Maratha

The Maratha are an Indian caste, or hereditary social class. The Maratha originate in what is now Maharashtra, the region of India’s west coast from Mumbai to Goa and inland about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Nagpur. Marathi is the language spoken in this region. The Maratha were once peasants and warriors, but in modern times are primarily agricultural landowners and soldiers.

The Maratha Kshatriya or Maratha Rajput caste comprises ninety-six clans in the Deccan region. It includes the Kshatriya clans of the Deccan plateau and some northern Kshatriya/Rajput clans. Many of the Rajput clans relocated to the region to escape the invading Muslims, and over time intermarried with the Kshatriyas.

Between the late seventeenth and early nineteenth centuries, the Maratha held power in India. Emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji, a warrior, founded the Maratha Empire to bring stability to the Deccan plateau region. His people were Hindus who resisted as the Mughal Empire was expanding into southern India. The Marathas pushed back, preventing the expansion of Islam farther into India.

Background

Operating for more than three thousand years, the caste system of India is one of the oldest forms of social class division still in existence. It divides Hindus based on karma, or work, and dharma, or duty. A book known as Manusmriti, which dates to at least 1000 BCE, is the recognized authority on Hindu law. It justifies the caste system as being necessary to create order in society.

The four main categories in the system are Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras. Many believe that these categories are based on the Hindu god of creation, Brahma. Brahmins, the top caste, are traditionally teachers and intellectuals and according to legend were created from Brahma’s head. Kshatriyas are known as rulers and warriors and are said to have been created from Brahma’s arms while the Vaishyas, the traders, were created from his thighs. The Shudras, the caste of menial laborers, supposedly came from Brahma’s feet. Within the four castes are about three thousand castes and twenty-five thousand subcastes categorized by occupation. A fifth group, the achhoots or Dalits, remains outside the system and are often called untouchables because they are regarded as unclean.

Village life was largely stratified, and the caste system was allegedly strictly enforced. Those at the top of the hierarchy held all the privileges. The upper and lower castes always stayed apart, living in different colonies and even having water wells that were for them alone. Individuals reportedly could not marry outside their own caste. Some historians say that the caste system was less rigid before the British colonial era, however, and the British used the caste system to control Indian society.

India was inhabited by many Muslim and Hindu kingdoms for centuries. During the sixteenth century, it became united under the Mughals. The Mughal Empire rose to power under Emperor Babur, a direct descendant of Tamerlane and Genghis Khan. Babur’s forces defeated the Lodi Empire in 1526 at the First Battle of Panipat in North India, giving Babur control of the region. Babur’s grandson, Akbar, later conquered many kingdoms and controlled most of India. The kingdoms he did not control were tributaries. Akbar instituted an administrative system known as the Mansabdari system, which determines the ranks of government officials and remains in use in modern times. Several generations of the family continued to add territory to the empire through conquests, and the Mughal Empire reached its peak at the turn of the eighteenth century. The sixth Mughal emperor died in 1707, and shortly thereafter, the empire began to crumble.

The Maratha Empire began chipping away at the Mughal Empire’s power during the seventeenth century. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj carved out his Hindi empire by raising an army and building and renovating strongholds. He recognized the strategic advantage of having a navy, so he established one. He also placed forts along the coast to defend against the Konkan territory. Many of these forts remain standing in the twenty-first century and are a tourist attraction.

Shivaji relied on guerilla warfare against the Mughals and was nicknamed the Mountain Rat for his cunning and stealth, as well as for his acute knowledge of the landscape. He led his ten-thousand-strong army on raids, ambushes, and surprise attacks. He coaxed the chiefs from the Desh, Konkan, and Maval regions to work together and strengthen Maharashtra Dharma, the liberal Bhakti religious movement. He grew his kingdom, Hindavi Swaraja, or sovereign Hindu state, until it stretched from what is now Pakistan to East India. Hindavi Swaraja was the strongest power in India.

The tactics of Shivaji continued to influence the region after his death. The Marathas fought the Mughals and sultans of the peninsula. The Mughal Empire fractured, becoming many independent states during the nineteenth century.

The Maratha Empire lasted from 1674 to 1818. It was the largest state in South Asia by the mid-eighteenth century and controlled the Mughal emperors who were installed in Delhi. Later, the Marathas lost power when the British invaded.

The caste system has influenced Indian society to various degrees for centuries. When India gained independence from British rule in 1947, the people demanded that more attention be paid to achieving equality. In 1950, the government instituted quota systems in hiring to ensure that opportunities were available to people of all castes. Discrimination was outlawed. Many individuals benefited from these changes. For example, Dr. B.R. Ambedar was born a Dalet, yet he became a scholar and statesman and wrote India’s constitution.

Overview

The Marathas originate in the Deccan Plateau, the location of the modern state of Maharashtra. This is the second-most-populous state in India and the third-largest in area. About 80 percent of the 126 million people are Marathi Hindus. With Mumbai as the state capital and India’s financial capital, it is no surprise that Maharashtra is the nation’s wealthiest state as well. However, over 20 percent of the Maratha people live in poverty, largely because of a lack of high-paying occupation opportunities and low levels of education attainment.

In the twentieth century, the peasant people of the Kshatriya Kunbi caste began calling themselves Maratha and are counted along with the ninety-six upper castes as Marathas. In addition to the primary language Marathi, the people speak Hindi and Konkani. The Hindi film industry is based in Mumbai, hence the language’s importance in the region. English is the government language.

The more than 350 forts that dot Maharashtra speak to the region’s past as a stronghold against invaders. The region is also home to ancient Buddhist monasteries and rock-cut caves, as well as temples and cave architecture such as pillared halls. Far from the urban areas, many tribal communities maintain traditional practices and cultures. These tribes include Bhils, Gonds, Kolis, Mahadeo Koli, and Warlis farmers.

The Maratha caste’s tradition as landowners continues in Maharashtra, though the majority of modern farms are typically quite small. The Konkan coastal plains, which experience tropical conditions and rainfall, are known for paddy fields and coconut gardens. The state relies on agriculture for income and employment. Around 80 percent of the rural population is employed in the agriculture industry. The primary food crops are bajra, bananas, grapes, jowar, oranges, pulses, rice, and wheat. Major cash crops include cotton, groundnut, sugarcane, tobacco, and turmeric. Maharashtra has about 150 cooperative sugar mills. The state has encouraged agricultural operations to increase the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, which are high-value export crops. In addition to agriculture, Maharashtra has developed software parks in several cities. Major banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, and mutual fund companies are represented in urban areas.

The communities of Maharashtra observe the traditional Hindu holidays and celebrations. For example, the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha is observed by creating and decorating idols of Ganesha. On the eleventh day, the idols are carried through the street while people sing and dance, and the statues are immersed in water. Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated for four days. In addition, Chhatrapati Shivaji's birthday is observed annually on February 19. The public holiday is celebrated as Shiv Jayanti with a festival. People dress as Shivaji or people in legends about him and attend parades. Dancers perform to traditional music, and people shower the statue of Shivaji at Shivneri Fort, his birthplace, with floral bouquets.

Though modern Indians wear Western dress, especially in urban areas, many people in Maharashtra wear traditional garb. For women, this usually means a nine-yard sari, a long length of cloth wrapped and draped about the body. Men wear dhotis, a rectangular piece of cloth wrapped around the legs and knotted at the waist.

Bibliography

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