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Shetty

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shetty (Kannada: [ʃeʈːi]) is a surname originating in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is borne chiefly by the Bunt community of coastal Karnataka, who claim descent from the medieval Alupa dynasty and identify themselves as part of the Nagavanshi line of Kshatriyas.[1][2][3]

Origins and warrior identity

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Scholars note that the Bunts functioned as a landed warrior-aristocracy (feudal ‘‘nadava’’/chieftain class) in Tulu Nadu from at least the early medieval period.[4][5] Proceedings of the Indian History Congress document Bunt dominance as “high-caste Sudra landlords” who nevertheless “played the role of Kshatriya military chiefs” in the coastal polities.[6]

Alupa dynasty connection

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Historians P. Gururaja Bhat and B. A. Saletore both record that the Alupa royal house was locally rooted and “possibly of Bunt stock,” with the royal title ‘‘Alupa/Alva’’ persisting among present-day Bunt clans such as Shetty, Rai and Chowta.[2][3] The dynasty’s matrilineal succession custom (Aliyasantana) likewise survives among Bunts.[7]

Varna/classification debate

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Modern caste ethnography often lists Bunts (and thus Shettys) under Sat-Śūdra (‘‘high’’ Śūdra)agrarian landlords,[8][9] although this label is contested by Bunt organisations, who emphasise their Nagavanshi Kshatriya heritage and Alupa-dynasty bloodline to refute a Śūdra status.[10][11]

Surname and nobility

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Because ‘‘Shetray/Shetty’’ literally denotes “nobility” or “chieftain”, the surname is widely regarded—both inside and outside the community—as a marker of erstwhile warrior-aristocratic rank.

Etymology

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The word Shetty is derived from the Sanskrit word Śreṣṭha (Devanagari: श्रेष्ठ) or Śreṣṭhin (Devanagari: श्रेष्ठीन्) meaning superior, Prakritised as Seṭhī (Devanagari: सेठी), and then Śeṭ (Devanagari: शेट) or Śeṭī (Devanagari: शेटी).[12]

Notable people

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Notable people with the surname Shetty, include:

References

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  1. ^ Wendt, Reinhard (2006). An Indian to the Indians?: On the Initial Failure and the Posthumous Success of the Missionary Ferdinand Kittel (1832–1903). Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 143. ISBN 978-3-447-05161-3.
  2. ^ a b Bhat, P. Gururaja (1969). Antiquities of South Kanara. Prabhakara Press. p. 44.
  3. ^ a b Saletore, Bhaskar Anand (1936). Ancient Karnāṭaka I. Oriental Book Agency. p. 53.
  4. ^ Kāmat, Sūryanātha U. (1973). Karnataka State Gazetteer: South Canara (PDF). Govt. of Karnataka. p. 168.
  5. ^ Bhat, N. Shyam (1998). South Kanara 1799-1860: A Study in Colonial Administration and Regional Response. Mittal Publications. p. 212. ISBN 978-81-7099-586-9.
  6. ^ Udaya, Barkur (2006). "Landlords and Peasantry in Medieval Karnataka Coast". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 67: 226. JSTOR 44147941.
  7. ^ Tambs-Lyche, Harald (2017). Transaction and Hierarchy: Elements for a Theory of Caste. Routledge. p. 128. ISBN 978-1-351-39396-6.
  8. ^ Gundimeda, Sambaiah (2015). Dalit Politics in Contemporary India. Routledge. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-317-38105-1.
  9. ^ Subrahmanyam, Sanjay (1990). Merchants, Markets and the State in Early Modern India. Oxford University Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-19-562569-1.
  10. ^ Yogeeswarappa, D. N. (2012). The Study of Nayakatana in the Vijayanagara Empire with special reference to Tuluva Dynasty (Thesis). pp. 28–29.
  11. ^ "Bunts Culture". Bunts Sangha UK. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  12. ^ Gomantak Prakruti ani Sanskruti, Part-1, Page-221 by B.D. Satoskar, Shubhada Publication
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