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{{Short description|Hindu caste of goldsmiths in Nepal and India}}
{{wikify|date=June 2008}}
{{copyedit|date=June 2008}} {{use Indian English|date=January 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{infobox caste
| caste_name = Sunar/Sonar
| caste_name_in_local =
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| kula_daivat =
| region = ]
| religions = ], ], ]<ref>{{cite book|title=India's communities Volume 6 |author=KS Singh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jHQMAQAAMAAJ&q=india%27s+communities+ks+singh+sunar |year=1998 |publisher=OUP|page=3336}|quote=In most of the states the Sunar are Hindu. But in Punjab and Delhi, they follow either Sikhism or Hinduism. In Jammu and Kashmir, the Sunar are referred to as Sanur and are mostly Muslims.}}</ref>
}}
The '''Sunar''' (alternately''', Swarnkar ,Soni, Sonar, Singh, Shah, Sonkar''') is a caste in India and Nepal.The Sunar community work as traders of gold or as ]s.<ref>''People of Tiben'': Lhasa (Volume XLII) edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 1500 to 150</ref> The community is primarily ], Buddhist, Christian, Muslim and found all over India and Nepal.


==Etymology==
Sunar or Sonar or Swarnkar is a ] ] in ] referring to the community of people who work as ]s.
The term ''Sonar'' may derive from the ] ''suvarna kār'', "worker in gold".<ref>{{cite book|author=R.V. Russell|title=The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India | volume=IV | url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20668/20668-h/20668-h.htm#d0e3452|accessdate=6 July 2011|date=October 1995|publisher=Published Under the Orders of the Central Provinces Administration, Macmillan and Co., Limited St. Martin's Street, London. 1916 |pages=517}}</ref>


The Sonar are still involved in their traditional occupation, that is being ]. There is however a steady process in taking up other occupations, and the community in ] and ] as whole is fairly successful, having produced several professionals.<ref>''People of India'': Haryana (Volume XXIII) edited by M.L Sharma and A.K Bhatia pages 475 to 479 Manohar Books</ref>
“Sunar: The occupational caste of goldsmiths and silversmiths. The name is derived from the Sanskrit Suvarna kār, a worker in gold. In 1911 the Sunārs numbered 96,000 persons in the Central Provinces and 30,000 in Berār. They live all over the Province and are most numerous in the large towns.”<ref>R.V.Russell assisted by Rai Bahadur Hira Lal; The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India; published under the orders of the Central Provinces Administration, McMillan and Co. Ltd., St. Martin Street, London, 1916</ref>


==Social status==
“The Sunārs also have a story that they are the descendants of one of two Rājpūt brothers, who were saved as boys by a Sāraswat Brāhman from the wrath of Parasurāma when he was destroying the Kshatriyas. The descendants of the other brother were the Khatris. This is the same story as is told by the Khatris of their own origin, but they do not acknowledge the connection with Sunārs, nor can the Sunārs allege that Sāraswat Brāhmans eat with them as they do with Khatris.”<ref>R.V.Russell assisted by Rai Bahadur Hira Lal; The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India; published under the orders of the Central Provinces Administration, McMillan and Co. Ltd., St. Martin Street, London, 1916</ref>
The Sunars are generally considered a part of ] varna.<ref>
*{{Cite book|quote=The ''Swarnkars'', in that age of material splendour, enjoyed a higher social status in the stratified social set-up. Later on, when the professional guilds came to be identified as the sub-castes , the goldsmith community was inducted to the Vaishya caste|page=142|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JFPnh9B5zncC&dq=sunars+are+accepted+as+vaishyas&pg=PA142 |title=Textiles, Costumes, and Ornaments of the Western Himalaya |author=Omacanda Hāṇḍā |isbn=8173870764 |year=1997 |publisher=Indus Publishing Company}}</ref>


