Sunar

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Sunar (alternately, Sonar or Swarnkar) is an artisan caste in India, referring to the community of people who work as goldsmiths. The community is primarily Hindu and few being Sikh and Muslims too. They primarily lives in Northern part of India, Nepal and Sindh of Pakistan.

Etymology

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

History

The Sunar are traditional goldsmiths and silversmiths in India. They also used to practice siddhar medicine and peasantry.

According to popular myth, in the Vishwakarma Purana (compelled after 18th century), the Sunar are said to be the descendents of Suparna, who was one of the five sons created by Hindu god, Vishwakarama.

Sunars since 18th century stood fot social upltiftment and demanded Brahmin status claiming as descendents of Vishwakarma and in some other regions, e.g - North most of them claimed being from Kshatriya and even Vaishya varna. In 1931 census of India, alot of Sunars mentioned their caste as Vishwakarma or Panchal and became successful in some regions.

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

Sunar is among one of the hereditary village servicing castes so they falls under lower hierarchy in social rank but are pure or touchable communities. Brahmins can accept foods offered by them and gives them service.

Today, condition of Sunars living in urban regions are somewhat good but those living in rural regions are in poverty. Goldsmithing is considered as not much impure job so main problem is other communities holding major share of jewellery business limiting most Sunars only as a jewellery maker or labour class than trader or owner of showrooms. Still significant people among them holds this business on large scale.

Being among one of the economically and politically disadvantaged community, Sunars are included under Other Backward Class list in central and states list.

In Nepal, Sunars falls under untouchable groups and clubbed as Kami. Sunars in Nepal falls under 'Hill Dalit' communities and have benefits of reservation.

Reservation policy helped alot of Sunars after passing of Mandal Commission and community showed a tremendous increase in literay rate making one of the most literate caste of India.

Divisions

Sunars are divided into a large number of territorial and non-territorial groupings called alla. Some of the major alla are the Santanpuriya, Kannaujiya, Mahawar, Shahpuriya, Bundelkhandi, Ayodhyawasi, Shahabadi, etc. The Sunar have surnames, e.g - Soni, Seth, Swarnkar, Shah, Bhutani, Sonik, Mehra, Verma, Gupta, etc. as their surnames.

Zargar, also known as Muslim Sunars, they are primarily found in Pakistan and Jammu & Kashmir state of India and Sarraf are also sections of Sunars who are mainly involved in pawnbroking or moneylending (though not all Sarrafs are Sunar).

In Gujarat and Rajasthan, the community is also known as Soni. In Punjab and Haryana, they are divided into two groups Sunars and Khatri Sunar who often use surnames as Bhutani, Suri, Soni, and Verma, etc (though Khatri Sunars are seperate caste).

They are also called Sunnāri in Odisha, Sonagāra in South Canara regions and Panchal or Vishwakarma in South India.

Mair Rajput, Khatri Sunar, Purswani and Daivadnya Brahmins are also goldmith communities but seperate from Sunar caste. They are of higher social rank and considered as different from Sunars.

Notable Sunars

Bogar, Indian siddhar and philosopher
Akha Bhagat, Bhakti movement saint-poet
Naveen Soni, anchor at Zee Business
Raj Babbar, Indian film actor & politician
Samir Soni, Indian film actor
Mahendra Soni, founder of Shree Venkatesh Films
Gunjan Soni, CEO of Zalora Group
Sunil Kumar Soni, former mayor and M.P of Raipur
Dal Bahadur Sunar, Nepalese politician
Jitu Soni, Tanzanian politician and M.P of Babat Rural
Anup Soni, Indian film & T.V actor, Crime Patrol host
Karan Soni, American actor
Lt.Gen. D. R. Soni, former GOC-in-Chief in Southern Command of the Indian Army
Vice Admiral Satish Soni, retd. Indian Navy officer
Shantilal Soni, notable Indian film director
Ramanlal Soni, Gujrati writer, translator and social worker
Vineet Soni, Indian biotechnologist
Jagat Bahadur Sunar Bishwakarma, Nepalese politician and Minister of Youth and Sports
Jitendra Kumar Soni, civil servant and Hindi author
Kanishka Soni, Indian actress and model
Sohit Soni, Indian T.V actor, comedian, anchor and concept writer
Yash Soni, Gujarati theater and film actor
Nitin Soni, Indian poet & author
Kailash Soni, Rajya Sabha M.P
Om Prakash Soni, MLA and Minsiter
Ankit Soni, Indian cricketer
actor
Mir Najm Zargar Gilani, Iranian goldsmith and vakil (vicegerent) of the Safavid Empire

References

People of India: Uttar Pradesh (Volume XLII) edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 1500 to 150
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.
Ramaswamy, Vijaya (2004). "Vishwakarma Craftsmen in Early Medieval Peninsular India". Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient. 47 (4): 548–582. doi:10.1163/1568520042467154. ISSN 0022-4995.
People of India: Haryana (Volume XXIII) edited by M.L Sharma and A.K Bhatia pages 475 to 479 Manohar Books
Russell, Robert Vane (1916). The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India (Volumes I and II). Library of Alexandria. ISBN 978-1-4655-8294-2.
Chatterji, Madhumita; Zsolnai, László (13 September 2016). Ethical Leadership: Indian and European Spiritual Approaches. Springer. ISBN 978-1-137-60194-0.
"OPINION | Do Forgotten Communities Have a Chance and Space in 2019 Elections?". News18. 8 April 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
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A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province: L.-Z. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. 1997. ISBN 978-81-85297-70-5.
People of India: Uttar Pradesh (Volume XLII) edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 1500
People of India: Haryana (Volume XXIII) edited by M.L Sharma and A.K Bhatia page 475 Manohar Books
Harold A Stuart (1895). Madras District Manuals South Canara Vol Ii.
Perez, Rosa Maria (2004). Kings and Untouchables: A Study of the Caste System in Western India. Orient Blackswan. ISBN 978-81-8028-014-6.
"Siddhar Charithiram: Boganathar". Anaadi Foundation Blog. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
Dwyer, Rachel (2001). The Poetics of Devotion: The Gujarati Lyrics of Dayaram. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-7007-1233-5.
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Browning, Justine (17 October 2018). "Zalora Group appoints Gunjan Soni as Chief Executive Officer". fashionunited.uk. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
"Despite an Upcoming Battle of the Mayors, a Deathly Silence Grips Raipur". thewire.in. Retrieved 22 May 2020.

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