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Kumar

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Kumar or Kunwar, (Sanskrit: कुमार; meaning prince) is a title, a given name or a family name native to South Asia (mainly India and Nepal and to a lesser extent Sri Lanka). Kumar means prince or a young male of Royal and Noble heritage.

Origin and History

 
A coin, around 200 BCE, of the Yaudheyas with depiction of Kumāra Karttikeya

The origin of kumar can be traced back to early development of hinduism. The first usage of Kumar was for referring the Four Kumāras, the four sons of Brahma from the Puranic texts of Hinduism named Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana and Sanat, born from Brahma's mind. The Bhagavata Purana lists the Kumaras among the twelve Mahajanas (great devotees or bhaktas), who although being eternally liberated souls from birth, still became attracted to the devotional service of Vishnu from their already enlightened state.

In Skanda Purana, the largest Mahapurana, a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts, The text is devoted mainly to the leelas of Kartikeya, son of Shiva and Parvati. Kumar is used to refer Kartikeya, also known as skanda, the war god.

Usage of Kumar

North India
In Rajasthan, {formerly known as Rajputana}, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana
Kumar is used by different kshatriya castes.
Among the Rajputs, Kumar is often used as a Surname or title. Variants include: Kunwar, Kumara, Kumaru and Kumaran. Kumar means Prince; it is also used in heir apparent titles and enters into Rajput and Princely State titles. Kumar is also the name of a clan (all titled) kshatriyas who claim descent from the Suryavanshis or Chandravanshis lineage , the Ranas of Mewar, and the ancestral predecessors of the Maharanas of Udaipur in Rajasthan. It is also used as surname by khokhar Rajputs.


Among the Jats, Kumar is generally used a suffix or last name by the male member.


North Malabar
In North Malabar, Kumar or Kutty means boy or prince.
West Bengal
In Bengali "kumar" refers to young unmarried/single male or prince. It has a sanskrit origin: "kumar".
South India
Kumar is a very common name in South India, mostly used as a sufffix. It is also used as a common prefix (Title) like Mr., Mrs. & master.
Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University
Name used for original child follower of Supreme Father Shiva Baba; kumar for male and kumari for female. Divine family live pure life so hence like brother and sister of Father Brahma.
However, the above are not exclusive usages, and many other Hindu groups have adopted this title.

Former princely states

Jammu and Kashmir
The Heir Apparent of the ruling Maharaja: Maharaj Kumar Shri Yuvaraj (personal name). The younger sons of the ruling prince: Maharaj Kumar Shri Mannan (personal name).
Savantwadi
The Heir Apparent of the Sir Desai (ruler) of Savantwadi was styled Rajanathan Kumar, Shrimant (personal name).
Cooch Behar
The sons of the ruling Maharaja: Maharaj Kumar Shri (personal name) Narayan. (Narayan being the name of the dynasty). The grandsons of the ruling prince, in the male line: Raj Kumar Shri (personal name) Narayan.
Travancore
The Heir apparent (surviving brother or nephew, under the Marumakkathayam law of matrilineal inheritance, according to male primogeniture) of the ruling Maharaja of Travancore was styled: Maharaj Kumar (personal name) Varma, Ilaya Raja of Travancore; the sons of the ruler: Sri (personal name) Tampi.
Nepal
In Nepal, Kumari refers to a young girl designated as a living Goddess as part of the tradition. Tourists from all over the world travel to Nepal just to get a glimpse of her. Although there are several Kumari's in Nepal, The Royal Kumari is the best known Kumari, as she's situated in Kathmandu.
Kumar, is a living god in Nepal. Kumar also literally means virgin in Nepali, and was the name of the god son of Lord Shiva. brother of elephant headed god Ganesh.
  • Kumar itself (meaning prince in Nepali), is the usual title. This is never used for 'mere' commoner descendants, but bestowed on the son-in-law of a Sovereign.
  • Adhirajkumar 'son of the ruler of rulers', or Prince, is the usual title borne by the sons of a sovereign, his brothers, and paternal uncles.
  • Maharaj Adhirajkumar is the usual prefix for the son of a King holding the rank and title of Sri Chautaria.
  • Kumar is a name that refers to a son of king.
  • In Lambjang and Kaski the "A" class sons of the 'ruling' Maharaja: Sri Sri Sri Maharaj Kumar (given name) Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, in the male line: Kunwar (given name) Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana.

Notable Kumars

 
Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji
First name
 
Akshay kumar
Last name
 
Amitava Kumar
 
Sushil Kumar (wrestler)
  • Vinay Kumar, Indian cricket player
  • Manoj Kumar, an award-winning Indian actor and director in the Bollywood.
  • Indra Kumar, an Indian film director and producer
  • G. V. Prakash Kumar, Indian film score and soundtrack composer and singer
  • Jitender Kumar, an Indian flyweight boxer
  • Manoj Kumar (boxer), Indian boxer who won a gold medal in the light welterweight division at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
  • Vinay Kumar (pathologist), the Alice Hogge & Arthur Baer Professor of Pathology at the University of Chicago
  • Akhil Kumar, an Indian boxer who has won several international and national boxing awards
  • Uttam Kumar, one of the most famous names of Indian Bengali Cinema
Als

See also

Notes

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