The author further points out a very interesting observation that though Diwan Gidumal himself had no children, his brother’s children used his name as their surname, as he was a highly respected individual in the society. Shri Berumal Meherchand Advani in his book ‘Sindhi Hindu ji Tareek – History of Hindus in Sindh’ cites the example, the Sindhi surname ‘Gidwani’ originates from the name of Diwan Gidumal, who was the son of Diwan Belamal, who was the son of Diwan Choitram, who was the sone of Diwan Adiyomal. Generally, Sindhis add a suffix ‘Ani’ after the name of their great grandfather and that becomes their Surname. Another explanation of the same states that the word ‘Ani’ has its origin in Sanskrit word ‘Ansh’ meaning progeny or part of the whole. Studies reveal that ‘Yani’ or ‘Yan’ (Suffix) are Sanskrit words, which mean – ‘descendants’ and the same were pronounced in Sindhi as ‘ANI’. Citing an example, the children of Rishi Garg were called ‘Gargeen’, while Dikash (Prajpati’s children) were initially addressed as ‘Dakshyan’ or ‘Dakshyani’. In Sanskrit, the word ‘Nukh’ is ‘Lakh’, or ‘Lakshan’, meaning ‘to know from where one hails.’ It is even pointed out that when the population of the Gotra increased, it was called Goth (village).Ĭonsequently, a glance down the History of Hindus reveals that during the Rig Veda period, each family was identified by their Grandfather’s name. As the size of families grew within the Gotra, need arose to identify each family by name. Thus from one’s Nukh, one knew which Gotra one belonged to. The word Gotra is derived from ‘Go’, which means cow and ‘Tra’, which means shelter. If the settlement had more than one Kul or Parivar, it was called ‘Gotra’, meaning Larger or Maha Kul. This was called ‘Kul’ or ‘Parivar’ and they were identified by their Nukh. The Aryans propagated families of one Nukh to live together under one roof. (Nukh was initially meant to be one’s Caste Name) The need for the same arose because, as the size of the families grew, it was imperative to identify each family by a name. It seems in those early days in pre-historic Sindh, apart from the individual name ( Nalo), each family was allotted a Nukh, which helped to identify one another. SINDHISHAAN took a peep down the pages of history, and made an attempt to understand the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of the evolution of Sindhi surnames. While trying to draw the genesis of surnames of any community, one has to bear in mind their ancient heritage, the background of their ancestors and their cultural / religious affinities. But in the current struggle for reviving the Sindhi culture, the fact that the community is blessed with distinguishable surnames, could only further contribute in assisting the revival process. The community’s identity would revolve around their golden culture and their great civilization. The remarks made by the younger generation on whether their surnames remain their only form of identity, may not necessarily be true. Thought, the sings seen show no meteoric rise in interest, the questions have started pouring. The community needs to be optimistic because the youngsters are now showing interest in furthering their limited knowledge about their glorious past.
Quite a few youngsters of the community who have been born and bred in places apart from Sindh, and have not been fortunate to visit their homeland, repeatedly raise questions such as, “What is our culture? What is our History? What is the true script of our language?” – and with a certain sense of innocence state, “Are we only identified by our surnames? If one has an ‘ANI’ in his name, is he only then a Sindhi.” Most of these questions have simple answers. Well, it is said, “From Sindh came Hind, from Sindhu came Hindu.” Accordingly I believe, it’s a matter of great pride for every Sindhi Indian, to know that he belongs to a community that has not only been the genesis of the name for their motherland, but also the genesis of the name of the most practiced religion in the country. It is widely believed and accepted in general and within the community in particular, that the land of Sindh and its name, undoubtedly has a huge bearing on the name of our country. Whats in Name - Ani answers! Unravelling the genesis of Sindhi Surnames By Sundar Iyer Research assistance Dr.
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