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{{Disputed|date=November 2018}}
Shah is a common surname in [[Iran]], [[India]], [[Nepal]] and [[Pakistan]].<ref>Kumar, R. (2006). Costumes and textiles of royal india. {{ISBN|1851495096}}</ref>

'''[[Shah]]''' ({{IPAc-en|ʃ|ɑː}}; {{lang-fa|شاه|Šāh}}, pronounced {{IPA-fa|ʃɒːh|}}, "king") is a title given to the emperors, kings, princes and lords of [[Iran]] (historically known as [[Name of Iran|Persia]] in [[Western world|the West]]).<ref name="yarshater1">Yarshater, Ehsan [http://www.iran-heritage.org/interestgroups/language-article5.htm Persia or Iran, Persian or Farsi] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101024033230/http://www.iran-heritage.org/interestgroups/language-article5.htm |date=2010-10-24 }}, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989)</ref>

== History ==
In the [[Gujarat]] and [[Rajasthan]] region, the name 'Shah' may be derived from [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] ''sah'' meaning "merchant" (from [[Sanskrit]] ''sadhu'' meaning "honest, good") and [[Prakrit]] ''Sahu'', while the actual spelling "Shah" was popularized by the [[Persian Language|Persian]] word for King. As a result, especially in Western culture, use of the spelling "Shah" has become far more pronounced than the other variants.<ref>{{cite web | title =Shah Name Meaning and History | publisher =Ancestry.com | url =http://www.ancestry.com/facts/shah-name-meaning.ashx | accessdate =2010-12-28 }}</ref> The word ''[[Sadhu]]/Sahu'' is also separately used to indicate a holy man, such as a [[Jain]] [[monk]] (see [[Namokar Mantra]]). The Indian surnames "Shah" and "Sahu" are variants of one another which have evolved from the word "sah" over time.
Another variant is [[Sheth]].{{citation needed|date=November 2019}}

One early use of the title Sadhu occurs in an inscription on an AD 850 [[Parshvanth]] image in the [[Akota Bronzes]].<ref>Akota Bronzes, Umakant P.Shah, 1959, p. 52-53</ref>

In numerous 12–13th century inscriptions the [[shravaka]] who installed the image is given the title "Sahu".<ref>Kasturchand Jain Suman, Bharatiya Digambar Jain Abhilekh aur Tirth Parichay, Madhya-Pradesh: 13 vi shati tak, Delhi, 2001</ref>
{{quote box|align=right|width=22em
|quote = सं १५१० वर्षे माघ सुदी ८ सोमे [[Gwalior Fort|गोपाचल दुर्गे]] तोमर वंशान्वये राजा श्री डूंगरेन्द्र देव राज्य पवित्रमाने श्री [[Kashtha Sangh|काष्ठासंघ]] माथुरान्वये भट्टारक श्री गुणकीर्ति देवास्तत्पट्टे श्री मलयकीर्ति देवास्ततो भट्टारक गुणभद्रदेव पंडितवर्य [[Raighu|रइघू]] तदाम्नाये [[Agrawal|अग्रोतवंशे]] वासिलगोत्रे सकेलहा भार्या [[Newar people|निवारी]] तयोः पुत्र विजयष्ट शाह ... साधु श्री माल्हा पुत्र संघातिपति देउताय पुत्र संघातिपति करमसीह श्री चन्द्रप्रभु जिनबिंब महाकाय प्रतिष्ठापित प्रणमति ..शुभम् भवतु ..
|source = A [[Gwalior Fort]] [[Inscription]] 1453<ref>[http://www.webdunia.com/dharm/jain/gopachal/19_gopachal9.htm Gopachal ke Jinamandir] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015035748/http://www.webdunia.com/dharm/jain/gopachal/19_gopachal9.htm |date=October 15, 2007 }}</ref>{{Dead link|date=November 2018}}
}}
For example:
* A 12th century Jain altarpiece in [[Los Angeles County Museum of Art]] mentions [[Grahapati]] Sadhu Kundha<ref>Indian Sculpture: 700-1800, Volume 2 of Indian Sculpture: A Catalogue of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Collection, Pratapaditya Pal, University of California Press, 1988, p. 306</ref>
* [[Vibudh Shridhar]] mentions his patron [[Nattal Sahu]], a 12th-century merchant prince in [[Delhi]].
* From [[Gwalior]]: Here both Sah and Sadhu have been used in the 1510 inscription.
* From Ahar, [[Madhya Pradesh]]: " Samvat 1210 vaishakha sudi 13 grahpatyanvayae sahu shrisadhu bharya mana tayoh .. ete paNamanti nityam."

