93-616: Aundh State was a Maratha princely state during the British Raj , in the Deccan States Agency division of the Bombay Presidency . The Principality of Aundh covered an area of 1298 square kilometers with the population of 88,762 in 1941. The capital of the state was Aundh . Aundh was a Jagir granted by Chhatrapati Sambhaji to Parshuram Trimbak Pant Pratinidhi , who was a general, administrator and later Pratinidhi of
186-426: A devaghar with idols, symbols, and pictures of various deities for daily worship. Ritual reading of religious texts known as pothi is also popular in some communities. In some traditional families, food is first offered to the preferred deity in the household shrine, as naivedya , before being consumed by family members and guests. Meals or snacks are not taken before this religious offering. In present times,
279-675: A century. The Maharashtra Mandal of London was founded in 1932. A small number of Marathi people also settled in British East Africa during the colonial era. After the African Great Lakes countries of Kenya , Uganda and Tanganyika gained independence from Britain, most of the South Asian population residing there, including Marathi people, migrated to the United Kingdom, or India. Large-scale immigration of Indians into
372-414: A dispute with Karnataka regarding the districts of Belgaum and Karwar , both with a large population of Marathi people. For the first time, the creation of Maharashtra brought most Marathi people under one state with the mainly rural Kunbi-Maratha community as the largest social group. This group has dominated the rural economy and politics of the state since 1960. The community accounts for 31% of
465-518: A large cavalry. But no regal title is prefixed to his name in this inscription. The Puranas say that he ruled for 96 years. He was placed variously at south Deccan, Madhya Pradesh and Malwa. K.P. Jayaswal attributes Bagat, a village in the Jhansi district as the home of Vakatakas. But after refuting the theory regarding the northern home of the Vakatakas, V.V. Mirashi points out that the earliest mention of
558-774: A large realm stretching from Gwalior to Cuttack . In the mid-17th century, Shivaji founded the Maratha Kingdom by conquering the Desh and the Konkan regions from Bijapur kingdom, and established Hindavi Swaraj ("self-rule of Hindu people"). The Marathas are credited to a large extent with weakening Mughal rule in India. After Shivaji's death, the Mughals invaded the Deccan in 1681. Shivaji's son Sambhaji , also his successor as Chhatrapati , led
651-944: A princely state when Satara state was abolished by the British under the Doctrine of lapse . The last ruler of the Aundh was Raja Shrimant Bhawanrao Shriniwasrao Pant Pratinidhi ("Bala Sahib"). The state joined the Union of India on 8 March 1948. Aundh's Hindu rulers used the title of "Pant Pratinidhi". 17°32′45″N 74°22′30″E / 17.54583°N 74.37500°E / 17.54583; 74.37500 Maratha The Marathi people ( / m ə ˈ r ɑː t i / ; Marathi : मराठी लोक , Marāṭhī lōk ) or Marathis (Marathi: मराठी, Marāṭhī ) are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are native to Maharashtra in western India . They natively speak Marathi , an Indo-Aryan language . Maharashtra
744-402: A source of economic power and pride and were reluctant to part with it. The watandars were the first to oppose Shivaji because it hurt their economic interests. Since most of the population was Hindu and spoke Marathi, even the sultans such as Ibrahim Adil Shah I adopted Marathi as the court language for administration and record-keeping. Islamic rule also led to Persian vocabulary entering
837-636: Is also corroborated by a set of three copper plates of the Davanagere record of the Kadamba king Ravivarma dated 519 CE which state as per historian D. C. Sircar that the king's suzerainty extended over the whole of South India as far as the Narmada river in the north to the Kaveri river near Talakad (the then Western Ganga capital) in the south and that the people of these lands sought his protection. This implies that
930-472: Is considered the forerunner of the Indian National Congress established in 1885. The most prominent personalities of Indian nationalism in the late 19th and early 20th century, Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Bal Gangadhar Tilak , on opposite sides of the political spectrum, were both Marathi. Tilak was instrumental in using Shivaji and Ganesh worship in forging a collective Maharashtrian identity for
1023-528: Is extremely unlikely that his son Prithivishena I would accept a Gupta princess ( Prabhavatigupta ) as his daughter-in-law. Secondly, no inscription of Rudrasena I has been found north of the Narmada. The only stone inscription of Rudrasena I's reign discovered so far was found at Deotek in the present-day Chandrapur district , so he can not be equated with Rudradeva of the Allahabad pillar inscription, who belonged to
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#17328591089341116-640: Is known about Vindhyashakti ( c. 250 – c. 270 CE ), the founder of the family. Territorial expansion began in the reign of his son Pravarasena I . It is generally believed that the Vakataka dynasty was divided into four branches after Pravarasena I. Two branches are known, and two are unknown. The known branches are the Pravarapura-Nandivardhana branch and the Vatsagulma branch. Gupta Emperor Chandragupta II married his daughter into
