Singh 523107 225411623 2008-07-13T15:23:03Z 86.157.143.91 /* History */ {{for|the fictional global crime syndicate|Singh Brotherhood}} '''Singh''' ({{lang-hi|िसंह}}, {{lang-pa|ਿਸੰਘ}}, {{lang-gu|''Sinh''}}) is derived from the [[Sanskrit]] word '''Siṃha''' meaning "[[Asiatic Lion|lion]]".<ref>{{cite book | last = Feuerstein | first = Georg | title = The Yoga Tradition: Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice | publisher = [[Motilal Banarsidass]]/Hohm | origyear = 1998 | year = 2002 | oclc = 39013819 | isbn = 8120819233 | page = 444 }}</ref> It is used as a common [[surname]] and [[middle name]] in [[North India]] by many communities, groups and peoples, especially the [[Rajput]]s and the [[Sikh]]s.<ref>{{cite book | last = Allen | first = Charles | coauthor = Sharada Dwivedi | title = Lives of the Indian Princes | publisher = Century | location = [[New York]] | year = 1984 | oclc = 11821681 | isbn = 9780517556894 | page = 344 }}</ref> == Etymology == {{IndicText}} {{ChineseText}} The word "Singh" is derived from the [[Sanskrit]] ''Siṃha'' meaning [[Asiatic Lion|lion]]. Several variants of the word are found in other languages: * In [[Hindi languages|Hindi]] [[Devnagari]] script, the name is written as िसंह ("Siṅh", [[Help:IPA|IPA]]: Siŋhə) and often pronounced as िसघ ("Singh", [[Help:IPA|IPA]]: Siŋɣə). Other variants include Simha, Sinha, and Singhal.<ref>{{cite book | last = Dahiya | first = Bhim Singh | title = Jats, the Ancient Rulers: A Clan Study | publisher = Sterling | location = [[New Delhi]] | year = 1980 | oclc = 7086749 | page = 5 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Vanita | first = Ruth | authorlink = Ruth Vanita | title = Gandhi's Tiger and Sita's Smile: Essays on Gender, Sexuality and Culture | publisher = Yoda Press | location = [[New Delhi]] | year = 2005 | oclc = 70008421 | isbn = 978-8190227254 | page = 37 }}</ref> * In [[Tamil language|Tamil]], the word for lion is Singham or Singhe written as சிங்க, also derived from Sanskrit (see [[Malay words of Tamil origin]], and [[Singapore]]). * In [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] ([[Gurmukhi]] script), the name is written as ਿੰਸਘ (''Singh'') and pronounced as ''Singh''. * In [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], it is spelled as ''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. * [[Chinese language|Chinese]] also derived the word for Lion from Buddhist missionaries from [[India]]: thus the word [[Imperial guardian lion|Shizi]] 狮子.<ref> The Wisdom of China and India - By Lin Yutang ISBN-10: 0394607597</ref> * In [[Thailand]], ''Singha'', written as {{lang-th|สิงห์}} with final syllable marked as silent, refers to a [[Imperial guardian lion|mythical lion]]; the [[zodiac]] sign of [[Leo (astrology)|Leo]]; a popular brand of beer, [[Boon_Rawd_Brewery#Singha|Singha]]; and is frequently used as a [[Toponymy|place name]] (for instance, [[Yasothon#History|Ban Singh Tha]]). ''Singhakhom'' {{lang-th|สิงหาคม}}, in which the /ha/ is pronounced, is the [[Thai solar calendar]] month of August. ''Sing Toe'' {{lang-th|สิงโต}}, which omits /ha/ entirely and adds Thai for ''big'' or ''grown up'', refers to the [[lion]]. All except ''Toe'' are of Sanskrit origin. ==History== Singh was first used as a surname by the Rajputs beginning in the 7th century<ref>History of the Rise of the Mahomedan Power in India - 4 Vols. ; Till the Year A.D. 1612 by Mahomed Kasim Ferishta ISBN-10: 8170691222</ref>. It has been common practice among the [[Rajput]] men to have Singh as their middle name.<ref>Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan by Col. James Tod ISBN-10: 8175361883 ISBN-13: 978-8175361881</ref> The Rajputs started using Singh in preference to the classical epithet of "[[Varma|Varman]]".<ref>{{cite book | last = Qanungo | first = Kalika Ranjan | title = Studies in Rajput History | publisher = [[S. Chand]] | location = [[Delhi]] | year = 1960 | oclc = 1326190 | page = 99 }}</ref> The [[Sikh]]s adopted Singh as a surname in 1699, as per the wish of [[Guru Gobind Singh]], the tenth [[Sikh Guru]].<ref> A History of the Sikh People (1469-1988) by Dr. Gopal Singh Isbn: 8170231396 </ref> In the Spring of 1699, on the day of [[Baisakhi]], Guru Gobind Singh (originally named Guru Gobind Rai), made it mandatory for all Sikh males to [[append]] the name [[suffix]] Singh after their name. Singh is used as a middle name or as a surname (see [[#Naming patterns|naming patterns section]]) by approximately 20 million adherents of [[Sikhism]].