Nikam

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Nikam is a last name found in Hindu Maratha, Kunbi, and Bhil communities of Maharashtra. The Kunbi Nikams are often called Maratha traders or Kunams or Kunbi vanis. [1] [2] [3]

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Shivaji I was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle dynasty. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adilshahi Sultanate of Bijapur that formed the genesis of the Maratha Confederacy. In 1674, he was formally crowned the Chhatrapati of his realm at Raigad Fort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kolhapur</span> City in Maharashtra, India

Kolhapur is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maratha Confederacy</span> Indian political entity (1674–1818)

The Maratha Confederacy, also referred to as the Maratha Empire, was an early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent Maratha states often subordinate to the former. It was established in 1674 with the coronation of Shivaji as the Maratha Chhatrapati and recognised by Emperor Bahadur Shah I as a tributary state in 1707 following a prolonged rebellion. Following this, the Marathas continued to recognise the Mughal emperor as their nominal suzerain, similar to other contemporary Indian entities, though in practice, imperial politics at Delhi were largely influenced by the Marathas between 1737 and 1803.

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">Peshwa</span> Prime Minister of the Maratha Confederacy

Peshwa was second highest office in the Maratha Confederacy, next in rank and prestige only to that of the Chhatrapati. Initially serving as the appointed prime minister in the Maratha Kingdom, the office became hereditary after the death of Shahu in 1749. During the reign of Shahu, the office of Peshwa grew in power and the Peshwas came to be the de facto rulers of the Maratha Confederacy. However following the defeat of the Marathas in 1761, the office of the Peshwa became titular as well and from that point onwards served as the ceremonial head of the Confederacy underneath the Chhatrapati.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balaji Baji Rao</span> 8th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy (1720–1761)

Balaji Baji Rao, often referred to as Nana Saheb I, was the 8th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy. He was appointed as Peshwa in 1740 upon the death of his father, the Peshwa Bajirao I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shahu I</span> Chhatrapati of the Marathas from 1707–1749

Shahu I was the fifth Chhatrapati of the Maratha Confederacy founded by his grandfather, Shivaji I. He was born into the Bhonsle family, and was the son of Sambhaji I and Yesubai. At a young age, he was taken into custody at the Siege of Raigad by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, and held captive. He was released from captivity after the death of Aurangzeb in the hope of engineering an internecine struggle among the Maratha factions of Tarabai and Shahu. Shahu emerged victorious in the bloody Battle of Khed and was crowned as Chhatrapati.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajaram I</span> Third Chhatrapati of the Marathas

Rajaram Bhonsle I was the third Chhatrapati of the Maratha Kingdom, who ruled from 1689 to his death in 1700. He was the second son of the Shivaji, the founder of the empire and younger half-brother of Sambhaji, whom he succeeded. His eleven-year reign was marked with a constant struggle against the Mughals. He was succeeded by his infant son Shivaji II under the regentship of his dowager Maharani Tarabai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarabai</span> Queen consort and later regent of the Maratha Kingdom

Maharani Tarabai Bhosale (née Mohite) was the regent of the Maratha Kingdom from 1700 until 1708. She was the queen of Rajaram I, and daughter-in-law of the kingdom'd founder Shivaji I. She is acclaimed for her role in keeping alive the resistance against Mughal rule in Konkan, and acting as the regent during the minority of her son, Shivaji II and defeated Aurangazeb

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raghoji I of Nagpur</span> King of Nagpur from 1739–1755

Raghoji I was a Maratha general of the Bhonsle clan who established the Nagpur Kingdom in much of east-central India during the reign of Chhatrapati Shahu I. His successors ruled the kingdom until 1853.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ranoji Scindia</span> Founder of Scindia dynasty (c. 1700–1745)

Ranoji Shinde was the founder of the Scindia dynasty, a Maratha clan that produced outstanding Maratha military commanders during the 18th century. Later the Scindia served as vassals of the British from the northern Princely state of Gwalior.

Bhoite is a Maratha clan. mainly in the state of Maharashtra in India but it also appears in Indian states bordering Maharashtra.

Dabhade surname signifies Maratha and Koli clans found largely in Maharashtra, India. The Maratha Dabhades were originally centered on Talegaon Dabhade, but became the chiefs of Gujarat. They held the hereditary title of Senapati (commander-in-chief) and several jagirs in Gujarat until 1751. That year, Umabai Dabhade and her relatives were arrested for a rebellion against the Peshwa, and were stripped of their titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kolhapur State</span> Maratha princely state of India

Kolhapur State or Kolhapur Kingdom (1710–1949) was a Maratha princely State of India, under the Deccan Division of the Bombay Presidency, and later the Deccan States Agency. It was considered the most important of the Maratha principalities with the others being Baroda State, Gwalior State and Indore State. Its rulers, of the Bhonsle dynasty, were entitled to a 19-gun salute – thus Kolhapur was also known as a 19-gun state. The state flag was a swallow-tailed saffron pennant.

Pisal is surname mainly found amongst the 96 Maratha clans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maratha titles</span> Titles used by Maratha community of India

The following list includes a brief about the titles of nobility or orders of chivalry used by the Marathas of India and by the Marathis/Konkanis in general.

Sakharam Hari Gupte was born in Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (CKP) family, and was the commander and tipnis (secretary) of Peshwa Bajirao I. For few years he worked under Peshwa Nanasaheb and then became the General of Raghunathrao Peshwa. He was responsible for conquering Attock on the banks of the Indus and repelling the Durrani ruler, Ahmad Shah Abdali out of India in the 1750s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhonsles of Nagpur</span> Maratha royal house that ruled the Nagpur Kingdom

The Bhonsles of Nagpur were a Maratha royal house that ruled the Kingdom of Nagpur from 1739-1853. They hailed from the Bhonsle clan of Marathas and were one of the most important and powerful Maratha chiefs in the Maratha Confederacy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhonsle dynasty</span> Indian Marathi house

The Bhonsle dynasty is an Indian Marathi royal house. The Bhonsles claimed descent from the Rajput Sisodia dynasty, but were likely Kunbi Marathas.

References

  1. Pathak, Arunchandra S. (1976). Maharashtra State Gazetteers: Ahmednagar. Director of Government Printing, Stationery and Publications, Maharashtra State. p. 201,245.
  2. Thomas Edmund Farnsworth Wright; Oxford University Press (15 November 2006). A dictionary of world history. Oxford University Press. pp. 401–. ISBN   978-0-19-920247-8 . Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  3. K. S. Singh; Anthropological Survey of India (1998). India's Communities. Oxford University Press. p. 1903. ISBN   978-0-19-563354-2. Kunbi[...]Bomle , Kadu , Wag , Baroda , Jane , Korde , Nikam , Dhole , Sete

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