Munshi

Title from the Indian subcontinent

Mohan Lal Kashmiri, British-Indian diplomat in Afghanistan during the Great Game and First Anglo-Afghan War

## History

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During the Mughal Empire, Munshi (Persian: منشی) came to be used as a respected title for persons who achieved mastery over language and politics in the Indian subcontinent.[1]

## Use in Bengal

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Annada Munshi, Father of Commercial Art in India, and member of the Munshi Zamindari family of Chaugachha.

The surname "Munshi" (Bengali: মুন্সি) is used by both Bengali Hindu and Bengali Muslim families in West Bengal, India and in Bangladesh. The surname is commonly associated with former Zamindari families in Bengal from the time of the Nawabs of Bengal in the early 18th-century.[2][3][4][5][6]

Former estate of Munshibari family of Ulipur in Northern Bangladesh.

## Use in Kashmir

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Munshi is used as a last name by Kashmiri Pandits, native to the Kashmir Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It was a title given to some groups of elite upper-caste Hindu Kashmiris for their mastery over the Persian language.[7][8][9][10][11]

## Notable people

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* Aditi Munshi (born 1988), Indian singer and politician
* A. F. M. Fakhrul Islam Munshi (1947-2023), Bangladeshi politician
* Annada Munshi (1905–1985), Father of Commercial Art in India
* Ashfaq Munshi, former CTO of Yahoo
* Aziz A. Munshi, four-term Attorney General of Pakistan
* Bhagat Munshi Ram (1906–1998), Indian spiritual guru
* Bubu Eklund née Munshi (born 1951), Bengali singer
* Harendranath Munshi (1914–1938), Indian revolutionary
* Hounsh Munshi (born 1993), Indian figure skater
* Ibrahim Munshi (1934–2003), Sindhi-language Poet
* Iskandar Beg Munshi (1561-1633), Iranian historian
* Kanhaiyalal Maneklal Munshi (1887–1971), Indian independence movement activist and politician
* Kaumudi Munshi (1929–2020), Indian classical music musician
* Lilavati Munshi (1899–1978), Indian politician
* Mahmudul Haque Munshi (born 1987), Bangladeshi human rights activist
* Manjurul Ahsan Munshi, Bangladeshi politician
* Manu Munsi, (1924–2009) Indian Mother-of-Pearl artist
* Muhammad Sadeq Ali (1798-1862), Bengali district judge and most well-known writer to have used the Sylheti Nagri script
* Munsi Kabir Uddin Ahmed, Bangladeshi Superintendent of Police
* Munshi Abdullah (1796–1854), Malayan writer
* Munshi Abdul Latif, Bangladeshi politician
* Munshi Abdul Majid, Afghan politician
* Munshi Abdur Rouf (1943–1971), Bangladeshi freedom fighter
* Munshibari family of Comilla, a British Raj era Zamindar family from Bengal Presidency
* Munshibari family of Ulipur, a British Raj era Zamindar family from Bengal Presidency
* Munshi family of Chaugachha, a British Raj era Zamindar family from Bengal Presidency
* Munshi Hakimuddin (1839–1894), Chief Secretary at Bhopal state
* Munshi Haidar Hossain, Faujdar of Munshiganj
* Munshi Mohammad Fazle Kader (1928–2019), Indian citizen who was awarded Friends of Liberation War Honour
* Munshi Mangal Singh Masaram, creator of Munshi Mangal Singh Masaram script
* Munshi Nawal Kishore (1836–1895), Indian book publisher
* Munshi Premchand (1880–1936), pioneer of Hindi and Urdu social fiction
* Munshi Raisuddin (1901–1973), Bangladeshi musician, Ekushey Padak awardee
* Munshi Raziuddin (1912–2003), Pakistani Qawwali singer
* Munshi Siddique Ahmad (1924–2011), Bangladeshi rice scientist
* Munshi Wadud, Bangladeshi lyricist
* Mohan Lal Kashmiri (1812–1877), Indian diplomat involved in the Great Game
* Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi (1945–2017), former Indian Union Minister
* Ritabrata Munshi (born 1976), Indian mathematician
* S. C. Munshi, Indian cardiologist
* Shayan Munshi (born 1980), Indian actor
* Shahzad Munshi (born 1969), Pakistani politician
* Sridhara Narayana Munshi, Finance Minister of Nagpur, known for Munshi Ghat
* Shweta Munshi (born 2008), Indian actress
* Tipu Munshi (born 1950), Bangladeshi politician
* Vidya Munshi (1919–2014), leader of Communist Party of India and arguably the first woman journalist of India
* Zainon Munshi Sulaiman (1903–1989), Malaysian politician

