Shenoy

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"Shenai" redirects here. For the instrument, see Shehnai.
Plaque outside commercial establishment, Goa, India.

Shenoy (Devanagari: शणै or शणय) is a common surname amongst the Goud Saraswat Brahmins and Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins in India. They usually speak Konkani which is considered as their mother tongue.

Etymology

श्रेणीपति > शेणीव्वई > शेणय

The original word is Shrenipati or the leader of the guild, which got converted as Shennivayi in Apabhraṃśa, and later as Shenai or Shenvi in old Konkani.

Background and origins

The Goud Saraswat Brahmins originate from Goa, India. The Shenoys were generally involved in administration of the city.[1] The word "Shenoy" itself means a writer.[2] GSBs were administrators of the temples. The word "Shenoy" is also interchangeable with its Sanskrit counterpart Shanbhag or Shanbhogue which means clerk.

The Saraswats migrated from Goa during the Muslim and Christian conquests, and carried their surname with them. Thus the word 'शणै' is transliterated in Latin script as Shenoy in Karnataka, as Shenoi in Kerala, and as Xennai, Shenai or even Sinai in Goa. "Xennoi" was used in the erstwhile Portuguese territory of Goa but has given way to "Xennai" today.[3] 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.

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 with surnames such as Shenoy-Kuncoliker and Shenoy-Salgaonker (denoting village) and Shenai-Khatkhate[4] (denoting the title). 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)[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 in these places.

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 account of Shenoy

  • 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.
Inscription with 'Maee Shenvi' of 1413 AD, Nagueshi, Goa
  • 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 are "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 90-04-04808-1, Published 1977)
  • Dr P.D.Shenoy 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

  • Gopal Shenoy (Shilpi): Famous Sculptor from Karkala who has done the intricate carvings of the famous four pillars of the venkateshwara temple (Padutirupathi) at Karkala.
  • Sadashiva Shenoy (later Sudhindra Tirtha) - 20th Pontiff, Kashi Math
  • Shenoi Goembab - Konkani Pandit (1877–1946)
  • B. R. Shenoy (1905–1978) - Well-known Economist
  • Anu Shenai Mone - Builder of the original Shantadurga temple at Keloshi (Quelossim, 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 with about 10 books to his credit
  • Vandana Shenoy (Shanbagh) - Arjuna award winner Athlete
  • Basti Vaman Shenoy- Konkani Activist and Founder of World Konkani Centre in Mangalore
  • Preeti Shenoy - Artist and Writer
  • Krishna Vaughn Shenoy - Professor in the Departments of Electrical Engineering, Neurobiology, and Bioengineering at Stanford University.
  • Mahalaxmi Shenoy - Singer from Karkala
  • T.v.r.shenoy-journalist/editor and writer, awarded Padmabhushan in 2003.
  • Panchamal Deenanath shenoy,IAS(Retd), former union labour secretary and special secretary MHA,GOI. He was the chief negotiator of GOI in NE states.

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

  1. ↑ GSB surnames - GSB Kerala.com
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Maffei 1882, p. 217
  3. ↑ Saradesāya 2000, p. 24
  4. ↑ Shenai-Khatkhate
  5. ↑ 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

Further reading

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