<ref>Dr. McLeod, Head of Sikh Studies, Department of South Asian Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada</ref> Apart from the Sikhs and the Rajputs, several other groups in India have also adopted Singh as either a middle name or a surname. Some of these include the [[Yadav]]s (e.g. "[[Mulayam Singh Yadav]]"), the [[Bhumihar]]s, the non-Sikh [[Punjabi people|Punjabis]], the [[Gujjar]]s (e.g. "[[Nirbhay Singh Gujjar]]"), and the non-Sikh [[Jats]] (e.g. "[[Maharaja Bhim Singh Rana]]"). Contrary to the popular belief that Singh is only used by Punjabis, Singh is used by a wider population from [[Punjab region|Punjab]] to [[Uttar Pradesh]] and from [[Kashmir]] down into [[Rajasthan]], [[Madhya Pradesh]] and [[Maharastra]] to [[Nepal]] as well as the far eastern states of [[Manipur]], [[Assam]], [[Tripura]], [[Sikkim]] and even [[Bhutan]], spanning the entire subcontinent and even reaching [[Southeast Asia]]. It is also found in use among [[West Indies|West Indians]] of Indian origin namely in places of [[Guyana]], [[Trinidad]] and [[Surinam]], as well as people of Indian origin found in [[Mauritius]] and [[Fiji]] Island. The use of Singh in Hindus as a middle name or last name denotes automatically that they are from the [[Kshatriya]] [[varnas|varna]] and are of the Rajput sub-caste or are descended from them where intermarriages have happened with Jats and Gujjars etc..{{Fact|date=June 2008}} Original occupation of Kshatriyas and Rajputs was of being warriors and rulers, many families under different circumstances over the centuries intermarried or changed their profession to being farmers, carpenters etc. but retained Singh in their name denoting their ancestry and original family genealogy and [[caste]].{{Fact|date=June 2008}} == Naming patterns == Singh is often used the traditional way, as previously described, by having it as the middle name after the first name and followed by the clan/family name by many communities, groups & peoples.<ref>Khushwant Singh, ''A History of the Sikhs, Volume I''</ref> For example, "[[Yogendra Singh Yadav]]", "[[Bhupinder Singh Hooda]]", "[[Mahendra Singh Dhoni]]" and "[[Bhairon Singh Shekhawat]]"). Sikh examples include, "[[Jassa Singh Ahluwalia]]" ''(Supreme leader of the Khalsa army)'', "[[Jassa Singh Ramgarhia]]" & "[[Hari Singh Nalwa]]" ''(General of Khalsa army)''. Thus Singh can be used as a middle name before the individual's surname, a common practice among many groups in India e.g. [[Jassa Singh Ahluwalia]] ''(Pattern, 1: First Name, 2: Singh, 3: Family name)''.Sometimes, but less often in modern times, Singh is used as a surname (for example, "[[Manmohan Singh]]", "[[Vijay Singh]]" and "[[Harbhajan Singh]]"). Earlier, a common practice among the [[Rajput]] men was to have Kumar as their middle name and Singh as their last name, while [[Rajput]] women had the last name of Kumari or Kunwarani. However, many Rajput women have Singh in their name as well.<ref>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 81-7033-273-8</ref> Several times during history due to various reasons Rajputs have migrated out of [[Rajputana]] their native region; many of those that got settled in other parts of India have since come to use Singh as their last name even though they belong to separate Rajput [[gotras]] and clans, this happened over several generations due to the local population preferring to popularly calling them just Singh in the new places they settled outside Rajputana, this was usually enough to denote that they belonged to the Kshatriya varna and were Hindu Rajput warriors by caste.<ref>Joshi, Rajendra, Feudal Bonds; ''Folk, Faith and Feudalism'', Edited by NK Singh and Rajendra Joshi, Institute of Rajasthan Studies, Jaipur, India. Rawat Publications, Jaipur and New Delhi. isbn 81-7033-273-8</ref> A section of around a million adherents of Sikhism that live abroad in [[western countries]] only keep Singh or Kaur as an last name. This has caused legal problems in immigration procedures in Canada especially.<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2007/07/23/names-immigration.html Common Sikh names banned under Canada's immigration policy]</ref> ==See also== *[[Asiatic Lion]] *[[Guru Gobind Singh]] *[[Kaur]] *[[Lion Dance]] *[[Narsingh]] or Narasimha, a half-man (''Nar'') and half-lion (''Singh'') incarnation of Vishnu in Hindu mythology. *[[Narsinghgarh]], place names derived from the word "Narsingh" *[[Rajputs]] *[[Rajput Regiment]] (Indian Army) *[[Sikhs]] *[[Sikh Rajput]] *[[Sikh Regiment]] (Indian Army) *[[Sikhism]] *[[Singapore]], whose name comes from the word ''Singa'' (lion) ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *HINDUISM [http://www.jalandhar.co.in] *Rajput India [http://www.rajputindia.com/] *The official website for the Royal Family of Udaipur/Mewar [http://www.mewarindia.com/] *Manipur State Archives [http://archivesmanipur.nic.in/whoswho.htm#THE%20ANGLO] *GAESO-Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen's Organisation [http://www.gaeso.org.uk/] *Rajput Regiment Global Securities [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/rgt-rajput.htm] *Sikh Regiment Global Securities [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/rgt-sikh.htm] *Sikhs [http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/MUGHAL/SIKH.HTM] *[http://g5sikhmedia.co.uk/skhalsa.html Singh - G5SikhMedia.co.uk] [[Category:Indian family names]] [[de:Singh]] [[fr:Singh]] [[pt:Singh]] [[sv:Singh]]