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Castes of India
Marathas
Classification Kshatriya
Subdivisions ninety-six clans
Significant populations in Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh
Languages Marathi
Religions Hinduism
Flag of the Maratha
Flag of the Maratha

The Marāthās (Marathi: मराठा, 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. Caste (Sanskrit Gyati ज्ञाति, Hindi Biradari बिरादरी samaj समाज jati जाति etc, Urdu Zat ज़ात) is an Endogamous group Kshatriya (क्षत्रिय kṣatriya from क्षत्र kṣatra) is one of the four varnas (social orders in Hinduism Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. Goa ( Konkani: गोंय /ɡɔ̃j/ is India 's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population. Gujarat (ગુજરાત Gujǎrāt, pronounced) is a state in western India. Madhya Pradesh (abbreviated as MP) ( Hindī: मध्य प्रदेश pronounced, Translation: Middle Province) often Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical According to the Random House Dictionary, the term warrior has two meanings Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. The Maratha Empire ( Marathi: मराठा साम्राज्य Marāṭhā Sāmrājya; also transliterated Mahratta This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia For geopolitical treatments see South Asia.

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. Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India. Historically "Maratha" was a common term used for people of Maharashtra region that speak Marathi. [1] 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. Castes are Hereditary systems of occupation, Endogamy, social culture, Social class, and Political power. Jhandigif|thumb|180px|right|Flag of the Maratha Empire]] The Marāthās is a collective term referring to an Indo-Aryan group of Hindu, Marathi Thus, the terms "Marathi people" and "Maratha people" are not interchangeable and should not be confused for each other. The Marathi people or Maharashtrians ( Marathi: मराठी माणसं or महाराष्ट्रीय are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group

Contents

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"). Prakrit (also transliterated as Pracrit) ( Sanskrit: prākṛta प्राकृत (from pra-kṛti प्रकृति according to one MaHa is the Acronym of the comedy duo of Madan Krishna Shrestha and Hari Bansha Acharya of Nepal in Devanagari script Raj may refer to Jaskinia Raj, cave in Poland Ráj, village in the Czech Republic administratively part of Karviná 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. Ashoka ( Devanāgarī: अशोकः IAST: Aśokaḥ, aɕoːkə(hə Prakrit Imperial title Devanampriya Priyadarsi Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India. The Rashtrakuta Dynasty ( Sanskrit: राष्ट्रकूट rāṣṭrakūṭa, Kannada: ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಕೂಟ was a royal

All theories however affirm, as do linguists, that the modern Marathi language has developed from the Prakrit known as Mahārāshtri. Prakrit (also transliterated as Pracrit) ( Sanskrit: prākṛta प्राकृत (from pra-kṛti प्रकृति according to one Maharashtri (महाराष्ट्री प्राकृत is a language of ancient and medieval India, descended from Sanskrit, and spoken in what is

Shivaji and his faithful Maratha comrades
Shivaji and his faithful Maratha comrades

Maratha clans

Main article: Maratha clan system

According to some sources, every maratha must belong to one of 96 different clans (the "96 Kuli Marathas"). Jhandigif|thumb|180px|right|Flag of the Maratha Empire]] The Marāthās is a collective term referring to an Indo-Aryan group of Hindu, Marathi 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). Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India. They number some 40 million, about half the number of native Marathi speakers. Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India. 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

The extent of the Maratha Confederacy c.1760 AD, roughly corresponding to its peak (denoted by the yellow region)
The extent of the Maratha Confederacy c. 1760 AD, roughly corresponding to its peak (denoted by the yellow region)
Main article: Maratha Empire

