Konkan Maratha
Encyclopedia
Konkan Maratha or Konkana are Konkani-speaking Hindus claiming Kshatriya
status, with their ancestral homes in Karwar
, Ankola
, and Goa
with surnames such as Shinde/Kadams(Daspatkars),Naik/Nayak, Rane, Kadam, Powar/Pawar, Savant/Sawant, Khalwadekar, Gaonkar, Khanvilkar, Salunke, Desai/Dessai, Phal, Sail, Aigal, Shet, Chapolekar, Bhagat, NaikRane, Phaldesai, Dalvi, NaikDesai, PhalDesai, Rajeshirke and others. The members of this community with native in Goa
prefer to call themselves as Kshatriya Marathas with a Desai (to assert their landlord status) attached to their surname like NaikDesai, PhalDesai, etc.
They are colloquially referred to along with Goud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) as bhaatkaars (plantations owners) in Goa. This community is a subgroup among the 96 Maratha clans
. They have been the most dominant caste politically in Karwar region owing to their overwhelming majority and political acumen but in recent times have lost that clout as a result of falling numbers due to the compulsion of migrations to bigger cities because of the lack of industrialization in Karwar. Strictly endogamous they occasionally marry other Marathas from Joida
, Belgaum
.
conquest of Goa in 1510, they were known as Chardo or Chatur-rathi. The caste appellation of Chardo eventually fell into disuse among the Hindu Kshatriyas, who joined the other Kshatriyas of the Deccan and began to be known as Marathas, in order to differentiate themselves from the Christian Kshatriyas (chardo)
who had embraced Christianity
. The Portuguese, fearing the relapses of their converts to Hinduism, destroyed all available material reminiscent of the old religion including literary works which are stated by historians to have been in Konkani, mainly religious or socio-religious in nature. Thus leading to significant loss of history prior to Portuguese era, which couldn't be preserved due to reppressive treatment of the Hindus by the Portuguese regime.
and the Sawants(Savant) owe their origins to the ancient Shilahara
dynasty of Konkan
Maharashtra
(Sawantwadi region), while the Salunkhes(Salunke) are the descendants the great Chalukyas. The Konkana community has been in the area for some time. Muhammad Gavan’s conquest of the fort of Shringarpur in Ratnagiri district of Maharastra and around – 1471 AD 3.The period of the devastating invasions of Goa by Malik Kafur in 1313 AD and Muhammad-bin-Tughluk in 1327 AD and the upheavals in Goa and around thereafter in the 14th century AD and 4.The date mentioned in the Sadashivgad Copper Plates available with the Kadamba family of Deva-wada (Sadashivgad) – 14 October, 1179 AD. Shivaji’s conquests of Shiveshwar Mahal and around (Karwar area) – 1665 AD to 1675 AD 2. The Dalvi who was in command of about 1000 men stationed at Karwar
under the Sultan of Bijapur played an important role in helping Shivaji in this victory.
word Chatur-rathi or the Prakrit
Chau-radi, which literally means "the ones who ride a chariot yoked with four horses", like the Maha-rathi(great charioteer) for the origin of word Maratha
.
is 520 km west of Bangalore. The Kali river flows through the town into Arabian Sea. Motor launches are available for boating up to the Kali river. Karwar is also known for its fine muslin. The muslin industry was started in 1638 by Sir Willam Counten who had opened a factory here.
Karwar was a part of the Maratha Empire
during the 18th century. After the defeat of the Marathas in the Third Anglo-Maratha War
, it became a part of British territory. It was a part of the Bombay Presidency
until 1950.
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
status, with their ancestral homes in Karwar
Karwar
Karwar is the administrative headquarters of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, India. It is a seaside town situated on the banks of the Kali river which is on the west coast of the Indian peninsula. The town lies about 15 kilometres south of the Karnataka–Goa border and 519 km north-west...