1209-687: Is known about the dynasties set up by the other two sons. It is generally believed that the Vakataka ruling family was divided into four branches after Pravarasena I. Two branches are known and two are unknown. The known branches are the Pravarpura-Nandivardhana branch and the Vatsagulma branch. The Pravarapura-Nandivardhana branch ruled from various sites like Pravarapura (Paunar) in Wardha district and Mansar and Nandivardhan (Nagardhan) in Nagpur district . This branch maintained matrimonial relations with
1302-452: Is performed before a family formally establishes residence in a new house. Satyanarayana Puja is a ceremony performed before commencing any new endeavour or for no particular reason. Invoking the name of the family's gotra and the kuladevata are important aspects of these ceremonies for many communities. Like most other Hindu communities, the Marathi people have a household shrine called
1395-659: The Gaha Sattasai are also attributed to him. He shifted the capital from Nandivardhana to Pravarapura, a new city of founded by him. He built a temple dedicated to Rama in his new capital. The highest number of so far discovered copperplate inscriptions of the Vakataka dynasty (in all 17) pertain to Pravarasena II. He is perhaps the most recorded ruler of ancient India after Ashoka the Great . See: Shreenand L. Bapat, A Second Jamb (Khandvi) Copperplate Grant of Vakataka Ruler Pravarasena II (Shravana Shuddha 13, Regnal Year 21), Annals of
1488-728: The Bharatiya Janata Party in recent years have not dented Maratha caste representation in the Maharashtra Legislative assembly. After the Maratha-Kunbi cluster, the scheduled caste (SC) Mahars are numerically the second-largest community among the Marathi people in Maharashtra. Most of them embraced Buddhism in 1956 with their leader, B. R. Ambedkar. Writers from this group in the 1950s and 1960s were pioneers of Dalit Literature . The Portuguese-occupied enclave of Goa
1581-656: The Chola dynasty . The Yadava dynasty of Deogiri , ruled Maharashtra from the 13th century to the 14th century. The Yadavas were defeated by the Khaljis in 1321. After the defeat of Yadavas, the area was ruled for the next 300 years by a succession of Muslim rulers including (in chronological order): the Khaljis , the Tughlaqs , and the Bahmani Sultanate and its successor states called
1674-522: The Dandaniti (Political Science) and gave himself up to the enjoyment of pleasures and indulged in all sorts of vices. His subjects also followed him and led a vicious and dissolute life. Finding this a suitable opportunity, the ruler of the neighbouring Ashmaka sent his minister's son to the court of the Vakatakas. The latter ingratiated himself with the king and egged him on in his dissolute life. He also decimated his forces by various means. Ultimately, when
1767-676: The Deccan in the mid-3rd century CE. Their state is believed to have extended from the southern edges of Malwa and Gujarat in the north to the Tungabhadra River in the south as well as from the Arabian Sea in the west to the edges of Chhattisgarh in the east. They were the most important successors of the Satavahanas in the Deccan and contemporaneous with the Guptas in northern India. Little
1860-463: The Deccan sultanates , such as Adilshahi , Nizamshahi , and the Mughal Empire . The early period of Islamic rule saw the imposition of a Jaziya tax on non-Muslims, temple destruction and forcible conversions. However, the mainly Hindu population and their Islamic rulers came to an accommodation over time. For most of this period Brahmins were in charge of accounts, whereas revenue collection
1953-794: The East India Trading Company and then under the British Raj , from 1858. During this era Marathi people resided in the Bombay presidency , Berar , Central provinces , Hyderabad state and in various princely states that are currently part of present-day Maharashtra. The 1951 census of India had 4.5 million people in the erstwhile Hyderabad state who stated Marathi as their mother tongue. Significant Marathi populations also resided in Maratha princely states far from Maharashtra such as Baroda , Gwalior , Indore , and Tanjore . The British colonial period saw standardisation of Marathi grammar through
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#17328591089342046-766: The Harivamsa , the Yadava kingdom called Anaratta is described as mostly inhabited by the Abhiras (Abhira-praya-manusyam). The Anartta country and its inhabitants were called Surastra and the Saurastras , probably after the Rattas (Rastras) akin to the Rastrikas of Asoka's rock Edicts, now known as Maharashtra and the Marathas. During the ancient period, around 230 BC, Maharashtra came under
2139-487: The Hindustani speaking areas or from Southern India , however, a significant number of immigrants to Mauritius were Marathis. Since the state of Israel was established in 1948, around 25,000–30,000 Indian Jews have emigrated there, of which around 20,000 were from the Marathi speaking Bene Israel community of Konkan. Indians, including Marathi People, have migrated to Europe and particularly Great Britain for more than
