Patel
Encyclopedia
Patel is a surname of India
n origin, originally meaning "headman" or
"village chief". Patels are socially, economically and politically the most dominant caste in Gujarat (see Gujarati people
) Patels are basically Kurmi
s or Kunbi
s and are found in various geographical locations. The Kunbi (Marathi: कुणबी, Gujarati: કુનબી, alternately Kanbi) are an Indian subcaste. They are found largely in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, and are historically associated with agriculture; another branch is found in Goa. The group is often associated with the Kurmi caste, though scholars differ as to whether the terms are synonymous.[1][2] In 2006, the Indian government announced that Kurmi was considered synonymous with the Kunbi and Yellam castes in Maharashtra.[3]
The term Kunbi was known to be applied to the cultivating class of Hindu Shudra
in Central India. The word Kunbi is believed to be derived from the Marathi word kunbawa, or Sanskrit kur, "agricultural tillage".[4] Alternate etymologies include derivation from kutumba (family), or from the Dravidian kul, "husbandman" or "labourer". Popular but dubious etymologies include derivation from kun (root) or kan (grain) combined with bi (seed).[5]
Other spellings and variants include: Kulambi (Deccan), Kulwadi (South Konkan), Kanbi (Gujarat), Kulbi (Belgaum), Reddies (Andhra Pradesh), kurmi(Bihar,Uttar Pradesh,Madhya Pradesh,Jharkhand).[5] The name Patel derives from Patlikh, the record keeper
named by princely rulers in Gujarat to keep track of the crops, pat being a parcel of land.
, Maharashtra
, Uttar Pradesh
, Madhya Pradesh
, and Karnataka
, as well as metropolitan cities like Mumbai
, Ahmedabad
, Surat
, and Delhi
. Within the United Kingdom, it is the twenty-fourth most common surname nationally, and the third most common in the Greater London region. In the US, the surname "Patel" ranks 174 among the top 500 list of most common last names. Though the name is common Hindu name, a small number of Parsis and Muslims also carry the surname "Patel" (see also Muslim Patel
) along with a sizable number of Kolis.
1. Kachchi Patel: Kachchi patels are predominantly Kadava patel worshipping Shri Umiya Mata as their clan deity.
2. Kathiawadi Patel: Kathiawadi/Saurashtra Patels are both Leuva and Kadava Patel. Leuva Patel are concentrated mainly in Bhavnagar,North Gujarat, Amreli and parts of Junagadh and Rajkot district. Kadava patels are mainly in Jamnagar and rest of the Rajkot and Junagadh. Leuva Patel primarily worships Shri Khodiyar Mata as their clan deity.
3. Charotaria/Choya Patel: These are known as Gujarati Patel also. They retain their last name or surname as Patel unlike Kachhi and Kathiawadi Patel. Kachhi and Kathiyawadi patels have their own distinct family names also which they use frequently. Gujarati patels are found mainly in rest of the Gujarat except Kachh and Saurashtra.
4.Leuva Patel Are hugely From North Gujarat and they known from their sub surname
A subcast of Gujarati patels are Vastarpara, Meruliya, Sheliya, Khakhariya, Khokhariya, Aslaliya, Magtarpara etc., and they live in Amreli district and come from Ahmedabad district.
The Leva Patels and Kadva Patels are known for their entrepreneurial skills in business and agriculture having a strong hold in Gujarat and have made a name for themselves around the world. There are religious and ideological differences between various groups of Patels. They have their own social samaj (gatherings) and mandirs at various locations. The Patel community followed an age-old tradition of marrying within their ‘GOL' or circle, but with changes in economic status, global influence, literacy and education, changes are now taking place and Patels are increasingly marrying outside the Gols.
Other Gujaratis who migrated out of what is now the state of Gujarat during the British Raj to British East Africa (Kenya and Uganda) sometimes adopted the surname 'Patel', and this surname was then subsequently passed onto their descendants (who now mainly reside outside Kenya and Uganda). Also, during the British Raj, some 'Patels' who migrated to British East Africa and the Union of South Africa (South Africa) adopted different surnames, usually the name of their village, their trade or even their grandfather's name. Subsequently, these surnames have been passed down to their descendants.
