Thakur (title) - Revision history

Dr. Editor at 04:35, 10 May 2026

2026-05-10T04:35:45Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:05, 10 May 2026
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	Scholars have suggested differing meanings for the word, i.e. "god", "lord", and "master of the estate". Academics have suggested that it was only a title, and in itself, did not grant any authority to its users "to wield some power in the state".		Scholars have suggested differing meanings for the word, i.e. "god", "lord", and "master of the estate". Academics have suggested that it was only a title, and in itself, did not grant any authority to its users "to wield some power in the state".

	In India, this title is widely used by the people belonging to the [[Rajputs\|Rajput]] community<ref>{{cite book\|quote=Thakur and rajput have been used interchangeably to refer to castes of Kshatriya rank.\|title=Dominance and State Power in Modern India \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7whuAAAAMAAJ \|page=137 \|first1=Francine R. \|last1=Frankel \|first2=M. S. A. \|last2=Rao \|last3=Madhugiri \|first3=Shamarao \|first4=Ananthapadmanabha \|last4=Rao \|year=1989 \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|isbn=978-0-19-562098-6 \|access-date=22 January 2023 \|archive-date=10 April 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410214540/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Dominance_and_State_Power_in_Modern_Indi/7whuAAAAMAAJ?hl=en \|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book \|last=Gupta \|first=Dipankar “Pandit or Baman for Brahmin and Thakur for Rajput. These are common north Indian appellations for the members of these castes.” \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bgpEIb4tNjgC&dq=thakur+caste&pg=PA2056 \|title=Caste in Question: Identity Or Hierarchy? \|date=2004-12-08 \|publisher=SAGE Publications \|isbn=978-0-7619-3324-3 \|language=en}}</ref> while few people of other communities also use this title include communities such as, [[Yadav]]<ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=7iOsNUZ2MXgC</ref>, [[Bengali Brahmins]],<ref name="SKD"/><ref>{{cite news\|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/from-thakur-to-tagore\|title=From Thakur to Tagore\|author=Syed Ashraf Ali\|date=4 May 2013\|newspaper=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)\|The Daily Star]]\|access-date=22 January 2023\|archive-date=6 July 2019\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190706133756/https://www.thedailystar.net/news/from-thakur-to-tagore\|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Bhumihars]],<ref>{{cite book\|title=India's Communities vol 6\|page=471\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jw9uAAAAMAAJ&q=bhumihars+use+thakur+title\|author=KS Singh\|date=1998 \|publisher=OUP\|isbn=978-0-19-563354-2 \|quote=In Bihar , the Babhan are also known as Bhumihar Brahman . They have titles such as Rai , Singh , Pandey , Tiwari , Chaudhry and Thakur.}}</ref> [[Charan]]s<ref>{{Cite journal \|last=Saksena \|first=B. S. \|date=1965 \|title=The Phenomenon Of Feudal Loyalty : A Case Study In Sirohi State \|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41854129 \|journal=The Indian Journal of Political Science \|volume=26 \|issue=4 \|pages=121–128 \|issn=0019-5510 \|jstor=41854129 \|quote=Among jagirdars, all were not Rajputs. Jagirs were also granted to Charans and Brahmins. They were also known as thakurs.}}</ref> and [[Koli people\|Kolis]].<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Mishra \|first=Kuldeep \|date=18 December 2017 \|title=गुजरात और उत्तर प्रदेश की राजनीति कैसे अलग है? \|url=https://www.bbc.com/hindi/india-42386072 \|work=BBC News हिंदी \|access-date=19 December 2021 \|language=hi \|archive-date=14 December 2021\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214151952/https://www.bbc.com/hindi/india-42386072\|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=bkb>{{Cite book \|last=Misra \|first=Bankey Bihari \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BE8LAQAAIAAJ \|title=The Administrative History of India, 1834-1947: General Administration \|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] \|year=1970 \|isbn=978-0-19-560134-3 \|location=New Delhi, India, Asia \|pages=468: Similar to these were certain estates held on payment of rentals settled in the lump with their heads called Koli thakurs\|language=en \|access-date=24 January 2023 \|archive-date=18 February 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218044258/https://books.google.com/books?id=BE8LAQAAIAAJ \|url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book \|last1=Banerjee \|first1=Supurna \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h6xvDwAAQBAJ&dq=thakur+caste&pg=PT116 \|title=Caste and Gender in Contemporary India: Power, Privilege and Politics \|last2=Ghosh \|first2=Nandini \|date=2018-09-17 \|publisher=Taylor & Francis \|isbn=978-0-429-78395-1 \|language=en}}</ref>		In India, this title is widely used by the people belonging to the [[Rajputs\|Rajput]] community<ref>{{cite book\|quote=Thakur and rajput have been used interchangeably to refer to castes of Kshatriya rank.