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Sunar goldsmiths in Cuttack in 1873

Sunar (alternately Suniar(eh), Sonar or Swarnkar) is a Hindu caste in India and Nepal referring to the community of people who work as goldsmiths. Though they are the traditional Goldsmiths, and due to this occupation some may also use Seth and Soni as their surname. The community is primarily Hindu. Essentially they come in Kshatriya Varna and that's why they also called Kshatriya Swarnkar. Some members in the states of Haryana and Punjab are Sikh.

Though they are the traditional goldsmiths of North India, now many are also landowners, involved in cultivation, and called Zamindars. However, their main occupation remains the manufacture and selling of jewellery. Members of the community are also involved in pawnbroking and moneylending.

Etymology

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

Status in society

Gold and Silver Smith Lucknow India 1890

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 gotras. There are said to be 52 gotras within the Sunar community. Some of them are the Gund, Bhole, Kuhal, Vaid, Mai, Bhulan, Odhera, Naali, Deo, Masoun, Vatash, Kaushal, Kashyap, Dhir, Turar, etc. They also given a title like Thakur. 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.

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 Gujarat and Rajasthan, the community is also known as Soni. In Harayana, the Sunars are often known as Swarnakar, Soni, Suri and Verma, are their common surname.

See also

References

  1. People of India: Uttar Pradesh (Volume XLII) edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 1500 to 150
  2. People of India: Uttar Pradesh (Volume XLII) edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 1503
  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
  5. People of India: Uttar Pradesh (Volume XLII) edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 1500
  6. People of India: Haryana (Volume XXIII) edited by M.L Sharma and A.K Bhatia page 475 Manohar Books

Further reading

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