Mali community of Maharashtra Name of this community is dervied from Maloi or Malavi or Malli which were the peaople of Malwa region ( Central India) who migrated down to Khandesh and Godavri and Bhima Valleys. They have descended from Mathura’s Surasena kingdom. Mallis were the people of Malwa who fought with Alexander The Great near Multan. Both Mali’s and Kunbi’s claim their movement to southward in ancient times from Multan area to Malwa. Mali caste constitute the third largest cultivator caste of Maharashtra peasant castes after Maratha and Kunbi caste. Mali’s are 7 % of the total poulation of Maharashtra. They are the specialist cultivators involved in the cultivation of Flowers, Vegetables and fruits, Sugarcane, Cotton, Tamarind, Cumin/Jira, Ginger and Haldi/Turmeric alongwith foodgrains and also combines the skill of professional gardening. While Kunbi was considered a general tiller of the land involved with only cultivation of staple food. Their language, customs, traditions, beliefs, religion, culture and social status and geographical distribution is same to Kunbi- Maratha castes. They do not marry in the same gotra and with first and second cousins. Widow marriage and divorce are permitted. Their dead bodies are creamated. Earlier girls were married before puberty but not now. Mali community is follower of Hinduism and follow the Varkari sect and Vaishnavism. They also follow Lingayat sect in small proportion. Devi is their principal deity and marriages are performed in front of the deity. Devi is local incarnation of Maha Kali and represents the dreaded disease of smallpox and goats are sacrificed to please the Devi. They employ Brahmin priests for marriage ceremony and other hindu rituals. Pandharpur is a sacred place for the community and Abhang kirtana is part of their spirtual life. They have established Sant Swata Mali temples allover the state. Mali community is also a part of Gosain/Gosavi sect and Yogi castes of Nath Sampardaya.. Their language is Marathi and speak all the dialects of this language like Ahirani, Manedeshi etc. based on region. In the bordering areas they also speak Gujrati, Kannad, Telugu and Hindustani. Their dress includes Maharashtrian style Dhoti called Dhotar and Sadara (Kurta) and freshly folded pagri/turban. For everyday use they wear Mundassa as head dress and wear red turban on special occasions like marriage and birth and other festivals. In daily life shoulder cloth (Uparne) is also a part of Mali men’s attire.They also use gandhi topi and Bandi (short coat) and countrymade Joda (shoes). Women wear traditional 9 yard saree called Lugade and girls wear Parkar (peticoat) and Palka (blouse). They also use Ghagra and embroidered Choli and equally graceful Dupatta. They wear trditiona jewellry like Nath(Nose ring), Besar,Choker, Tanmani(short necklace) and bajuband(the amulet). Nath and Besar are worne by married women. Rice, Jowar and Arhar is their staple food and use a lot of coconut and peanut in food. They perform a dance and song form based on incarnation of Lord Krishna known as Vasudev particularly in districts of Jalgaon and Dhule and perform Dindi dance when they join the procession to temple of Vithal . Lavni is performed by women .They celebrate festivals like Holi, Gudhi Padwa, Makar sakranti, Rakhi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Dushehra and Diwali, Gokul Ashtami and POLA their harvest festival. Main crops produced by Mali farmers are Turmeric, onions, vegetables, mango, grapes, flowers, cotton, jowar, sugarcane, groundnut, sunflower, soyabean, rice , papayas, oranges, bananas, pulses and cumin. Tanks, wells and canals are the main source of irrigation. They raise Killari breed of Cows and Oxen to use them for milk, ploughing and cart racing. They worship their oxen and during Pola celebrationsin rainy season take their bullocks in procession.. Mali’s were a part of Maratha army regiments during Peshwa and British rule and also provide a large no.of recruits to State Police Force and Indian army as per theirYadu Kshatrya traditions. During British rule Brahmins and Rajputs lobbyed to exclude them from Maratha regiments of Bombay presidency but they were failed in doing so by the combined efforts of Mahatama Phule and Rajas of Kolhapur, Baroda and Indore. During British rule Mali’s entered into Bacward class alongwith Maratha-Kunbi’s to gain the profit of reservation of assembly seats for them in Bombay Council as they fought for British in the first world war. Distribution -- Malis are widely distributed in all parts of Maharashtra except Konkan region. They are the second largest community of political influence in Vidharba, Marathwada and Khandesh regions of Maharashtra. They have strong presense in 36 assembly constituencies out of total 288. Mali community has influence on 15 Parliament and 100 Assembly seats. 1) Khandesh—Mali’s are the leading cultivating caste of this region og Satpura foothills and are found in large numbers in Dhule, Nasik and Jalgaon districts. Nasik was once the centre of Yadava kingdom who belong to their sister caste. Nasik is one of the great pilgrimage centre of Hindus and a Kumbh Mela is organised here every 12 years. Sh.Chaggan Bhujbal Ex.Deputy Chief Minister belongs to this dsitrict. Mali community constructed Mali kund in Nasik in 1870 AD. Mali are majority community in Dhule and Jalgaon. Shirpur in Dhlue is stronghold of Mali’s, Smt.Parvati Bai Dalpatrao Mali College is situated in Shirpur. Dr.R. S.Mali is ex VC of North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon. 2) Marathwada- Mali community is wide spread in whole of Marathwada region and is the dominant caste of central Marathwada districts of Parbhani, Aurangabad and Jalna etc. Smt. Savitri Bai Phule belonged to Satara district. Saint Swata Mali Ji were from Aran in Sholapur District. Sh. N. S. Pharande is a big Mali leader of BJP party from Ahmednagar. Freedom Fighters like Sh. Shivaji Mnaji Mali of Satara and Sh. Dhondiram Mali of Kupwad from Satara district are also from this region. Mahatama Phule belonged to the Gorhe family of Pune. Kacchu Malis of Sholapur are involved in the famous cotton industry. Sh.Vithal Thamaji Mali is a Mali politician from Kopargaon in Ahmednagar and is Vice President of Kopargaon co-operative society. Mr.Chandukaka Jagtap is MLA from Pune. Bala Sahib Shivarkar is an eminent political leader from Mali caste of Pune, He is 3 times ex MLA and ex Cabinet minister. Mali community of Sholapur district was the the first in Maharashtra to start farmers co-operative movement for water irrigation and sugar mill in Maharashtra. Sangol, Malinagar and Mohal in Sholapur are strongholds. Mali’s are found in large no.’s in Nanded,Latur, Beed and Sangli districts. 3) Vidharba—Mali’s constitute the largest OBC group of Vidharba region along with Teli’s. They are 4%of the population in tribal dominated areas of Vidarbha like Yavatmal, Chandrapur and are one of the dominant caste in Akola, Amravati division and Nagpur. Eg. Mr.Krishan rao Ingle is ex MLA from Buldhana and Mr.Vinayakrao Korde is MLA from Achalpur in Amravati. Subcastes of Mali community of Maharashtra Depending on the type of specialized cultivation Mali’s are grouped in different subcastes like Phul Mali- Cultivation of flowers and vegetables and professional gardening and temple services like supply of garlands and mukuts and maintainance of Palaces and Govt.buildings, this subcaste was mostly concentrated in and around the cities due to easy market access to their products eg Elite Phul Mali Families from all over Maharashtra were invited to settle in and around Pune by Peshwas , Jire