Wani (surname)
Wani or Wain is a Kashmiri tribe. Both Wain (pronounced like wine with a nasal 'n') and Wani are acceptable pronunciations. Historians agree that the word Wain comes from the word Waish, which denoted a Hindu merchant caste. Even after accepting Islam the profession of these people remained primarily in trade and commerce. Taareekh Hassan has mentioned that Wani was one of the highest castes among Sheikhs.[1]
Wains are divided into several castes such as Tal-Wain (those who sell oil), Pui-Wain, Baand-Wain, Bas-Wain, Tarangar-Wain, Kakar-Wain, and Par-Wain. Because of the adoption of different trades by members of the tribe, various branches of the tribe have come into existence. In the 1931 census the total population of Wain was 72,311 persons. Some Wains have migrated to Punjab.[1]
People with the surname
- Ashfaq Majeed Wani (1966–1990), Commander in Chief of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, a separatist group in Indian Administered Kashmir
- Burhan Wani (1994–2016), a commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, a Kashmir-based militant outfit
- Jagannath Wani (1934–2017), an Indo-Canadian statistician and philanthropist