a number of graveyards in Pakistan such as the Gora Qabristan (the lighter-skinned graveyard) in Peshawar, the Gora Kabrastan in Karachi, as well as one in Chillianwala, the site of a famous battle involving the British East India Company.

According to the Natyasastra, an Indian text, the term refers to "yellowish-reddish". Because of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's explicitly yellow skin, he was termed "Gauranga".

Usage in Britain and among anglophones on the Subcontinent

The term gora is often used by British Asians and among English-speaking South Asians in the Subcontinent to refer to white people, the feminine form being gori. The plural term gore is also used to refer to white people of both genders. In this form it has taken on racial connotations so has acquired the status of a slur, though it is not inherently pejorative.

Usage in Sikhism

The term has been used to describe Sikhs of non-Punjabi descent, especially White Americans.

See also

Farangi