\|title=Dominance and State Power in Modern India \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7whuAAAAMAAJ \|page=137 \|first1=Francine R. \|last1=Frankel \|first2=M. S. A. \|last2=Rao \|last3=Madhugiri \|first3=Shamarao \|first4=Ananthapadmanabha \|last4=Rao \|year=1989 \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|isbn=978-0-19-562098-6 \|access-date=22 January 2023 \|archive-date=10 April 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410214540/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Dominance_and_State_Power_in_Modern_Indi/7whuAAAAMAAJ?hl=en \|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book \|last=Gupta \|first=Dipankar “Pandit or Baman for Brahmin and Thakur for Rajput. These are common north Indian appellations for the members of these castes.” \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bgpEIb4tNjgC&dq=thakur+caste&pg=PA2056 \|title=Caste in Question: Identity Or Hierarchy? \|date=2004-12-08 \|publisher=SAGE Publications \|isbn=978-0-7619-3324-3 \|language=en}}</ref> while few people of other communities also use this title include communities such as, [[Yadav]]<ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=7iOsNUZ2MXgC</ref><ref>https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0#cite_note-1</ref>, [[Bengali Brahmins]],<ref name="SKD"/><ref>{{cite news\|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/from-thakur-to-tagore\|title=From Thakur to Tagore\|author=Syed Ashraf Ali\|date=4 May 2013\|newspaper=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)\|The Daily Star]]\|access-date=22 January 2023\|archive-date=6 July 2019\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190706133756/https://www.thedailystar.net/news/from-thakur-to-tagore\|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Bhumihars]],<ref>{{cite book\|title=India's Communities vol 6\|page=471\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jw9uAAAAMAAJ&q=bhumihars+use+thakur+title\|author=KS Singh\|date=1998 \|publisher=OUP\|isbn=978-0-19-563354-2 \|quote=In Bihar , the Babhan are also known as Bhumihar Brahman . They have titles such as Rai , Singh , Pandey , Tiwari , Chaudhry and Thakur.}}</ref> [[Charan]]s<ref>{{Cite journal \|last=Saksena \|first=B. S. \|date=1965 \|title=The Phenomenon Of Feudal Loyalty : A Case Study In Sirohi State \|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41854129 \|journal=The Indian Journal of Political Science \|volume=26 \|issue=4 \|pages=121–128 \|issn=0019-5510 \|jstor=41854129 \|quote=Among jagirdars, all were not Rajputs. Jagirs were also granted to Charans and Brahmins. They were also known as thakurs.}}</ref> and [[Koli people\|Kolis]].<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Mishra \|first=Kuldeep \|date=18 December 2017 \|title=गुजरात और उत्तर प्रदेश की राजनीति कैसे अलग है? \|url=https://www.bbc.com/hindi/india-42386072 \|work=BBC News हिंदी \|access-date=19 December 2021 \|language=hi \|archive-date=14 December 2021\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214151952/https://www.bbc.com/hindi/india-42386072\|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=bkb>{{Cite book \|last=Misra \|first=Bankey Bihari \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BE8LAQAAIAAJ \|title=The Administrative History of India, 1834-1947: General Administration \|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] \|year=1970 \|isbn=978-0-19-560134-3 \|location=New Delhi, India, Asia \|pages=468: Similar to these were certain estates held on payment of rentals settled in the lump with their heads called Koli thakurs\|language=en \|access-date=24 January 2023 \|archive-date=18 February 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218044258/https://books.google.com/books?id=BE8LAQAAIAAJ \|url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book \|last1=Banerjee \|first1=Supurna \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h6xvDwAAQBAJ&dq=thakur+caste&pg=PT116 \|title=Caste and Gender in Contemporary India: Power, Privilege and Politics \|last2=Ghosh \|first2=Nandini \|date=2018-09-17 \|publisher=Taylor & Francis \|isbn=978-0-429-78395-1 \|language=en}}</ref>

