Mali caste

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Mallees, or Gardeners (9805808934).jpg
Malis in western India (c. 1855-1862).

The Mali are an occupational caste found among the Hindus who traditionally worked as gardeners and florists. They also call themselves Phul Mali due to their occupation of growing flowers. The Mali are found throughout North India, East India as well as the Terai region of Nepal and Maharashtra. Iravati Karve, an anthropologist, showed how the Maratha caste was generated from Kunbis who simply started calling themselves "Maratha". She states that Maratha, Kunbi and Mali are the three main farming communities of Maharashtra – the difference being that the Marathas and Kunbis were "dry farmers" whereas the Mali farmed throughout the year. [1]

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Mali of Northern india

In Rajasthan, caste based outfits of Mali caste, like 'Mahatama Phule Brigade', which caters to various needs of community associates them with Kushwaha caste. It is consented that Maurya, Kushwaha, Shakya, Saini are the different terms used to describe same community in various parts of North India. [2] Mali used to serve in the royal palaces as jharabdar. A man named Lakho was prominent jharabdar in the reign of Maharaja Mansingh [3] of Marwar.

Malis of Rajasthan launched a protest by blocking Jaipur-Agra Highway in 2023; they demanded that a survey should be conducted by state in order to find out socio-economic status of the community in various regions of Rajasthan. They also demanded 12 percent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions in state for themselves and their sister communities, the Shakya, Kushwaha, Maurya and Saini. In this protest, they were joined by members of aforementioned communities. [4]

Adoption of the surname Saini

The Mali community of Rajasthan state adopted the surname Saini during the 1930s when India was under British colonial rule. [5] [6]

Mali caste of Maharashtra

Jyotirao Phule,19th century social reformer Jyotirao Phule 1977 stamp of India.jpg
Jyotirao Phule,19th century social reformer

The Mali of Maharashtra are a caste of cultivators specializing in horticulture. [7] The caste is concentrated in five districts of Western Maharashtra and a district in the Vidarbha region. [8] They traditionally made their living by cultivating fruit, flowers and vegetables. [9] [10] There are many different sub-castes depending on what the sub-group cultivated, for example, the Phul mali were florists, the Jire mali grew jire or cumin, and halde mali cultivated Halad (turmeric) etc. [11] [12] In the 20th century, the mali have been the pioneers in using irrigation to grow cash crops such as sugar cane and in establishing farmer owned sugar mills. [13] This led later in the century of wide spread cultivation of sugarcane in Western Maharashtra by other communities as well as the establishment hundreds of sugar mills in Maharashtra and other regions of India. [14] [15]

Social activism & politics

The 19th century social reformer, Jyotirao Phule belonged to the Mali community. His work extended to many fields including eradication of untouchability and the caste system, and women's emancipation. He and his wife, Savitribai Phule, were pioneers of education for women and Dalits in India. The couple was among the first native Indians to open a school for girls of India. He also founded a home for pregnant Hindu brahmin widows who were cast out by their families. [16] In 1873, Phule, along with his followers, formed the Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of Seekers of Truth) to attain equal rights for people from lower castes. Other Mali such as Gyanoba Sasane and Narayan lokhande were leading members and financial supporters of the Samaj in its early years. [17] Lokhande has been called the father of trade Unionism in India. [18]

The Mali in Nepal

The Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal classifies the Mali as a subgroup within the broader social group of Madheshi Other Caste. [19] At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, 14,995 people (0.1% of the population of Nepal) were Mali. The frequency of Malis by province was as follows:

The frequency of Malis was higher than national average (0.1%) in the following districts: [20]

Notables

Related Research Articles

The Maratha caste is composed of 96 clans, originally formed in the earlier centuries from the amalgamation of families from the peasant (Kunbi), shepherd (Dhangar), blacksmith (Lohar), pastoral (Gavli), carpenter (Sutar), Bhandari, Thakar and Koli castes in Maharashtra. Many of them took to military service in the 16th century for the Deccan sultanates or the Mughals. Later in the 17th and 18th centuries, they served in the armies of the Maratha Kingdom, founded by Shivaji, a Maratha Kunbi by caste. Many Marathas were granted hereditary fiefs by the Sultanates, and Mughals for their service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jyotirao Phule</span> Indian Social Activist and Reformer

Jyotirao Govindrao Phule, also known as Jyotiba Phule, was an Indian social activist, businessman, anti-caste social reformer and writer from Maharashtra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Scindia</span> Maratha dynasty that ruled the Gwalior State in India

House of Scindia or earlier known as the Sendrak is a Hindu Maratha Royal House that ruled the erstwhile Gwalior State in central India. It had the Patil-ship of Kanherkhed in the district of Satara and was founded by Ranoji Scindia, who was sardar of maratha empire and real maratha warrior clan appointed by chattrapati shahuji maharaj-1's servant family from kokan worked as prime minister also known as Peshwa Bajirao I. Ranoji and his descendants, along with their rivals the Holkars, played a leading role during the Maratha ascendancy in northern India in the 18th-century. The Gwalior State became a princely state during the British Raj in the 19th and the 20th-centuries. After India's independence in 1947 and the abolition of princely states, several members of the Scindia (Shinde) family went on to enter Indian politics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kunbi</span> Farmer castes in Western India

Kunbi is a generic term applied to several castes of traditional farmers in Western India. These include the Dhonoje, Ghatole, Masaram, Hindre, Jadav, Jhare, Khaire, Lewa, Lonare and Tirole communities of Vidarbha. The communities are largely found in the state of Maharashtra but also exist in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala and Goa. Kunbis are included among the Other Backward Classes (OBC) in Maharashtra.