Mali- Cumin cultivation, Halde Mali- Turmeric cultivation, Kacchu Mali – Cotton cultivation, Saini, Ghase Mali, Kase Mali, Chaukalsa Mali, Panchkalsa Mali etc. With times these subdivisions have been almost vanished and are only regarded as surnames. But now a days all the farming castes of Maharashtra are involved in production of these agricultural products and Mali’s are also involved with cash crops, as now farming has changed to more intensive and integrated industry and demand based products, so based on type of cultivation there is no distinction between Mali’s and other peasant castes. Surnames of Mali community of Maharahtra A) Aavchar, Ambekar, Adilinge/Adlinge, Adhao, Akalkar, Aanap, Aagarkar, Ahire, Abhang, Avasare B) Bhagwat, Baravkar, Bhujbal, Bhaskar, Burade, Bugade, Bodhke, Bele(=Bhele),Bhopale, Borse, Bhagat, Bhongle, Birmal, Bhakre, Borate, Bonsade, Bhale(=Bhela), Bali, Bharvirkar, Bidvai, Bagul, Boravke, Bunage, Bhamre, Baviskar, Bahalkar, Bhadke, Bhone, Bhong, Bankar, Bachav, Bhumkar, Bhanavase, Balsarf, Bhosal , Badade C) Chipade, Chovde, Chawre(Chere), Chilpe, Chandne(=Chandan), Charpe, Chaudhary, Chakane D) Dongre, Dhule, Darshne, Dale, Dalvi, Devare, Dudhe, Dhanwat(=Dhanauta), Dongche, Dhanumali, Dholepatil, Dagade, Doke(=Dulku/Dhorka), Dhole(=Dhole), Dedage, Date, Dhat, Dangle Dandge, Deshmukh E) Ethate, Elave F) Farande, Fulzade G) Gidhe(=Gidha), Gholap, Girme, Ghanwat, Ghasemali, Godekar, Gavali/Gawali, Ghadge/Gadage, Gawde, Ghumatkar, Gudhe, Gaikwad, Galhar(=Galhe), Garudkar, Gore/Gorhe(=Gaare)/Phule, Garde, Gharte, Gavandi, Ghodekar, Gangurde, Gavnde, Ghogre, Ghotal, Gadade H) Hazare, Hivse, Hingane/Hingne, Hegde, Herkal, Hagir, Hiwarkar, Haldemali, Hudekar I) Inamdar, Ingle/Ingale J) Jungare, Jambhale, Jhodge, Jhagde, Jiremali, Javle/Jawale, Jagtap, Jambhulkar, Jejurkar, Jamdade, Jagdale, Jadhekar, Jembe, Jadhav, Jaytal K) Khaire, Kasemali, Kachre, Kamod, Kamodkar, Karande, Keadre, Khamkar, Khalane, Kodre, Kurhe, Kubade, Kharpude, Karpe, Khurpe, Kolhe, Kandpile, Khandalkar, Kundle, Kavi, Khirsagar, Kore, Korde, Kanade, Kacchumali, Kudale, Khairnar, Karne, Khedkar, Kalmkar, Kukade, Kathale, Karankar, Kherde, Kale, Kalukhe L) Londhe, Lohane, Lokhande, Lothe, Lashkare M) Makh, Mahale, Madankar, Masne/Masane, Manekar, Mane, Memane, Magre, Mohite, Mhetre, Masurkar, More, Mandalik, Mahajan, Mokal, Malkar N) Namde, Nanavare, Nawle, Nandan, Narke, Nayakwadi, Newse, Nahire, Naik, Nagre, Naikude, Navade O) P) Pawar. Pandhare/Pandhre, Pathade/Pathare, Parahde, Pharande, Phulor, Patil, Parekh, Patkari, Pise, Pange, Pharate, Pingle/Pingale(=Panglia), Pashankar, Pable(=Pabla), Pigale, Pund, Prandwal Q) R) Rasve, Raul, Raut, Rajankar, Rahate, Ranmalkar, Raskar, Ratnakar, Ramane, Rakhonde, Rokade, Rajkule S) Survanshi, Sawant, Sabale, Sangole, Shewate, Sante, Shete, Shevkar, Sulokar, Shevte, Salunkhe/Salunke, Satav, Shevale, Samose, Shivarkar, Sapkal, Shelar, Saudane, Shinde, Sinalkar/ Shinalkar, Sinnarkar, Shiraskar, Sasane, Sonavane, Sarang, Sinlikar, Surse, Sonsale, Saini, Shegaonkar, Sapate T) Tisge, Tamhane, Tilekar, Tamalurkar, Tambe, Thorat, Telekar, Tarte, TaydeTodkar, Tajne U) Umale V) Vavhl, Vankhede, Vaghhale, Vagule, Vazare, Varnekar, Vavahare, Vithal, Vibhute, Vidhate, Varahdi W) Walke, Warule, Warulekar, Waghmare, Wagh, Waghule, Wenere Following is a list of commomnly shared clan names among Malis and Marathas and Kunbis, Ahirs and Dhangars Etc. Lokhande, Mhetre,Ingale,Mahale,Salunkhe, Pandhare, Sonavane, Nawle, Vyavhare, Jawle, Khairnar, Pawar, Shinde, Sawant, Shelar, Gaikwad,Kachre, Jagtap, Thorat, Dalvi, Khaire, Raut, Wagh, Bhagwat, Pingle, More, Ahire, Yadav, Jadhav, Mohite, Borade, Bhosale, Deshmukh, Lohane, Thorat, Hazare, Kale, Patil and Mane
Posted on: Thu, 29 May 2014 15:52:47 +0000
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