Handoo Explained

Handoo Arabic: ہینڈو
Meaning:	healthy and fat man like a ram, wealthy, wise, elite.
Region:	Kashmir Valley, India
Variant:	Handoo, Handu, Hyondu

Handoo (Kashmiri: हंडू (Devanagari), (Nastaleeq)), also spelled as Handu, is a Kashmiri Pandit surname native to the Kashmir Valley in Jammu and Kashmir, India.^[1] It is commonly found among Kashmiri Hindus and Kashmiri Muslims.^{[2] [3]} Handoo or Hyondu in Kashmiri, is an upper-caste.^[4] This surname descent from someone named Handoo or Hēnḍay.^{[5] [6]}

History

According to Muhammad Din Fauq

In the Kashmiri language, "Hondu" refers to male sheep. This nickname was given to a Pandit (Brahmin) man who was strong and healthy like a ram.^[7]

According to the Muslim Handoo's history

Handoo families were an educated class and trade or business family. The nickname "Handoo" was given to a man who was strong and healthy like a ram. Additionally, the Handoo nickname was given to a wealthy man or family. For example, in Kashmiri language, "yem che baed hyend" means "these are big rich people," (indicating a wealthy man).^[8]

Source

In dictionaries hyondu or handoo ह्य॑न्दु॒ । वर्णी m. (f. hĕndiyöñi ह्य॑न्दि॒या॑ञू॒, in the meaning of a female Hindū), a Hindū; in Kashmīr, a Hindū of the upper castes.^[9]

Notables

• Robert Hando, Australian Rules footballer
• Kuldeep Handoo, Wushu player from Srinagar.
• Piyare Lal Handoo, Politician from Anantnag.
• Tej Handu, cricket umpire

Notes and References

1. Book: Singh . K. S. . Pandita . K. N. . Charak . Sukh Dev Singh . Rizvi . Baqr Raza . India . Anthropological Survey of . Jammu & Kashmir . 2003 . . 978-81-7304-118-1 . xxxiv . English.
2. Dhar . Nazir Ahmad . 2002 . Social Distribution of Linguistic Variants in Kashmiri Speech . Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute . 62/63 . 46 . 42930603 . 0045-9801 . The surnames like Bhat, Pandit, Munshi, Dhar, Dar, Handoo, Kakroo, etc. characterize aboriginal affinity.
3. Book: Clements . William M.. The Greenwood Encyclopedia of World Folklore and Folklife: Southeast Asia and India, Central and East Asia, Middle East . Green . Thomas A. . 2006 . Greenwood Press. 978-0-313-32849-7 . 60 . English . A variety of Hindu surnames such as Dar, Bhatt, Handoo, Kachru, Kichlu, Matoo and Pandit persist in Muslim families..
4. Book: George . A. Grierson . A Dictionary of the Kashmiri Language . 2007 . 978-81-8339-044-6 . 338 . Gulshan Books . Hyondu, In Kashmir a Hindu of the upper castes.
5. Book: fauq . muhammad . Tareekh Aqwam-e-kashmir . 51.
6. Book: kouls . net . Handoo .
7. Book: fauq . muhammad . Tareekh Aqwam-e-kashmir . 51.
8. Book: net . kouls . Handoo .
9. Book: George . A. Grierson . A Dictionary of the Kashmiri Language . 2007 . 978-81-8339-044-6 . 338 . Gulshan Books . Hyondu, In Kashmir a Hindu of the upper castes.