Different Maratha (also called as Rastriks or Maha-rathis or Mahrattas) rulers during Medieval period (before 12th century) include Satavahana, Rashtrakuta, Yadhav-Jadhavs. The Maratha Empire ( Marathi: मराठा साम्राज्य Marāṭhā Sāmrājya; also transliterated Mahratta The Sātavāhanas ( Marathi: सातवाहन Telugu:శాతవాహనులు were a Dynasty which ruled from Junnar ( The Rashtrakuta Dynasty ( Sanskrit: राष्ट्रकूट rāṣṭrakūṭa, Kannada: ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಕೂಟ was a royal They re-united into historical prominence under the leadership of Chhatrapati Shivaji in the 17th century. Shivaji Bhosle, also known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhosle ( Marathi: छत्रपती शिवाजीराजे भोसले (Born February 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. Jhandigif|thumb|180px|right|Flag of the Maratha Empire]] The Marāthās is a collective term referring to an Indo-Aryan group of Hindu, Marathi 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 Peshwa ( Marathi:पेशवा plural Peshwe, Marathi:पेशवे were Brahmin Prime Ministers to the Maratha The Indus River { Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu; Urdu: urd {{Nastaliq سندھ}} Sindh; Sindhi: snd Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Orissa (ଓଡ଼ିଶା is a state located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. Punjab ( ਪੰਜਾਬ پنجاب, पंजाब پنجاب also Panjab (پنجاب meaning "Land of the Five Rivers") (c Karnataka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ pronounced) is a state in the southern part of India South India is the area encompassing India 's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union 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. Thanjavur ( Tamil: தஞ்சாவூர் also known by its Anglicised name Tanjore, and it is the Eleventh largest city in Tamil Nadu (after Tamil Nadu ( Tamil:, Country of the Tamils, t̪ɐmɨɻ n̪aːɽɯ is one of the 28 states of India. The Maratha Empire ( Marathi: मराठा साम्राज्य Marāṭhā Sāmrājya; also transliterated Mahratta 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. The Maratha Empire ( Marathi: मराठा साम्राज्य Marāṭhā Sāmrājya; also transliterated Mahratta The Mughal Empire was the dominant power in the Indian subcontinent between the mid-16th century and the end of the 17th century Rajput constitute one of the major Hindu Kshatriya groups from India Gujarat (ગુજરાત Gujǎrāt, pronounced) is a state in western India. Rājasthān ( Devanāgarī: राजस्थान raːdʒəst̪ʰaːn is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area The Central India Agency was a political unit of British India, which covered the northern half of present-day Madhya Pradesh state They had also managed to bring Punjab under their sway and end Muslim rule there and keeping the field open for the Sikhs. Punjab ( ਪੰਜਾਬ پنجاب, पंजाब پنجاب also Panjab (پنجاب meaning "Land of the Five Rivers") (c 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 Third Battle of Panipat took place on January 14, 1761 at Panipat (Haryana State India) situated at about 80 miles (130 km north The Honourable East India Company ( HEIC) referred to most commonly as the East India Company, also historically and colloquially as John Company, or

The history of the states and dynasties comprising the Maratha Empire constitutes a major portion of the history of late medieval India. The Maratha Empire ( Marathi: मराठा साम्राज्य Marāṭhā Sāmrājya; also transliterated Mahratta While that extensive history is detailed elsewhere, it is noteworthy that the rise of the Marathas:

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. For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British For other uses see Principality, Other princely states A Princely State (also called Native State or Indian State) was a For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British Prominent Maratha states included:

Ruins of the Raigad Fort which served as a capital of Maratha Empire in the 17th century
Ruins of the Raigad Fort which served as a capital of Maratha Empire in the 17th century