Saini is a caste of northern India. The community is given representation in government jobs and educational institutes as an Other Backward Class (OBC) in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shahu of Kolhapur</span> Raja and later Maharaja of Kolhapur from 1894 to 1922

Shahu of the Bhonsle dynasty of Marathas was a Raja and the first Maharaja (1900–1922) of the Indian princely state of Kolhapur. Rajarshi Shahu was considered a true democrat and social reformer. Shahu Maharaj was an able ruler who was associated with many progressive policies during his rule. From his coronation in 1894 till his demise in 1922, he worked for the cause of the lower caste subjects in his state. Primary education to all regardless of caste and creed was one of his most significant priorities.

Leva Patel is a sub-caste of Patidars in India, situated mainly in Charotar region of Gujarat. Compared to other Patidar subcastes such as the Kadavas, they had greater wealth and control of positions in commerce, education, and producer cooperatives.

The Dhangars are caste of people found in the Indian states of Maharashtra, northern Karnataka, Goa, Madhya Pradesh. They are referred to as Gavli Dhangars in northern Maharashtra and the forested hill tracts of India's Western Ghats, there are many distinct Gavli castes in Maharashtra and Dhangar Gavli is one of them.

The Maratha Clan System refers to the 96 Maratha clans. The clans together form the Maratha caste of India. These Marathas primarily reside in the Indian state of Maharashtra, with smaller regional populations in other states.

Tarabai Shinde (1850–1910) was a feminist activist who protested patriarchy and caste in 19th century India. She is known for her published work, Stri Purush Tulana, originally published in Marathi in 1882. The pamphlet is a critique of caste and patriarchy, and is often considered the first modern Indian feminist text. It was very controversial for its time in challenging the Hindu religious scriptures themselves as a source of women's oppression, a view that continues to be controversial and debated today. She was a member of Satyashodhak Samaj.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashok Gehlot</span> Indian politician (born 1951)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satyashodhak Samaj</span> Social reform movement in India, 1873–1930s

Satyashodhak Samaj was a social reform society founded by Jyotiba Phule in Pune, Maharashtra, on 24 September 1873. The society endeavoured to mitigate the distress and sufferings of Dalits and women. It espoused a mission of education and increased social rights and political access for underprivileged groups, focused especially on women, peasants, and Dalits, in Maharashtra. Jyotirao's wife Savitribai was the head of women's section of the society. The Samaj disbanded during the 1930s as leaders left to join the Indian National Congress party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhaurao Patil</span> Social activist and educator in Maharashtra, India

Bhaurao Patil, was a social activist and educator in Maharashtra, India. A strong advocate of mass education, he founded the Rayat Education Society. Bhaurao played an important role in educating backward castes and low income people by coining the philosophy earn and learn. He was a prominent member of Satyashodhak Samaj, founded by Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. The people of Maharashtra honoured him with the sobriquet Karmaveer and the Government of India awarded him with Padma Bhushan in 1959 in India.

Kushwaha is a community of the Indo-Gangetic Plain that has traditionally been involved in agriculture, including beekeeping. The term has been used to represent different sub-castes of the Kachhis, Kachhvahas, Koeris and Muraos. The Kushwaha had worshipped Shiva and Shakta, but beginning in the 20th century, they claim descent from the Suryavansh (Solar) dynasty via Kusha, one of the twin sons of Rama and Sita. At present, it is a broad community formed by coming together of several caste groups with similar occupational backgrounds and socio-economic status, who, over the time, started inter-marrying among themselves and created all India caste network for caste solidarity. The communities which merged into this caste cluster includes Kachhi, Kachhwaha, Kushwaha, Mali, Marrar, Saini, Sonkar, Murai, Shakya, Maurya, Koeri and Panara. In 1921, historian Ganga Prasad Gupta published a book claiming that the Kushwaha were of Kshatriya status or Varna.

Keshavrao Marutirao Jedhe (Deshmukh) (21 April 1896 – 12 November 1959) also known as Keshavrao Jedhe was an Indian independence activist and politician from Pune. He served as a leading figure in the Indian National Congress, and in the Samyukta Maharashtra movement during the independence. The famous Swargate chowk in Pune is named after him.

Marathi Brahmins are communities native to the Indian state of Maharashtra. They are classified into mainly three sub-divisions based on their places of origin, "Desh", "Karad" and "Konkan". The Brahmin subcastes that come under Maharashtra Brahmins include Deshastha, Chitpavan (Konkanastha), Saraswat, Karhade, and Devrukhe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narayan Meghaji Lokhande</span> Founder of the trade union movement in India

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Madhavrao Khanderao Bagal, also called Bhai Madhavrao Bagal, was a noted writer, artist, journalist, social reformer, political activist, orator and freedom fighter from Kolhapur.