, Ankola
Ankola
Ankola which is a Taluk is in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka state, India. A small town by any standard surrounded by numerous temples. It is in line with Arabian sea. The beaches present at this place are Baskal gudda, nadibag, shedikuli, keni, Belekeri and many more...
, and Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
with surnames such as Shinde/Kadams(Daspatkars),Naik/Nayak, Rane, Kadam, Powar/Pawar, Savant/Sawant, Khalwadekar, Gaonkar, Khanvilkar, Salunke, Desai/Dessai, Phal, Sail, Aigal, Shet, Chapolekar, Bhagat, NaikRane, Phaldesai, Dalvi, NaikDesai, PhalDesai, Rajeshirke and others. The members of this community with native in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
prefer to call themselves as Kshatriya Marathas with a Desai (to assert their landlord status) attached to their surname like NaikDesai, PhalDesai, etc.
They are colloquially referred to along with Goud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) as bhaatkaars (plantations owners) in Goa. This community is a subgroup among the 96 Maratha clans
Maratha clan system
The Marāthā clan system refers to the network of families and surnames within the Maratha culture of India. The Maratha primarily reside in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Goa and Tamilnadu...
. They have been the most dominant caste politically in Karwar region owing to their overwhelming majority and political acumen but in recent times have lost that clout as a result of falling numbers due to the compulsion of migrations to bigger cities because of the lack of industrialization in Karwar. Strictly endogamous they occasionally marry other Marathas from Joida
Joida
Joida is a small town in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India. The town is the headquarters of the eponymous taluk, lying in the Uttara Kannada district. Located close to Ambikanagar, Joida is also called Supa by locals. KPCL maintains the Supa Dam, which straddles the Kali River nearby.Joida...
, Belgaum
Belgaum
Belgaum is a city and a municipal corporation in Belgaum district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the fourth largest city of the state of Karnataka, the first three being Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad....
.
History
Prior to the PortuguesePortuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
conquest of Goa in 1510, they were known as Chardo or Chatur-rathi. The caste appellation of Chardo eventually fell into disuse among the Hindu Kshatriyas, who joined the other Kshatriyas of the Deccan and began to be known as Marathas, in order to differentiate themselves from the Christian Kshatriyas (chardo)
Roman Catholic Kshatriya
The Roman Catholic Kshatriya is a caste among the Goan and Mangalorean Catholics, of modern-day descendants of Goan Kshatriya and a few Vaishya converts to Roman Catholicism. They are respectively known as Chardo in the Goan Catholic dialects of Konkani The Roman Catholic Kshatriya is a caste among...
who had embraced Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. The Portuguese, fearing the relapses of their converts to Hinduism, destroyed all available material reminiscent of the old religion including literary works which are stated by historians to have been in Konkani, mainly religious or socio-religious in nature. Thus leading to significant loss of history prior to Portuguese era, which couldn't be preserved due to reppressive treatment of the Hindus by the Portuguese regime.
Origin
Most members of the community trace their origins to the royal family of Shringarpur of Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra( Kankunkars like Ranes, Naiks, Gaonkar,Desai,etc ), while Kadams originated from Goa KadambasKadambas
The Kadamba Dynasty was an ancient royal family of Karnataka that ruled from Banavasi in present day Uttara Kannada district. The dynasty later continued to rule as a feudatory of larger Kannada empires, the Chalukya and the Rashtrakuta empires for over five hundred years during which time they...
and the Sawants(Savant) owe their origins to the ancient Shilahara
Shilahara
The Shilahara Dynasty was a feudal clan that established itself in northern and southern Konkan and southern Maharashtra during the Rashtrakuta period...
dynasty of Konkan
Konkan
The Konkan also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad to Mangalore...
Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
(Sawantwadi region), while the Salunkhes(Salunke) are the descendants the great Chalukyas. The Konkana community has been in the area for some time. Muhammad Gavan’s conquest of the fort of Shringarpur in Ratnagiri district of Maharastra and around – 1471 AD 3.The period of the devastating invasions of Goa by Malik Kafur in 1313 AD and Muhammad-bin-Tughluk in 1327 AD and the upheavals in Goa and around thereafter in the 14th century AD and 4.The date mentioned in the Sadashivgad Copper Plates available with the Kadamba family of Deva-wada (Sadashivgad) – 14 October, 1179 AD. Shivaji’s conquests of Shiveshwar Mahal and around (Karwar area) – 1665 AD to 1675 AD 2. The Dalvi who was in command of about 1000 men stationed at Karwar
Karwar
Karwar is the administrative headquarters of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, India. It is a seaside town situated on the banks of the Kali river which is on the west coast of the Indian peninsula. The town lies about 15 kilometres south of the Karnataka–Goa border and 519 km north-west...
under the Sultan of Bijapur played an important role in helping Shivaji in this victory.
Etymology
The precise etymology of the word Chardo is unknown. The most probable explanation given by historian B.D. Satoskar is that the Konkani word comes from the SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
word Chatur-rathi or the Prakrit
Prakrit
Prakrit is the name for a group of Middle Indic, Indo-Aryan languages, derived from Old Indic dialects. The word itself has a flexible definition, being defined sometimes as, "original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual", or "vernacular", in contrast to the literary and religious...
Chau-radi, which literally means "the ones who ride a chariot yoked with four horses", like the Maha-rathi(great charioteer) for the origin of word Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
.
Karwar
KarwarKarwar
Karwar is the administrative headquarters of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, India. It is a seaside town situated on the banks of the Kali river which is on the west coast of the Indian peninsula. The town lies about 15 kilometres south of the Karnataka–Goa border and 519 km north-west...
is 520 km west of Bangalore. The Kali river flows through the town into Arabian Sea. Motor launches are available for boating up to the Kali river. Karwar is also known for its fine muslin. The muslin industry was started in 1638 by Sir Willam Counten who had opened a factory here.
Karwar was a part of the Maratha Empire
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....
during the 18th century. After the defeat of the Marathas in the Third Anglo-Maratha War
Third Anglo-Maratha War
The Third Anglo-Maratha War was the final and decisive conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India. The war left the Company in control of most of India. It began with an invasion of Maratha territory by 110,400 British East India Company troops, the largest...
, it became a part of British territory. It was a part of the Bombay Presidency
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...
until 1950.
Canacona
Canacona is one of the five talukas that constitute the South Goa district.The name Canacona is a correction of the name Konkan. The area was one of the districts of the former Kingdom of Soonda, itself a remnant of the former Vijayanagara Empire. When Soonda was invaded and partially occupied by Hyder Ali of Mysore, the heirless Raja ceded the remaining parts to Portugal and these were incorporated into Goa as the districts of Quepem, Sanguem and Canacona. Canacona experienced less Lusitanisation than the central Velhas Conquistas.Notables
- Rama Raghoba RaneRama Raghoba RaneSecond Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane, was born on 26 June 1918 at Chendia, Karwar, Karnataka, India. He comes from Konkan Kshatriya Maratha community of Karwar. His statue has been erected in Karwar. He was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers on 15 December 1947. He retired as a Major from the...
, Param Vir ChakraParam Vir ChakraThe Param Vir Chakra is India's highest military decoration awarded for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy. It can be, and often has been, awarded posthumously....
recipient - S. D. Gaonkar, Chairman Karnataka Legislative CouncilKarnataka Legislative CouncilThe Karanatka Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of Karnataka state in southern India. Karnataka is one of the six states in India, where the state legislature is bicameral, comprising two houses: the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council...
- B. P. Kadam, MP, Uttar Kannada District, MLA, Karwar constituency
- Mahabaleshwar Sail, Konkani novelist and winner of the Vimala V Pai Vishwa Konkani Sahithya Puraskar 2010
See also
- People of the Konkan Division#Marathas
- MarathaMarathaThe Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
- Maratha EmpireMaratha EmpireThe Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....
- Konkani