2232-640: The Maratha Empire during the reign of Chhatrapati Sambhaji and Chhatrapati Rajaram . He played a crucial role in re-capturing Panhala Fort , Ajinkyatara (at Satara), Bhupalgad forts from Mughals during period of 1700–1705. After the fall of Peshwa rule, the British East India company entered separate treaties in 1820 with all the Jagirdars who were nominally subordinate to the Raja of Satara . Aundh became
2325-561: The Marathi language rather than Sanskrit for their devotional and philosophical compositions. The decline of Islamic rule in Deccan started when Shivaji (1630–1680) founded the Maratha Kingdom by annexing a portion of the Bijapur Sultanate . Shivaji later led rebellions against Mughal rule, thus becoming a symbol of Hindu resistance and self-rule. The Marathas contributed greatly to weakening imperial Mughal rule and went on to rule over
2418-675: The Shindes , Gaekwad , Pawar , Bhonsale of Nagpur, and the Holkars . The Confederacy at its peak stretched from northern Karnataka in the south to Peshawar (modern-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ) briefly during the Maratha–Afghan War in the north, and to Orissa in the east. However, after the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761, in which the Marathas were defeated by the Afghans under Ahmed Shah Abdali ,
2511-651: The Vidarbha region from the Central Provinces and Berar . The enlarged state also included Gujarati -speaking areas. The southernmost part of Bombay State was ceded to Mysore . From 1954 to 1955, Marathi people strongly protested against the bilingual Bombay State , and the Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti was formed to agitate for a Marathi-speaking state. At the same time, the Mahagujarat Movement
2604-555: The Yadava dynasty . Other family deities of the people of Maharashtra are Bhavani of Tuljapur , Mahalaxmi of Kolhapur , Mahalaxmi of Amravati , Renuka of Mahur , Parashuram in Konkan, Saptashringi on Saptashringa hill at Vani in Nasik district, and Balaji . Despite the system of worshipping kuladevatas, the worship of Ganesha , Vitthala , and other popular avatars of Vishnu such as Rama or Krishna are extremely popular across
2697-410: The kuladevata . This deity is common to a lineage or a clan of several families who are connected to each other through a common ancestor. The Khandoba of Jejuri is an example of a kuladevata of some families; he is a common kuladevata to several castes ranging from Brahmins and Dhangar to Dalits . The practice of worshiping local or territorial deities as kuladevatas began in the period of
2790-460: The naivedya is offered by families only on days of special religious significance. Many Marathi people trace their paternal ancestors to one of the seven or eight sages, the saptarshi . They classify themselves as gotras, named after the ancestor rishi . Intra-marriage within gotras (Sagotra Vivaha) was uncommon until recently, being discouraged as it was likened to incest. Most Marathi families have their own family patron or protective deity or
2883-467: The 17th century, when the Maratha Empire was established by Shivaji in 1674. According to R. G. Bhandarkar , the term Maratha is derived from Rattas, a tribe which held political supremacy in the Deccan from the remotest time. The Rattas called themselves Maha Rattas or Great Rattas, and thus the country in which they lived came to be called Maharashtra , the Sanskrit of which is Maha-rashtra. In
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2976-465: The 1930s, Jedhe merged the non-Brahmin party with the Congress party and changed that party from an upper-caste-dominated body to a more broadly based but also Maratha-dominated party. The early 20th century also saw the rise of B. R. Ambedkar , who led the campaign for the rights of the dalits caste that included his own Mahar caste. The Hindu nationalist organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( RSS )
3069-548: The 1990s it led the government of Maharashtra's coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). During this transition from founding to capturing power, the party toned down its rhetoric against non-Marathi people and adopted a more Hindu nationalist stance. The Marathi people form an ethnolinguistic group that is distinct from others in terms of its language, history, cultural and religious practices, social structure, literature, and art. The traditional caste hierarchy
3162-460: The 20th century with the blessing of Shahu , the ruler of the princely state of Kolhapur . The campaign took off in the early 1920s under the leadership of Keshavrao Jedhe and Baburao Javalkar. Both belonged to the non-Brahmin party. Capturing the Ganpati and Shivaji festivals from Brahmin domination were their early goals. They combined nationalism with anti-casteism as the party's aims. Later on in
3255-575: The 8th to the 10th century. The Persian merchant and traveller, Sulaiman al-Tajir , who wrote of his many voyages to India and China in the mid-9th century CE, called the ruler of the Rashtrakuta dynasty, Amoghavarsha , "one of the four great kings of the world". From the early 11th century to the 12th century, the Deccan Plateau was dominated by the Western Chalukya Empire and
3348-611: The Aryavarta. Rudrasena I was succeeded by his son named Prithivishena I (355–380), and Prithivishena I was succeeded by his son named Rudrasena II. Rudrasena II (380–385) is said to have married Prabhavatigupta , the daughter of the Gupta King Chandragupta II (375–413/15). This is now confirmed by the Kevala-Narasimha inscriptions of Ramtek, where it is announced that (Cā)mundā, a daughter of Queen Prabhavatigupta
