Mehta

Mehta is an Indian surname, derived from the Sanskrit word mahita meaning 'great' or 'praised'. It is found among several Indian religious groups, including Hindus, Jains, Parsis, and Sikhs. Among Hindus, it is used by a wide range of castes and social groups, including Khatris, Rajputs, Brahmins and Bania (caste).[1] Mehta is also a common surname found among the Koeri caste of Bihar, who are commonly known as Kushwaha.[2]

Distribution in India

People with this surname are native to North and Western regions of India, including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra (Mumbai).[1]

As surname used by Rajputs

Mehta is also a Rajput clan name in the Kumaon and Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, hilly terrains of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and western areas of Nepal. They served as nobles, ministers and bureaucrats under the Katyuri Kings and Chand Kings of Uttarakhand. People having this surname are native to Almora, Bageshwar, and Nainital districts of Uttarakhand, eastern parts of Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir, and western Nepal. In Nepal, they come under the Chhetri varna and are considered chieftains of villages.[3]

In Rajasthan, Mehta was originally used as a term of respect applied to administrative office holders and bureaucrats of Rajputana kings. Among Rajputs, it is used as both title and surname by Dewans (ministers and nobles) of Bikaner State and many other states of Rajputana and are considered direct descendants of the Solar dynasty (Suryavanshi) and Chauhan Dynasty. The dewans and chief ministers of the Bikaner State were:

  • 1460–1465 Bachhraj Bothra (Mantri-Dewan / Jodhpur) / Rao Jodha
  • 1465–1505 Bachhraj Bothra (Founding Dewan / Bikaner) / Rao Bika
  • 1505–1526 Karam Singh Bothra Bachhawat (Descendants of Bachhraj were known as Bachhawats) / Rao Nar Singh and Rao Lunkaran
  • 1571–1591 Mehta Karam Chand Bachhawat (Title of Mehta granted by Emperor Akbar) / Rao Kalyan Mal and Raja Rai Singh
  • 1619–1620 Mehta Bhag Chand Bothra Bachhawat / Raja Sur Singh
  • 1619–1620 Mehta Lakshmi Chand Bothra Bachhawat / Raja Sur Singh
  • 1735 – February 1751: Mehta Bakhtawar Singh (1st time) (b. 1707 – d. 1779)
  • 1752–1756: Mehta Bakhtawar Singh (2nd time) (s.a.)
  • 1756 – December 1757: Mehta Prithvi Singh
  • 1757–1762: Mehta Bakhtawar Singh (3rd time) (s.a.)
  • September 1765 – 1779: Mehta Bakhtawar Singh (4th time) (s.a.)
  • 1779–178.: Mehta Swaroop Singh
  • 178.–1787: Mehta Thakursi
  • 1787–1791: Mehta Madho Rao
  • 1794–1805: Mehta Rao Sahib Singh Gun Roop
  • April 1815 – February 1816: Mehta Bhomji
  • February 1816 – 1828: Abhai Singh Mehta
  • 1853–1853: Leeladhar Mehta
  • 1868: Sheo Lal Mehta

As surname used by Punjabi Khatri

Among Oswals, Porwal and Punjabi Khatris, Mehta is a clan name.[1]

Notable individuals

Notable individuals with this surname include:

References
  1. "Dictionary of American Family Names". Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-508137-4.
  2. Bulletin of the Cultural Research Institute. India: Cultural Research Institute West Bengal (India). 2004. p. 26. Recently, they have adopted surnames like Verma, Mehta and Kushwaha. Their subgroups are mostly endogamous. There are five major social divisions or endogamous subgroups among the Koiri of West Bengal.
  3. "Mehta Surname".
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