Shenoy

Shenoy (Devnagri: शणै or शणय) is a common surname amongst the Goud Saraswat Brahmins and Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins. It is the most common surname among the Goud Saraswat Brahmins.^[1]

1 Etymology
2 Background and origins
3 Historical accounts of Shenoys
4 Prominent Shenoys
5 Shenoys of Kaup
6 Citations
7 References
8 Further reading

Etymology

The original word is Shrenipati or the leader of the guild, which got corrupted to Shennivayi in Apabhramsha, and later Shenayi in old Konkani, and finally,Shenai or Shenvi.

श्रेणीपति > शेणीव्वई > शेणय

Background and origins

The Goud Saraswat Brahmins originate from Goa, India. The Shenoys were generally involved in administrative jobs.^[1] The word "Shenoy" itself means a writer.^[2]

The Saraswats migrated from Goa during the Muslim and Christian conquests, and carried their surname with them. Thus the word 'शणै' is spelt in roman script as "Shenoy" in Karnataka and spelt as "Shenoi" in Kerala and "Xennai, Shenai, or even Sinai" in Goa. It was common in Goa for Shenoys to add the name of their ancestral village or title after Shenoy to denote their origin. Thus we have persons named Shenoy-Kuncoliker and Shenoy-Salgaonker (denoting village) and Shenai-Khatkhate^[3] (denoting title) etc. The word Shenoy is also interchangeable with its Sanskrit counterpart 'Shanbhag' or 'Shanbhogue'. "Xennoi" was used in the erstwhile Portuguese territory of Goa but has given way to "Xennai" today.^[4] Another possible origin of the surname Shenoy is from the word "Shennvi" meaning ninety six. This denotes the ninety six families of Saraswat Brahmins who initially settled in Goa.

The surname continues to be used by the Konkani Roman Catholics of Goa and Canara, who were descendants of the Shenoys.^[2] They may use their Catholic surnames along with their Saraswat surname, e.g. Pereira-Shenoy etc.^[5] The 16th century saw the exodus of Hindus from the Portuguese conquests of Salcette, Tiswadi, and Bardez, where forced conversions and destructions of Hindu temples were carried out by the Jesuits and Franciscans. The Shenoys fled along with their Hindu cousins and settled along the western coastline. Large settlements of Saraswats were at Basrur, Mangalore, Cochin and other places along the Canara and Kerala coast and Shenoys are found in great numbers here. some went to Chandgad.

The Shenoys also migrated to the West. They have, along with other saraswats and Indians as a whole, assimilated well in countries like the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

Historical accounts of Shenoys

A 1413 A.D. stone inscription in the Nagueshi Temple in Ponda speaks of Purush Shennvi's son Maee Shennvi of Kullalogram ( Cuncolim /Kuncoliem) being granted the village of Bandode (Bandivade) to carry out the rituals of Shri Nagueshi and Shree Mahalakshmi temples.

Another 'Shenoy' was Locu Sinai from the Island of Chorao (Chudamani), Goa. He was amongst the first Brahmins to convert to Catholicism in the 16th century due to financial reasons and was then onwards called Lucas de Sa.

Venkatappa Keladi Nayaka, King of Keladi appointed Vithal Shenoy as the chief administrator of his kingdom in 1623 A.D. Vithal Shenoy helped broker many business deals with foreign visitors and colonists. Later Vithal Shenoy introduced Italian traveller Pietro della Valle to the king, and hence was responsible for one of the most important sources of history of the region of the period. The gifts given by Vithal Shenoy to Pietro della Valle are preserved in museums of Italy.

A travel account to India and Ceylon by the Dutch trader Rijckloff Van Goens, in 1654 talks about his dealings with the king Adil Mohammed Shah of Bijapur wherein due to his good offices with the court, the King orders the two Indian merchants Narva and Krishna Sinay to pay their dues of 82,168 Guilders to the VOC (Dutch East India Company).

An insight into the presence of Konkanis in places like Daman and Surat, distant from Goa and in their knowledge of Hinduism and early thoughts about the unity of religions , Ramogi Sinay is mentioned in 'Overland from India in 1663' a travel account written by William Entwistle in 1663. On a twelve league Journey from Daman to Surat, Ramogi Sinay a Brahman is said to have had a discussion about transmigration of souls with Entwistle and a Persian, Mahmud Shah by name. Entwistle says that Ramogi prided himself in the knowledge of his religion and even that of Christian Law. The discussion lasted the whole journey with Entwistle countering the Brahman's opinion of the identical nature of Hinduism and Christianity by entertaining the opinion that Hinduism is the Devil's parody of Christianity. The author goes on to say the debate was very heated though amiable. Entwistle also mentions the displeasure of the Persian.

Shenvis in Mumbai : In a letter dated 15 December 1673 to the Court of Directors of the East India Company , Gerald Aungier who was then the Governor of Bombay and President of Surat mentions the inhabitants of Bombay. These include the English, the Moors and the Jentus(Hindus). He goes on to say " The Jentus comprise of Banyan(Baniyas),Brahman(Priests and Traders), Purvoos(Prabhus) (Farmers of land and rent receivers), Sinays (Shenvis) (Cultivators and traders), Bhandarcans( Bhandaris)(Toddy distillers and makers of Arrack)....Corambeen(Kunbis)(tillers and mowers of land, as well as rice and cocoa-nuts)and the coolys(Kolis) (General fishermen of the Island)..." .This establishes the presence of Konkanis in Mumbai to its very early days.