Prominent Maratha dynasties

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. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Karad ( Devanagari: कराड is a city and a Municipal council in Satara district Fort of Devagiri The area of the city includes the hill-fortress of Devagiri ( Marathi देवगिरी (sometimes Latinised to Deogiri WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Sindkhed Raja is a city and a Municipal council in Buldana district in the Indian Vidarbha (Marathi विदर्भ is the eastern region of Maharashtra state made up of Nagpur Division and Amravati Division. http//wwwmapsofindiacom/maps/maharashtra/roads/nashik_roadjpg Nashik (नाशिक Mudhol is a town in the Bagalkot District in the Northern part of the state of Karnataka, India. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Kolhapur ( Marathi:कोल्हापूर is a city situated in the south west corner of For the Moth Genus, see Satara (moth. Satara (Marathiसातारा is a Town located in the Nāgpur ( Marathi: नागपुर is the largest city in central India (2001 Census and the second capital of the state of Maharashtra. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Sawantwadi ( Marathi: सावंतवाडी (sometimes also written as "Sawantvadi" Thanjavur ( Tamil: தஞ்சாவூர் also known by its Anglicised name Tanjore, and it is the Eleventh largest city in Tamil Nadu (after For the School in Gwalior India see Scindia School. For the Italian city see Sindia Italy. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Gwalior ( Hindi: ग्वालियर) is a city in Madhya Pradesh in India The Gaekwad or Gaikwad (once rendered as Guicowar, also given (incorrectly as Gaekwar) ( Gujarati: ગાયકવાડ; Marathi The Ponwar (also Panwar, Puar, Powar, or Pawar) are an Arya clan of that ruled the states of Chhatarpur, Dewas Dewas (देवासis a town situated on the Malwa plateau in the West-central part of Indian state called Madhya Pradesh. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Dhar or the medieval historical town of Dhara Nagari is located in the Malwa region of WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Chhatarpur is a city and a Municipality in Chhatarpur district in the state of Madhya Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast 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. Gujarati (ગુજરાતી Gujǎrātī ? Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Konkani ( Devanāgarī: कोंकणी Roman: Konknni Kannada: ಕೊಂಕಣಿ Malayalam: കൊങ്കണി IAST Kannada (kn [[wiktಕನ್ನಡ ಕನ್ನಡ]] Kannaḍa) is one of the major Dravidian languages of India, spoken predominantly in the state Tamil (ta தமிழ்; t̪əmɨɻ is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent.

Presence in politics

Marathas have dominated the state politics of Maharashtra since its inception in 1960. Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. The very first Chief Minister of Maharashtra was a maratha (Yashwantrao Chavan). Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. Yashwantrao Balwantrao Chavan ( 12 March 1913 - 25 November 1984) was the first Chief Minister of Maharashtra after the After that, Maharashtra has witnessed heavy presence of Maratha community in the ministry, local municipal commissions, panchayats etc. Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. 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

Corporate World

Political

Science

Writers

Artists

Vidya Malavade(Chakde India) Sagarika Ghatge(Priti Sabarval Chakde India). Asha Bhosle (आशा भोंसले (born September 8, 1933) آشا بھونسلے is an Indian singer Ashutosh Gowariker (आशुतोष गोवारीकर [[February 15] 1968] is an Indian actor director writer and producer Tanuja Samarth (तनूजा समर्थ popularly known as Tanuja ( September 23 1943) is an Indian actress Lalita Pawar ( April 18, 1916 &mdash February 24, 1998) was a prolific Indian actor who later became famous as Character Laxmikant Berde ( November 3, 1954 – December 16, 2004; Mumbai) was an Indian comic actor who acted in many Marathi Madhur Bhandarkar, ( मधुर भंडारकर) born in a Maharashtrian Saraswat Brahmin family is an Indian film director Mahesh Manjrekar is an Indian film director actor writer and producer Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit ( Marathi: माधुरी दीक्षित (born Madhuri Shankar Dixit on May 15, 1967) Urmila Matondkar ( Marathi: उर्मिला मातोंडकर (born on February 4, 1974 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Smita Patil (स्मिता पाटील ( October 17, 1955 &ndash 13 December, 1986) was a leading Indian actress from Rajinikanth (ರಜನೀಕಾಂತ್ रजनीकांत ரஜினிகாந்த் (born Shivaji Rao Gaekwad on December 12, 1950 Nirmiti Sawant is a Marathi Actress, who acts in marathi cinemas and Dramas She became popular after her outstanding performance in daily TV soap Ritesh Deshmukh is an Indian actor hailing from Latur city in Marathwada, Maharashtra. Sayaji Shinde is a Marathi film Actor from India who is popular in Bollywood, Kollywood and Tollywood. Priya Arun is an actress in the Marathi language film industry of India.

