[1] Shah (/ʃɑː/; Persian: شاه, romanized: Šāh, pronounced [ʃɒːh], 'king') is a title given to the emperors, kings, princes and lords of Iran (historically known as Persia in the West).
In the Gujarat and Rajasthan region, the name 'Shah', 'Sha', or 'Sah' may be derived from Gujarati sah meaning "merchant"[3] (from Sanskrit sadhu meaning "honest, good")[3] and Prakrit Sahu[citation needed], while the actual spelling "Shah" was popularized by the Persian word for King.
[4] The word Sadhu/Sahu is also separately used to indicate a holy man, such as a Jain monk (see Namokar Mantra).
The Indian surnames "Shah" and "Sahu" are variants of one another which have evolved from the word "sah" over time[citation needed].
[citation needed] One early use of the title Sadhu occurs in an inscription on an AD 850 Parshvanth image in the Akota Bronzes.