Shett
Encyclopedia
Shett, also Shet, Sheth meaning "Superior", is a honorific title that is common among Daivajnas in west coast of India
.
The guilds of the traders,merchants and their employees who were mainly artisans,craftsman,husbandman etc. in ancient Goa,were called as Śreṇī,and the head of these guilds were called as Śreṣṭh or Śreṣṭhī,which would mean His Excellency.
Daivajnas used titles such as Shett, Shetty, Setti, Chatti etc. after their first names. e.g. Virupa Chattim, Gana Shetty etc. Father's name was used as a middle name. Daivajna diaspora started using village names after their first names to distinguish themselves from other communities. e.g. Xiva Xamba Xete Verlencar (Shiva, son of Samba Shett from Velre village). Maiden name of the women was/is changed after marriage and married women adopted/adopts their husbands name and surname. In olden days suffix Bai
(lady) was attached to a woman's after marriage (this tradition is still alive in some families). Women did not use any surname in olden days and used their husband's names instead. e.g. Parvoti Baim Caxinanta (Parvati wife of Kashinath Shet). In modern days all almost Daivajnas use Village names as their surnames.
Daivajna people still in Goa still use to continue it as a honorific title.
eg.
Due to various socio-economic reasons Daivajna people migrated from Goa
to other places, Daivajna people after migrating from Goa started using "Shet" as their surname jus to distinguish themselves from others (especially in South Canara
, Udupi, Shimoga, some parts of North Canara and Kerala
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Etymology
Daivajna people are commonly known as Shett in the west coastal region of India. The word Shet is a corrupt form of the word “Shreshta" (श्रेष्ठ or श्रेष्ठीन्) meaning superior. As the time progressed the word was transformed from “Shreshta” to “Shet”.The guilds of the traders,merchants and their employees who were mainly artisans,craftsman,husbandman etc. in ancient Goa,were called as Śreṇī,and the head of these guilds were called as Śreṣṭh or Śreṣṭhī,which would mean His Excellency.
Usage
Until advent of PortuguesePortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
Daivajnas used titles such as Shett, Shetty, Setti, Chatti etc. after their first names. e.g. Virupa Chattim, Gana Shetty etc. Father's name was used as a middle name. Daivajna diaspora started using village names after their first names to distinguish themselves from other communities. e.g. Xiva Xamba Xete Verlencar (Shiva, son of Samba Shett from Velre village). Maiden name of the women was/is changed after marriage and married women adopted/adopts their husbands name and surname. In olden days suffix Bai
Bai
The Bai or Baip are one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. They numbered 1,858,063 as of 2000....
(lady) was attached to a woman's after marriage (this tradition is still alive in some families). Women did not use any surname in olden days and used their husband's names instead. e.g. Parvoti Baim Caxinanta (Parvati wife of Kashinath Shet). In modern days all almost Daivajnas use Village names as their surnames.
Daivajna people still in Goa still use to continue it as a honorific title.
eg.
- Narayanshet
- Rayushet
Due to various socio-economic reasons Daivajna people migrated from Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
to other places, Daivajna people after migrating from Goa started using "Shet" as their surname jus to distinguish themselves from others (especially in South Canara
South Canara
South Canara was a district under the British empire, located at . It was bifurcated in 1859 from Canara district. It was the undivided Dakshina Kannada district...
, Udupi, Shimoga, some parts of North Canara and Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
.
Historical references
- Names of many traders like Nāga Śeṭī,Soma Śeṭī,Viṭhṭhala Śeṭī have been found in a copperplate dating back in the early 12th century AD.
- The earliest reference of Shet can be found in Kadamba's empire on a copperCopperCopper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
plate inscription, saying king has donated land to Shree Kalika TempleMahamaya Kalika Devasthan KasarpalMahamaya Kalika Saunsthan is a temple located in Kansarpal village in Bicholim taluka in Goa, India.The presiding deity of the temple is Kali worshipped in the form of Mahamaya, normally Kali is worshipped in a very fierce form, but it is believed that after killing the demons Shumbha and...
in Goa at the hands of "Lakkhum shety". - Gana Sethi or Gana Chattim(as his name appears in the old PortuguesePortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
documents) was an interpreter in PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
's royal court. - Ravala Sethi or Roulu Chattim(Name mentioned in 15th-century documents)
- Virupa Sethi in 16th century who protested against the Portuguese.