Sheikh (Bengali: শেখ, romanized: Shekh) is an aristocratic Bengali Muslim surname found in the Bengal region of the subcontinent.

Etymology and History

The surname "Sheikh" is prevalent in the Bengali Muslim community. It is from the Arabic word "Sheikh" ( Arabic: شيخ shaykh [ʃajx]), meaning elder, this word is also applied to those who are in a position of respect such as a leader, especially a religious leader or preacher. After the advent of Islam into the subcontinent, then eventually into Bengal, many Sufi Islamic missionaries known as Dervishes to the native people came from places in Western Asia such as Arabia, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan had come to spread Islam in Bengal.[1][2][3] Notable amongst these Sufi Muslim preachers were Shah Jalal, Bayezid Bostami, Sultan Balkhi, and many other preachers had come to Bengal, all at different times. Wealthy Arab businessmen who were known as Sheikhs in the Middle East as a respect for their wealth and tribal lineage had also come to conduct business at Bengal at port cities such as Chittagong, these Arabs had also done business in South India and Indonesia, they had also played a role in promoting Islam in Bengal. [4] All these respectable migrants from the Middle East were known as Sheikhs, and this status was inherited by their descendants. They are part of a larger social class in Bengal, known as the Khandan or Sharif, the upper class of Bengali Muslim society.[5] Amongst, this class are families with surnames with a similar origin, being taken from the founder of the family's title, such as Khandaker, Syed, Kazi, and Mirza.[6]

Notables with the Surname

See also

References

  1. ↑ RAHAMAN, MD. SHAH NOORUR (1995). "ISLAM AND ITS EARLY INTRODUCTION IN BENGAL". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 56: 425–434. ISSN 2249-1937.
  2. ↑ "Islam: Islam in South Asia | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  3. ↑ "Islam, Bengal - Banglapedia". en.banglapedia.org. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  4. ↑ De, Amalendu (1995). "The Social Thoughts and Consciousness of the Bengali Muslims in the Colonial Period". Social Scientist. 23 (4/6): 16–37. doi:10.2307/3520213. ISSN 0970-0293.
  5. ↑ "Social Structure - Banglapedia". en.banglapedia.org. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  6. ↑ "📖[PDF] Identity of a Muslim Family in Colonial Bengal by Mohammad Rashiduzzaman | Perlego". www.perlego.com. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
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