	== Etymology and meaning ==		== Etymology and meaning ==

Dr. Editor at 13:13, 28 April 2026

2026-04-28T13:13:51Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:43, 28 April 2026
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	Scholars have suggested differing meanings for the word, i.e. "god", "lord", and "master of the estate". Academics have suggested that it was only a title, and in itself, did not grant any authority to its users "to wield some power in the state".		Scholars have suggested differing meanings for the word, i.e. "god", "lord", and "master of the estate". Academics have suggested that it was only a title, and in itself, did not grant any authority to its users "to wield some power in the state".

	In India, this title is widely used by the people belonging to the [[Rajputs\|Rajput]] community<ref>{{cite book\|quote=Thakur and rajput have been used interchangeably to refer to castes of Kshatriya rank.\|title=Dominance and State Power in Modern India \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7whuAAAAMAAJ \|page=137 \|first1=Francine R. \|last1=Frankel \|first2=M. S. A. \|last2=Rao \|last3=Madhugiri \|first3=Shamarao \|first4=Ananthapadmanabha \|last4=Rao \|year=1989 \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|isbn=978-0-19-562098-6 \|access-date=22 January 2023 \|archive-date=10 April 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410214540/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Dominance_and_State_Power_in_Modern_Indi/7whuAAAAMAAJ?hl=en \|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book \|last=Gupta \|first=Dipankar “Pandit or Baman for Brahmin and Thakur for Rajput. These are common north Indian appellations for the members of these castes.” \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bgpEIb4tNjgC&dq=thakur+caste&pg=PA2056 \|title=Caste in Question: Identity Or Hierarchy? \|date=2004-12-08 \|publisher=SAGE Publications \|isbn=978-0-7619-3324-3 \|language=en}}</ref> while few people of other communities also use this title include communities such as, [[Bengali Brahmins]],<ref name="SKD"/><ref>{{cite news\|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/from-thakur-to-tagore\|title=From Thakur to Tagore\|author=Syed Ashraf Ali\|date=4 May 2013\|newspaper=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)\|The Daily Star]]\|access-date=22 January 2023\|archive-date=6 July 2019\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190706133756/https://www.thedailystar.net/news/from-thakur-to-tagore\|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Bhumihars]],<ref>{{cite book\|title=India's Communities vol 6\|page=471\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jw9uAAAAMAAJ&q=bhumihars+use+thakur+title\|author=KS Singh\|date=1998 \|publisher=OUP\|isbn=978-0-19-563354-2 \|quote=In Bihar , the Babhan are also known as Bhumihar Brahman . They have titles such as Rai , Singh , Pandey , Tiwari , Chaudhry and Thakur.}}</ref> [[Charan]]s<ref>{{Cite journal \|last=Saksena \|first=B. S. \|date=1965 \|title=The Phenomenon Of Feudal Loyalty : A Case Study In Sirohi State \|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41854129 \|journal=The Indian Journal of Political Science \|volume=26 \|issue=4 \|pages=121–128 \|issn=0019-5510 \|jstor=41854129 \|quote=Among jagirdars, all were not Rajputs. Jagirs were also granted to Charans and Brahmins. They were also known as thakurs.}}</ref> and [[Koli people\|Kolis]].<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Mishra \|first=Kuldeep \|date=18 December 2017 \|title=गुजरात और उत्तर प्रदेश की राजनीति कैसे अलग है? \|url=https://www.bbc.com/hindi/india-42386072 \|work=BBC News हिंदी \|access-date=19 December 2021 \|language=hi \|archive-date=14 December 2021\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214151952/https://www.bbc.com/hindi/india-42386072\|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=bkb>{{Cite book \|last=Misra \|first=Bankey Bihari \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BE8LAQAAIAAJ \|title=The Administrative History of India, 1834-1947: General Administration \|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] \|year=1970 \|isbn=978-0-19-560134-3 \|location=New Delhi, India, Asia \|pages=468: Similar to these were certain estates held on payment of rentals settled in the lump with their heads called Koli thakurs\|language=en \|access-date=24 January 2023 \|archive-date=18 February 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218044258/https://books.google.com/books?id=BE8LAQAAIAAJ \|url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book \|last1=Banerjee \|first1=Supurna \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h6xvDwAAQBAJ&dq=thakur+caste&pg=PT116 \|title=Caste and Gender in Contemporary India: Power, Privilege and Politics \|last2=Ghosh \|first2=Nandini \|date=2018-09-17 \|publisher=Taylor & Francis \|isbn=978-0-429-78395-1 \|language=en}}</ref>		In India, this title is widely used by the people belonging to the [[Rajputs\|Rajput]] community<ref>{{cite book\|quote=Thakur and rajput have been used interchangeably to refer to castes of Kshatriya rank.\|title=Dominance and State Power in Modern India \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7whuAAAAMAAJ \|page=137 \|first1=Francine R. \|last1=Frankel \|first2=M. S. A. \|last2=Rao \|last3=Madhugiri \|first3=Shamarao \|first4=Ananthapadmanabha \|last4=Rao \|year=1989 \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|isbn=978-0-19-562098-6 \|access-date=22 January 2023 \|archive-date=10 April 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410214540/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Dominance_and_State_Power_in_Modern_Indi/7whuAAAAMAAJ?hl=en \|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book \|last=Gupta \|first=Dipankar “Pandit or Baman for Brahmin and Thakur for Rajput. These are common north Indian appellations for the members of these castes.” \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bgpEIb4tNjgC&dq=thakur+caste&pg=PA2056 \|title=Caste in Question: Identity Or Hierarchy? \|date=2004-12-08 \|publisher=SAGE Publications \|isbn=978-0-7619-3324-3 \|language=en}}</ref> while few people of other communities also use this title include communities such as, [[Yadav]]<ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=7iOsNUZ2MXgC</ref>, [[Bengali Brahmins]],<ref name="SKD"/><ref>{{cite news\|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/from-thakur-to-tagore\|title=From Thakur to Tagore\|author=Syed Ashraf Ali\|date=4 May 2013\|newspaper=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)\|The Daily Star]]\|access-date=22 January 2023\|archive-date=6 July 2019\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190706133756/https://www.thedailystar.net/news/from-thakur-to-tagore\|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Bhumihars]],<ref>{{cite book\|title=India's Communities vol 6\|page=471\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jw9uAAAAMAAJ&q=bhumihars+use+thakur+title\|author=KS Singh\|date=1998 \|publisher=OUP\|isbn=978-0-19-563354-2 \|quote=In Bihar , the Babhan are also known as Bhumihar Brahman . They have titles such as Rai , Singh , Pandey , Tiwari , Chaudhry and Thakur.}}</ref> [[Charan]]s<ref>{{Cite journal \|last=Saksena \|first=B. S. \|date=1965 \|title=The Phenomenon Of Feudal Loyalty : A Case Study In Sirohi State \|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41854129 \|journal=The Indian Journal of Political Science \|volume=26 \|issue=4 \|pages=121–128 \|issn=0019-5510 \|jstor=41854129 \|quote=Among jagirdars, all were not Rajputs. Jagirs were also granted to Charans and Brahmins. They were also known as thakurs.}}</ref> and [[Koli people\|Kolis]].<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Mishra \|first=Kuldeep \|date=18 December 2017 \|title=गुजरात और उत्तर प्रदेश की राजनीति कैसे अलग है? \|url=https://www.bbc.com/hindi/india-42386072 \|work=BBC News हिंदी \|access-date=19 December 2021 \|language=hi \|archive-date=14 December 2021\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214151952/https://www.bbc.com/hindi/india-42386072\|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=bkb>{{Cite book \|last=Misra \|first=Bankey Bihari \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BE8LAQAAIAAJ \|title=The Administrative History of India, 1834-1947: General Administration \|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] \|year=1970 \|isbn=978-0-19-560134-3 \|location=New Delhi, India, Asia \|pages=468: Similar to these were certain estates held on payment of rentals settled in the lump with their heads called Koli thakurs\|language=en \|access-date=24 January 2023 \|archive-date=18 February 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218044258/https://books.google.com/books?id=BE8LAQAAIAAJ \|url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book \|last1=Banerjee \|first1=Supurna \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h6xvDwAAQBAJ&dq=thakur+caste&pg=PT116 \|title=Caste and Gender in Contemporary India: Power, Privilege and Politics \|last2=Ghosh \|first2=Nandini \|date=2018-09-17 \|publisher=Taylor & Francis \|isbn=978-0-429-78395-1 \|language=en}}</ref>