3441-480: The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Vol. 91, pp. 1–31 Pravarasena II was succeeded by Narendrasena (440–460), under whom the Vakataka influence spread to some central Indian states. Prithivishena II, the last known king of the line, succeeded his father Narendrasena in c. 460 . He was Defeated by Vishnukundina King Madhava Varma II , After his death in 480, his kingdom
3534-492: The Imperial Guptas. Not much is known about Rudrasena I , the son of Gautamiputra, who ruled from Nandivardhana, near Ramtek hill, about 30 km from Nagpur . There is a mention of Rudradeva in the Allahabad pillar inscription, bundled along with the other rulers of Aryavarta. A number of scholars, like A.S. Altekar do not agree that Rudradeva is Rudrasena I, since if Rudrasena I had been exterminated by Samudragupta, it
3627-525: The Maharashtra region was divided into many revenue divisions. The medieval equivalent of a county or district was the pargana . The chief of the pargana was called Deshmukh and record keepers were called Deshpande . The lowest administrative unit was the village. Village society in Marathi areas included the Patil or the head of the village, collector of revenue, and Kulkarni , the village record-keeper. These were hereditary positions. The Patil usually came from
3720-1043: The Maratha caste. The Kulkarni were usually from the Marathi Brahmin or CKP caste. The village also used to have twelve hereditary servants called the Balutedar . The Balutedar system was supportive of the agriculture sector. Servants under this system provided services to the farmers and the economic system of the village. The base of this system was caste. The servants were responsible for tasks specific to their castes. There were twelve kinds of servants under Bara Balutedar: Joshi (village priest and astrologer from Brahmin caste), Sonar (goldsmith from Daiwadnya caste), Sutar (carpenter), Gurav (priest of Shiva temple), Nhawi (barber), Parit (washerman), Teli (oil pressers), Kumbhar (potter), Chambhar (cobbler), Dhor, Koli (fisherman or water carrier), Chougula (assistant to Patil), Mang (rope maker), and Mahar (village security). In this list of Balutedar: Dhor, Mang, Mahar, and Chambhar belonged to
3813-557: The Maratha power was greatly diminished. Due to the efforts of Mahadji Shinde , it remained a confederacy until the British East India Company defeated Peshwa Bajirao II . Nevertheless, several Maratha states remained as vassals of the British until 1947 when they acceded to the Dominion of India . The Marathas also developed a potent coastal navy around the 1660s. At its peak under Maratha Koli Admiral Kanhoji Angre ,
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3906-503: The Marathas against the much stronger Mughal opponent, but in 1689, after being betrayed, Sambhaji was captured, tortured and killed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb . The war against the Mughals was then led by Sambhaji's younger brother and successor Rajaram I . Upon Rajaram's death in 1700, his widow Tarabai became the regent of her infant son and took command of Maratha forces . In 1707, upon
3999-709: The Marathi language. Per Kulkarni, for the elites of the era using Persian words was a status symbol. Surnames derived from service during that period such as Fadnis, Chitnis , Mirasdar, etc. are still in use today. Most of the Marathi Bhakti poet saints, who worshipped Vitthal , belonged to the period between late Yadava and the late Islamic era. These include Dnyaneshwar , Namdev , Eknath , Bahinabai and Tukaram . Other important religious figures of this era were Narsimha Saraswati , and Mahanubhava sect founder Chakradhar Swami . Shaivite saints like Manmath swami , Gajanan Maharaj, Sant Narhari Sonar. All of them used
4092-452: The Marathi people. Marathi social reformers of the colonial era include Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule , Justice Ranade , feminist Tarabai Shinde , Dhondo Keshav Karve , Vitthal Ramji Shinde , and Pandita Ramabai . Jyotirao Phule was a pioneer in opening schools for girls and Marathi dalits castes. The non-Brahmin Hindu castes started organising at the beginning of
4185-433: The Marathi-speaking areas by the ruling Congress Party in the 1957 election, led the government under Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to change its policy and agree to the protesters' demands. On 1 May 1960, the separate Marathi-speaking state was formed by dividing the earlier Bombay State into the new states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. The city of Mumbai was declared the capital of the new state. The state continues to have
4278-409: The RSS-affiliated organisations. Although the British originally regarded India as a place for the supply of raw materials for the factories of England, by the end of the 19th century a modern manufacturing industry was developing in the city of Mumbai. The main product was cotton and the bulk of the workforce in these mills was of Marathi origin from Western Maharashtra, but more specifically from