Sports

Cricket

Wrestlers

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. Kishori Amonkar (िकशोरी आमोणकर (born April 10 1931 in Mumbai) is a noted Indian classical vocalist Sunil Manohar Gavaskar ( Marathi:सुनिल मनोहर गावसकर (born 10 July 1949 in Bombay, Maharashtra) nicknamed Sunny Vinod Ganpat Kambli (born 18 January 1972, Mumbai) Maharashtra) is a former Indian cricketer who played for India, Mumbai Sanjay Vijay Manjrekar ( Kannada: ಸಂಜಯ ವಿಜಯ ಮಾಂಜ್ರೇಕರ (born 12 July 1965 in Mangalore, Karnataka Dilip Balwant Vengsarkar (born 6 April 1956 in Rajapur Maharashtra) is an Indian Cricketer and cricket administrator Sandeep Madhusudan Patil (born August 18, 1956, Bombay, now Mumbai is a former cricketer who played for India between 1980 and 1986 Kiran Shankar More (pronounced Mo-ray (born September 4, 1962 in Baroda, Gujarat, India) was the Wicket-keeper for the Pahlan Ratanji "Polly" Umrigar (28 March 1926 - 7 November 2006 was an Indian Cricketer He played First-class cricket for Bombay and Test cricket Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav ( January 15, 1926 &ndash August 14, 1984) or KD Jadhav, widely known as 'Pocket Dynamo' was independent India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Wrestling is the act of physical engagement between two people in which each wrestler strives to get an advantage over or control of the opponent For the New York City civilian award go to Bronze Medallion - New York City Award A Bronze medal is a Medal awarded The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland 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

Air force

Sports

References

  1. Haplogroups of the Marathi people
  2. Molecular insight into the genesis of ranked caste populations of western India by Sonali Gaikwad and VK Kashyap
  3. Influence of language and ancestry on genetic structure of contiguous populations by Sanghamitra Sahoo and VK Kashyap
  4. Polarity and Temporality of High-Resolution Y-Chromosome Distributions in India Identify Both Indigenous and Exogenous Expansions and Reveal Minor Genetic Influence of Central Asian Pastoralists by Sengupta et al. The Param Vir Chakra (PVC is India 's highest Military decoration awarded for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy similar Air Commodore ( Air Cdre in the RAF, AIRCDRE in the RNZAF and RAAF, A/C in the former RCAF) is a rank in This article is about the air force rank Air marshal (or Sky marshal) is also the term given to federal security agents who travel undercover aboard commercial Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav ( January 15, 1926 &ndash August 14, 1984) or KD Jadhav, widely known as 'Pocket Dynamo' was independent India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Wrestling is the act of physical engagement between two people in which each wrestler strives to get an advantage over or control of the opponent For the New York City civilian award go to Bronze Medallion - New York City Award A Bronze medal is a Medal awarded The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland Bandu Patil ( January 1, 1936 &ndash August 23, 1988) was an Indian hockey player Tejaswini Sawant (born 12 September, 1980) is an Indian shooter from the Maharashtrian city of Kolhapur. Hrishikesh Kanitkar (born November 14, 1974 in Maharashtra) is an Indian Cricketer He is a left-handed batsman and a right-arm

See also

External links

Jejuri Jejuri is one of the famous temples in Maharashtra. The God of Jejuri - Khandoba ( Lord Shiva) the husband of Banai (from the Dhangar The Maratha Empire ( Marathi: मराठा साम्राज्य Marāṭhā Sāmrājya; also transliterated Mahratta Jhandigif|thumb|180px|right|Flag of the Maratha Empire]] The Marāthās is a collective term referring to an Indo-Aryan group of Hindu, Marathi " Forward class " is used in India generally to denote communities and Castes from any religion who do not currently qualify for Government of India Shivaji Bhosle, also known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhosle ( Marathi: छत्रपती शिवाजीराजे भोसले (Born February The Peshwa ( Marathi:पेशवा plural Peshwe, Marathi:पेशवे were Brahmin Prime Ministers to the Maratha Kshatriya (क्षत्रिय kṣatriya from क्षत्र kṣatra) is one of the four varnas (social orders in Hinduism Hundreds of Princely states in British India existed prior to the independence of India and Pakistan (including the present Bangladesh

Dictionary

Maratha

-noun

  1. A member of a Hindu people from Maharashtra
  2. The language of this people
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