Shah (surname) explained

Shah is a common surname in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.[1]

Shah (; Persian: شاه|Šāh, pronounced in Persian pronounced as /ʃɒːh/, "king") is a title given to the emperors, kings, princes and lords of Iran (historically known as Persia in the West).[2] It is different to the shah that is found in Gujarat, India, which is rather derived from Sanskrit.

History

In the Gujarat and Rajasthan region, the name 'Shah', 'Sha', or 'Sah' may be derived from Gujarati sah meaning "merchant"[3] (from Sanskrit sadhu meaning "honest, good")[3] and Prakrit Sahu, while the actual spelling "Shah" was popularized by the Persian word for King. As a result, especially in Western culture, use of the spelling "Shah" has become far more pronounced than the other variants.[4] The word Sadhu/Sahu is also separately used to indicate a holy man, such as a Jain monk (see Namokar Mantra). The Indian surnames "Shah" and "Sahu" are variants of one another which have evolved from the word "sah" over time.Another variant is Sheth.

One early use of the title Sadhu occurs in an inscription on an AD 850 Parshvanth image in the Akota Bronzes.[5]

In numerous 12–13th century inscriptions the shravaka who installed the image is given the title "Sahu".[6] For example:

Here the word Sahu is equivalent to the Sanskrit word "sadhu". Some inscriptions use "sadhu" itself :

madhavannandinugrahitah sadhu-shri sarvadharah .."

The word Sadhu here does not mean a monk but a "gentleman". Some inscriptions abbreviate sahu by just "sa" just like the abbreviation in English, "Mr."In some business communities, genealogies are recited during marriages, where all ancestors would be respectfully called "sahu".The term "sahukari" means the profession of banking/trading, and is derived from Sahu (Sanskrit "Sadhu") and kar (Sanskrit for doer).[8] In the Bundelkhand Jain community, the father-in-law (or son's/daughter's father-in-law) used to be called "sahaji". Thus the words "Shah" etc. all indicate a respected member of the mercantile community. Today it is used by Gujarati business communities.

People with the surname

This list includes people with both the Indian surname Shah and the surname of Persian origin meaning king. Having the name, also in the Persian meaning, does not necessarily indicate a royal status or origin of the person so named. Like the surname "King" in English, it is borne by various people not connected to any Royal dynasty. Notable people

See also

Notes and References

  1. Kumar, R. (2006). Costumes and textiles of royal India.
  2. Yarshater, Ehsan Persia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, Iranian Studies, vol. XXII no. 1 (1989)
  3. Book: Parkin . Harry . Concise Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain . Oxford University Press . 9780191939877 . 2021.
  4. Web site: Shah Name Meaning and History . Ancestry.com . 2010-12-28 .
  5. Akota Bronzes, Umakant P.Shah, 1959, p. 52-53
  6. Kasturchand Jain Suman, Bharatiya Digambar Jain Abhilekh aur Tirth Parichay, Madhya-Pradesh: 13 vi shati tak, Delhi, 2001
  7. Indian Sculpture: 700-1800, Volume 2 of Indian Sculpture: A Catalogue of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Collection, Pratapaditya Pal, University of California Press, 1988, p. 306
  8. [John Shakespear]

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