Chughtai or Chagatai (Urdu, Persian: چغتائی; Turkish: Çağatay,) is a family name that originated in the Chagatai Khanate as taken up by the descendants and successors of Chagatai Khan who was the second son of Mongol Emperor Genghis Khan.[1] Accordingly, some of the other descendants of the successors of Chagatai Khan in South and Central Asia use variants such as Mirza, Baig and Khan.[2][3]

Etymology of Chughtai

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The surname “Chughtai” originates from the Mongolian word “Chaghadai”, a derivative of “Chagan” meaning “white”. The suffix “-dai” is added to form “Chaghadai”. Over time, “Chaghadai” evolved into “Chughtai”, meaning, “he who is white”.[4]

People with the surname

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ John F. Richards (1995). The Mughal Empire: Volume 5 of New Cambridge history of India: The Mughals and their contemporaries. pp. 19, 60, 110. ISBN 0521566037.Full text at Google Books
  2. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica
  3. ^ Past present: Emperor's new names
  4. ^ Baras-aghur, Naran. "On the Documentation and Construction of Period Mongolian Names". The Academy of Saint Gabriel. Retrieved 2024-07-26.