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Das (surname)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Das is a common last name in South Asia, among adherents of Hinduism and Sikhism, as well as those who converted to Islam or Christianity. It is a derived from the Sanskrit word Dasa (Sanskrit: दास) meaning devotee, disciple, votary, or servant. "Das" may be inferred to be one who has surrendered to God. The surname is often used by those in the Bengali, Bihari, Oriya, Punjabi, and Vaishnav communities.[1]

Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand

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Das is a common surname among all classes of Bengalis including Baidya, Bengali Kayastha, Mahishya, Tantubay, and others.[2][3] In Bengal, the surname is also used by both Scheduled Castes[4] and General Castes. In Bihar, it is used by people belonging to Ambashtha and Karn Kayastha castes.[5]

More broadly, in Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand, the surname "Das" is also used by the Dhobi and Patni communities.[6]

Assam

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In Assam, the Kaibarta, the Patni, the Koch-Rajbanshi, and other communities also use Das as their surname.[7][8][6]

Odisha

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In Odisha, the Das surname is used by the Gopal and Karan castes, while "Dash" is used by the Brahmins.[9]

Punjab

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In Punjab, they generally belong to the Brahmin caste.[10]

Karnataka

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In Karnataka, the Das surname is used by a section of Vokkaligas who profess Vaishnavism called Das Vokkaligas.[11]

Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Das Family History". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  2. ^ Ronald. B. Inden (January 1976). Marriage and Rank in Bengali Culture : A History of Caste and Clan in Middle Period Bengal. University of California Press. p. 40. ISBN 9780520025691.
  3. ^ Basu, Lokeshwar. Amader Padobir Itihas (in Bengali). Kolkata: Ananda. pp. 10, 12, 37, 57, 84.
  4. ^ Ghosh, Partha S. (23 May 2016). Migrants, Refugees and the Stateless in South Asia. SAGE Publications India. p. 71. ISBN 978-93-5150-855-7.
  5. ^ Sahay, Keshari N. (2001). Ambastha Kayastha: The Evolution of a Family and Its Socio-cultural Dimensions. Commonwealth Publishers. pp. XVII, 299. ISBN 978-81-7169-660-4.
  6. ^ a b "Scheduled Communities: A social Development profile of SC/ST's (Bihar, Jharkhand & W.B)" (PDF). niti.gov.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  7. ^ Census of India (Volume 5, Issue 1 ed.). India: Government of India. 1911. p. 498.
  8. ^ Roy, Dayabati (19 December 2013). Rural Politics in India: Political Stratification and Governance in West Bengal. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-107-04235-3.
  9. ^ "shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in" (PDF).
  10. ^ "Bhai Mati Das". Sikh Heritage. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
  11. ^ Subha, K. (1997). Karnataka Panchayat Elections 1995: Process, Issues, and Membership Profile. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 978-81-7022-612-3.
  12. ^ das (2006). Essays And Lectures On The Religions Of The Hindus: Religious Sects of the Hindus V1. p. 353. ISBN 1-4286-1308-0.