The surname is the second most common last name in India, following Singh. "The trend started in the early 1940's, though the real growth took place in the 1960's and 1970's."
A sizable number of Indian immigrants to the United States came in the 1960s and 1970s, when the motel industry was booming. Many of them bought up undervalued and dilapidated properties and turned them into businesses. As many as 60% of mid-sized motels and hotel properties, all over the US, are owned by the people of Indian origin. Of this nearly one-third have the surname Patel - a popular one among Indian Gujaratis(those that came from Gujarat).)
"According to the Asian American Hotel Association (A.A.H.O.A), 50 percent of hotels and motels in the United States are owned by people of Indian Origin". A large immigrant population of Gujurati's came in the 1960s and 1970s. These Patels known as the founding fathers, worked hard and saved then invested in a lot of properties. Having a steady amount income and savings, they called over their distant relatives and friends from the villages of India. Upon their arrival, they would already have financial assistance from the founding fathers and start up their own businesses. Even though Patels are evenly spread throughout the country they still have held onto their vast network, which has definitely been a key to their entrepreneurship.
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...
n origin, originally meaning "headman" or
"village chief". Patels are socially, economically and politically the most dominant caste in Gujarat (see Gujarati people
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...
) Patels are basically Kurmi
Kurmi
The Kurmi are a Hindu agricultural Jāti in India.The group has been associated with the Kunbi, though scholars differ as to whether the terms are synonymous. In 2006, the Indian government announced that Kurmi was considered synonymous with the Kunbi and Yellam castes in Maharashtra...
s or Kunbi
Kunbi
Kunbi is a generic term applied to castes of traditionally non-elite tillers in Western India. These include the Dhonoje, Ghatole, Hindre, Jadav, Jhare, Khaire, Lewa , Lonari and Tirole communities of Vidharbha. The communities are largely found in the state of Maharashtra but also exist in the...
s and are found in various geographical locations. The Kunbi (Marathi: कुणबी, Gujarati: કુનબી, alternately Kanbi) are an Indian subcaste. They are found largely in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, and are historically associated with agriculture; another branch is found in Goa. The group is often associated with the Kurmi caste, though scholars differ as to whether the terms are synonymous.[1][2] In 2006, the Indian government announced that Kurmi was considered synonymous with the Kunbi and Yellam castes in Maharashtra.[3]
The term Kunbi was known to be applied to the cultivating class of Hindu Shudra
Shudra
Shudra is the fourth Varna, as prescribed in the Purusha Sukta of the Rig veda, which constitutes society into four varnas or Chaturvarna. The other three varnas are Brahmans - priests, Kshatriya - those with governing functions, Vaishya - agriculturalists, cattle rearers and traders...
in Central India. The word Kunbi is believed to be derived from the Marathi word kunbawa, or Sanskrit kur, "agricultural tillage".[4] Alternate etymologies include derivation from kutumba (family), or from the Dravidian kul, "husbandman" or "labourer". Popular but dubious etymologies include derivation from kun (root) or kan (grain) combined with bi (seed).[5]
Other spellings and variants include: Kulambi (Deccan), Kulwadi (South Konkan), Kanbi (Gujarat), Kulbi (Belgaum), Reddies (Andhra Pradesh), kurmi(Bihar,Uttar Pradesh,Madhya Pradesh,Jharkhand).[5] The name Patel derives from Patlikh, the record keeper
Village accountant
The village accountant is an administrative government position found in rural parts of the Indian sub-continent. The office and the officeholder are called the patwari in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bengal, North India and Pakistan...
named by princely rulers in Gujarat to keep track of the crops, pat being a parcel of land.
Distribution
The name is found primarily in the Indian states of Gujarat[especially in Sabarkantha], RajasthanRajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, and Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, as well as metropolitan cities like Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
, Surat
Surat
Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper...