	== Etymology and meaning ==		== Etymology and meaning ==

SAWANTRAJ: update lead per standard format and added references after review

2026-03-28T08:10:46Z

update lead per standard format and added references after review

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← Older revision		Revision as of 19:04, 30 January 2022
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	~~{{pp\|small=yes}}~~
	{{short description\|Historical feudal title of the Indian subcontinent}}		{{short description\|Historical feudal title of the Indian subcontinent}}
	{{redirect\|Thikana\|the 1987 Hindi film\|Thikana (film)}}		{{redirect\|Thikana\|the 1987 Hindi film\|Thikana (film)}}

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2021-12-21T04:50:30Z

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← Older revision		Revision as of 10:20, 21 December 2021
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	Scholars have suggested differing meanings for the word, i.e. "god", "lord", and "master of the estate". Academics have suggested that it was only a title, and in itself, did not grant any authority to its users "to wield some power in the state".		Scholars have suggested differing meanings for the word, i.e. "god", "lord", and "master of the estate". Academics have suggested that it was only a title, and in itself, did not grant any authority to its users "to wield some power in the state".

	In India, the social groups which use this title includes the [[Brahmins]],<ref name="SKD"/>{{rp\|28}} [[Ahirs]],<ref name="bundelk"/> [[Jats]],<ref name="SSW"/> and [[Rajputs]].<ref name="Rajput"/>		In India, the social groups which use this title includes the [[Brahmins]],<ref name="SKD"/>{{rp\|28}} [[Ahirs]],<ref name="bundelk"/> [[Koli people\|Kolis]],<ref>{{Cite book\|last=Lethbridge\|first=Sir Roper\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7iOsNUZ2MXgC&q=Koli\|title=The Golden Book of India: A Genealogical and Biographical Dictionary of the Ruling Princes, Chiefs, Nobles, and Other Personages, Titled Or Decorated of the Indian Empire\|date=2005\|publisher=Aakar Books\|year=2005\|isbn=978-81-87879-54-1\|location=[[New Delhi]], [[India]]\|pages=27 to 530\|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news\|last=Mishra\|first=Kuldeep\|date=December 18, 2017\|title=गुजरात और उत्तर प्रदेश की राजनीति कैसे अलग है?\|language=hi\|page=\|work=BBC News हिंदी\|url=https://www.bbc.com/hindi/india-42386072\|access-date=2021-12-19}}</ref> [[Jats]],<ref name="SSW"/> and [[Rajputs]].<ref name="Rajput"/>

