Gaekwad

This article is about the surname, Gaekwad, from the Maharashtra region of India. For the 1992 video game, Geekwad, see Tsunami Games.

Gaekwad (also spelt Gaikwar and Gaikwad; Marathi: Gāyǎkǎvāḍǎ) is a surname native to the Indian state of Maharashtra.^[1] The surname is found among the Marathas, Kolis and in Scheduled castes.^[2][3][4] It is also a common surname among Bharadis,^[5] Dhor,^[6] and Mahar communities of Maharashtra.^[7][8]

Etymology

The Marathi historian D.S. Parasnis and his co-author, the British Raj High Court judge, C.A. Kincaid of colonial-era India, wrote in 1908 that the origin of the name Gaekwad is a combination of two Marathi words. In Marathi: gai means cow and kavad means small door. Therefore, gaekwad (or gaikwad) denotes cow door.^[9]

Notable people

Notable people with the surname include:

• Gaekwads of Baroda - Maharajas of Baroda State
• Keerti Gaekwad Kelkar (born 1974), an Indian television actress and model
• Anshuman Gaekwad, a former Indian cricketer and two-time Indian national cricket coach
• Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, known by his stage name Rajinikanth, an Indian actor and politician
• Sunil Gaikwad Member of Parliament 16th, Maharashtra
• Ravindra Gaikwad, a member of the 16th Lok Sabha of India
• Hiralal Gaekwad, an Indian cricketer who played in one Test in 1952
• Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Indian women cricketer
• Ruturaj Gaikwad, Maharashtra domestic and Chennai Super Kings Cricketer
• Raju Gaikwad, professional footballer

See also

• List of Koli people
• List of Koli states and clans
• Caste system in India

References

1. Dick Kooiman (2002). Communalism and Indian Princely States: Travancore, Baroda, and Hyderabad in the 1930s. Manohar. ISBN 9788173044212. Gaekwad is actually a surname and not a title or designation.
2. Kamal Ramprit Dikshit; Charulata Patil (1986). Maharashtra in maps. Maharashtra State Board for Literature and Culture. p. 106. Maratha surnames like More, Kadam and Gaikwad are found even among the scheduled caste people
3. Bhanu, B. V. (2004). People of India: Maharashtra. Popular Prakashan. ISBN 9788179911013.
4. Prasad, R. R. (1996). Encyclopaedic Profile of Indian Tribes. Discovery Publishing House. ISBN 9788171412983.
5. Reginald Edward Enthoven (1990). The Tribes and Castes of Bombay, Volume 1. Asian Educational Services. p. 113. ISBN 9788120606302.
6. Nagendra Kr Singh (2006). Global Encyclopaedia of the South Indian Dalit's Ethnography, Volume 1. Global Vision Pub House. p. 181. ISBN 9788182201682. There are no sub-divisions among Dhor Kakkayya of Dharwad district. The following surnames are found among them: Sindhe, Pol, Hatgar, Holkar, Borade, Gaikwad, Ingle, Mankar, Salunke and Kavale
7. Tulasīdāsa Viṭhūjī Geḍāma (1999). Untouchability and Its Origin. Yugantar Education Society. p. 158. In Maharashtra we find surnames of Jadhav, Chavan, Pawar, Gaekwad, Thorat etc. among the Maratha caste as well as Mahar caste
8. Christophe Jaffrelot (2006). Dr Ambedkar and Untouchability: Analysing and Fighting Caste. Orient Blackswan. p. 152. ISBN 9788178241562. Gaekwad was typical of the Mahar old guard who had joined Ambedkar in the early days. It was a group largely rural in background
9. Kincaid, C.A.; Parasnis, Dattatray Balwant (1994) [First published 1908]. Tale of the Tulsi Plant and Other Studies. Asian Educational Services. p. 52. ISBN 9788120603448.