Doshi
Encyclopedia
Doshi is a fairly common surname in India
. While the roots can be traced back a few hundred years, the origin of the name is still a matter of much dispute. There were two different stories- one is from the History Of Oswals basically from Rajastan.
1. As per “Oswal Jain Gyati Mahodya”(ancient book on history of Oswals)in the year 160 AD at the city named Bhatia (old name of Jaisalmer
)in Rajasthan , it was the kingdom of Bhati Rajputs. Its capital was Lodarva.(now a well known Jain Teerth) Heer Singh Sonigara Rajput was the rular of this state.
Thakur Heer Singh Sonigara had no son so he prayed the Kshetrapal (A loka devata-local god) to give him a son, in return he would spend 1,25,000 gold coins on his temple. When he got a son, he named him as Khetal on the name of Kshetrapal Singh Sonigara. After some time the Kshetrapal Singh Sonigara (A loka devata) wanted more and more chadhaava; Heer Singh Sonigara could not collect so much of money so he was helpless. When Kshetrapal Singh Sonigara was of 8 years then Kshetrapal became furious. He entered the body of Kshetrapal Singh Sonigara and began to create nuisance and violence in whole of Jaisalmer.
When Heer Singh Sonigara heard about the arrival of Jain Acharya Jindutt Suri, he prayed the Acharya to help him. Acharya poured some mantrit water on Kshetrapal Singh Sonigara and charmed Navkar Mantra-Namokar Mantra
There was peace in whole Jaisalmer. Heer Singh Sonigara adopted Jainism and converted into Oswals. His gotra was named Doshi for the fault he did, other Rajputs were named Sonigara according to their original caste. The one minister of Heer Singh Sonigara was Pithal so his family was named Pithalia.
In Vikrama Samvata 222(165 AD) a big Mahajan community gathered in Khandela near Jaipur. At that time all Mahajans of Osiya were named as Oswal and all Gotra became part of Oswal.
2. Another one is a popular Gujarati
story which Narsinh Mehta
mentions the Hindu deity
Krishna
appearing as a doshi vanio. A doshi was somebody who carried a dosh, or a sack of grocery/clothes, to sell as he wandered. This is similar to another translation of doshi as a rough cloth seller. Most Gujaratis believe this is the true story behind the last name "Doshi"
3. A third possibility is a direct translation, taken literally from the Hindu
word dosh (meaning in this case guilt), defines doshi as someone who has been found guilty of a crime. A historical anecdote uses this definition of the word to explain how people assumed the name. According to Kishor Doshi, former President of the Houston Jain Society, the research he has done on this topic indicates Doshi was a last name given by a sixteenth century king in Gujarat to all of his subjects who did not participate in a compulsory census. He pronounced them guilty, or in Gujarati
, doshi theravya. Not many people believe in this possibility given the fact that the whole state of Gujarat was never under the rule of one king. The present day Gujarat is the result of a merger of tens of princely kingdoms.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. While the roots can be traced back a few hundred years, the origin of the name is still a matter of much dispute. There were two different stories- one is from the History Of Oswals basically from Rajastan.
1. As per “Oswal Jain Gyati Mahodya”(ancient book on history of Oswals)in the year 160 AD at the city named Bhatia (old name of Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer
Jaysalmer , nicknamed "The Golden City", is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital Jaipur. It was once known as Jaisalmer state. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, which contains the palace and several ornate Jain...
)in Rajasthan , it was the kingdom of Bhati Rajputs. Its capital was Lodarva.(now a well known Jain Teerth) Heer Singh Sonigara Rajput was the rular of this state.
Thakur Heer Singh Sonigara had no son so he prayed the Kshetrapal (A loka devata-local god) to give him a son, in return he would spend 1,25,000 gold coins on his temple. When he got a son, he named him as Khetal on the name of Kshetrapal Singh Sonigara. After some time the Kshetrapal Singh Sonigara (A loka devata) wanted more and more chadhaava; Heer Singh Sonigara could not collect so much of money so he was helpless. When Kshetrapal Singh Sonigara was of 8 years then Kshetrapal became furious. He entered the body of Kshetrapal Singh Sonigara and began to create nuisance and violence in whole of Jaisalmer.
When Heer Singh Sonigara heard about the arrival of Jain Acharya Jindutt Suri, he prayed the Acharya to help him. Acharya poured some mantrit water on Kshetrapal Singh Sonigara and charmed Navkar Mantra-Namokar Mantra
There was peace in whole Jaisalmer. Heer Singh Sonigara adopted Jainism and converted into Oswals. His gotra was named Doshi for the fault he did, other Rajputs were named Sonigara according to their original caste. The one minister of Heer Singh Sonigara was Pithal so his family was named Pithalia.
In Vikrama Samvata 222(165 AD) a big Mahajan community gathered in Khandela near Jaipur. At that time all Mahajans of Osiya were named as Oswal and all Gotra became part of Oswal.
2. Another one is a popular Gujarati
Gujarati people
Gujarati people , or Gujaratis are an ethnic group that is traditionally Gujarati-speaking and can trace their ancestry to the state of Gujarat in western India...
story which Narsinh Mehta
Narsinh Mehta
Narsinh Mehta also known as Narsi Mehta or Narsi Bhagat was a poet-saint of Gujarat, India, and a member of the Nagar Brahmins community, notable as a bhakta, an exponent of Hindu devotional religious poetry. He is especially revered in Gujarati literature, where he is acclaimed as its Adi Kavi...
mentions the Hindu deity
Hindu deities
Within Hinduism a large number of personal gods are worshipped as murtis. These beings are either aspects of the supreme Brahman, Avatars of the supreme being, or significantly powerful entities known as devas. The exact nature of belief in regards to each deity varies between differing Hindu...
Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
appearing as a doshi vanio. A doshi was somebody who carried a dosh, or a sack of grocery/clothes, to sell as he wandered. This is similar to another translation of doshi as a rough cloth seller. Most Gujaratis believe this is the true story behind the last name "Doshi"
3. A third possibility is a direct translation, taken literally from the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
word dosh (meaning in this case guilt), defines doshi as someone who has been found guilty of a crime. A historical anecdote uses this definition of the word to explain how people assumed the name. According to Kishor Doshi, former President of the Houston Jain Society, the research he has done on this topic indicates Doshi was a last name given by a sixteenth century king in Gujarat to all of his subjects who did not participate in a compulsory census. He pronounced them guilty, or in Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
, doshi theravya. Not many people believe in this possibility given the fact that the whole state of Gujarat was never under the rule of one king. The present day Gujarat is the result of a merger of tens of princely kingdoms.