Hindu names for Kashmiri Muslims (Was: Nehru-Gandhi dynasty)

Allen W Thrasher athr at LOC.GOV
Thu Aug 10 18:46:11 UTC 2000


The idea that the Nehrus were Muslims seems pretty absurd to me, but I
want to take issue with one contention:

<<A Muslim cannot have the surname `Gandhi' or `Nehru', they are
definitely forbidden. It would have to be changed to Shaikh
on conversion.>>

Whether it's forbidden or not, I have met or read of Kashmiri Muslims
with what one would usually consider Hindu family names, such as Bhat,
or even Shaiva.  Whether their families were recent converts or not I
would not know.

Allen Thrasher



Allen W. Thrasher, Ph.D.

Senior Reference Librarian       101 Indendence Ave., SE
Southern Asia Section               LJ-150
Asian Division                            Washington, DC 20540-4810
Library of Congress                     U.S.A.
tel. 202-707-3732                       fax 202-707-1724
Email: athr at loc.gov

The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the
Library of Congress.





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