4371-428: The Sanskrit-dominated dialect spoken by this caste in the city as the standard dialect for Marathi. The introduction of printing, standardisation of Marathi, and establishment of modern schools and colleges during the early colonial era led to the spread of literacy and knowledge to many different sections of society such as women, the dalits and the cultivator classes. The Marathi community played an important part in
4464-443: The United States started when the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 came into effect. Most of the Marathi immigrants who came after 1965 were professionals such as doctors, engineers or scientists. The second wave of immigration took place during the I.T. boom of the 1990s and later. Since the 1990s due to the I.T. boom and because of the general ease of travel, Marathi people are now found in greater numbers in all corners of
4557-497: The Vakataka royal family and, with their support, annexed Gujarat from the Saka Satraps in 4th century CE. The power vacuum left by the Vakatakas were filled by that of the Chalukyas of Badami in the Deccan region . The Vakatakas are noted for having been patrons of the arts, architecture and literature. They led public works and their monuments are a visible legacy. The rock-cut Buddhist viharas and chaityas of Ajanta Caves (a UNESCO World Heritage Site ) were built under
4650-435: The Vakataka-Gupta age. While this has been widely accepted more than 30 years ago, this line of argument has no proper evidence. Prabhavati Gupta's inscription mentions about one "Deva Gupta" who is her father and the historians equated him with Chandra Gupta II. However, there is no other source to prove that Deva Gupta is really Chandra Gupta II. Pravarasena II composed the Setubandha in Maharashtri Prakrit . A few verses of
4743-445: The balutedar who adopted Buddhism in 1950s. Some of the other Marathi castes are: As the Maratha Empire expanded across India, the Marathi population started migrating out of Maharashtra alongside their rulers. Peshwa, Holkars , Scindia , and Gaekwad dynastic leaders took with them a considerable population of priests, clerks, army men, businessmen, and workers when they established new seats of power. Most of these migrants were from
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#17328591089344836-425: The child's paternal aunt has the honour of naming the infant. When the child is 11 months old, they get their first hair-cut.This is also an important ritual and is called Jawal (जावळ) . In the Maratha community, the maternal uncle is given the honour of the first snip during the ceremony. Vakataka dynasty The Vakataka dynasty ( IAST : Vākāṭaka ) was an ancient Indian dynasty that originated from
4929-412: The child's horoscope, which suggests various names depending on the child's lunar sign (called rashi ). However, in Marathi Hindu families, the name that the child inevitably uses in secular functions is the one decided by their parents. If a name is chosen on the basis of the horoscope, then that is kept a secret to ward off the casting of a spell on the child during their life. During the naming ceremony,
5022-405: The coastal Konkan region. The census recorded for the city in the first half of the 20th century showed nearly half the city's population listed Marathi as their mother tongue. During the period of 1835–1907, a large number of Indians, including Marathi people, were taken to the island of Mauritius as indentured labourers to work on sugarcane plantations. The Marathi people on the island form
5115-458: The country was thoroughly disorganised, the ruler of Ashmaka instigated the Kadamba ruler of Vanavasi (in the North Kanara district ) to invade the Vakataka territory. The king called all his feudatories and decided to fight his enemy on the bank of the Varada (Wardha). While fighting with the forces of the enemy, he was treacherously attacked in the rear by some of his own feudatories and killed. The Vakataka dynasty ended with his death. This fact
5208-623: The country. They have set up community organisations called Maharashtra Mandals in many cities across the country. A national level central organisation, the Brihan Maharashtra Mandal was formed in 1958 to promote Marathi culture outside Maharashtra. Several sister organisations of the Brihan Maharashtra Mandal have also been formed outside India. Source: In the mid-1800s, a large number of Indian people were taken to Mauritius , Fiji , Trinidad & Tobago , South Africa , and Eastern Africa as indentured labourers to work on sugarcane plantations. The majority of these migrants were from
5301-441: The death of Aurangzeb, the Deccan wars came to an end after Shahu, son of Sambhaji who had grown up under Mughal captivity was released, and quickly reclaimed the Maratha throne. Shahu and Tarabai briefly fought a succession battle with Shahu eventually prevailing. Shahu formally recognised Mughal suzerainty in return for tax collection rights over six Deccan provinces, and the release of his mother from Mughal captivity. Shahu I ,
5394-497: The east, he may have carried his arms to Dakshina Kosala, Kalinga and Andhra. He was a follower of Vedic religion and performed several Yajnas (sacrifices) which include Agnishtoma, Aptoryama, Ukthya, Shodasin, Atiratra, Vajapeya, Brihaspatisava, Sadyaskra and four Asvamedhas. He heavily donated to the Brahmins during the Vajapeya sacrifice as per the Puranas. He also took up the title of Dharmamaharaja in addition to Samrat . He called himself as Haritiputra . His prime minister Deva
