Mahar Not to be confused with Mahar (Sindhi tribe). For other uses, see Mahar (disambiguation). Mahar Regions with significant populations India (Maharashtra) ~11.23 million The Land of Brave Mahars, The Land of Maharashtra State. File:The Land of Brave Mahars, The Land of Maharashtra State..jpg Languages Marathi Religion Hinduism Buddhism Christianity Related ethnic groups Marathi people, Indo-Aryans The Mahar are an Indian community historically identified as Nag-vanshis (Serpents). They are found largely within Naglok i.e. present State of Maharashtra, where they comprise 10% of the population, and neighboring states.[1] As Warriors they were assigned a very high status in Buddhist Literature, and most of the Mahar community followed social reformer B. R. Ambedkar in converting to Buddhism in the early 20th century.[2][3] Etymology Early theories The 19th century activist and social reformer Jyotirao Phule wrote that the Mahars are indigenous people of India belong to Somvanshi Kshatriya (warrior) varna, and they were conquered by Aryan Brahman race, which came from beyond the Indus region to invade India and the established the caste system for social control. The Mahar fought with the Brahman. Phule proposed etymologies great/terrible enemy (maha meaning great and ari or art meaning enemy).[4][5][6] The name of Maharashtra state is derived from land of the Mahars(Mahāran̄ce rāṣṭra ).[7][8] History Middle Ages Though of scheduled caste, during the Bhakti era of Hinduism several Mahar saints such as Chokhamela, Karmamela, Banka, Nirmala., Soyarabai and Bhagu became popular.[9][10][11] Chokhamela, a popular 14th century Mahar poet-saint, was denied basic rights such as education. His Abhangas narrating incidents were orally handed down for generations and this living tradition is continued by the Varkari community and other communities of pilgrims. Chokhamela, his wife, her brother and their son are all historic figures in the Varkari cult.[12] Peshwa Rule The Mahar were subjected to painful degradation during the rule of Chitpavan Peshwa. These Peshwas were limited to only Pune area of western Maharashtra, where it is said that, the Mahars were treated as untouchables by these Peshwas, and the 500 Mahar warrior ended up this Peshwa rule on 1st January 1818, by defeating the 20,000 cavalry and 8,000 soldiers of the Peshava (Maratha) Army in the Battle_of_Koregaon near Pune.[13] In Nagpur, the second Capital of Maharashtra State, in the Vidarbha Province (Earlier Capital of Central Province and Berar C.P & Berar, present Madhya Pradesh State) Mr. Sakharam Meshram was the First Mayor of Nagpur for the three consecutive terms, indicates that the Mahars were highly respected in the Era of Indian Independence.[13] British India The Imperial Gazetteer of India, writing about Nagpur district, India, described the social status of the Mahars in the early 1900s: Mahars form a sixth of the whole population, the great majority being cultivators and labourers. The rural Mahar is still considered impure, and is not allowed to drink from the village well, nor may his children sit in school with those of the Hindu castes. But there are traces of decay of this tendency, as many Mahars have become wealthy and risen in the world, with their tenacity and adaptive ability.[14] The Mahar occupied an important, if low-status, place in the village system of the Deccan.[15] Traditionally, they were made to live on the outskirts of villages. Their duties included those of village watchman, messenger, wall mender, adjudicator of boundary disputes, street sweeper, and remover and processor of carcasses. They also worked as agricultural labourers and held some land, though they were not primarily farmers.[16] Mahars were considered an Untouchable caste in the Hindu community but under British rule they became aware of their social and political rights.[17] As the collective consciousness of the Mahar grew in the 20th century, significa
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 13:06:11 +0000
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