Chowdhury (surname)

Chowdhury is a surname and title originating in the Indian subcontinent. It is also alternatively spelled as Chaudhry, Chawdhury, Chowdary, Chaudhury, Choudhury, Choudhry, Chaudhuri, Choudhuri, Chaudhary, Chaudry, Chaudri or Choudhary. A historic female variant is Chowdhurani.

Meaning and significance

According to one theory, the name is an ancient Sanskrit title denoting the head of a community or caste. It is the amalgamation of the terms "Chow" (four-way) and "Dhuriya" (burden of responsibility).[1] Chowdhurys were the heads of villages and landed estates. The Rajput kings and later some Mughal emperors conferred the title to local chiefs and officers of eminence, including zamindars and jagirdars. Women were conferred the title "Chowdhurani" (Lady Chowdhury). In India & Pakistan land owner castes like Ahirs,[2] Gujjars and Jats were granted this title.[3][4]

Similar lordships existed in other parts of the Eastern world, including in the Ottoman Empire (Malik) and Persia (Arbab).[5]

At the time of the British Raj, Chowdhury families included Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. They were concentrated in the Bengal Presidency, Punjab Province, the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh and Hyderabad State. The surname is found across the South Asian diaspora, including in Fiji and the United Kingdom. /ref

Notables

Bangladesh

India

Nepal

Fiji

Pakistan

United Kingdom

United States

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=chowdhury
  2. ↑ Lucia Michelutti (2002). "Sons of Krishna: the politics of Yadav community formation in a North Indian town" (PDF). PhD Thesis Social Anthropology. London School of Economics and Political Science University of London. p. 83. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  3. ↑ Indian Sociological Society (2004). Sociological Bulletin, Volume 53. Indian Sociological Society. p. 405.
  4. ↑ Indian Sociological Society (2004). Sociological Bulletin, Volume 53. Indian Sociological Society. pp. 404,406,408.
  5. ↑ https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Choudhury
  6. ↑ M. L. Ahuja (2000). Handbook of General Elections and Electoral Reforms in India, 1952-1999. Mittal Publications. pp. 302, 340. ISBN 9788170997665.
  7. ↑ Pakistani Leaders Online
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