Soni (Khatri)

Soni (Hindi: सोनी, Punjabi: ਸੋਣੀ) is a Suryavanshi Khatri family, the surname originating from the Punjab region of India.

In India the term caste creates a crucial distinction between Varna and Jāti, even though jati does not fit into any of the four varnas and is more often referred to as Sudras. In Punjab, an individuals admittance to varna and jati is by birth. Khatri is the Punjabi form of Kshatriyas.[1]

Sonis are one of the mainstream Khatris or Kshatriyas of Punjab[2] who are not shown to be a tribe or pursue agriculture as means of livelihood.[3] Soni along with the Chopra, Dhawan, Batta, Bandha, Kakar, Mahindru, Sahgal, Tandon, Vohra, Wadhaun, and Wahi form the Barah-Ghar group of Khatris, which is of a higher level than and distinct from the Char-Ghar and the Dhai-Ghar groups, and also distinct from the Sonis of Gujarat, who are traditional goldsmiths and speak the Gujarati or Kutchi languages and have many sub-castes. Presently Soni are found mainly in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.

Guru Govind Singh married his second wife, Sundari, a Soni khatri of Bajwara at Makhowal on 15 May 1685.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Eleanor M.Nesbitt. Intercultural Education:Ethnographic and Religious approaches. 101.
  2. ↑ H. A. Rose. Glossary of Tribes and Castes of Punjab and north West Frontier. Asian Educational Services. p. 442.
  3. ↑ All India Reporter Vol. 67. D. V. Chitaley. p. 383.
  4. ↑ J. L. Mehta. Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India. Sterling Publishers (P) Ltd. p. 508.
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