5487-439: The efforts of the Christian missionary William Carey . Carey also published the first dictionary of Marathi in Devanagari script. The most comprehensive Marathi-English dictionary was compiled by Captain James Thomas Molesworth and Major Thomas Candy in 1831. The book is still in print nearly two centuries after its publication. Molesworth also worked on standardising Marathi. He used Brahmins of Pune for this task and adopted
5580-410: The entire community.The festivals of Ganeshotsav and annual wari pilgrimage to the Vitthal temple at Pandharpur are of significant importance to all Marathis alike. At birth, a child is initiated into the family ritually. The child's naming ceremony may happen many weeks or even months later, and it is called the bārsa . In many Indian Hindu communities, the naming is most often done by consulting
5673-407: The establishment by Bal Thackeray of Shiv Sena, a populist sectarian party advocating the rights of Marathi people in the heterogeneous city of Mumbai. Early campaigns by Shiv Sena advocated for more opportunities for Marathi people in government jobs. The party also led a campaign against the city's South Indian population. By the 1980s the party had captured power in the Mumbai Corporation , and in
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#17328591089345766-442: The grandson of Shivaji, with the help of capable Maratha administrators and generals such as the Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath and his descendants, saw the greatest expansion of the Maratha power. After Shahu's death in 1749, the Peshwa Nanasaheb and his successors became the virtual rulers of the Maratha Confederacy. The Maratha Confederacy was expanded by many Marathi chieftains including Peshwa Bajirao Ballal I and his descendants,
5859-407: The identification of Rudra deva in the Allahabad pillar inscription of Samudra Gupta with Rudra sena I. He has also pointed out there are no coins of Vakataka and there are no inscriptions of them in the north of Vindhyas. Hence, a south home of Vakatakas is correct. However, it is true that they have ruled on some of these places, since the epigraphs were available in Madhya Pradesh. The next ruler
5952-753: The intermediate category include: Gujjars , Lingayats and Rajputs who migrated centuries ago to Maharashtra from northern and southern India – and settled in Maharashtra. The population of the Mangs was 8%. Majority of Marathi Hindu belong either to the cultivator caste cluster of Maratha and Kunbi , or one of the former village servant ( Bara Balutedar ) castes which include Shimpi (Tailor), Lohar (Iron-smith), Suthar (carpenters), Mali (florists and cultivators), Dhobhi or Parit (washer), Gurav (village priest), Kumbhar (potters), Sonar (Goldsmith), Teli (oil pressers), Lingayats , Chambhar (cobbler), Mang (rope makers), Koli (fishermen or water carriers) and Nabhik (barbers). The Mahar were one of
6045-514: The kingdom of Purika which was being ruled by a king named Sisuka. In any case, he certainly ruled from Bundelkhand in the north (though Dr Mirashi does not accept that he has crossed the Narmada) to the present Andhra Pradesh in the south. The puranas assign him a reign of 60 years. As per V.V. Mirashi, it is unlikely that he made any conquest in Northern Maharashtra, Gujarat or Konkan. But, he may have conquered parts of North Kuntala comprising Kolhapur, Satara and Solapur districts of Maharashtra . In
6138-410: The late 1940s and early 1950s. The number of Bene Israel remaining in India was estimated to be around 4,000–5,000 in 1988. In 1956, the States Reorganisation Act reorganised the Indian states along linguistic lines, and the Bombay Presidency State was enlarged by the addition of the predominantly Marathi-speaking regions of Marathwada ( Aurangabad Division ) from the erstwhile Hyderabad state and
6231-602: The literate classes such as various Brahmin sub-castes and CKP . These groups formed the backbone of administration in the new Maratha Empire states in many places such as Vyara - Songadh of ( Surat ), Baroda ( Vadodara ), Indore , Gwalior , Bundelkhand , and Tanjore . Many families belonging to these groups still follow Marathi traditions even though they have lived more than 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) from Maharashtra for more than 200 years. Other people have migrated in modern times in search of jobs outside Maharashtra. These people have also settled in almost all parts of
6324-437: The name Vakataka occurs in an inscription found on a fragment of a pillar at Amravati which records the gift of a Grihapati (householder) Vakataka and his two wives. This Grihapati in all probability was the progenitor of Vidhyashakti. It appears from the Puranas that Vindhyasakti was a ruler of Vidisha (in the present day Madhya Pradesh state) but that is not considered to be correct. As per Dr Mirashi, who has rejected
6417-399: The naval force dominated the territorial waters of the western coast of India from Mumbai to Sawantwadi . It would engage in attacking British , Portuguese , Dutch , and Siddi naval ships and kept a check on their naval ambitions. The Maratha Navy dominated until around the 1730s, but was in a state of decline by the 1770s, and ceased to exist entirely by 1818. Before British rule,