	== Etymology and meaning ==		== Etymology and meaning ==
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	== Usage ==		== Usage ==
	[[File:Lakhajirajsinhji_II_Bavajirajsinhji.jpg\|thumb\|150px\|''Thakur'' [[Lakhajirajsinhji II Bavajirajsinhji]] of Rajkot]]		[[File:Lakhajirajsinhji_II_Bavajirajsinhji.jpg\|thumb\|150px\|''Thakur'' [[Lakhajirajsinhji II Bavajirajsinhji]] of Rajkot]]
	[[Susan Snow Wadley]] noted that the title ''Thakur'' was used to refer to "a man of ~~intermediate~~ but mid-level caste, usually implying a landowning caste". Wadley further notes that ''Thakur'' was viewed as a "more modest" title in comparison to ''"[[Raja\|Rājā]]" (King)''.<ref name="SSW">{{cite book \|title=Raja Nal and the Goddess: The North Indian Epic Dhola in Performance \|edition=illustrated \|year=2004 \|page=60 \|publisher=[[Indiana University Press]] \|place=Bloomington, Indiana \|first=Susan S. \|last=Wadley \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UbsgVL4AGkoC&pg=PA60 \|isbn=978-0253217240 \|lccn=2004009434}}</ref>		[[Susan Snow Wadley]] noted that the title ''Thakur'' was used to refer to "a man of indeterminate but mid-level caste, usually implying a landowning caste". Wadley further notes that ''Thakur'' was viewed as a "more modest" title in comparison to ''"[[Raja\|Rājā]]" (King)''.<ref name="SSW">{{cite book \|title=Raja Nal and the Goddess: The North Indian Epic Dhola in Performance \|edition=illustrated \|year=2004 \|page=60 \|publisher=[[Indiana University Press]] \|place=Bloomington, Indiana \|first=Susan S. \|last=Wadley \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UbsgVL4AGkoC&pg=PA60 \|isbn=978-0253217240 \|lccn=2004009434 \|quote=Eventually he was awarded the title of ''rājā'' (king), although he preferred the more modest "Thakur" (a man of indeterminate but mid-level caste, usually implying a landowning caste, often Jat).}}</ref>

	S. K. Das noted that while the word ''thakur'' means "god", it is also used to refer to the father-in-law of a woman.<ref name="SKD"/>{{rp\|31}} It is also used for a Brahmin,<ref name="SKD"/>{{rp\|28}} Ahir,<ref name="bundelk">{{cite book \| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7iOsNUZ2MXgC \| title=The Golden Book of India: A Genealogical and Biographical Dictionary of the Ruling Princes, Chiefs, Nobles, and Other Personages, Titled Or Decorated of the Indian Empire \| publisher=Aakar Books \| date=2005 \| accessdate=27 October 2014 \| author=Sir Roper Lethbridge \| pages=371\|quote=Born 1839 ; succeeded to the gadi on the death of her late husband, the Kunwar Jagat Singh, 28th October 1867. Belongs to a Dawa Ahir family. Lachman Singh, father of the late Thakur, was originally a Sardar of Jaitpur; but having possessed himself of the territory of Naigaon Ribai, he received a sanad from the British Government in 1807, confirming him in the possession. He died in 1808, and was succeeded by his son, the late Kunwar Jagat Singh.}}</ref> Jat,<ref name="SSW"/> and Rajput.<ref name="Rajput">{{cite web \|website=[[Western Front Association]] \|title=A Perspective on the Western Front by an Indian Army Office on the Western Front \|date=January 2002 \|first=DeWitt C. \|last=Ellinwood \|url=https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-articles/a-perspective-on-the-western-front-by-an-indian-army-office-on-the-western-front-by-dr-dewitt-c-ellinwood/ \|access-date=9 November 2020}}</ref>		S. K. Das noted that while the word ''thakur'' means "god", it is also used to refer to the father-in-law of a woman.<ref name="SKD"/>{{rp\|31}} It is also used for a Brahmin,<ref name="SKD"/>{{rp\|28}} Ahir,<ref name="bundelk">{{cite book \| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7iOsNUZ2MXgC \| title=The Golden Book of India: A Genealogical and Biographical Dictionary of the Ruling Princes, Chiefs, Nobles, and Other Personages, Titled Or Decorated of the Indian Empire \| publisher=Aakar Books \| date=2005 \| accessdate=27 October 2014 \| author=Sir Roper Lethbridge \| pages=371\| isbn=9788187879541 \|quote=Born 1839 ; succeeded to the gadi on the death of her late husband, the Kunwar Jagat Singh, 28th October 1867. Belongs to a Dawa Ahir family. Lachman Singh, father of the late Thakur, was originally a Sardar of Jaitpur; but having possessed himself of the territory of Naigaon Ribai, he received a sanad from the British Government in 1807, confirming him in the possession. He died in 1808, and was succeeded by his son, the late Kunwar Jagat Singh.}}</ref> Jat,<ref name="SSW"/> and Rajput.<ref name="Rajput">{{cite web \|website=[[Western Front Association]] \|title=A Perspective on the Western Front by an Indian Army Office on the Western Front \|date=January 2002 \|first=DeWitt C. \|last=Ellinwood \|url=https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-articles/a-perspective-on-the-western-front-by-an-indian-army-office-on-the-western-front-by-dr-dewitt-c-ellinwood/ \|access-date=9 November 2020 \|quote=...Thakur (title of respect for Rajput aristocrats whose father is deceased; usually a landowner)...}}</ref>

