Introduction
Plaque outside commercial establishment, Goa, India.
Shenoy ( Devnagri: शणय ) is a common Surname amongst the Goud Saraswat Brahmins.
Saraswat Brahmins originate from Goa, India. The word 'Shenoy' itself means a temple accountant. Therefore almost every village in Goa had a Shenoy.
Saraswats have migrated from Goa during the Muslim and Christian conquests of Goa and have carried their surname with them. Thus the word 'शणय' is spelt in roman script as shenoy in Karnataka and spelt as Shenoi in Kerala and Xennai, Shenai, or even Sinai in Goa. It was common in Goa for Shenoys to add the name of their ancestral village or title after Shenoy to denote their origin. Thus we have persons named Shenoy-Kuncoliker and Shenoy-Salgaonker ( denoting village) and Shenai-Khatkhate (denoting title) etc. The word Shenoy is also interchangeable with its Sanskrit counterpart 'Shanbhag' or 'Shanbhogue'.
Another possible origin of the surname Shenoy is from the word shennvi meaning ninety six. This denotes the ninety six families of saraswat brahmins who initially settled in Goa.
The surname continues to be used by some descendents of Saraswat Brahmin Shenoys who converted to Catholicism during the 16th Century. They may also use their Catholic surnames along with their Saraswat surname, eg. Shenoy-Pereira etc. The 16th Century saw the exodus of Hindus from the Old Portuguese conquests of Salcette, Tiswadi, and Bardez wherein forced conversions and destructions of Hindu temples were carried out by the Jesuits and Franciscans. Shenoys fled along with their Hindu cousins and settled along the western coastline. Large settlements of Saraswats were at Basrur, Mangalore, Cochin and other places along the Canara and Kerala coast and Shenoys are found in great numbers here.
Shenoys, being well educated and progressive,citation needed have also migrated to the west. They have, along with other saraswats and Indians as a whole, assimilated well in countries like the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Historical Accounts of Shenoys
- A 1413AD stone inscription in the Nagueshi Temple in Ponda speaks of Purush Shennvi's son Maee Shennvi of Kullalogram ( Cuncolim /Kuncoliem) being granted the village of Bandode (Bandivade) to carry out the rituals of Shri Nagueshi and Shree Mahalakshmi temples.
Inscription with 'Maee Shenvi' of 1413AD, Nagueshi, Goa.
- Another 'Shenoy' was Locu Sinai from the Island of Chorao (Chudamani), Goa. He was amongst the first Brahmins to convert to Catholicism in the 16th century due to financial reasons and was then onwards called Lucas de Sa.
- Venkatappa Keladi Nayaka ,King of Keladi appointed Vithal Shenoy as the chief administrator of his kingdom in 1623 A.D. Vithal Shenoy helped broker many business deals with foreign visitors and colonists. Later Vithal Shenoy introduced Italian traveler Pietro della Valle to the king, and hence was responsible for one of the most important sources of history of the region of the period. The gifts given by Vithal Shenoy to Pietro della Valle are preserved in museums of Italy.
- A travel account to India and Ceylon by the Dutch trader Rijckloff Van Goens, in 1654 talks about his dealings with the king Adil Mohammed Shah of Bijapur wherein due to his good offices with the court, the King orders the two Indian merchants Narva and Krishna Sinay to pay their dues of 82,168 Guilders to the VOC (Dutch East India Company).
- An insight into the presence of Konkanis in places like Daman and Surat, distant from Goa and in their knowledge of Hinduism and early thoughts about the unity of religions , Ramogi Sinay is mentioned in 'Overland from India in 1663' a travel account written by William Entwistle in 1663. On a twelve league Journey from Daman to Surat , Ramogi Sinay a Brahman is said to have had a discussion about transmigration of souls with Entwistle and a Persian, Mahmud Shah by name. Entwistle says that Ramogi prided himself in the knowledge of his religion and even that of Christian Law. The discussion lasted the whole journey with Entwistle countering the Brahman's opinion of the identical nature of Hinduism and Christianity by entertaining the opinion that Hinduism is the Devil's parody of Christianity. The author goes on to say the debate was very heated though aimiable. Entwistle also mentions the displeasure of the Persian.
- Shenvis in Mumbai : In a letter dated 15th December 1673 to the Court of Directors of the Honourable East India Company , Gerald Aungier who was then the Governor of Bombay and President of Surat mentions the inhabitants of Bombay. These include the English, the Moors and the Jentus(Hindus). He goes on to say " The Jentus comprise of Banyan(Baniyas),Brahman(Priests and Traders),Purvoos(Prabhus) (Farmers of land and rent receivers), Sinays (Shenvis) (Cultivators and traders), Bhandarcans(Bhandaris)(Toddy distillersand makers of Arrack)....Corambeen(Kunbis)(tillers and mowers of land, as well as rice and cocoa-nuts)and the coolys(Kolis) (General fishermen of the Island)..." .This establishes the presence of Konkanis in Mumbai to its very early days.
- In an article about the Hindu entrepreneurship in Goan history Teotonio R de Souza writes about Goan Brahmins being in an advantageous position as compared to Goan Christians due to the lack of backing from the Church and due to the family connections the Hindus had with the Indians in the hinterland. Herein he mentions an extract from Jan Huyghen van Linschoten's writings about the 16th Century: "Heathenish Indians that dwell in Goa are verie rich merchants that not only sell all kinds of silkes, satins, damasks and curious works of welvet ... brought out of Portingall...are verie cunning and naturally subtill".The records of administration of revenues of the 17th century show that most of these merchants were Hindu Brahmins from Bardez and Salcette. Teotonio adds that half a dozen Hindu families with last names such as Sinay, Parbhu, Pai, Gad, Naik and Shet were state revenue farmers for generations. Some branches of revenue were virtual monopolies of some families such as the Sinay family from Kortaly (Cortalim) who provided tax farmers (Revenue collectors) for the entire 17th century.
- A famous Shenoy who contributed immensely to Konkani literature is Shenoi Goembab (Shenoy Vaman Raghunath Vardhe Valavalikar). He has written many books in Konkani.
- Antu Sinai from Colvale village Goa, was the forefather of Abbe Faria, the renowned Goan hypnotist. Antu Sinai converted to Christianity and took the surname of Faria.
- José Gerçon Da Cunha , a well known 19th century Goan physician, orienalist, historian and numismatist. He could trace his ancestry to Balsa (Balkrishna) Sinai who was from Cortalim in Divar, Salcette and converted to Christianity in the 1550s and was later employed by the Portuguese in Bardez (Essays in Classical and Modern Hindu Law By J.Duncan M. Derrett- Page 473/529 ,ISBN 9004048081 ,Published 1977)
- Dr P.D.Shenoy was the head of a committee that looked into the Indian flag code after a court case by Naveen Jindal. The Union Cabinet accepted Dr. P. D. Shenoy committee report on 15.01.2002 and announced that citizens will be free to fly the National Flag respectfully on all days from 26.01.2002. The Government subsequently issued a new flag code (Flag Code of India 2002) which contained guidelines for flying the National Flag.
- Vrinda Vasant Sinai Born 30th December 1932 in Cacoda, Tal Quepem, Goa and wife of Madhav Ramkrishna Pai was a Goan freedom fighter and satyagrahist.
Kuldevs
The kuldevtas (family deities) of the Shenoys are Ramnathi, Lakshmi-Narayan-Mahamaya, Mangueshi, Lakshmi Damodar, Nagueshi, Santeri Kamakshi, Mhalasa, Shantadurga, Sharvani, Vijayadurga,Kathyayini,Varaha,Mahalakshmi etc.
Prominent Shenoys
- Ramaray M Shanbhag, Owner, Karnataka Electrials and Engineering Company, Hubli
- Shri.Udyavar Banesh Shenoy, Industrialist, Founder of Alpha Power Solutions, Bengaluru.
- Sadashiva Shenoy (later Sudhindra Tirtha - 20th Pontiff , Kashi Math )
- Shenoi Goembab -Konkani Pandit (1877-1946)
- T. V. R. Shenoy-Journalist
- K Manmohan Shenoi - Banker, Chairman UCO Bank 1986-1990
- B R Shenoy - 1905-1978 well known economist
- Anu Shenai Mone - Builder of the original Shantadurga temple at Keloshi (Quellosim, Salcette , Goa) .
- Dr. Deodatta V. Shenai - Distinguished Scientist and Non-resident Indian Fellow of Maharashtra Academy of Sciences.
- Dr.Vidyanand Shenoy, Hindu leader and architect of "BHARAT DARSHANA" Series Casettes.
- Basti Vaman Shenoy - Konkani Pandit. Author of many Konkani books.
- Renjal Gopalakrishna Shenoy, celebrated fine artist and sculptor
- Peter Lynn Sinai - Goenkar; Ambassador of India to Austria (1988-1991)
- Purshottam Shenoy Kenkre (Purxetomã Sinay Quencró),Baron of Calapur was awarded the Order of the ower and sword (Ordem da Torre e Espada) by Portuguese decree dated 3/2/1853.
- Chrisnã Govinda Rayú Sinay Dempó , (Krishna Govindraya Shenoy Dempo), Baron of Dempo, born 4/3/1841 was awarded the Testimonial of Greatness (consideração e munificiência) on the 26/6/1873 by the Poruguese government in Goa.
- Saratchandra Shenoi - Sahitya Akademi Award winning Konkani poet, writer, translator and Editor. More that 10 books to his credit
- Karki Ramachandra Shenoy- Oil and rice trader and landlord of 3 villages in the north canara in the early 1900. The first one in old kadamba region to own a car in 1908
- Karki keshav Shenoy - Biggest merchant and ship owner between Cochin and Mumbai in the victoria era
- Professor Sudha Shenoy (1943 - 2008)- Non-resident Indian Professor of Economics, University of Newcastle, Australia.
- Sudhakar V. Shenoy- CEO Information Management Consultants, Reston, VA.
- Dr. P.D. Shenoy, Labour Secretary and Delegate, Government of India , also served as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs - fullname - Panchmal Dinanath Shenoy
References