6510-409: The oldest diaspora of Marathi people outside India. After India gained independence from Britain in 1947, all princely states lying within the borders of the Bombay Presidency acceded to the Indian Union and were integrated into the newly created Bombay State in 1950. The small community of Marathi Jews ( Bene Israel – Sons of Israel) started emigrating to the newly created country of Israel in
6603-492: The patronage of Vakataka king, Harishena . The founder of the dynasty was Vindhyashakti (250–270), whose name is derived from the name of the goddess Vindhyavasini . The dynasty may be originated there. Almost nothing is known about Vindhyashakti, the founder of the Vakatakas. In the Cave XVI inscription of Ajanta he was described as the banner of the Vakataka family and a Dvija . It is stated in this inscription that he added to his power by fighting great battles and he had
6696-467: The population of Maharashtra. They dominate the cooperative institutions and with the resultant economic power control politics from the village level up to the Assembly and Lok Sabha seats. Since the 1980s, this group has also been active in setting up private educational institutions. Major past political figures of Maharashtra have been from this group. The rise of the Hindu nationalist Shiv Sena and
6789-674: The rule of the Satavahana dynasty , which ruled the region for 400 years. The Vakataka dynasty then ruled Maharashtra from the 3rd century to the 5th century AD, and the Chalukya dynasty from the 6th century to the 8th century. The two prominent rulers were Pulakeshin II , who defeated the Kannauj Emperor Harsh , and Vikramaditya II , who defeated Arab invaders (Umayyad Caliphate) in the 8th century. The Rashtrakuta dynasty ruled Maharashtra from
6882-469: The ruler of Kuntala, his southern neighbour. One of his minister's name was Pravara. He was succeeded by his son Pravarasena II. Pravarasena II ( c. 400 –415) was the next ruler of whom very little is known except from the Cave XVI inscription of Ajanta , which says that he became exalted by his excellent, powerful and liberal rule. He died after a very short rule and succeeded by his minor son, who
6975-715: The social and religious reform movements, as well as the Indian nationalist movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Notable civil society bodies founded by Marathi leaders during the 19th century include the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha , the Prarthana Samaj , the Arya Mahila Samaj, and the Satya Shodhak Samaj . The Pune Sarvajanik Sabha took an active part in relief efforts during the famine of 1875–1876. It
7068-617: The south. Varahadeva, a minister of Harishena and the son of Hastibhoja, excavated the rock-cut vihara of Cave XVI of Ajanta. Three of the Buddhist caves at Ajanta, two viharas – caves XVI and XVII and a chaitya – cave XIX were excavated and decorated with painting and sculptures during the reign of Harishena. According to an art historian, Walter M. Spink, all the rock-cut monuments of Ajanta excluding caves nos. 9,10,12,13 and 15A (Ref: Page No. 4, Ajanta-A Brief History and Guide – Walter M. Spink) were built during Harishena's reign. Harishena
7161-522: The title of Dharmamaharaja . He is also known as the author of Harivijaya in Prakrit which is based on the story of bringing the parijata tree from heaven by Krishna. This work, praised by later writers is lost. He is also known as the author of many verses of the Prakrit Gaha Sattasai . One of his minister's name was Ravi. He was succeeded by his son Vindhyasena. Vindhysena (c. 355–400)
7254-432: The untouchable group of castes. In exchange for their services, the balutedars were granted complex sets of hereditary rights (watan) to a share in the village harvest. The British rule of more than a century in the present-day Maharashtra region saw huge changes for the Marathi people in every aspect of their lives. Areas that correspond to present-day Maharashtra were under direct or indirect British rule, first under
7347-958: The world including the United States, Australia, Canada, the Gulf countries, European countries, Iran, and Pakistan. After the third battle of Panipat, Marathi people settled in Sindh and Balochisthan region (modern day Pakistan). After partition of India, many Marathi Hindus came to India. But, 500–1000 Marathi Hindus also lives in Karachi city of Sindh province. The majority of Marathi people are Hindus . Minorities by religion include Muslims , Buddhists , Jains , Christians , Parsis and Jews . The main life ceremonies in Hindu culture include those related to birth, weddings, initiation ceremonies, as well as death rituals. Other ceremonies for different occasions in Hindu life include Vastushanti and "Satyanarayan" which
7440-464: Was Pravarasena I (270–330), who maintained the realm as a great power, he was the first Vakataka ruler, who called himself a Samrat (universal ruler) and conducted wars with the Naga kings. He has become an emperor in his own right, perhaps the only emperor in the dynasty, with his kingdom embracing a good portion of North India and whole of Deccan. He carried his arms to the Narmada in the north and annexed
7533-431: Was a great patron of Buddhist architecture, art and culture. The World Heritage monument Ajanta Caves is surviving example of his works. The rock cut architectural cell-XVI inscription of Ajanta states that he conquered Avanti ( Malwa ) in the north, Kosala ( Chhattisgarh ), Kalinga and Andhra in the east, Lata (Central and Southern Gujarat ) and Trikuta ( Nasik district ) in the west and Kuntala (Southern Maharashtra) in