	Some academics have suggested that "''Thakur'' was merely a title and not an office whereby a holder was entitled to wield some power in the state".<ref>{{cite book \|title=Rajput Polity: A Study of Politics and Administration of the State of Marwar, 1638–1749 \|year=1977 \|page=18 \|publisher=Manohar \|first=Ghanshyam Datt \|last=Sharma \|quote=Bose agrees with Dr. Kane (History of the Dharmasastras, iii, 984) that thakur was merely a title and not an office whereby a holder was entitled to wield some power in the state. \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5-YeAAAAMAAJ&q=%22thakur+was+merely+a+title+and+not+an+office%22 \|isbn=978-0883868874}}</ref> However, some other academics have noted that this title had been used by "petty chiefs" in the western areas of Himachal Pradesh.<ref>{{cite book \|title=History and Culture of the Chamba State, a Western Himalayan Kingdom: Collected Papers of the Seminar Held at Chamba in 1983 \|section=Influence of Rajasthani on Pahari \|page=131 \|publisher=Books & Books \|first1=Vishwa Chander \|last1=Ohri \|first2=Amar Nath \|last2=Khanna \|others=[https://himachal.nic.in/index2.php?lang=1&dpt_id=10&level=1&lid=13016 Department of Languages and Culture (Himachal Pradesh)] \|year=1989 \|quote=...in the hills refer to a time when petty chiefs bearing the title of Rana or Thakur exercised authority over their iminutive domains... \|isbn=9788185016252}}</ref>		Some academics have suggested that "''Thakur'' was merely a title and not an office whereby a holder was entitled to wield some power in the state".<ref>{{cite book \|title=Rajput Polity: A Study of Politics and Administration of the State of Marwar, 1638–1749 \|year=1977 \|page=18 \|publisher=Manohar \|first=Ghanshyam Datt \|last=Sharma \|quote=Bose agrees with Dr. Kane (History of the Dharmasastras, iii, 984) that thakur was merely a title and not an office whereby a holder was entitled to wield some power in the state. \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5-YeAAAAMAAJ&q=%22thakur+was+merely+a+title+and+not+an+office%22 \|isbn=978-0883868874}}</ref> However, some other academics have noted that this title had been used by "petty chiefs" in the western areas of Himachal Pradesh.<ref>{{cite book \|title=History and Culture of the Chamba State, a Western Himalayan Kingdom: Collected Papers of the Seminar Held at Chamba in 1983 \|section=Influence of Rajasthani on Pahari \|page=131 \|publisher=Books & Books \|first1=Vishwa Chander \|last1=Ohri \|first2=Amar Nath \|last2=Khanna \|others=[https://himachal.nic.in/index2.php?lang=1&dpt_id=10&level=1&lid=13016 Department of Languages and Culture (Himachal Pradesh)] \|year=1989 \|quote=...in the hills refer to a time when petty chiefs bearing the title of Rana or Thakur exercised authority over their iminutive domains... \|isbn=9788185016252}}</ref>
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	== See also ==		== See also ==
	* [[Dhadhor~~]][[Thakur (title)\|Thakur~~]]		* [[Dhadhor]]
	* [[Sardar]]		* [[Sardar]]
	* [[Chaudhary]]		* [[Chaudhary]]

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{{short description|Historical feudal title of the Indian subcontinent}}
{{redirect|Thikana|the 1987 Hindi film|Thikana (film)}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}

'''Thakur''' is a historical [[feudal]] title of the [[Indian subcontinent]]. It is also used as a surname in the present day. The female variant of the title is '''Thakurani''' or '''Thakurain''', and is also used to describe the wife of a Thakur.

There are varying opinions among scholars about its origin. Some scholars suggest that it is not mentioned in the Sanskrit texts preceding 500 BCE, but speculates that it might have been a part of the vocabulary of the dialects spoken in northern India before the [[Gupta Empire]]. It is viewed to have been derived from word ''Thakkura'' which, according to several scholars, was not an original word of the Sanskrit language but a borrowed word in the Indian lexis from the Tukhara regions of [[Inner Asia]]. Another view-point is that ''Thakkura'' is a loan word from the Prakrit language.

Scholars have suggested differing meanings for the word, i.e. "god", "lord", and "master of the estate". Academics have suggested that it was only a title, and in itself, did not grant any authority to its users "to wield some power in the state".