## Other

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* Munshigiri, Bangladeshi film

* Munshi Aziz Bhat Museum of Central Asian and Kargil Trade Artefacts, Public Museum in Kargil
* Munshi Pulia metro station, metro station
* Munshi Premchand Mahavidyalaya, college
* Munshiganj District, a district of Bangladesh

## References

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1. ^ Alam, Muzaffar; Subrahmanyam, Sanjay (2004-08-01). "The Making of a Munshi". Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East. 24 (2): 61–72\. doi:10.1215/1089201X-24-2-61. ISSN 1089-201X.61-72&rft.date=2004-08-01&rft_id=info:doi/10.1215/1089201X-24-2-61&rft.issn=1089-201X&rft.aulast=Alam&rft.aufirst=Muzaffar&rft.au=Subrahmanyam,+Sanjay&rft_id=https://read.dukeupress.edu/cssaame/article/24/2/61/106/The-Making-of-a-Munshi&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Munshi" class="Z3988">
2. ^ "Munshibari Estate: Quiet and isolated". Daily Sun. 2014-10-26.
3. ^ Motilal, Anup; Bandopadhyay, Ranjankumar (1991). Baranagar: Itihas O Samikshya.
4. ^ Wahed, Abdul (October 27, 2007). "Visiting the Munshibari at Ulipur". The Daily Star.
5. ^ "Santanu Ghosh: মুন্সিয়ানায় চল্লিশ পুরুষ (in Bengali)">Santanu Ghosh. "Munshianay Chollis Purush" Publisher: Dey's Publishing
6. ^ Begum, Ayesha (2002). পাবনার ঐতিহাসিক ইমারত.
7. ^ Lawrence, Sir Walter Roper (2005). The Valley of Kashmir. Asian Educational Services. p. 304\. ISBN 978-81-206-1630-1. "Among the leading Krams may be mentioned the following names:— Tikku, Razdan, Kak, Munshi, Mathu, Kachru, Pandit, Sapru, Bhan, Zitshu, Raina, Dar, Fotadar, Madan, Thusu, Wangnu, Muju, Hokhu, and Dulu."
8. ^ Agrawal, Premendra (August 20, 2014). Accursed & Jihadi Neighbour. Commercial Services. p. 86\. ISBN 9788193051207. Retrieved April 5, 2023. "Meaning of surnames found on the Kashmiri Pandit tree: Bakaya, Sapru, Bakshi, Munshi, Wazir, Chalkbast, Bhan, Langar or Langroo, Wattal, Bazaz, Taimini, Mattu, Chak, Zalpuri, Khar, Hazari, Zutshi, Razdan, Tikhu, Kathju, sopori, Thussoo, Haksar, Raina, Waloo or Wali, Wantu/Wanchu, Gamkhwar, Kakh, Mushran, Sharga, Handoo, Gurtu, Kitchlu, and Ganjoo."
9. ^ Pandit, Bansi. Explore Kashmiri Pandits. Dharma Publications. ISBN 9780963479860. Retrieved 2023-06-04.
10. ^ Kaul, Upendra (September 4, 2020). "My name is Khan, and I'm Kaul". Greater Kashmir. Retrieved April 5, 2023. "Similarly, Mirza, Dhar or Dar, Bhat, Akhoon, Chakoo, Durrani, Kachroo, Draboo, Kaloo, Kanna, Kaw, Khar, Khuda, Kitchloo, Munshi, Machama, Mirza, Padar, Parimoo and Raina are a few typical surnames that are used by both Hindus, and Muslims of Kashmir."
11. ^ Ahmad, Khalid Bashir (June 23, 2017). Kashmir: Exposing the Myth Behind the Narrative. SAGE Publishing. ISBN 9789386062819. Retrieved April 5, 2023. "One would come across among Muslims of Kashmir any number of surnames that are equally common among the Pandits. Among these are Bhat, Raina, Nath, Langoo, Malla, Bazaz, Saraf, Munshi, Watal, Wali, Khar, Shangloo, Nehru, Gagar, Kharoo, Aga, Jalali, Peer, Pandit, Parimoo and Mattoo."

## External links

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Look up munshi in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

* v
* t
* e

Kashmiri tribes

* Bhan
* Bhat
* Chakbast
* Dhar
* Haksar
* Handoo
* Jalali
* Kachru
* Kak
* Kaw
* Koul
* Khar
* Kichlu
* Lone
* Madan
* Malik
* Mattoo
* Mir
* Munshi
* Pandit
* Raina
* Razdan
* Sapru
* Sheikh
* Wali
* Wani
* Zutshi

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