Singh

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Singh /ˈsɪŋ/ is a title, middle name or surname, which originated in India. Derived from the Sanskrit word for lion, it was adopted as a title by the certain warrior castes in India.[1] It was later adopted by several castes and communities, including the Sikhs, whose Guru Gobind Singh mandated it for all the baptized males. As a surname or a middle name, it is now found throughout the Indian subcontinent and among the Indian diaspora, cutting across communities and religious groups.[2]

Etymology and variations

Rajput ruler Sangram Singh (1484-1527)
Creation of the Khalsa by Sikh Guru Gobind Singh, 1699
Maratha ruler Pratap Singh of Thanjavur (ruled 1739-1763)
Yogendra Singh Yadav, an Indian Soldier Awarded Param Vir Chakra for his bravery in the Kargil War

The word "Singh" is derived from the Sanskrit word for lion (सिंह siṃha).[3] Several variants of the word are found in other languages:

  • In Bengali, the name is written and pronounced as সিংহ (Shing-ho).
  • In Hindi, the name is written सिंह (IPA: [sɪŋɦə]), and pronounced सिंघ ("singh", IPA: [sɪŋɡʱ]). Variations include Simha and Sinha in Bihar.[4]
  • In Marathi, the name is written and pronounced as सिंह (Sinha).
  • In Punjabi (Gurmukhi script/Nastaliq script), the name is written as ਸਿੰਘ/سنگه and pronounced as Singh.
  • In Gujarati, it is spelled as સિંહ (Sinh). Another variant is Sinhji, the form of Singh used in Gujarat, where the 'g' is dropped and the suffix of respect 'ji' is added.
  • In Telugu, the word for lion is simham (సింహం).
  • In Malayalam, simham (സിംഹം) means lion in English.
  • In Manipuri, the name is written and pronounced as Sinha or Singha.
  • In Tamil, the word for lion is Singham written as சிங்கம், also derived from Sanskrit (see Singapore)
  • In Sinhalese, the name is written as සිංහ and pronounced as Sinha. The term Sinhalese referring to peoples of Sri Lanka, meaning "Lion Blooded" (Sinha = lion, le = blood). The Sinhalese people are said to be descended from Prince Vijaya (a king who is fabled to have descended from a lion)
  • In Burmese, it is spelled သီဟ (thiha), derived from the Pali variant siha.
  • Chinese is said to have also derived the word for lion from Buddhist missionaries from India.
  • In Thailand, singha is known as sing (สิงห์), meaning "lion".
  • In Indonesia and Malaysia, Singa or Singha, means Lion.

History

Originally, the Sanskrit word for lion, variously transliterated as Simha or Singh was used as a title by Kshatriya warriors in northern parts of India. The earliest recorded examples of the names ending with "Simha" are the names of the two sons of the Saka ruler Rudraraman in the second century AD. The first ruler of the Solanki/Chalukya clan who bore the title Simha ruled around 500 AD. The Vengi branch of the Chalukyas continued using Simha as the last name till the eleventh century. The Rajputs started using Singh in preference to the classical epithet of "Varman". Among the Rajputs, the use of the word Simha came into vogue among the Paramaras of Malwa in 10th century AD, among the Guhilots and the Guhilot of Narwar in the 12th century AD, and the Rathores of Marwar after the 17th century.[5]

By the sixteenth century, "Singh" had become a popular surname among Rajputs.[6] It was adopted by the Sikhs in 1699, as per the instructions of Guru Gobind Singh. Singh is used by all baptized male Sikhs, regardless of their geographical or cultural binding; the females use Kaur.[7][8]

In the 18th century, several groups started using the title Singh. These included the Brahmins, the Kayasthas and the Baniyas of what are now Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. In the 19th century, even the Bengal court peons of the lower castes also adopted the title Singh.[5] Bhumihars, who originally used Brahmin surnames, also started affixing Singh to their names.[9] In Bihar and Jharkhand, the surname came to associated with power and authority, and was adopted by people of multiple castes, including Brahmin zamindars.[10] Ahir (Yadavs) also characterized themselves as Kshatriya, and used 'Singh' as part of their name.[11]

People belonging to several other castes and communities have also used Singh as a title, middle name or a surname; these include non-Sikh Punjabis, Gujjars (e.g. Nirbhay Singh Gujjar), Marathas (e.g. Pratap Singh Rao Gaekwad) and Hindu Jats (e.g. Bhim Singh Rana). The name is also found among the Indian diaspora. For example, taking advantage of the fact that there was no reliable way to ascertain a person's caste, many of the low-caste Indian indentured labourers brought to British Guiana adopted the surname "Singh", claiming to be high-caste Kshatriyas.[12]

Usage

Singh is generally used as a surname (e.g. Manmohan Singh) or as a middle name/title (e.g. Mahendra Singh Dhoni). When used as a middle name, it is generally followed by the caste, clan or family name.[13] To avoid being identified by their castes or clans, several Sikhs append "Khalsa" to Singh (e.g. Harinder Singh Khalsa). Some Sikhs add the names of their native villages instead (e.g. Harcharan Singh Longowal, after Longowal).[14]

Originally, a common practice among the Rajput men was to have Singh as their last name, while Rajput women had the last name "Kumari". However, now, many Rajput women have Singh in their name as well.[15]

Immigration issues: Common surname

A section of around a million adherents of Sikhism that live abroad in Western countries only keep Singh or Kaur as their last name. This has caused legal problems in immigration procedures, especially in Canada. For a decade, the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi stated in letters to its Sikh clients that "the names Kaur and Singh do not qualify for the purpose of immigration to Canada", requiring people with these surnames to adopt new ones. The ban was denounced by the Sikh community, after which the Citizenship and Immigration Canada announced it was dropping the policy, calling the whole issue a misunderstanding based on a "poorly worded" letter.[16]

See also

  • Narsingh or Narasimha, a half-man (Nar) and half-lion (Singh) incarnation of Vishnu in Hindu mythology.

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ A History of the Sikh People (1469-1988) by Dr. Gopal Singh ISBN 81-7023-139-6
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Khushwant Singh, A History of the Sikhs, Volume I
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Kolff, Dirk H.A., The Rajput of Ancient and Medieval North India: A Warrior-Ascetic; Folk, Faith and Feudalism, edited by NK Singh and Rajendra Joshi, Institute of Rajasthan Studies, Jaipur, India. Rawat Publications, Jaipur and New Delhi. ISBN 81-7033-273-7
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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