Here the word Sahu is equivalent to the Sanskrit word "sadhu". Some inscriptions use "sadhu" itself :

* From [[Bahuriband]] (Katni, MP): "Svasti shri samvat 1070 phalgunavadi ...
madhavannandinugrahitah sadhu-shri sarvadharah .."{{cn|date=April 2017}}

The word Sadhu here does not mean a monk but a "gentleman". Some inscriptions abbreviate sahu by just "sa" just like the abbreviation in English, "Mr."{{cn|date=April 2017}}
In some business communities, genealogies are recited during marriages, where all ancestors would be respectfully called "sahu".
The term "sahukari" means the profession of banking/trading, and is derived from Sahu (Sanskrit "Sadhu") and kar (Sanskrit for doer).<ref>[[John Shakespear]]. [http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/search3advanced?dbname=shakespear&query=sahukar&matchtype=exact&display=utf8 A dictionary, Hindustani and English], 1834, p.1035</ref>
In the [[Bundelkhand]] Jain community, the father-in-law (or son's/daughter's father-in-law) used to be called "sahaji". Thus the words "Shah" etc. all indicate a respected member of the mercantile community.
Today it is used by Gujarati business communities.{{cn|date=April 2017}}

==People with the surname==
This list includes people with both the Indian surname Shah and the surname of Persian origin meaning king. Having the name, also in the Persian meaning, does not necessarily indicate a royal status or origin of the person so names. like the surname "King" in English is borne by various people not connected to any Royal dynasty. Notable people with the surname include:

* [[Amit Shah]], Minister of Home Affairs, India
* [[Arvind Victor Shah]], (born 1940), Swiss engineer, educator and scientist
* [[Bahadur Shah of Nepal|Bahadur Shah]], Nepalese states unifier and Prince Regent
* [[Birendra Bir Bikram Shah]], Nepalese monarch from the house of [[Shah dynasty]]
* [[Bulleh Shah]] alias Syed Abdullah Shah (c. 1680 – c. 1758), Punjabi Sufi poet
* [[Eddy Shah]], Manchester-based businessman and writer
* [[Ema Shah]] (born 1981), Kuwaiti singer, composer, and director
* [[Farah Shah]], Pakistani actress and host
* [[Fatima Shah]] (1914-2002), Pakistani physician and disability activist
* [[Hetul Shah]] (born 1999), Indian chess player
* [[Jawahar Shah]] (born 1955), Indian homeopath
* [[Jigar Shah]] (born 1974), Indian business tycoon
* [[Kiran Shah]] (born 1956), Kenyan-born actor and stuntman
* [[Khushdil Shah]], Pakistani cricketer
* [[Gyanendra|Gyanendra of Nepal]], Nepalese monarch from the house of [[Shah dynasty]]
* [[Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah]], Nepalese nationalist monarch
* [[Nagambal Shah]], Indian-American mathematician and statistician
* [[Naseem Shah (cricketer)|Naseem Shah]], Pakistani cricketer
* [[Naz Shah]] (born (1973), British Labour Party politician
* [[Neel Shah]], American physician
* [[Nirav D. Shah]], American epidemiologist, economist and attorney, known for being Maine CDC director during COVID-19 pandemic
* [[Owais Shah]], English cricketer
* [[Pooja Shah]] (born 1979), British Asian actress
* [[Prithivi Narayan Shah]], Nepalese unifier monarch from the house of Shah dynasty
* [[Rahil Shah]], Indian cricketer
* [[Raj Shah]], American politician
* [[Rajendra Keshavlal Shah]] (1913-2010), lyrical poet who wrote in Gujarati
* [[Raline Shah]] (born 1985), Indonesian actress
* [[Rajiv Shah]] (born 1973), administrator of the [[United States Agency for International Development]]
* [[Ravindu Shah]] (born 1972), Kenyan cricketer
* [[Ray Shah]] (born 1978), contestant on the fourth series of the British Big Brother
* [[Rishi Shah]] (born 1985/86), American billionaire, founder of Outcome Health
* [[Roger Shah]], German electronic music producer
* [[Safia Shah]], author
* [[Saira Shah]], English author, reporter and documentary filmmaker
* [[Saleem Shah]], Indian-American psychologist
* [[Sanjay Shah]], Dubai-based businessman
* [[Satish Shah|Satish Beri-Shah]], Indian film and television actor
* [[Yasir Shah]], Pakistani cricketer
* [[Sam Manekshaw]] (1914 – 2008), Field Marshal of the Indian Army

==See also==
* [[Nattal Sahu]]
* [[Singhai]]
* [[Sheth]]
*[[Saha (surname)]]
*[[Shah]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Jainism topics}}

{{surname|Shah}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shah (surname)}}
[[Category:Indian surnames]]
[[Category:Gujarati-language surnames]]
[[Category:Bengali Muslim surnames]]

Shah (surname) - Revision history

PrakashBar: minor edit

imported>Scorpion18470 at 03:33, 29 August 2021