Sehgal

Sehgal (Hindi: सैगल‌ or सहगल, Punjabi: ਸੈਗਲ‌, ) is a family name, originally from the Punjab region in South Asia. Variant spellings include Sahgal, Saigal, Saihgal, Saigol and Sehgol. It is mostly used by members of the Khatri / Kshatriya community.

Afghan Origin"Referred to as Gandhara and Vahlika in ancient Hindu-Buddhist scriptures, Hinduism (Saivite) and Buddhism (Mahayana) were the dominant faiths of the ancestors of present day Pathans inhabiting the Eastern and Southern parts of Afghanistan, before the advent of Islam. Around 654 C.E., Arab forces started attacking the Hindu Kingdoms of Kabul and Zabul ruled by the Shahiya kings. The Pathans resisted for 2 centuries before they were overwhelmed and forcibly converted to Islam. So great was the massacre of Hindus that the local mountain range was renamed as ‘Hindu Kush’.......Several modern day Indian Hindu communities like the Sehgals are descendent of Afghan Hindus who fled Islamic persecution in Afghanistan several centuries ago." (source: www.afghanhindu.info)

Famous Sehgals :

• Kundan Lal Saigal, pioneer singer for Hindi films
• Gita Sahgal, writer and journalist on issues of feminism, fundamentalism, and racism, director of prize-winning documentary films, and human rights activist
• Nayantara Sahgal, prominent author and niece of Jawaharlal Nehru
• Captain Lakshmi Sahgal, revolutionary, Communist, and Presidential Candidate; of the Rani of Jhansi brigade of the Indian National......
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