Shah (surname)


Shah is an Indian surname. The surname like many other Indian surnames has been adopted by various people.
Shah is another term used for 'king' in Iran, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. It is derived from the Persian language, Shah means 'very large'. That is, the one who is the largest in public is called Shah. People of the Shah caste mostly reside in Asia. Residents bearing the Shah surname will also be found in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nepal.

History

In the Gujarat and Rajasthan region, the name 'Shah' may be derived from Gujarati sah meaning "merchant" and Prakrit Sahu, while the actual spelling "Shah" was popularized by the Persian word for King. As a result, especially in Western culture, use of the spelling "Shah" has become far more pronounced than the other variants. The word Sadhu/Sahu is also separately used to indicate a holy man, such as a Jain monk. The Indian surnames "Shah" and "Sahu" are variants of one another which have evolved from the word "sah" over time.
Another variant is Sheth.
One early use of the title Sadhu occurs in an inscription on an AD 850 Parshvanth image in the Akota Bronzes.
In numerous 12–13th century inscriptions the shravaka who installed the image is given the title "Sahu".
For example:
Here the word Sahu is equivalent to the Sanskrit word "sadhu". Some inscriptions use "sadhu" itself :
madhavannandinugrahitah sadhu-shri sarvadharah.."
The word Sadhu here does not mean a monk but a "gentleman". Some inscriptions abbreviate sahu by just "sa" just like the abbreviation in English, "Mr."
In some business communities, genealogies are recited during marriages, where all ancestors would be respectfully called "sahu".
The term "sahukari" means the profession of banking/trading, and is derived from Sahu and kar.
In the Bundelkhand Jain community, the father-in-law used to be called "sahaji". Thus the words "Shah" etc. all indicate a respected member of the mercantile community.
Today it is used by Gujarati business communities.

People with the surname

This list includes people with both the Indian surname Shah and the surname of Persian origin meaning king. Notable people with the surname include: