View source for Bisht (surname)

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{{Infobox surname
| name            = Bisht or Bista
| image           = 
| image_size      = 
| caption         = 
| pronunciation   =
| language        = [[Kumaoni language|Kumaoni]], [[Garhwali language|Garhwali]], [[Nepali language|Nepali]], [[ Hindustani language]]
| derivation      = Bishishta (Distinguished)
| meaning         = Baron or landholder
| variant         = Bishta, [[Bista]], Bist , Bajetha
| cognate         = 
| derivative      = 
| seealso         = [[bajetha (surname)]], [[Mahara (surname)|Mahara]], [[Rawat (surname)|Rawat]], [[Dhami (surname)|Dhami]], [[Airee]], [[Negi (surname)|Negi]], [[Rautela]] [[Panwar]]
| family          =
}}
'''Bisht''' ({{ipa|gbm|bɪʃʈ|ipa}}) is a surname found in the Indian states of [[Uttarakhand]]<ref name="Ramila_2002"/> and [[Himachal Pradesh]].<ref name="Jan_2009"/> Bisht was a title given by kings to nobles, derived from the Sanskrit vishisht ("distinguished"). The term "Bisht" originally referred to someone who held a [[land grant]] from the government.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}} The Bisht families in Uttarakhand were chiefly Thokdars thakur<ref name="Ajay S Rawat">{{cite book |author=Ajay S Rawat |title=Garhwal Himalayas: A Study in Historical Perspective |date=November 2002 |isbn=9788173871368 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=olP_A60L-CMC&pg=PA69|publisher=Indus Publishing Company }}</ref>(Zamindars) of Thuljat{{efn|name=Thuljat}} origin.<ref name="Ramila_2002">{{cite book |author=Ramila Bisht |title=Environmental Health in Garhwal Himalaya: A Study of Pauri Garhwal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P-6-UzljIAoC&pg=PA50 |year=2002 |publisher=Indus |isbn=978-81-7387-132-0 |page=50 }}</ref> In Uttrakhand, Bishts are generally [[Kshatriya]] [[Thakur (caste)|Thakurs]] as well as [[Brahmins]] in certain parts of [[Kumaon division|East Uttrakhand]]. In Nepal, Bisht was adopted as a surname by [[Raute people|Raute]] and [[Raji language|Raji]] people.<ref name="Jan_2009">{{cite book |author=Jana Fortier |title=Kings of the Forest: The Cultural Resilience of Himalayan Hunter-Gatherers |url=https://archive.org/details/kingsofforestcul0000fort |url-access=registration |year=2009 |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |isbn=978-0-8248-3322-0 |page=[https://archive.org/details/kingsofforestcul0000fort/page/187 187] }}</ref> Bishta, as [[Bista]], was also used as a surname used by [[Khas people]],<ref>{{Cite book | last = Adhikary | first =Surya Mani | title = The Khasa Kingdom: A trans-Himalayan empire of the middle age | publisher = Nirala Publications | year = 1997 | isbn = 8185693501 | pages = 210  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=cH5uAAAAMAAJ&q=the+khas+kingdom+suryamani+adhikari}}</ref> group under the caste [[Chhetri]].<ref name="SinghUP2005">{{cite book|title=People of India: Uttar Pradesh (3 pts.)|author1=Singh, K.S.|author2=Anthropological Survey of India|date=2005|publisher=Anthropological Survey of India|isbn=9788173041143|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6QVuAAAAMAAJ|access-date=2017-06-11|quote=The Chhetri clans (thar) include Adhikari, Bania, Basnet, Bhandari, Bist, Bohra, Burathoki, Charti, Karki, Khanka, Khatri, Kanwar, Manghi, Mahat, Panwar, Rana, Rawat, Roka, Thapa, etc.}}</ref><ref name="Subba1989">{{cite book|title=Dynamics of a hill society: Nepalis in Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas|author=Subba, Tanka Bahadur|date=1989|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=9788173041143|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1yZuAAAAMAAJ|quote=Some of the Chhetri clans are Adhikari, Baniya, Basnet, Bist, Bohra, Bura or Burathoki, Gharti, Karki, Khadka, Khatri, Khulal, Mahat, Raut, Rana, Roka, Thapa, etc.}}</ref>

==Notable people==
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their own article on the English Wikipedia ♦♦♦---> 
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order ♦♦♦---> 
*[[Yogi Adityanath|Ajay Mohan Bisht]], better known as [[Yogi Adityanath]]; Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh 
*[[Dan Singh Bisht]], Indian businessman and philanthropist
*[[Donal Bisht]], Indian television actress 
*[[Ekta Bisht]], Indian cricket player
*[[ Gajender Singh Bisht ]] ( Ashoka Chakra, NSG Commando)
*[[Harish Bisht]], vice admiral of the Indian Navy 
*[[Himanshu Bisht]], Indian cricketer
*[[Hira Singh Bisht]], Indian politician
*[[ Kavinder Bisht ]] ( Indian Boxer )
*[[Lucky Bisht]], former NSG commando, intelligence operative and Indian Spy 
*[[Madhumita Bisht]] (born 1964), Indian badminton player
*[[Mahant Avaidyanath]] ( mahant Gorakhpur  math )
*[[Mohan Singh Bisht]] (born 1957), Indian politician
*[[ Nidhi Bisht]] ( Actress, Filmmaker, Lawyer )
*[[ Paramjeet Singh Bisht ]] ( Athlete Olympian)
*[[Puneet Bisht]] (born 1986), Indian cricketer
*[[ Rajendra Singh Bisht ]] ( 22nd Director General Indian Coast Guard)
*[[Ranbir Singh Bisht]] (1928–1998), Indian painter
*[[Ravindra Singh Bisht]] (born 1944), Indian archaeologist, Padma Shri
*[[Shruti Bisht]] (born 2002), Indian film and television actress
*[[Sonam Bisht]], Indian model and actress
*[[Barkha Bisht Sengupta]] (born 1979), Indian television actress.
*[[ Basanti Bisht ]] ( Uttrakhand folk singer, Padma Shri)
*[[ Vijay Kumar Bist]] ( Indian jurist)
*[[ Jatin Singh Bisht ]] Indian footballer 
*[[ Hira Singh Bisht ]] ( Indian Politician )

== See also ==
* [[Bista]], Nepalese [[Chhetri]] ([[Kshatriya]]) variant of the same surname

== Notes ==
{{notelist|refs=
{{efn|name=Thuljat|The term "Thuljat" refers to [[Brahmin]]s and Rajputs who say they are later immigrants from [[Indo-Gangetic Plain|the plains]]<ref>{{cite book |author=Ramachandra Guha |title=The Unquiet Woods: Ecological Change and Peasant Resistance in the Himalaya |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UHfJLK6g_a8C&pg=PA12 |year=2000 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-22235-9 |page=12}}</ref>}}
}}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}
{{surname}}
{{Chhetri communities}}

[[Category:Social groups of Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Rajput clans of Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Nepal]]
[[Category:Nepali-language surnames]]
[[Category:Khas surnames]]