User:Kadampatil

A Maratha is a member of one of the major Hindu Kshatriya (warrior) groups of India and a ruling class of the Indian subcontinent. They enjoy a reputation as soldiers; many of them serve in the Indian Armed Forces. Marāthā (Marathi: मराठा, also Marhatta) 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; historically, it describes the Maratha empire founded by Shivaji in the seventeenth century and continued by his successors, which included many castes.[1] The Maratha caste consists mainly of rural cultivators, landowners, and soldiers. At times, Maratha and Kunbi have claimed kshatriya standing, based on clan names linking them with Rajput clans and historical medieval dynasties.[1] In theory, there are ninety-six Maratha clans. The exact names of the ninety-six are greatly disputed,with different authorities giving names that vary widely. Adding to the confusion, Kunbi families often adopted the names of their Maratha chiefs.[2] In 1798 Colonel Tone, who commanded a regiment of the Peshwa’s army, wrote[3] of the Marāthas: “The three great tribes which compose the Marātha caste are the Kunbi or farmer, the Dhangar or shepherd, and the Gawli or cowherd; to this original cause may perhaps be ascribed that great simplicity of manner which distinguishes the Marātha people.” [4] They primarily reside in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Karnataka.[5]

The Marāthā clan system refers to the network of families and surnames within the Maratha culture of India. The Maratha are an Indo-Aryan group of Hindu, Marathi-speaking castes of warriors and landowners. They primarily reside in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamilnadu.[1] In theory, there are ninety-six Maratha clans. Marathas were primarily kshatriya and later became landlords. Many Maratha clans trace their roots to medieval dynasties such as Yadavas, Maurya, Kadamba, Chalukya, Rashtrakuta, Rajputs, etc.[1] One of the clans, the Bhonsle, launched the Maratha Empire which covered a large part of India in the 17th and 18th centuries.[2]