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{{Short description|Hindu caste of goldsmiths in Nepal and India}}
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{{use Indian English|date=January 2018}}
⚫ '''Sunar''' (alternately '''Suniar(eh)''', '''Sonar''' or '''Swarnkar''') is a Hindu ] in India and Nepal referring to the community of people who work as ]s.<ref>''People of India'': Uttar Pradesh (Volume XLII) edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 1500 to 150</ref> Though the community is primarily Hindu, some members in the states of ] and ] are ].
⚫ {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}

{{infobox caste
Though they are the traditional goldsmiths of ], now many are also landowners, involved in cultivation, as well as selling grocery. But their main occupation remains the manufacture and selling of jewellery. Members of the community are also involved in ] and ].<ref>''People of India'': Uttar Pradesh (Volume XLII) edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 1503</ref>
| caste_name = Sunar/Sonar
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| 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>
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⚫ 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== ==Etymology==
The term ''Sunar'' 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 |isbn=|pages=517}}</ref> 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>
==Status in society==
This caste is found in varying categories within the caste system of India such as ], ], lower reserved backwards castes, other upper ] descents and other castes. ] noted that {{quote|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.


==Social status==
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 name=russell1916>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, Macmillan 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==
The two primary tribes of goldsmiths in present-day Punjab are the Mairs and the Taunks. The two tribes have several ]s in common so it is possible that movement between the two tribes or simultaneous entry by gothras into both tribes has historically taken place. Currently, Mairs claim to have a higher status than the Taunks. This was true historically also&mdash; Mairs did not accept water from Taunks.<ref>Rose wrote in 1914 (440)</ref>{{full|date=July 2011}}
⚫ 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.


==Sunar in Nepal==
The Taunks had claimed Kshatriya descent in 1911 but later did not pursue that claim. The Taunks worship the snake as an emblem of Takshac, the founder of the Nagvanshi, or Taunk family.<ref>Rose (443)</ref>{{full|date=July 2011}}
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.

In Haryana, Sunars are divided into two segments, the Hindu Sunar and the Sikh Sunar. These two groupings are further divided into the Baari Sunar and the Shudre Sunar. Some Khatris also adopted this occupation and were called Khatri Sunars. All these groups are strictly endogamous, and practice clan exogamy. These divisions are further divided into clans, known as ]s. There are said to be fifty two gotras within the Sunar community. Some of them are the Gund, Bhole, Kuhal, Vaid, Mai, Bhulan, Odhera, Naali, Deo, Masoun, Vatash, Kushal, Kashyap, Dhir, Turar, etc. They believe themselves to be Kshatriya. The Sunar 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 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>

⚫ ==Factions==
⚫ The Sunars are divided into a large number of territorial and non-territorial groupings called alla. Some of the major alla are the Santanpuriya, Dekhalantiya, Mundaha, Bhigahiya, Samuhiya, Chilliya, Katiliya Kalidarwa, Naubastwal, Berehele, Gedehiya, Shahpuriya, Mathureke Paliya and Nimkheriya. Each lineage is associated with a particular area. To which its ancestors belonged to. The Sunar use Soni, Seth, Swarnkar, Shah,Bhutani, Sonik, Bagga, Babbar, Verma 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 Harayana, the Sunars are often known as Swarnakar, ] 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>


===Sub-groups=== ==Notable members==
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their OWN article on the English Misplaced Pages ♦♦♦--->
*]: Historically associated with the ] region of modern Pakistan prior to the Partition of India, and the city of ] as well as city of ].<ref>G.S. Purswani. ''Incredible Origin and History of Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar Community. Jaipur, India 5 November 2005</ref>
<!---♦♦♦ 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== ==See also==
*] *]


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist}}
<references />


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


{{Authority control}}
⚫ {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2010}}


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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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