In India, the social groups which use this title includes the [[Brahmins]],<ref name="SKD"/>{{rp|28}} [[Ahirs]],<ref name="bundelk"/> [[Jats]],<ref name="SSW"/> and [[Rajputs]].<ref name="Rajput"/>

== Etymology and meaning ==
[[Sisir Kumar Das]] stated that the word ''Thakur'' is derived from the "late [[Sanskrit]]" word ''Thakkura''.<ref name="SKD">{{cite journal |journal=[[Anthropological Linguistics (journal)|Anthropological Linguistics]] |volume=10 |issue=4 |date=April 1968 |publisher=Trustees of Indiana University |title=Forms of Address and Terms of Reference in Bengali |first=Sisir Kumar |last=Das |pages=19–31 |jstor=30029176 |jstor-access=free}}</ref>{{rp|28}}

[[Harka Gurung|Harka Bahadur Gurung]] noted that the [[Nepali language|Nepalese]] version of the word ''Thakur'' is ''Thakuri''.<ref name="HBG">{{cite book |title=Faces of Nepal |year=1996 |page=29 |publisher=Himal |first=Harka Bahadur |last=Gurung |others=illustrated by [[Jan Salter]] |isbn=978-9993343509 |quote=The term Thakuri is a Nepali variation of the Hindi word thakur, which means 'master of the estate'. Indeed, Thakuris of Nepal are associated with some territory inherited from the days of Baisi and Chaubisi principalities; the term thakurai actually refers to 'fiefdom'. It is said that among those Rajputs fleeing to the hills after the Muslim invasion in India, successful adventurers among them were given the name and status of Thakuri by their Brahman followers.}}</ref>

The meaning of the word ''Thakur'' was suggested to be "god" by S. K. Das;<ref name="SKD"/>{{rp|31}} "lord" by Blair B. Kling;<ref>{{cite book |title=Partner in Empire: Dwarkanath Tagore and the Age of Enterprise in Eastern India |chapter=The Home and the World |year=1976 |page=10 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |first=Blair B. |last=Kling |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KVBKeqaYeVwC&pg=PA10 |isbn=978-0520029279}}</ref> and "master of the estate" by H. B. Gurung.<ref name="HBG"/>

== Origin ==
[[Nirmal Chandra Sinha]] stated that the word ''Thakura'' is "unknown" to the Vedic and Classical Sanskrit and finds no mention in the Sanskrit literature preceding 500 BCE. He suggests, however, that "the word was possibly current in many north Indian dialects before the Imperial Guptas". Sinha notes that many scholars, such as Buddha Prakash, [[Frederick William Thomas (philologist)|Frederick Thomas]], [[Harold Bailey]], [[Prabodh Chandra Bagchi|Prabodh Bagchi]], [[Suniti Kumar Chatterji|Suniti Chatterji]], and [[Sylvain Lévi]], have suggested that ''Thakura'' is a borrowed word in the Indian lexis from the Tukhara regions of Inner Asia.<ref name="NCS">{{cite journal |journal=Bulletin of Tibetology |series=New |volume=23 |number=1 |year=1987 |page=18 |publisher=Sikkim Research Institute of Tibetology |place=Gangtok, India |title=Inner Asia and India Through the Ages |first=Nirmal Chandra |last=Sinha |url=http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/bot/pdf/bot_1987_01_full.pdf |via=[[University of Cambridge]]}}</ref> Sinha observed:
{{quote|"It may be noted that in South India among orthodox Brahmins, Thakura or Thakur is not a popular term obviously because of its Tukhara or Turuska background."<ref name="NCS"/>}}

[[Byomkes Chakrabarti]] noted that the Sanskrit word ''Thakkura'' finds mention in "late Sanskrit". He doubted, however, that ''Thakkura'' is "an original Sanskrit word" and was of the opinion that ''Thakkura'' is probably a loan word from the Prakrit language.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Comparative Study of Santali and Bengali |year=1992 |page=14 |publisher=K. P. Bagchi & Company |first=Byomkes |last=Chakrabarti |isbn=978-8170741282 |quote=Mr. Risley has also drawn attention to the fact that the supreme God "Thakur" of the Santali traditions bears a Hindi name derived from the Sanskrit origin "thakkura". But there is much doubt whether "thakkura" itself is an original Sanskrit word. The word occurs in late Sanskrit possibly being borrowed from Prakrit. But if we make a careful analysis of the different languages of the western regions of Asia from Turkish to Bengali we would surely find out traces of similarities of most of these languages with Santali and this will go to show that the tribes had their historical wanderings from the Western part of Asia to the Eastern part of India.}}</ref>

== Usage ==
[[File:Lakhajirajsinhji_II_Bavajirajsinhji.jpg|thumb|150px|''Thakur'' [[Lakhajirajsinhji II Bavajirajsinhji]] of Rajkot]]
[[Susan Snow Wadley]] noted that the title ''Thakur'' was used to refer to "a man of intermediate but mid-level caste, usually implying a landowning caste". Wadley further notes that ''Thakur'' was viewed as a "more modest" title in comparison to ''"[[Raja|Rājā]]" (King)''.<ref name="SSW">{{cite book |title=Raja Nal and the Goddess: The North Indian Epic Dhola in Performance |edition=illustrated |year=2004 |page=60 |publisher=[[Indiana University Press]] |place=Bloomington, Indiana |first=Susan S. |last=Wadley |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UbsgVL4AGkoC&pg=PA60 |isbn=978-0253217240 |lccn=2004009434}}</ref>