In an article about the Hindu entrepreneurship in Goan history Teotonio R de Souza writes about Goan Brahmins being in an advantageous position as compared to Goan Christians due to the lack of backing from the Church and due to the family connections the Hindus had with the Indians in the hinterland. Herein he mentions an extract from Jan Huyghen van Linschoten's writings about the 16th Century: "Heathenish Indians that dwell in Goa are verie rich merchants that not only sell all kinds of silkes, satins, damasks and curious works of welvet ... brought out of Portingall...are verie cunning and naturally subtill".The records of administration of revenues of the 17th century show that most of these merchants were Hindu Brahmins from Bardez and Salcette. Teotonio adds that half a dozen Hindu families with last names such as Sinay, Prabhu, Pai, Gad, Naik and Shet were state revenue farmers for generations. Some branches of revenue were virtual monopolies of some families such as the Sinay family from Kortaly (Cortalim) who provided tax farmers (Revenue collectors) for the entire 17th century.

A famous Shenoy who contributed immensely to Konkani literature is Shenoi Goembab (Shenoy Vaman Raghunath Vardhe Valavalikar). He has written many books in Konkani.

Antu Sinai from Colvale village Goa, was the forefather of Abbe Faria, the Goan hypnotist. Antu Sinai converted to Christianity and took the surname of Faria.

José Gerçon Da Cunha, a 19th century Goan physician, orientalist, historian and numismatist. He could trace his ancestry to Balsa (Balkrishna) Sinai who was from Cortalim in Divar, Salcette and converted to Christianity in the 1550s and was later employed by the Portuguese in Bardez (Essays in Classical and Modern Hindu Law By J.Duncan M. Derrett- Page 473/529 ,ISBN 9004048081 ,Published 1977)

Dr P.D.Shenoy IAS was the head of a committee that looked into the Indian flag code after a court case by Naveen Jindal. The Union Cabinet accepted Dr. P. D. Shenoy committee report on 15.01.2002 and announced that citizens will be free to fly the National Flag respectfully on all days from 26.01.2002. The Government subsequently issued a new flag code (Flag Code of India 2002) which contained guidelines for flying the National Flag.

Vrinda Vasant Sinai Born 30 December 1932 in Cacoda, Tal Quepem, Goa and wife of Madhav Ramkrishna Pai was a Goan freedom fighter and satyagrahist.

Prominent Shenoys

Narasimha Kundapur Shenoy - Finance head and operations in TATA Consultancy Services (CHINA) CO.,LTD.
Sadashiva Shenoy (later Sudhindra Tirtha) - 20th Pontiff, Kashi Math
Shenoi Goembab - Konkani Pandit (1877–1946)
T. V. R. Shenoy - Journalist
K. Manmohan Shenoi - Banker, Chairman UCO Bank 1986-1990
B. R. Shenoy (1905–1978) - Well-known economist
Anu Shenai Mone - Builder of the original Shantadurga temple at Keloshi (Quellosim, Salcette, Goa).
Peter Lynn Sinai-Goenkar - Ambassador of India to Austria (1988–1991)
Purshottam Shenoy Kenkre (Purxetomã Sinay Quencró) - Baron of Calapur was awarded the Order of the tower and sword (Ordem da Torre e Espada) by Portuguese decree dated 3/2/1853.
Krishna Govindraya Shenoy Dempo (Chrisnã Govinda Rayú Sinay Dempó) - Baron of Dempo, born 4/3/1841 was awarded the Testimonial of Greatness (consideração e munificiência) on the 26/6/1873 by the Portuguese government in Goa
Saratchandra Shenoi - Sahitya Akademi Award winning Konkani poet, writer, translator and Editor. More than 10 books to his credit
Vandana Shanbagh- Arjuna award winner athlete
Basti Vaman Shenoy- Konkani Activist and Founder of World Konkani Centre in Mangalore
Preeti Shenoy - Painter, Writer

Shenoys of Kaup

In the coastal village of Kaup (Pronounced Kapu), Karnataka there was a large settlement of Shenoys. More on shenoys of Kaup can be found on www.kaupshenoy.net As a method to differentiate between the families, the family's home belonging to a particular shenoy, having three large steps at the entrance was called the Three steps shenoy family. This in Kannada was Moor-Katte and turned into Mudakatte/Mudkatte-Shenoy and finally into just Mudakatte/Mudkatte.

Citations

^ ^a ^b GSB surnames - GSB Kerala.com
^ ^a ^b Maffei 1882, p. 217
^ Shenai-Khatkhate
^ Saradesāya 2000, p. 24
^ Pinto 1999, p. 168, "The Konkani Christians had names of saints like Peter, John, James, Jacob and Portuguese surnames like Saldanha, Britto, Coelho, Pinto, Vas and others. Some did have Hindu surnames: Shet, Shenoy, Kamath, Padival, etc."

References

Maffei, Angelus Francis Xavier (1882), A Konkani Grammar, Mangalore: Basel Mission & Tract Depository, OCLC 14242653, http://www.archive.org/details/akonkanigrammar00maffgoog, retrieved 2009-04-30 .
Pinto, Pius Fidelis (1999), History of Christians in coastal Karnataka, 1500-1763 A.D., Mangalore: Samanvaya Prakashan .
Saradesāya, Manohararāya (2000), A History of Konkani Literature: From 1500 to 1992, Sahitya Akademi, ISBN 8172016646, http://books.google.com/books?id=1YILeUD_oZUC&printsec=frontcover .