==Factions==
“Owing to their association with the sacred metal gold, and the fact that they generally live in towns or large villages, and many of their members are well-to-do, the Sunārs occupy a fairly high position, ranking equal with, or above the cultivating castes.”<ref>R.V.Russell assisted by Rai Bahadur Hira Lal; The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India; published under the orders of the Central Provinces Administration, McMillan and Co. Ltd., St. Martin Street, London, 1916</ref>
The Sunars are divided into a large number of territorial and non-territorial groupings called alla. Some of the major alla are the Jhankhad, Santanpuriya, Lal sultaniya, Dekhalantiya, Mundaha, Bhigahiya, Parajiya, Samuhiya, Chilliya, Katiliya Kalidarwa, Naubastwal, Berehele, Gedehiya, Shahpuriya, Mathureke Paliya, Katkaria and Nimkheriya, Vaibhaha. Each lineage is associated with a particular area. To which its ancestors belonged to. The Sunars use Soni, Swarnkar, Verma, Wadichar, Saraf, Shah, Sonik, Singh etc. as their surnames. In ] and ], the community is also known as ].<ref>''People of India'': Uttar Pradesh (Volume XLII) edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 1500</ref> In Haryana, the Sunars are often known as Swarnkar, ], Suri and ], are their common surname.<ref>''People of India'': Haryana (Volume XXIII) edited by M.L Sharma and A.K Bhatia page 475 Manohar Books</ref> In ] they are called Sonaro, In Punjab, Haryana and ], ] community work as goldsmiths.


<br />Sunar or Sonar = Goldsmith. ==Sunar in Nepal==
Sunar (Sunar in the Nepal census) Sunar surname is used by ] dalit of ], and ] in Nepal . And also use by subgroup within the broader social group of ] Other Caste.<ref> Population Monograph of Nepal, Volume II </ref> At the time of the ], 64,335 people (0.2% of the population of Nepal) were Sunar.


==Notable members==
There are 6 factions in it:
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their OWN article on the English Misplaced Pages ♦♦♦--->
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->
* ] Film Actor & Politician<ref>{{cite web | url=https://translate.google.com/translate?u=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/how-and-why-congress-chose-raj-babbar-to-head-up-fight/&hl=hi&sl=en&tl=hi&client=srp&prev=search | title=Why Congress chose Raj Babbar to lead party in UP elections | date=14 July 2016 }}</ref>
* ], Artist is an internationally recognized painting artist.
* ] Punjabi Singer & Performer


==See also==
<br />'''Kshatriya Sunar/Sonar/Swarnkar:''' People of this caste believe that they are Kshatriya (which means Warriors) descendants of Suryavanshi(Solar Dynasty) King Ambarish.
*]
<br />'''Ayodhyawasi or Purabiya Sunar/Sonar/Swarnkar:''' These people believe they are sub caste of Vaishya(which means businessman).
<br />'''Mair Kshatriya Sunar/Sonar/Swarnkar:'''
<br />'''Kanujia Sunar/Sonar/Swarnkar:'''
<br />'''Mahawar or Mahaur Sunar/Sonar/Swarnkar:'''
<br />''']:''' people of this caste believe that they are kshatriya descendants of Suryavanshi,affiliated with ]. They are devotee of Goddess Durga and Gold Smith as their community occupation has been confered by the Goddess Durga.


'''Mair Kshatriya Sunar/Sonar/Swarnkar''': They are Hindu by religion and comprise of the warrior race of Rajputs who had originally migrated from Rajasthan with the movement of the armies that brought Rajput rule over Punjab and had settled down in Punjab generations ago. During the ensuing prolonged period of lasting peace thereafter when they could not be supported by the armies and could not find any work as warriors they chose to work as Sunars to survive. "Sunar" is a Hindi word for Goldsmith and Jeweler in India, a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and also at the same time is a businessman specializing in selling gold, silver, other precious metals including precious stones and jewelry / ornaments crafted from these. In time it soon became a well known fact thereafter. Mair Rajput Sunar living in Punjab are not major, they are small fraction of total mair kshatriya community. Its true they are migrated from rajasthan but major population is still in rajasthan, mainly in Bikaner and Jodhpur. Word Mair/maide is originated from 'mewad' or 'marwad' of rajasthan because of origin. There are many subcaste/gotras in rajasthan soon list of them will be provided. They are not Punjabi Rajput, they are mair/maid rajput of rajasthani origin and later who setteled in punjab adopted punjabi life style and culture even some adopted sikhism. ''(Dr Pankaj Verma, United Kingdom/ Sirsa, India)''
==References== ==References==
{{Reflist}}
<references />


==Further reading==
*R.K. Gupta, S.R. Bakshi. . Sarup & Sons, 2008. {{ISBN|81-7625-841-5}}, {{ISBN|978-81-7625-841-8}}


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Latest revision as of 03:37, 22 November 2024

Hindu caste of goldsmiths in Nepal and India

Sunar/Sonar
ReligionsHinduism, Sikhism, Islam
RegionIndia

The Sunar (alternately, Swarnkar ,Soni, Sonar, Singh, Shah, Sonkar) is a caste in India and Nepal.The Sunar community work as traders of gold or as goldsmiths. The community is primarily Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim and found all over India and Nepal.

Etymology

The term Sonar may derive from the Sanskrit suvarna kār, "worker in gold".

The Sonar are still involved in their traditional occupation, that is being goldsmiths. There is however a steady process in taking up other occupations, and the community in Haryana and Punjab as whole is fairly successful, having produced several professionals.

Social status

The Sunars are generally considered a part of Vaishya varna.

Factions

The Sunars are divided into a large number of territorial and non-territorial groupings called alla. Some of the major alla are the Jhankhad, Santanpuriya, Lal sultaniya, Dekhalantiya, Mundaha, Bhigahiya, Parajiya, Samuhiya, Chilliya, Katiliya Kalidarwa, Naubastwal, Berehele, Gedehiya, Shahpuriya, Mathureke Paliya, Katkaria and Nimkheriya, Vaibhaha. Each lineage is associated with a particular area. To which its ancestors belonged to. The Sunars use Soni, Swarnkar, Verma, Wadichar, Saraf, Shah, Sonik, Singh etc. as their surnames. In Gujarat and Rajasthan, the community is also known as Soni. In Haryana, the Sunars are often known as Swarnkar, Soni, Suri and Verma, are their common surname. In Sindh they are called Sonaro, In Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, Mair community work as goldsmiths.

Sunar in Nepal

Sunar (Sunar in the Nepal census) Sunar surname is used by khas dalit of sudurpachim, and karnali in Nepal . And also use by subgroup within the broader social group of Madheshi Other Caste. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, 64,335 people (0.2% of the population of Nepal) were Sunar.

Notable members

See also

References

  1. KS Singh (1998). India's communities Volume 6. OUP. p. 3336}. In most of the states the Sunar are Hindu. But in Punjab and Delhi, they follow either Sikhism or Hinduism. In Jammu and Kashmir, the Sunar are referred to as Sanur and are mostly Muslims.
  2. People of Tiben: Lhasa (Volume XLII) edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 1500 to 150
  3. R.V. Russell (October 1995). The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India. Vol. IV. Published Under the Orders of the Central Provinces Administration, Macmillan and Co., Limited St. Martin's Street, London. 1916. p. 517. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  4. People of India: Haryana (Volume XXIII) edited by M.L Sharma and A.K Bhatia pages 475 to 479 Manohar Books
    • Omacanda Hāṇḍā (1997). Textiles, Costumes, and Ornaments of the Western Himalaya. Indus Publishing Company. p. 142. ISBN 8173870764. The Swarnkars, in that age of material splendour, enjoyed a higher social status in the stratified social set-up. Later on, when the professional guilds came to be identified as the sub-castes , the goldsmith community was inducted to the Vaishya caste
  6. People of India: Uttar Pradesh (Volume XLII) edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 1500
  7. People of India: Haryana (Volume XXIII) edited by M.L Sharma and A.K Bhatia page 475 Manohar Books
  8. Population Monograph of Nepal, Volume II
  9. "Why Congress chose Raj Babbar to lead party in UP elections". 14 July 2016.

Further reading

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