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Saini is an Indian surname, used by various communities in North India. In Uttar Pradesh, it is used by people of Kushwaha or the Koeri caste. In Rajasthan and Haryana, it is most often associated with Mali caste. Saini is also a community of Punjab, included in state's list of Other Backward Class from 2016 onwards. In Haryana term Saini is considered synonymous with other terms such as Koeri, Kushwaha, Maurya and Shakya, all included in state's list of Backward Castes.

References

Notes

    Citations

    1. ↑ Irawati Karmarkar Karve (1948). Anthropometric measurements of the Marathas. Deccan College Postgraduate Research Institute. pp.  13, 14. These figures as they stand are obviously wrong. The Marathas had not doubled their numbers between 1901 and 1911 nor were the Kunbis reduced by almost three-fourths. Either the recorders had made wrong entries or what is more probable, "Kunbi" as a caste-category was no longer acceptable to cultivators who must have given up their old appellation, Kunbi, and taken up the caste name, Maratha. ... The agricultural community of the Maratha country is made up of Kunbis, Marathas and Malis. The first two are dry farmers depending solely on the monsoon rains for their crop, while the Malis work on irrigated lands working their fields all the year round on well-water or canals and growing fruit, vegetables, sugarcane and some varieties of cereals
    2. ↑ "Caught off guard by Mali quota stir before polls, Gehlot invokes Rahul to pitch for caste census". Indian express. 25 April 2023. Archived from the original on 30 April 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
    3. ↑ Jain, J k (1979). Mansingh ri khyat (in Hindi) (1979 ed.). Jodhpur: Rajasthan oriental research institute. p. 20.
    4. ↑ "Mali community calls off quota agitation in Rajasthan after 11 days". Indian express. 2 May 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
    5. ↑ Aggarwal, Partap C (1966). "Problems of Cultural Integration A Muslim Sub-Caste of North India". Economic and Political Weekly. 1 (4): 159–161. JSTOR   4356925. ...the Malis (ie gardners who call themselves Saini now)..
    6. ↑ "At the time of 1941 Census most of them got registered themselves as Saini (Sainik Kshatriya) Malis." pp 7, Census of India, 1961, Volume 14, Issue 5 , Office of the Registrar General, India.
    7. ↑ Gail Omvedt (18 June 1993). Reinventing Revolution: New Social Movements and the Socialist Tradition in India . M.E. Sharpe. p.  336. ISBN   978-0-7656-3176-3.
    8. ↑ Christophe Jaffrelot; Sanjay Kumar; Rajendra Vora (4 May 2012). Rise of the Plebeians? The Changing Face of the Indian Legislative Assemblies. Routledge. p. 217. ISBN   978-1-136-51662-7.
    9. ↑ Dr. S. L. PATIL (July 2017). EXPORT OF IMPORTANT FRUIT CROPS OF MAHARASHTRA Volume-I. Lulu.com. p. 5. ISBN   978-1-365-92369-2.
    10. ↑ O'Hanlon, Rosalind (22 August 2002). Caste, Conflict and Ideology: Mahatma Jotirao Phule and Low Caste Protest in Nineteenth-Century Western India. Cambridge University Press. p. 105. ISBN   978-0-521-52308-0.
    11. ↑ Govind Sadashiv Ghurye (1969). Caste and Race in India . Popular Prakashan. p.  38. ISBN   978-81-7154-205-5.
    12. ↑ Maxine Berntsen (1 January 1988). The Experience of Hinduism: Essays on Religion in Maharashtra. SUNY Press. p. 343. ISBN   978-0-88706-662-7.
    13. ↑ Lalwani, Mala (2008). "Sugar Co-operatives in Maharashtra: A Political Economy Perspective" (PDF). The Journal of Development Studies. 44 (10): 1474–1505. doi:10.1080/00220380802265108. S2CID   154425894. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2014.
    14. ↑ Attwood, D.W., 2010. How I Learned To Do Incorrect Research. Economic and Political Weekly, pp.37-44.
    15. ↑ Donald W. Attwood; D W Attwood (16 September 2019). "The Bombay Deccan: Cane & Gul production". Raising Cane: The Political Economy Of Sugar In Western India. Taylor & Francis. ISBN   978-1-00-030891-4.
    16. ↑ O'Hanlon 2002, p. 135.
    17. ↑ Bhadru, G. (2002). "Contribution of Satyashodhak Samaj to the Low Caste Protest Movement in 19th Century". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 63: 845–854. JSTOR   44158153.
    18. ↑ Pandit, Nalini (1997). "Narayan Meghaji Lokhande: The Father of Trade Union Movement in India". Economic and Political Weekly. 32 (7): 327–329. JSTOR   4405089.
    19. ↑ Population Monograph of Nepal, Volume II
    20. ↑ "2011 Nepal Census, District Level Detail Report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
    21. ↑ "No one is made CM on the basis of caste". The Print. 26 December 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
    22. ↑ "No one is made CM on the basis of caste". Outlook. PTI. 27 December 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2023.

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