Boy · Marathi (from Sanskrit sādhu via Prakrit) · Hindu
Shahu
शाहूSay it SHAA-hoo
- Meaning
- Upright, honest, of good repute (sāhū, from Sanskrit sādhu) Platts, p. 631
- Say it
- SHAA-hoo
- Written
- शाहू
- Other spellings
- Shahoo
Shahu
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Shahu meaning
Shahu (शाहू) is a Hindu boy's name of Marathi origin (from Sanskrit sādhu via Prakrit).
Upright, honest, of good repute (sāhū, from Sanskrit sādhu)
Shahu (शाहू) is a name Maharashtra knows through two rulers. The first, Shivaji's grandson, grew up as a captive at Aurangzeb's court; the traditional account says the Mughals called him the "Sadhu" or honest Shivaji to set him apart from his grandfather, and the name became Shahu. He ruled the Marathas from 1707 to 1749. Platts's dictionary records sāhū, from Sanskrit sādhu, as upright, honest and of good repute. The second, Shahu of Kolhapur, is honoured as a social reformer who reserved government posts for backward classes in 1902.
Source: Platts, A Dictionary of Urdū, Classical Hindī, and English (1884), p. 631 · entry sāhū (साहू) · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Platts, sāhū, p. 631 · Wikipedia, Shahu I · Wikipedia, Shahu of Kolhapur
Famous namesakes
- Shahu I (1682–1749), Chhatrapati of the Maratha kingdom
- Shahu of Kolhapur (1874–1922), ruler and social reformer
Spellings
Shahu · Shahoo