Nayak (title)

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Not to be confused with Nayak (caste).

The Nayak is a historic Indian title conferred on Sardars, who were governors of feudal states in the Middle Ages. Today it is also a surname. Nayak Mostly they are Hindu and Sikh, which follows Hinduism and Sikhism respectively.

As a surname[]

Today, the surname Nayak is used by various castes and ethnic groups across India. Mostly they belong from forward class and mainly follows Sikhism and Hinduism.[1]

  • In Punjab, Chandigarh, surname "Nayak" is used by sikh people who follows sikhism are known as kshathriya by their society.
  • In West Bengal, The Nayak is used by hindu people who follows hinduism.
  • In Rajsthan, Maharashtra, UP , The Nayak is used by Lubana Community who were historically known as merchants of saltpetre, Silk, Diamonds etc.
  • In Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, other versions of the surnames such as Naidu and Naicker, Nayakar are used by people belonging to Bedar Valmiki, Kapu, Balija, Golla, Telaga, and mainly Kamma. In the North of Tamil Nadu, the title Naicker and Nayagar are used by the Tamil speaking Vanniyars while in the South of Tamil Nadu, the Telugu castes such as Balija, Golla, and the Kammas use the Naicker title.[2]
  • The Muslim Siddis of Karnataka, use the surname Nayaka which they received as title from Bijapur Kings.[3]
  • In Karnataka it is used by some subcastes of the Vokkaliga community.[4] It is also a common surname amidst a section of Makkalasantana following sect of parivara Bunt(community) and the Nayak/Bedar community.
  • In Maharashtra the surname Nayak and Naik is used by Kshatriya Marathas, CKPs and Deshastha Brahmin communities.[5]
  • In Odisha, significant population of "Naik" or "Nayak" belonging to Kshatriya caste known as Khandayat is present .
  • In Tamil Nadu, members of the Vanniyar caste in the districts of Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram, and Chengalpattu use Naicker and Nayagar as a surname or title.[6]
  • In Tamil Nadu, members of the Jakkama clan use Nayakkar, Naicker and Nayagar as a surname or title.[7]
  • In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Naik surname is adopted as surname by several communities including, Bedar[8]
  • Nayak is also a prominent surname among the Gaud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) and Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins (RSB) community. There are different versions of the spelling as Nayak, Naick, Naik.

References[]

  1. ^ Kumar Suresh Singh (2002). People of India: Introduction. Oxford University Press. p. 54. ISBN 978-0-19-564444-9.
  2. ^ A. Vijay Kumari. Social Change Among Balijas: Majority Community of Andhra Pradesh. M D Publications. p. 89. ISBN 978-81-7533-072-6.
  3. ^ Shanti Sadiq Ali (1996). The African Dispersal in the Deccan: From Medieval to Modern Times. Orient Blackswan. p. 226. ISBN 978-81-250-0485-1.
  4. ^ L. K. A. Iyer (2005). The Mysore Tribes and Castes. Vol. 3. New Delhi: Mittal Publications. p. 270. Gauda and Naika are the titles affixed to their names , and the common honorific suffixes Appa and Ayya for males and Avva and Akka for females are also in use
  5. ^ Anupama Rao (2009). The Caste Question: Dalits and the Politics of Modern India. University of California Press. p. 315. ISBN 978-0-520-25761-0.
  6. ^ A N Sattanathan. Report of the Backward Classes Commission. p. 86.
  7. ^ Chockalingam Joe Arun. Constructing Dalit Identity. p. 43. ISBN 978-81-316-0081-8.
  8. ^ Kumar Suresh Singh (1993). Ethnography, Customary Law, and Change. Concept Publishing Company. p. 249. ISBN 978-81-7022-471-6.
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