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Sunar (alternately, Sonar or Swarnkar) is a Hindu caste in India referring to the community of people who work as goldsmiths. The community is primarily Hindu, and found all over India. Indian and Nepali sunar use soni as their surname.

Etymology

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

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.

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 Gujarat and 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 and Rajasthan, Mair Rajput community work as goldsmiths.

Sunar in Nepal

The Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal classifies the Sunar (called Sonar in the Nepal census) as a 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. The frequency of Sunars by province was as follows:

• Madhesh Province (1.0%)
• Koshi Province (0.1%)
• Lumbini Province (0.1%)
• Bagmati Province (0.0%)
• Gandaki Province (0.0%)
• Karnali Province (0.0%)
• Sudurpashchim Province (0.0%)

The frequency of Sunars was higher than national average (0.2%) in the following districts:

• Parsa (1.6%)
• Mahottari (1.3%)
• Bara (1.1%)
• Rautahat (1.1%)
• Sarlahi (1.1%)
• Dhanusha (1.0%)
• Siraha (0.5%)
• Morang (0.3%)
• Saptari (0.3%)

References

1. People of India: Uttar Pradesh (Volume XLII) edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 1500 to 150
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. Population Monograph of Nepal, Volume II
7. 2011 Nepal Census, District Level Detail Report

Further reading

• R.K. Gupta, S.R. Bakshi. Studies In Indian History: Rajasthan Through The Ages The Heritage Of Rajputs (set Of 5 Vols.). Sarup & Sons, 2008. ISBN 81-7625-841-5, ISBN 978-81-7625-841-8

• Sunar
• Goldsmith castes
• Social groups of Rajasthan
• Social groups of Uttar Pradesh
• Social groups of Haryana
• Social groups of Bihar
• Social groups of Jharkhand