Dhar (surname)


Dhar is a surname of Kashmiri Hindu origin. It is native to the Kashmir Valley, and common today among Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Muslims of Hindu lineage. Outside Kashmir, it is used by members of the Kashmiri diaspora, in places like Punjab, Bengal, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, and more commonly in recent times by the global Kashmiri Pandit diaspora following the Exodus of Kashmiri Hindus in 1989–1990.

History and origins

Dhar originated as an honorific given to a village head, strongman, or warlord of a jagir. The title was widespread by the 12th century CE and continued until the 14th century CE. The earliest available records of Dhar or Dar used as a surname date back to the 16th century CE.

Difference between ''Dhar'' and ''Dar''

The two surnames have a common origin, but the reason for their difference between the two is not settled. One theory suggests that the difference stems from the forms of Kashmiri spoken by Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims. Before the Sanskritisation and Persianisation of the Kashmiri language, it used the Sharada script, and the surname had a common pronunciation. When Sanskritised Kashmiri became more widely spoken by Kashmiri Pandits and Persianised Kashmiri by Kashmiri Muslims, the surnames developed a difference in pronunciation. An alternative theory suggests that with the advent of Islam in Kashmir, new Muslims modified their surnames to differentiate themselves from Kashmiri Pandits. A weakness of this theory, however, is that Kashmiri Muslims use Muslim forenames, which would have clearly differentiated their names from Hindu names.

Notable people surnamed ''Dhar'' or ''Dar''