, and Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. Within the United Kingdom, it is the twenty-fourth most common surname nationally, and the third most common in the Greater London region. In the US, the surname "Patel" ranks 174 among the top 500 list of most common last names. Though the name is common Hindu name, a small number of Parsis and Muslims also carry the surname "Patel" (see also Muslim Patel
Muslim Patel
The term Muslim Patel applies to Muslim converts from the Hindu Patidar caste who are found mainly in the state of Gujarat in India. They are distinct from the Sunni Bohras, another Gujarati Muslim community that also uses the surname Patel...
) along with a sizable number of Kolis.
Gujarat
Further, Patels are classified based on the geographical regions.1. Kachchi Patel: Kachchi patels are predominantly Kadava patel worshipping Shri Umiya Mata as their clan deity.
2. Kathiawadi Patel: Kathiawadi/Saurashtra Patels are both Leuva and Kadava Patel. Leuva Patel are concentrated mainly in Bhavnagar,North Gujarat, Amreli and parts of Junagadh and Rajkot district. Kadava patels are mainly in Jamnagar and rest of the Rajkot and Junagadh. Leuva Patel primarily worships Shri Khodiyar Mata as their clan deity.
3. Charotaria/Choya Patel: These are known as Gujarati Patel also. They retain their last name or surname as Patel unlike Kachhi and Kathiawadi Patel. Kachhi and Kathiyawadi patels have their own distinct family names also which they use frequently. Gujarati patels are found mainly in rest of the Gujarat except Kachh and Saurashtra.
4.Leuva Patel Are hugely From North Gujarat and they known from their sub surname
A subcast of Gujarati patels are Vastarpara, Meruliya, Sheliya, Khakhariya, Khokhariya, Aslaliya, Magtarpara etc., and they live in Amreli district and come from Ahmedabad district.
The Leva Patels and Kadva Patels are known for their entrepreneurial skills in business and agriculture having a strong hold in Gujarat and have made a name for themselves around the world. There are religious and ideological differences between various groups of Patels. They have their own social samaj (gatherings) and mandirs at various locations. The Patel community followed an age-old tradition of marrying within their ‘GOL' or circle, but with changes in economic status, global influence, literacy and education, changes are now taking place and Patels are increasingly marrying outside the Gols.
Other Gujaratis who migrated out of what is now the state of Gujarat during the British Raj to British East Africa (Kenya and Uganda) sometimes adopted the surname 'Patel', and this surname was then subsequently passed onto their descendants (who now mainly reside outside Kenya and Uganda). Also, during the British Raj, some 'Patels' who migrated to British East Africa and the Union of South Africa (South Africa) adopted different surnames, usually the name of their village, their trade or even their grandfather's name. Subsequently, these surnames have been passed down to their descendants.
"Patel Motel" phenomenon
The "Patel motel" phenomenon, as it is popularly known, has made a major impact on the American hospitality industry.The surname is the second most common last name in India, following Singh. "The trend started in the early 1940's, though the real growth took place in the 1960's and 1970's."
A sizable number of Indian immigrants to the United States came in the 1960s and 1970s, when the motel industry was booming. Many of them bought up undervalued and dilapidated properties and turned them into businesses. As many as 60% of mid-sized motels and hotel properties, all over the US, are owned by the people of Indian origin. Of this nearly one-third have the surname Patel - a popular one among Indian Gujaratis(those that came from Gujarat).)
"According to the Asian American Hotel Association (A.A.H.O.A), 50 percent of hotels and motels in the United States are owned by people of Indian Origin". A large immigrant population of Gujurati's came in the 1960s and 1970s. These Patels known as the founding fathers, worked hard and saved then invested in a lot of properties. Having a steady amount income and savings, they called over their distant relatives and friends from the villages of India. Upon their arrival, they would already have financial assistance from the founding fathers and start up their own businesses. Even though Patels are evenly spread throughout the country they still have held onto their vast network, which has definitely been a key to their entrepreneurship.