7626-439: Was a very pious and learned Brahmin. The Puranas say that Pravarasena I had four sons. He married his son Gautamiputra to a daughter of King Bhavanaga of the powerful Bharashiva family, which might have proved to be helpful. However, Gautamiputra predeceased him and he was succeeded by his grandson Rudrasena I , the son of Gautamiputra. His second son, Sarvasena set up his capital at Vatsagulma (the present day Washim ). Nothing
7719-445: Was also known as Vindhyashakti II. He is known from the well-known Washim plates which recorded the grant of a village situated in the northern marga (sub-division) of Nandikata (presently Nanded ) in his 37th regnal year. The genealogical portion of the grant is written in Sanskrit and the formal portion in Prakrit. This is the first known land grant by any Vakataka ruler. He also took the title of Dharmamaharaja . Vindhyasena defeated
7812-596: Was formed as a Marathi-speaking state of India on 1 May 1960, as part of a nationwide linguistic reorganisation of the Indian states . The term "Maratha" is generally used by historians to refer to all Marathi-speaking peoples, irrespective of their caste ; However, it may refer to a Maharashtrian caste known as the Maratha which also includes farmer sub castes like the Kunbis . The Marathi community came into political prominence in
7905-556: Was founded and led by Marathis from Nagpur for many decades. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (1889–1966), a Marathi from Nashik district, an Indian independence activist , who advocated violence to overthrow British rule in his youth, later formulated the Hindu nationalist philosophy of Hindutva . He was a leading figure in the Hindu Mahasabha . Savarkar's Hindutva philosophy remains the guiding principle for organisations that are part of
7998-562: Was given in marriage to the Prince Ghatotkachagupta (who was likely a son of Chandragupta II). Rudrasena II died fortuitously after a very short reign in 385 CE, following which Prabhavatigupta (385–405) ruled as a regent on behalf of her two sons, Divakarasena and Damodarasena (Pravarasena II) for 20 years. During this period the Vakataka realm was practically a part of the Gupta Empire . Many historians refer to this period as
8091-802: Was headed by the Brahmin castes-the Deshasthas , Chitpavans , Karhades , Saraswats , and the Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhus . In Mumbai during British rule, this included the Pathare Prabhu and the other communities. The Marathas are 32% in Western Maharashtra and the Kunbis were 7%, whereas the Other Backward Class population (other than the Kunbi) was 27%. The other castes in
8184-400: Was in the hands of Marathas who held watans (hereditary rights) of Patilki (revenue collection at village level), and Deshmukhi (revenue collection over a larger area). A number of families such as Bhosale , Shirke , Ghorpade, Jadhav , More , Mahadik , Ghatge , Gharge and Nimbalkar loyally served different sultans at different periods of time. All watandar considered their watan
8277-510: Was liberated in 1962. The main political party formed immediately after liberation was the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party . It wanted Goa to merge with Maharashtra because of the affinity between Goan Hindus and the Marathi people. However, the referendum held on this issue rejected the merger. Later, Konkani was made the official language of Goa, but Marathi is also allowed in any government correspondence. The 1960s also saw
8370-433: Was only 8 years old when his father died. Name of this ruler is lost from the Cave XVI inscription. This unknown ruler was succeeded by his son Devasena ( c. 450 –475). His administration was actually run by his minister Hastibhoja. During his reign, one of his servant Svaminadeva excavated a tank named Sudarshana near Washim in c. 458–459 . Harishena (c. 475–500) succeeded his father Devasena. He
8463-605: Was probably annexed by Harishena of the Vatsagulma branch. The Vatsagulma branch was founded by Sarvasena, the second son of Pravarasena I after his death. King Sarvasena made Vatsagulma, the present day Washim in Washim district of Maharashtra his capital. The territory ruled by this branch was between the Sahydri Range and the Godavari River. They patronized some of the Buddhist caves at Ajanta . Sarvasena (c. 330–355) took
8556-484: Was started, seeking a separate Gujarati-speaking state. A number of mainly Pune-based leaders such as Keshavrao Jedhe, S.M. Joshi , Shripad Amrit Dange , and Pralhad Keshav Atre formed the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement , alongside Vidarbha-based leaders such as Gopalrao Khedkar , to fight for a separate state of Maharashtra with Mumbai as its state capital. Mass protests, 105 deaths, and heavy losses in
8649-515: Was succeeded by two rulers whose names are not known. The end of the dynasty is unknown. They were probably defeated by the Kalachuri of Mahismati. According to the eighth ucchvāsaḥ of the Dashakumaracharita of Dandin , which was written probably around 125 years after the fall of the Vakataka dynasty, Harishena's son, though intelligent and accomplished in all arts, neglected the study of
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