Author Topic: History of Kaur & Singh (Read 14581 times)

Kudi Nepal Di · « **on:** June 18, 2010, 07:07:30 AM »

Kaur

Kaur (Punjabi: ਕੌਰ; Hindi: कौर) in Sikhism (meaning: "princess") is a mandatory last name for female Sikhs, in the same way as Singh is for male Sikhs.

History

Kaur, is term used by Sikh women either as the final element of a compound personal name or as a last name. It cannot be regarded as a true surname or family name. Its origin goes back to Sanskrit word, 'Kunwar' or Kaur which changed into Kaur by metathesis. Among Sikhs, female names are often derived from male names by the addition of Kaur. The tenth guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, made it mandatory for Sikh females to use the name Kaur and for Sikh males to use the name Singh, when he administered Amrit (baptism) to both males and female Sikhs. All female Sikhs were asked to use the name Kaur after their forename and males were to use the name Singh. Since 'Kaur' means princess), it acts as a symbol of equality among males and females. This custom further confirmed the equality of both genders as was the tradition set by the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak. It also gave women the sense of self-respect.
Guru Gobind Singh said,
"You are my beloved, my daughters. You must be respected. How can this world be without you?".
"You don’t have to take anybody else's name. You are an individual, you are the equivalent of a prince, and you keep Kaur as your given name.
Kaur provides Sikh women with a status equal to all men. This was also intended to reduce the prejudice created by caste-typing based on the family name. Prejudice based on caste was still rampant during Guru Gobind's time (17th century). This particularly affected women who were expected to take their husband's family name upon marriage.

Author Topic: History of Kaur & Singh (Read 14581 times)

Kudi Nepal Di

History of Kaur & Singh

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