S. K. Das noted that while the word ''thakur'' means "god", it is also used to refer to the father-in-law of a woman.<ref name="SKD"/>{{rp|31}} It is also used for a Brahmin,<ref name="SKD"/>{{rp|28}} Ahir,<ref name="bundelk">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7iOsNUZ2MXgC | title=The Golden Book of India: A Genealogical and Biographical Dictionary of the Ruling Princes, Chiefs, Nobles, and Other Personages, Titled Or Decorated of the Indian Empire | publisher=Aakar Books | date=2005 | accessdate=27 October 2014 | author=Sir Roper Lethbridge | pages=371|quote=Born 1839 ; succeeded to the gadi on the death of her late husband, the Kunwar Jagat Singh, 28th October 1867. Belongs to a Dawa Ahir family. Lachman Singh, father of the late Thakur, was originally a Sardar of Jaitpur; but having possessed himself of the territory of Naigaon Ribai, he received a sanad from the British Government in 1807, confirming him in the possession. He died in 1808, and was succeeded by his son, the late Kunwar Jagat Singh.}}</ref> Jat,<ref name="SSW"/> and Rajput.<ref name="Rajput">{{cite web |website=[[Western Front Association]] |title=A Perspective on the Western Front by an Indian Army Office on the Western Front |date=January 2002 |first=DeWitt C. |last=Ellinwood |url=https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-articles/a-perspective-on-the-western-front-by-an-indian-army-office-on-the-western-front-by-dr-dewitt-c-ellinwood/ |access-date=9 November 2020}}</ref>

Some academics have suggested that "''Thakur'' was merely a title and not an office whereby a holder was entitled to wield some power in the state".<ref>{{cite book |title=Rajput Polity: A Study of Politics and Administration of the State of Marwar, 1638–1749 |year=1977 |page=18 |publisher=Manohar |first=Ghanshyam Datt |last=Sharma |quote=Bose agrees with Dr. Kane (History of the Dharmasastras, iii, 984) that thakur was merely a title and not an office whereby a holder was entitled to wield some power in the state. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5-YeAAAAMAAJ&q=%22thakur+was+merely+a+title+and+not+an+office%22 |isbn=978-0883868874}}</ref> However, some other academics have noted that this title had been used by "petty chiefs" in the western areas of Himachal Pradesh.<ref>{{cite book |title=History and Culture of the Chamba State, a Western Himalayan Kingdom: Collected Papers of the Seminar Held at Chamba in 1983 |section=Influence of Rajasthani on Pahari |page=131 |publisher=Books & Books |first1=Vishwa Chander |last1=Ohri |first2=Amar Nath |last2=Khanna |others=[https://himachal.nic.in/index2.php?lang=1&dpt_id=10&level=1&lid=13016 Department of Languages and Culture (Himachal Pradesh)] |year=1989 |quote=...in the hills refer to a time when petty chiefs bearing the title of Rana or Thakur exercised authority over their iminutive domains... |isbn=9788185016252}}</ref>

The title was used by rulers of several [[princely state]]s, including [[Ambliara State|Ambliara]], [[Vala State|Vala]], [[Morvi State|Morbi]], [[Varsoda State|Barsoda]], and [[Rajkot State]]. Sons of thakurs were given the Sanskrit title of ''Kumara'' ('prince'), popular usage being ''Kunwar'' in the North and ''[[Kumar (title)|Kumar]]'' in Bengal and South India.<ref>{{cite book|last=Vadivelu|first=A.|title=The Aristocracy of Southern India, Volume 2|url={{Google books|oFwDWt2N29cC|page=|plainurl=yes}}}}</ref>

The territory of land under the control of a ''Thakur'' was called ''thikana''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Dynamics of State Formation: India and Europe Compared |year=1997 |page=81 |publisher=[[Sage Publications|Sage]] |first1=Martin |last1=Doornbos |first2=Sudipta |last2=Kaviraj |isbn=978-8170365747 |quote=Rights to land within any particular Thakur domain, the thikana, became complicated by the 1600s.}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Dhadhor]][[Thakur (title)|Thakur]]
* [[Sardar]]
* [[Chaudhary]]
* [[Mankari]]
* [[Thakkar]], a Lohana surname
* [[Thakuri]], Nepalese royal title
* [[Thakor]]e caste
* [[Babu Saheb]], title of Rajputs in [[Bihar]], [[Jharkhand]] and [[Uttar Pradesh]]. Used interchangeably with Thakur.
* [[Thakur (Bengali surname)]]
* [[Dharmathakur|Dharma Thakur]], a Hindu folk deity worshipped in the [[Rarh region]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Titles in India]]
[[Category:Indian surnames]]
[[Category:Indian feudalism]]
[[Category:Titles in Bangladesh]]