Draft:Konkan Maratha

Konkan Maratha is a Konkani speaking Hindu Kshatriya community with their ancestral home in Karwar, Ankola, and other areas in North Karnataka, South Konkan district of Maharashtra and Goa.

The members of this community with their native in Goa belonged to various dynasties that ruled the ancient Konkan coast, i.e. the region between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats in Maharashtra, Goa and in Karnataka, called Canara, prior to the Portuguese arrival in Goa. These Kshatriyas having Konkani as their native language are the Konkan Maratha.

Kshatriyas of Goa prefer to attach Desai (to assert their landlord status) to their surnames like NaikDesai, PhalDessai, etc. They, along with the Gaud Saraswat Brahmins, are also colloquially referred as bhaatkars (plantation owners).

This community is a subgroup among the 96 Maratha clans of deccan collectively called as 96 Kuli Maratha/ Kshatriya Marathas with surnames such as Shinde/Kadam (Daspatkars), Naik/Nayak, Rane, Kadam, Powar/Pawar, Savant/Sawant, Thakur, Shet Goankar, Khalwadekar, Gaonkar, Khanvilkar, Salunke, Desai/Dessai, Phal, Sail, Aigal, Parab, Bagwe, Chapolekar, Bhagat, NaikRane, Prabhu, Dalvi, NaikDesai, PhalDesai, Rajeshirke and others.

They have been the most dominant caste politically in Karwar, Belgaum and other bordering areas, owning to their overwhelming majority and political acumen. However, in recent times they have lost that clout, because of falling numbers because of compulsion of migration to bigger cities and lack of industrialization in the region and better opportunities outside.

Strictly endogamous they occasionally marry outside the Konkani speaking region (i.e., Goa and Karwar) with other 96 Maratha clans from Supa/Joida, Belgaum, and Konkan Maharashtra.

History

After the Portuguese conquest of Goa in 1510, and later during the Inquisition, the Hindus were forcefully converted and temples belonging to the Chardos were in the process of desecration in many villages of Goa. The Portuguese, fearing the relapse of their converts to Hinduism, destroyed all available material reminiscent of the old religion, including many literary works of religious or socio-religious nature, stated by the historians to be mainly in the Konkani language. This leads to significant loss of history before the Portuguese era, which couldn't be preserved because of repressive treatment by the Portuguese regime.

The first community that revolted against Portuguese rule was the Kshatriya. The caste appellation of Chardo eventually fell into disuse among the Hindu Kshatriyas who, in order to differentiate themselves from those Kshatriyas who converted to Roman Catholicism, began identifying themselves as Kshatriya Maratha.

Origin

Most members of the community trace their origins to the royal family of Shringarpur in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra (Kankunkars like Ranes, Savants, Thakur, Naiks, Gaonkar, Desai, Bagwe etc.), While Bagwes had their original seat in Dhar. They were sardars of the Bijapur Kings (like Shahaji Maharaj) and had come for a mission to save the land. And after the victory, they settled in Konkan. The Kadams, however, originated from Kadambas of Goa and the Sawants owe their origins to the ancient Shilahara dynasty of Konkan Maharashtra (Sawantwadi region). The Salunkhes (Salunke) are the descendants of the great Chalukyas.

The Konkana community has been in the area for quite some time, even before the date mentioned in Sadashivgad copper plate available with the Kadamba family of Deva-wada (Sadashivgad) 14 October 1179 AD. The period of devastating invasions of Goa in the 14th century by Malik Kafur (1313 AD) and Muhammad-bin-Tughluk (1327 AD) and subsequent upheavals thereafter to Muhammad Gavan's conquest of the fort Shringarpur in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra around 1471 AD.

Also, during Shivaji's conquests of Shiveshwar Mahal and around (Karwar area) 1665 AD to 1675 AD. 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.

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 Sanskrit word Chatur-rathi or the Prakrit Chau-radi, which literally means "the one who ride a chariot yoked with four horses", like the Maha-rathi (great charioteer) for the origin of the word Maratha.

Culture

The Konkan Maratha people primarily speak Konkani, and secondarily Marathi language. They partake non-vegetarian food like most Kshatriyas. Their cuisine is like that of others in the Konkan region and is loosely similar to Malvani, Goan, and Mangalorean cuisine.

Parboiled rice with various kinds of Gaalne curry is their favourite traditional food, like Pej and Bhaje Aambat. Their ancestral attire is like the Maharashtrian and Goan Hindu attire.

History

After the Portuguese conquest of Goa in 1510, forceful conversions happened followed by the Inquisition that led to the prosecution of Hindus and temples were being desecrated in many villages in Goa. Kshatriyas were the first community that revolted against the Portuguese rule. The caste appellation of Chardo eventually fell into disuse among the Hindu Kshatriyas to differentiate themselves from those who converted to Roman Catholicism, and began identifying themselves as Kshatriya Maratha.

The Portuguese, fearing the relapse of their converts to Hinduism, destroyed all available material reminiscent of the old religion, including many literary works stated by the historians to be mainly in the Konkani and religious or socio-religious in nature. Thus, leading to significant loss of history before the Portuguese era, which couldn't be preserved because of repressive treatment by the Portuguese regime.

Origin

Most members of the community trace their origins to the royal family of Shringarpur in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra (Kankunkars like Ranes, Savants, Thakur, Naiks, Gaonkar, Desai, Bagwe etc.), While Bagwes had their original seat in Dhar. They were sardars of the Bijapur Kings (like Shahaji Maharaj) and had come on a mission to save the land. And after the victory, they settled in Konkan. The Kadams, however, originated from Kadambas of Goa and the Sawants owe their origins to the ancient Shilahara dynasty of Konkan Maharashtra (Sawantwadi region). The Salunkhes (Salunke) are the descendants of the great Chalukyas. 

The Konkana community has been in the area for quite some time, even before the date mentioned in Sadashivgad copper plate available with the Kadamba family of Deva-wada (Sadashivgad) 14 October 1179 AD. The period of devastating invasions of Goa in the 14th century by Malik Kafur (1313 AD) and Muhammad-bin-Tughluk (1327 AD) and subsequent upheavals thereafter to Muhammad Gavan's conquest of the fort Shringarpur in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra around 1471 AD.

Also, during Shivaji's conquest of Shiveshwar Mahal and around (Karwar area) from 1665 AD to 1675 AD. 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.

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 Sanskrit word Chatur-rathi or the Prakrit Chau-radi, which literally means "the one who rides a chariot yoked with four horses", like the Maha-rathi (great charioteer) for the origin of the word Maratha.

Culture

The Konkan Maratha people primarily speak Konkani, and secondarily, Marathi. They partake non-vegetarian food like most Kshatriyas. Their cuisine is like that of others in the Konkan region and is loosely similar to Malvani, Goan, and Mangalorean cuisine.

Parboiled rice with various kinds of Gaalne curry is their favorite traditional food, like Pej and Bhaje Aambat. Their ancestral attire is like the Maharashtrian and Goan Hindu attire.

Notable Personalities:

• Rama Raghoba Rane, Param Vir Chakra recipient

• Jogi Ganba Naik, Victoria Cross recipient

• S. D. Gaonkar, Chairman Karnataka legislative council

• B. P. Kadam, Member of parliament Uttar Kannada district, MLA Karwar constituency

• Mahabaleshwar Sail, Konkani novelist and winner of the Sahitya Academy

• Prabhakar S. Rane, Former minister of Karnataka

• Satish Sail, MLA Karwar-Ankola constituency