Sindhi Hindus
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (c. 7 million) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 India | 3,810,000[1] |
 Pakistan | c. 2,500,000[2] |
 Indonesia | 10,000 |
 Singapore | 8,800[2] |
 Hong Kong | 7,500[3] |
| Languages | |
| Sindhi | |
| Religion | |
 Hinduism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Indo-Aryan peoples | |
Sindhi Hindus are Sindhi people that follow the Hindu religion and traditions, and originate from the Sindh region of modern Pakistan.
Hinduism in Sindh
Hinduism, as in other areas of the Indian Subcontinent, was the earliest religion predominantly practiced in the Sindh region in modern-day Pakistan. The region of Sindh has historically been, and still is, home to the largest community of Hindus in Pakistan. Following the Arab Muslim conquest in the 8th century, Islam spread throughout the region and over the period of time Islam became the faith practiced by the majority of Sindhi people. The Islamic religion, coupled with traditional influences and exposure to and interaction with Hinduism, has shaped the diverse Sindhi culture.[4] Starting with Muhammad bin Qasim and Habbari dynasty, the Delhi Sultanate and later the Mughal Empire ruled the region. After the partition of India in 1947, the majority of Sindhi Hindus migrated to India, and settled primarily in neighboring Gujarat and the city of Mumbai, where their population is estimated to be 3 million. There are also sizable Sindhi Hindu communities elsewhere in the world, sometimes termed, the 'Sindhi diaspora'.
Partition of India
Following the partition of India, a significant number of Sindhi Hindus left Sindh following religious-based persecution against Hindus in the province. Many initially settled in Rajasthan and in the neighbouring Kutch district of Gujarat, which bears linguistic and cultural similarities to Sindh.
Naming conventions
Most Sindhi Hindu family names are a modified form of a patronymic and typically end with the suffix "-ani", which is used to denote descent from a common male ancestor. One explanation states that the -ani suffix is a Sindhi variant of 'anshi', derived from the Sanskrit word 'ansh', which means 'descended from' (see: Devanshi). The first part of a Sindhi Hindu surname is usually derived from the name or location of an ancestor. In northern Sindh, surnames ending in 'ja' (meaning 'of') are also common. A person's surname would consist of the name of his or her native village, followed by 'ja'. Sindhi Hindus generally add the suffix ‘-ani’ to the name of a great grandfather and adopt the name as a family name.[5][6][7]
Notable Sindhi Hindus
- Raja Dahir, last Hindu king of Sindh
- L. K. Advani, Former Deputy Prime Minister of India
- Rana Bhagwandas, Judge on the Supreme Court of Pakistan
- Ram Jethmalani, Indian senior lawyer also Former Law Minister of India
- Gopichand Hinduja, British businessman, co-chairman of the Hinduja Group
- Kishore Mahbubani, Singaporean diplomat
See also
References
- ↑ Ethnologue report for India Archived 18 January 2010 at WebCite
- 1 2 PeopleGroups.org. "PeopleGroups.org".
- ↑ Kesavapany, K.; Mani, A.; Ramasamy, P. (1 January 2008). "Rising India and Indian Communities in East Asia". Institute of Southeast Asian Studies – via Google Books.
- ↑ Wakabayashi, Judy; Kothari, Rita (2009). Decentering Translation Studies: India and Beyond. John Benjamins Publishing Company. pp. 122–125. ISBN 978-9027224309.
- ↑ "Sindhishaan - Whats in Name".
- ↑ "Sindhi Surnames".
- ↑ Sakhrani, Tarun (4 January 2016). "The Sindhis of Sindh And Beyond". Huffington Post. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
Sources
- Bherumal Mahirchand Advani, "Amilan-jo-Ahwal" - published in Sindhi, 1919
- Amilan-jo-Ahwal (1919) - translated into English in 2016 ("A History of the Amils") at sindhis