Ideophagous
Regular Member
- Messages
- 12
- Reaction score
- 9
- Points
- 0
- Ethnic group
- Moroccan, North African
- Y-DNA haplogroup
- G2a-L91
- mtDNA haplogroup
- T1a
Hi guys! I have received my DNA test results a few months ago from AncestryDNA and, using a method detailed on Genetic Genealogist blog, managed to obtain my Y-DNA haplogroup from my raw DNA file (AncestryDNA results include Y chromosome analysis, but they do not give a prediction as to the Y-DNA haplogroup). The prediction was G2a (PF3148), which I believe is quite reliable considering that I found the results of 3 individuals from Morocco on an FTDNA database who had the same Y-haplogroup, and their results were even more specific as far the subclade is concerned, which was L91 (same as Ötzi the Iceman).
The reason I believe the prediction to be quite reliable, is that, first, G is quite rare in Morocco, so I doubt there would be much variety in its Moroccan subclades, and second, that all three individuals had the family name Alaoui/Alawi, which is common among Moroccan people who claim to be descendants of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. In fact, it is the family name of the royal family in Morocco. My family on my father's side has the same claim, and we have an old document detailing our paternal line, which meets the royal family's around 10 generations ago, and purportedly goes back all the way to Ali.
I personally do not believe that we are truly descendants of Ali, since it is more likely that he would have J1 or J2 Y-haplogroup. In fact, I saw several groups on the Internet which attempt to compile data about Quraishi lineages (Quraish was the tribe to which Muhammad and Ali belonged), especially Hashemite (sons of Hashem, an ancestor of Muhammad and Ali), and Alawites. All of these groups agree that Quraishi lineages belong to J1 or J2.
But I'm not as interested in Quraishi lineages, as I am in knowing more about the origin of the Alawite ancestry myth in Morocco. My father's family is from Tafilalt, which is the region where it is claimed that some "descendants of Ali" migrated around 1000 years ago, from the city of Yanbu in Saudi Arabia. This might not be impossible in theory, but from what I understand L91 seems very common in Europe, but not at all in Saudi Arabia, which makes me think that my paternal ancestors likely came from Europe rather than the Middle East.
What do you think?
The reason I believe the prediction to be quite reliable, is that, first, G is quite rare in Morocco, so I doubt there would be much variety in its Moroccan subclades, and second, that all three individuals had the family name Alaoui/Alawi, which is common among Moroccan people who claim to be descendants of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. In fact, it is the family name of the royal family in Morocco. My family on my father's side has the same claim, and we have an old document detailing our paternal line, which meets the royal family's around 10 generations ago, and purportedly goes back all the way to Ali.
I personally do not believe that we are truly descendants of Ali, since it is more likely that he would have J1 or J2 Y-haplogroup. In fact, I saw several groups on the Internet which attempt to compile data about Quraishi lineages (Quraish was the tribe to which Muhammad and Ali belonged), especially Hashemite (sons of Hashem, an ancestor of Muhammad and Ali), and Alawites. All of these groups agree that Quraishi lineages belong to J1 or J2.
But I'm not as interested in Quraishi lineages, as I am in knowing more about the origin of the Alawite ancestry myth in Morocco. My father's family is from Tafilalt, which is the region where it is claimed that some "descendants of Ali" migrated around 1000 years ago, from the city of Yanbu in Saudi Arabia. This might not be impossible in theory, but from what I understand L91 seems very common in Europe, but not at all in Saudi Arabia, which makes me think that my paternal ancestors likely came from Europe rather than the Middle East.
What do you think?