Maratha Totally Explained

Everything about Maratha totally explained

The Marāthās (Marathi:, also Mahrattas) form an Indo Aryan group of Hindu warriors hailing mostly from the present-day state of Maharashtra, who created the expansive Maratha Empire, covering a major part of India, in the late 17th and 18th centuries.
The "Marathas" were known by that name since their native tongue was almost invariably Marathi, however, not all those whose native tongue is Marathi are Marathas. Historically "Maratha" was a common term used for people of Maharashtra region that speak Marathi.(External Link

) In present time, the term "Maratha" refers only to those Marathi-speaking people who also belong to certain specific Hindu castes: for one available listing, refer to Maratha clan system. Thus, the terms "Marathi people" and "Maratha people" are not interchangeable and shouldn't be confused for each other.

Etymology

The etymology of the words "Marātha" and "Marāthi" is uncertain. It may be a derivative of the Prakrit word Mahratta found in Jain Maharashtri literature, itself from Sanskrit Maharāṣṭra "great realm" (from maha "great" and rāṣṭra "nation, dominion, district"). One theory holds that a reference to a clan known as Rāṣṭrika in some of Ashoka's inscriptions alludes to a people of the Deccan who were progenitors of the Marathi-speaking people; that the later "Mahārāṣṭri Prakrit" is associated with these people
Other theories link the words Marātha and Rāṣṭri with Ratta, supposedly a corruption of Rāshtrakuta, the name of a dynasty that held sway over the Deccan from the 8th to 10th centuries.
All theories however affirm, as do linguists, that the modern Marathi language has developed from the Prakrit known as Mahārāshtri.

Maratha clans

According to some sources, every maratha must belong to one of 96 different clans (the "96 Kuli Marathas"). The list of 96 Maratha clans is different as per different historians. An authoritative listing was apparently first attempted in 1889 and a list finalised in 1956 by the Government of India.

Population

The Marathas originated as a social class of Marathi speakers (Indo-Aryans). They number some 40 million, about half the number of native Marathi speakers.Maratha people are the original people of Maharashtra pradesh. They belong to the Kshatriya (King /Warrior) class. During Varna formation the Kshatriya was ranked as 2nd Varna.

Historical prominence

Satavahana, Rashtrakuta, Yadhav-Jadhavs. They re-united into historical prominence under the leadership of Chhatrapati Shivaji in the 17th century. Shivaji Maharaj, born into the Bhosale clan of Marathas, secured an independent state by dint of lifelong struggle and thereby founded an empire, the remnants of which lasted until the independence of India in 1947. The state thus founded by Chhatrapati Shivaji attained its zenith under the tutelage of the Peshwas in the 18th century, extending from the Indus in present-day Pakistan to Orissa in the east and from the Punjab to central Karnataka in the south. The kingdom of Thanjavur in present-day Tamil Nadu was also ruled by a Maratha dynasty, albeit outside the ambit of the main Maratha Empire. At its peak, the Maratha Empire established a protectorate over the mughal emperor and paramountcy over the numerous Rajput chieftains of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Central India and elsewhere. They had also managed to bring Punjab under their sway and end Muslim rule there and keeping the field open for the Sikhs. This vast empire declined gradually after the third battle of Panipat (1761); by 1818, all of present-day India had fallen to the British East India Company.
The history of the states and dynasties comprising the Maratha Empire constitutes a major portion of the history of late medieval India. While that extensive history is detailed elsewhere, it's noteworthy that the rise of the Marathas:

represented the revival of the political power of the Hindus in north India after many centuries of Muslim rule;
prevented the spread of the Mughal Empire and associated Islamic culture to south India;
was the primary cause of the decline of the Mughal Empire;
led to the dilution of the caste system as an overwhelming number of Brahmins too, fought along with them;
led to the modernisation of India's armed forces, as they introduced indigenously designed and manufactured muskets (known as Gardi muskets)
encouraged the development of the Marathi language and was seminal to the consolidation of a distinct Maharashtrian identity.

Maratha states

Since the Marathas ruled much of India in the period immediately preceding the consolidation of British rule in India, the Maratha states came to form the largest bloc of princely states in the British Raj, if size be reckoned by territory and population. Prominent Maratha states included:

Kolhapur

Solapur

Gwalior

Indore

Baroda

Dewas (Senior and Junior)

Dhar

Chhatarpur

Mudhol

Sandur (princely state) in Bellary District of Karnataka India

Akkalkot

Phaltan

Jath

Jawhar

Sawantwadi

Satara

Marathwada

Thanjavur, and many others

Nashik,

Jalgaon

Prominent Maratha dynasties

Satavahanas of Pratishthan, present day Paithan near Aurangabad.

Mohites of Talbid near Karad

Yadavas of Deogiri (Daulatabad)

Jadhavs of Sindkhed Raja, Vidarbha, Nashik

Ghorpades of Ghorpade Raja, Mudhol

Bhonsles of Kolhapur, Satara, Nagpur, Sawantvadi and Thanjavur

Sindhias (Shinde) of Gwalior

Gaekwads (Gaikwad) of Baroda

Pawars of Dewas, Dhar and Chhatarpur

Rajeshirkes

Bilingual Marathas

The empire also resulted in the voluntary relocation of substantial numbers of Maratha and other Marathi-speaking people outside Maharashtra, and across a big part of India. Thus, there are today several small but significant communities descended from these emigrants living in the north, south and west of India. These communities tend often to speak the languages of those areas, although many do also speak Marathi in addition. Gujarati, Hindi, Konkani, Kannada, Telugu and Tamil are some of the other languages thus spoken Zinjurke's of Shirur.

