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'''Sunar''' (alternately, '''Sonar''' or '''Swarnkar''') is a ] and ] ] in India 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> Found usually in ], ], ], ] and other Northern States. '''Sunar''' (alternately, '''Sonar(Gurmukhi)''') is a ] and ] ] in India referring to the community of people who work as ]s.<ref>https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Mair_Rajputs</ref> Found usually in ], ], ], ] and other Northern States. The community is Hindu and Sikh. There are many Sikh Rajputs located in Punjab.
in nepal sunar is also use soni as a caste . The community is primarily Hindu around india but there is big population of sikhs rajputs located in Punjab.


==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 |pages=517}}</ref> 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 |pages=517}}</ref>


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 and Punjab 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> The Sunar are still involved in their traditional occupation of 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.<ref>''People of India'': Haryana (Volume XXIII) edited by M.L Sharma and A.K Bhatia pages 475 to 479 Manohar Books</ref>


==Factions== ==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 Sunar use Soni, Seth, Swarnkar, Shah, Singh, Puri, Bhutani, Sonik, Kapoor, Mehra, Rastogi, Verma, Saraf 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 Swarnakar, ], 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 Punjab, ] community work as goldsmiths. 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 Sunar use Soni, Seth, Swarnkar, Shah, Singh, Puri, Bhutani, Sonik, Kapoor, Mehra, Rastogi, Verma, Saraf etc. as their surnames. In ], 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 Swarnakar, ], 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 Punjab, ] community work as goldsmiths.


==History==
==The Sunar in Nepal==
With the partition of India in 1947 into India and Pakistan the Indian state of Punjab was also split in two. Hindus and Sikhs including Mair Rajputs living in the portion of Punjab that was given to the newly created Muslim country of Pakistan had to leave by force to save themselves from communal slaughters and forceful conversion to Islam, many of them fled their ancestral homeland now in Pakistan in a complete destitute state and had to start life afresh in India. All their ancestral land, property and wealth was left behind in what was now Pakistan.<ref>Talib, Gurbachan (1950). Muslim League Attack on Sikhs and Hindus in the Punjab 1947. India: Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee. </ref>
The ] of Nepal classifies the Sunar (called Sonar in the Nepal census) as a 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. The frequency of Sunars by province was as follows:
* ] (1.0%)
* ] (0.1%)
* ] (0.1%)
* ] (0.0%)
* ] (0.0%)
* ] (0.0%)
* ] (0.0%)


A small percentage of them still continue to do business and practice as Jewellers however majority of the profession of Sunars was considered as something practiced. Mair Rajputs are of the warrior cast "Kshatriya" which is the second highest cast in India. "Kshatriya" or the Rajputs are the ruling cast of India, a cast of Warriors and Kings / Rajas. Thus the Mair Rajput families after having migrated out of Punjab (the portion that was given to create the Muslim country of Pakistan) to India during partition in 1947 were embarrassed to mention their family craft and business as that of having known to be that of Sunars in the most recent past. They instead preferred to call themselves as "Sikh Rajputs", which is of course also true. Today the Mair Rajputs not only live in India but have migrated and settled down all over the world and are doing very well for themselves in all fields.
The frequency of Sunars was higher than national average (0.2%) in the following districts:<ref></ref>
* ] (1.6%)
* ] (1.3%)
* ] (1.1%)
* ] (1.1%)
* ] (1.1%)
* ] (1.0%)
* ] (0.5%)
* ] (0.3%)
* ] (0.3%)


==See also== ==See also==
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==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}}
*Talib, Gurbachan (1950). Muslim League Attack on Sikhs and Hindus in the Punjab 1947. India: Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee.


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Revision as of 16:47, 26 May 2023

Sunar (alternately, Sonar(Gurmukhi)) is a Hindu and Sikh caste in India referring to the community of people who work as goldsmiths. Found usually in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and other Northern States. The community is Hindu and Sikh. There are many Sikh Rajputs located in Punjab.

Etymology

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

The Sunar are still involved in their traditional occupation of 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.

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 Sunar use Soni, Seth, Swarnkar, Shah, Singh, Puri, Bhutani, Sonik, Kapoor, Mehra, Rastogi, Verma, Saraf etc. as their surnames. In Rajasthan, the community is also known as Soni. In Haryana, the Sunars are often known as Swarnakar, Soni, Suri and Verma, are their common surname. In Punjab, Mair Rajput and Sikh Rajputs community work as goldsmiths.

History

With the partition of India in 1947 into India and Pakistan the Indian state of Punjab was also split in two. Hindus and Sikhs including Mair Rajputs living in the portion of Punjab that was given to the newly created Muslim country of Pakistan had to leave by force to save themselves from communal slaughters and forceful conversion to Islam, many of them fled their ancestral homeland now in Pakistan in a complete destitute state and had to start life afresh in India. All their ancestral land, property and wealth was left behind in what was now Pakistan.

A small percentage of them still continue to do business and practice as Jewellers however majority of the profession of Sunars was considered as something practiced. Mair Rajputs are of the warrior cast "Kshatriya" which is the second highest cast in India. "Kshatriya" or the Rajputs are the ruling cast of India, a cast of Warriors and Kings / Rajas. Thus the Mair Rajput families after having migrated out of Punjab (the portion that was given to create the Muslim country of Pakistan) to India during partition in 1947 were embarrassed to mention their family craft and business as that of having known to be that of Sunars in the most recent past. They instead preferred to call themselves as "Sikh Rajputs", which is of course also true. Today the Mair Rajputs not only live in India but have migrated and settled down all over the world and are doing very well for themselves in all fields.

See also

References

  1. https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Mair_Rajputs
  2. 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.
  3. People of India: Haryana (Volume XXIII) edited by M.L Sharma and A.K Bhatia pages 475 to 479 Manohar Books
  4. People of India: Uttar Pradesh (Volume XLII) edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 1500
  5. People of India: Haryana (Volume XXIII) edited by M.L Sharma and A.K Bhatia page 475 Manohar Books
  6. Talib, Gurbachan (1950). Muslim League Attack on Sikhs and Hindus in the Punjab 1947. India: Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee.

Further reading

Categories: