Sunday, November 21, 2010

Who Are Marathas?

By Mahavir Sanglikar

The origin of the word Maratha is in the ancient Marahatti language word `Marhatta'. That is a geographical term, which was used for all the people of Maharashtra. But later it was being used for all the warrior people of Maharashtra.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj gave an opportunity to fight with enemies to the people of all the castes in Maharshtra. For him, everybody was a Maratha, who helped for the freedom. So for him all his soldiers, including his Muslim soldiers (Who were in large numbers in his navy and in artillery) were Marathas.

It should be noted that Peshavas, who were Chitpavan Bramhins were also known as Maratha. The Muslim Queen of Ahmednagar Chandbibi was also known as a Maratha.

Later, Bramhins stopped to call themselves as Maratha.Today in Maharashtra a specific community who is politically strong, calls themselves as Maratha. This community has 96 clans. Most of the clans are newer (Did not existed before Shivaji Maharaj). But there are more than 30 clans which have ancient or medieval history.  Some of such clans are:

Yadav/Jadhav
Morey
Kadam (Kadamb)
Salunkhe
Rathod
Chavan
Shinde (Scindia)
Shelar
Sawant
Pawar
Kalchuri
Sisodia 

The cultivaters of Maharashtra were known as Kunabis most of whom started themselves call as Marathas before one hundred years. This increased the number of Marathas rapidly in Maharshtra. So they became politically stronger. But the Marthas are divided in several groups namely Deshmukhs, 96 Kulis, Common Marathas, Kunabis and Kadus. They do not intermarry. There are geographical divisions also and they generally do not marry outside their region.(Like a Maratha of Sangli district marries with the maratha of surrounding districts of Satara and Kolhapur but not with the Marathas of Pune or Nagar districts. Which is just 110 Km. from Satara).

It is said that when a Kunabi becomes stronger, he becomes a Maratha, When a Maratha becomes stronger he becomes a Patil, When a Patil becomes stronger he becomes Deshmukh. (My addition: and when a Deshmukh becomes stronger, he becomes a Chief Minister!)

Deshmukh was the highest Designation, like District Collector in this era, while Patil is the chief of a village.

Generally, Marathas are not interested in the history before Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. So,  for them history starts with Shahaji Maharaj and ends with Sambhaji Maharaj.  This wrong tendacy of Marathas was a plus poing for Vedic Brahmins, but now many Maratha scholars are finding their roots in ancient era, especially in Indus Valley Civilization. This is a good sign. Thanks to the great scholars like Dr. A.H. Salunkhe and others, who have written lot of books on the ancient history of Marathas.

16 comments:

  1. This need to be published in Local news papar as All Maharastian will not come in the trap of plitical leaders who as using Maratha as Vote Bank.
    I am pround to be Maratha

    Thanks, Mahaveer Sanglikar

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  2. A H Salunkhe haramkhor aahe, tyala aamchya Aarya-sanatan Hindu dharmabaddal kaahihi bolanyacha adhikaar naahi.. Swatahala Chhatrapatinche vanshaj mhanavnarya kaahi natadrashta awalaadinpaki to ek aahe..Chhatrapatinche raajyat BRAMHIN lok khoop hote, aani te SWAAMINISHTHA hote.. Sambhajila MUSALMAAn na jhaalyamule maarle gele, BRAMHANAANmule naahi, manusmrutimule tar naahich naahi.. Tevha BRAMHANAANCHA apamaan kartana ek goshta lakshaat asu dya, ki aaj ase ekhi kshetra naahi je BRAMHANAANI "USHTE" kelele naahi...Ugich swatahachya naakartepanache khaapar BRAMHANAANCHYA dokyawar kaa phodta?
    -----Ek Maratha!

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  3. A H Salunkhesarakhya manasana uddeshun Raashtrasant Ramdas Swami mhanataat,
    "Devdrohi(Dharmadrohi) jituke kutte,maaruni ghaalave parate|
    Devdaas(Dharmadas)paavti fatte, yadarthi sandeha naahi"||

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  4. Gagabhatt ha maanus "LAACH" gheun aalela navhta, te khote aahe, to ek (khara) VEDAMURTI hota, tyamule to VANDANEEYA hota... Are jya maanasala Shivaji maharajani VANDAN kele, tya maanasala "LAACHKHAU" mhanata? Jeebh haasadli paahije tumchi...!!! Tumchyasarakhya NEECH manasanmule HINDU dharmavar anek aaghat hot aahet...Himmat asel, tar ISLAMbaddal kaahi bolun daakhva...Tumchya dokyawar SHARAD PAWAR yaancha haat aahe naa..!!! Mhanun tumhi udyaa maarat aahat..!! -----Ek Maratha!!

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  5. There seem to be some confusion Maratha history does have presence before Chp Shivaji Mharaj.The exact origin has not been researched properly difficult to do so due to lack of hitorical material.But some customs do have resemblence to rajputs.Deshmukhs are considered to be warrior marathas have been in the admn system long before Shivaji maharaj.I feel some warrior families from south and some from north have been mixed to form marathas.I agree some families after attainig power importance have been included in the maratha fold.

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  6. Congrats M. Sanglikar! Salunkhe saranchya pavalavar pavul thevun pudhe janare tumachya sarkhe lok tayar asalyavar bahujan samaj khotya itihasachi zapad bajula saranarch. ani ho mag SAT, tathakathit Ek marathe, tyancha burkha phadalyabaddal aswasth honarach. Mr. SAT apan brahman ahat he tar apalya pratikiyechya paddhativarunch laxat yetay. Adachan tyachi nahi amhala. Adachan yachi vatate ki ajachya jagat tari apalya purvajani kelelya chuka manya karun samanten jaganyasathi apan thoda suddha prayatna karat nahi. aaj tumhi to umadepan dakhavala tar kharya itihasachi charcha tumhala bochanar nahi.
    Amachya samajan jya chuka kelyat tyala amhi mukutavar basavat nahi ani tumhchya samjan kelyat tyalahi amhi basavanar nahi. Salunkhe sarana shivya devun kay honar ahe? tyane satya lapanar ahe kay? to kal gela jeva likhapadhi pasun media prayant sare kahi tumche hote. Bahujan samajane swat vichar karyala survat keli ki salunkhe sarani tari kiva ankhikoni sangayachi jaruri kay itke saral saral khup ahe. Sarani sanyamachi bhasha shikavali amhala ani apan apali bhasha dakhavalitach.
    jata jata, gagabhatt manasala nav milala itihasat karan shivaji maharajani tyana bolaval. tyani tumach swarajya tiakanyasathi pranpanan ladhaya navatya kelya. asu de tyani tyanch kam kele. tya manasabaddal apal prem itak usalun yet, pan jya manasamule swarajya ubha rahil tya shivaji maharaj ani sambhaji maharaj yanchyabaddal thodihi adarachi bhavan manat nahi yala kay mhanayache. te nasate tar brahman mhanun abhimanane bolayala pan rahila nasata kadhich muslim banavale gele asata. teva sambhaji maharajancha ucchar to karanyapurvi vichar karava. te marale gele te muslimana milale mhanun nave tar muslim vayache navate mhanaun. madat karanaryat hota ek brahman. tyane vait kele itke sadhe tumhi mhanu shakat nahi. mag tumhachya shekado varshachya chukana amhi ughade hi padayache nahi?

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  7. Hey, u missed clans of JAGTAP who were in maharashtra few hundreds of years before Shivaji Maharaj. Jagtap were the most trustworthy clan of Shivaji Maharaj. When Shivaji Maharaj took oath of Svarajya, one Mavala who was Jagtap, was with him. Killedar of Purandar fort was also Jagtap. So please mention it also. You can find more details on Wikipedia and some books published about clans.

    Shivaji Maharaj ki JAY !!! Jay Maharashtra !!!

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  8. a h salunkhe ,tumchya lekhnivar shoshan vevsthecha purskar karnare lok far jaltat .matra tyanchyat tumala susnskrut uttar denyachj dhamk nahi.bhahujan samajala rast abhiman aahe.bhamtya lokana kay mhanache te mhanudya tumhe matra aavrjun ljhit rha....

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  9. ho he kharach local news paperat dil pahije, jya rite every marathas know about its

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  10. my surname is pawar but i am not marattha.

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  11. marathyanwishayi dilelya mahitibaddal dhanyawad.....
    jay bhawani jay shiwaji jay shambhuraje....

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  12. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  13. मराठा कोई जाति नहीं बल्कि लडाकू लोगों के समूह का नाम है | उसमें भी अधिकतर कुणबी आैर धनगर जातियों के लडाकू लोगों का समावेश है | परन्तु वर्तमान में उन लडाकू लोगों ने स्वयं को श्रेष्ट दिखाने के लिए अपने को केवल मराठा नाम से कहलाने लगे | यहीं सच्चाई है |

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  14. मराठा कोई जाति नहीं बल्कि लडाकू लोगों के समूह का नाम है | उसमें भी अधिकतर कुणबी आैर धनगर जातियों के लडाकू लोगों का समावेश है | परन्तु वर्तमान में उन लडाकू लोगों ने स्वयं को श्रेष्ट दिखाने के लिए अपने को केवल मराठा नाम से कहलाने लगे | यहीं सच्चाई है |

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  15. It is said that the community who forgets it's history, can never make any history.I have seen the tiger cubs being handled by men like petty cats and the cubs behave like kittens and not like cubs. They always look at the man for a few drops of milk which is being fed from the feeding bottles. I do not advocate violence of the cubs but the original charecteristics of evrybody. Marathas have forgotten their history and are carried away by the gossips and fictitious stories about chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj who is being projected as a Muslim hater and saviour of only Cows and Brahmins whereas he was the King of the masses but the cunning Brahmins took undue advantage of his SIPLICITY for his weakness and grabbed his kingdom with all tactics of treachery and treason. Now Marathas believe the legendary stories fabricated by Babasaheb Purandare and his compoo from Bhandarkar Institute. Maratha history is written by Grant Duff, Mount Stuart Elphinston and P. K. Bonarjee.

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