Soni (caste)
Encyclopedia
The Soni are a Hindu caste
found in the all states in India
. They are the traditional goldsmith
s of Gujarat. The Soni use the following surnames, Pala, Patadiya, Lodia, Raninga, Khera, Changhada, Hanj, Didani, Rathigara, Dholakia, Chedia, Kadecha, Solanki and Srimali. They are also found in the Indian diaspora in the United Kingdom
.
and Sanskrit
mean gold and so those who work with gold are known as soni. Literally the word in Hindi and Gujarati has the same meaning as goldsmith. Soni is a surname in the Punjab also. The soni of Gujarat comprise a number of distinct endogamous communities. For example, the Parjiya Soni are so named after the village of Prajar in Junagadh District
, and claim to be Rajput
s. Another group, found in and around the Girnar
mountains, is known as the Girnara Soni. Two other groups are the Tragad Soni of Vadodara
, Kheda
, Surat
and Ahmadabad districts, and the Vania Soni of Junagadh
, Rajkot, north Gujarat and Surat. They are said to have evolved from a number of castes, such as the Bania
and Gujar
. The Soni have eleven endogamous sections, which are as follows; Gujar,Maratha, Maru, Mel, Mevda, Mostan, Mulchar, Prajiya, Shrimali and Vania. These groups are further divided into clans, the main ones being Kashyap, Vashisth, Haritas, Gautam, Alery, Kaushik, and Kokasur. There are then further divisions into ataks, important ones being the Pala, Lodia, Raninga, Khera, Changhada, Hanj, Didani, Rathigara, Dholakia, Chedia, Kadescha, Adesara, and Padiar.
castes, they are endogamous, and maintain a system of gotra
exogamy. The various sub-divisions of the Soni have their own caste associations, like the Patni Soni Mandal and Shrimali Soni Mandal. They are Vashnavites, and many belonging to the Swaminarayan sect. The community speak various dialects of Gujarati
and Kutchi
.
Shrimali Soni has major part surname with PATADIA and PATADIA surname has big majority in Shrimali Soni Samaj
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
found in the all states in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. They are the traditional goldsmith
Goldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
s of Gujarat. The Soni use the following surnames, Pala, Patadiya, Lodia, Raninga, Khera, Changhada, Hanj, Didani, Rathigara, Dholakia, Chedia, Kadecha, Solanki and Srimali. They are also found in the Indian diaspora in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
History and origin
The words soni and swan in HindiHindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
and Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
mean gold and so those who work with gold are known as soni. Literally the word in Hindi and Gujarati has the same meaning as goldsmith. Soni is a surname in the Punjab also. The soni of Gujarat comprise a number of distinct endogamous communities. For example, the Parjiya Soni are so named after the village of Prajar in Junagadh District
Junagadh district
Junagadh District is a district of the Indian state of Gujarat. Its administrative headquarters is the city of Junagadh.-Geography:The district is located on the Kathiawar peninsula in western Gujarat. It is surrounded by Rajkot District , Porbandar District , Amreli District...
, and claim to be Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s. Another group, found in and around the Girnar
Girnar
Girnar is a collection of mountains in the Junagadh District of Gujarat, India, situated near Junagadh at a distance of 327 km from Ahmedabad. It is a holy place and an important pilgrimage for both Hindus and Jains. There are a number of temples located here. Amidst the lush green Gir...
mountains, is known as the Girnara Soni. Two other groups are the Tragad Soni of Vadodara
Vadodara
Vadodara formerly known as Baroda is the third most populated city in the Indian State of Gujarat . It is one of the four cities with the population of over 1 million...
, Kheda
Kheda
Kheda is a town and a municipality in Kheda district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Kheda, also known as Kaira, is 35 km from Ahmedabad. The National Highway no. 8 connecting Ahmedabad and Mumbai passes through Kheda...
, Surat
Surat
Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper...
and Ahmadabad districts, and the Vania Soni of Junagadh
Junagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
, Rajkot, north Gujarat and Surat. They are said to have evolved from a number of castes, such as the Bania
Bania (caste)
Bania is an occupational caste of bankers, money-lenders, dealers in grains, spices and in modern times numerous commercial enterprises. Baniya is a distinct caste mostly coming from Western India and Central India but spread now all over India...
and Gujar
Gujjar
The Gurjar are an ethnic group in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Alternative spellings include Gurjara, Gujar, Gurjjara and Gūrjara. The spelling Gurjara or Gurjar is preferable to the rest....
. The Soni have eleven endogamous sections, which are as follows; Gujar,Maratha, Maru, Mel, Mevda, Mostan, Mulchar, Prajiya, Shrimali and Vania. These groups are further divided into clans, the main ones being Kashyap, Vashisth, Haritas, Gautam, Alery, Kaushik, and Kokasur. There are then further divisions into ataks, important ones being the Pala, Lodia, Raninga, Khera, Changhada, Hanj, Didani, Rathigara, Dholakia, Chedia, Kadescha, Adesara, and Padiar.
Present Circumstances
The Soni are essentially still goldsmiths, with a few also involved in the manufacture other items of jewelry. Like other HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
castes, they are endogamous, and maintain a system of gotra
Gotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
exogamy. The various sub-divisions of the Soni have their own caste associations, like the Patni Soni Mandal and Shrimali Soni Mandal. They are Vashnavites, and many belonging to the Swaminarayan sect. The community speak various dialects of Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
and Kutchi
Kutchi
Kutchi may refer to:* Kutchi people, an ethnic group in Sindh, Pakistan and Gujarat, India* Kutchi language, language spoken in Sindh, Pakistan and Gujarat, India* Kutch District, in Gujarat, India* Kuchi nomads of Afghanistan...
.
Shrimali Soni has major part surname with PATADIA and PATADIA surname has big majority in Shrimali Soni Samaj