Presence in politics

Marathas have dominated the state politics of Maharashtra since its inception in 1960. The very first Chief Minister of Maharashtra was a maratha (Yashwantrao Chavan). After that, Maharashtra has witnessed heavy presence of Maratha community in the ministry, local municipal commissions, panchayats etc. The reason for the same is said to be the majority of the population in the state (around 40%) as per 1991 census.

Notable Marathas

List of Marathi people - other Wikipedia page listing notable Marathis

Historical

Chhatrapati Shri Shivaji Maharaj

Shahaji Raje, father of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Jijabai, mother of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Sambhaji Raje, son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Maharani Soyarabai - second wife of Maharaja Shivaji (sister of Sarsenapti Hambirrao Mohite from Talbid near Karad)

Sarsenapati(General) - Hambirrao Mohite from Talbid near Karad

Tarabai, Regent of Kolhapur, daughter of Sarsenapati Hambirrao Mohite

Serfoji II, Maharaja of Thanjavur

Shahu Maharaj, Chhatrapati of Kolhapur

Tanaji Malusare, hero of the conquest of Kondana

Corporate World

Vikram Pandit, CEO, Citigroup

Suhas Patil, a founder of Cirrus Logic’s predecessor company

Late Shantanurao Kirloskar, CEO of Kirloskar Group of Companies

Kiran Karnik, ex-President NASSCOM

Dinesh Keskar, senior vice-president, sales, commercial airplanes, Boeing

Political

Pratibha Patil, Present President of India

Yashwantrao Chavan, former [DeputyPriminister] of India

Shivaji Patil, Home Minister, Government on India

Sharad Pawar, Minister of Agriculture, Government on India, former CM of Maharashtra

Bal Thackeray, Head of Shivsena Party

Udayanraje Bhosale, Descendant of Chhatrapati Shri Shivaji Maharaj

Vasant Dada Patil, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra

Dr D.Y.Patil, Founder Chancellor of D.Y.Patil University

Shankarrao Chavan, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Home Minister of India

Madhavrao Scindia

Jayant Patil, Minister of Finance and Planning of Maharashtra

Vilasrao Deshmukh, Chief Minister of Maharashtra

R. R. Patil, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra

Anil Deshmukh, Road Transport Minister of Maharashtra

Patangrao Kadam,Bharathi Vidyapeeth

Vijayrao Auti, M.L.A Shiv sena party

Balasaheb Thorat,Agriculture Minister of [[Govt. of Maharashtra

Science

Vijay Bhatkar

Vasant Gowarikar

Writers

Purshottam Deshpande aka P.L. Deshpande

Baba Kadam

Artists

Tanuja

Sayali Bhagat

Vijay Kadam

Sivaji Satam

Vikas Kadam Vidya Malavade(Chakde India) Sagarika Ghatge(Priti Sabarval Chakde India).

Sports

Cricket

Polly Umrigar

Wrestlers

Khashaba Jadhav (Wrestling) - India's first individual Olympic medalist when he won the wrestling bronze medal at the 1952 Helsinki Games

Mamasaheb Mohol

Maruti Mane Hind Kesari

Harishchandra Biradar Hind Kesari

Yuvaraj Chaugule Hind Kesari

Kaka Pawar

Ganapatrao Andalkar

Dadu Chaugule Hind Kesari

Vinod Chaugule Maharashtra Kesari

Amol Buchade Maharashtra Kesari

Vikas Jadhav

Armed forces

A special mention needs to be made of the Maratha Light Infantry regiment of the Indian Army, which represents the military qualities of the Marathas. One of the famous regiments of the Indian Army, the Maratha Light Infantry is also one of the oldest. Its First battalion, also known as the Jangi Paltan, was raised as far back in 1768 as part of the Bombay Sepoys. The Marathas came to special attention in the Great War (World War I) and have been awarded up to and about 2 Ashok Chakra, 10 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, 4 Maha Vir Chakra, 4 Kirti Chakra, 1 ACCL II, 14 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, 34 Vir Chakra, 18 Shaurya Chakra, 4 ACCL III, 4 Yudh Seva Medals, 107 Sena Medals, 1 Shaurya Chakra & Bar, 23 Vishisht Seva Medals, 1 Padma Bushan, 1 Arjun Award and 3 Unit Citations.

Army

Naik Yashavantrao Ghadge(recipient of Victoria cross)

Second Lt Ram Raghoba Rane(receipanant of Paramvir Chakra)

Major-General Jagnathrao Bhosale

Lt-General S.S.Thorat

Pandurang Salunkhe(recipient of Mahavir Chakra)

Brig.Udaykumar Wamanrao Deshmukh.(A.V.S.M.)(son-in-law of Major General Jaganathrao Bhosale)

Air force

Air Commodore NK Shitoley, recipient of the DFC Distinguished Flying Cross

Air Marshal, Yeshwant Rane

Sanjiv Rakhshale

Sports

Khashaba Jadhav (Wrestling) - India's first individual Olympic medalist when he won the wrestling bronze medal at the 1952 Helsinki Games

Bandu Patil (Hockey) - 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Men's field Gold - was from the elite 5th Battalion of the Maratha Light Infantry

Tejaswini Sawant (Shooting)

Anjali Bhagwath VedPathak (Shooting)

Uday Pawar (Badminton)

Sujata Jain-Pawar (Badminton)

Veerdhaval Khade (Swimming)Further Information

Get more info on 'Maratha'.

External Link Exchanges

Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:

<a href="http://maratha.totallyexplained.com">Maratha Totally Explained</a>

Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned.