User talk:182.156.239.232/ROR MARATHA

There had been many upheavals in the History of India. This land and its society has seen many ups and downs. As long as there has been infightings among the native rulers, there has not been such changes which could have long-lasting effects in the social structure. It was only when the Muslim Invaders began intruding in its territory, such changes of far reaching consequences did occur in the social structure, the effects of which are clearly visible even in the present day society. A new cast known as ‘Rajput’ came in to existence in the 8th and 9th century. When Muslim invaders firmly established their rule after capturing the throne of Delhi in the early 13th century, a large number of Hindu Rulers along with their clans started migrating to southern parts of India, Maharashtra in particular. As usually happened in those days, Qutubuddin Aibak, the founder of the Slave Dynasty, also started compelling the Rajputs and its equivalent races to present their womenfolk in marriage to him as a token of allegiance to the throne of Delhi. There was a chieftain named as Raja Rode in Rajputana south west of Agra having 52 GARHIS (small villages) under his control with Kagrol as his capital also faced the problem of offering his daughter to Qutubudin Aibak. Like other Chieftains Raja Rode too along with families of his clan migrated to Maharashtra for the dignity and honor. It was a migration for protecting the honor and dignity and not for ruling over the territory to which they migrated. They adopted different occupations as a means of livelihood. However, the martiality in their blood did not fade away and they started taking part in the battles. Consequently, a new caste came into existence named by their character as it was as Maratha in the 14th to 16th century in the similar manner as Rajput caste came into existence in the 8th and 9th century. The caste known as Maratha is a conglomeration of Rajputs, quasi Rajputs, Gurjars, Gwalas, Dhanagars, Kunbi etc. Though the group started existing in the earlier period with a distinct homogeneity, it was only in the 17th century, the Marathas established their distinct identity, the credit for which mainly goes to Chhattrapati Shivaji Maharaj. His family also migrated from Rajputana in the 13th century. He established his independent kingdom in the year 1674 A.D. with Raigarh as its capital despite strong opposition from the Moghuls’ and other muslim rulers. Enthused by the inspiration of Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the courageous and exemplary unity caused by the excesses of Aurangzeb, the Moghul Emperor, the Marathas under the command of Chhattrapati Shahuji Maharaj assisted by Balaji Baji Rao Peshwa Launched a victory campaign. In about a decade they took control of the whole of India from ‘Attuck to Cuttuck’ and from ‘Tanjawar to Peshawar’. The Moghul descendant became a puppet in the hands of the Marathas. The Marathas planned to formally coronate themselves as Rulers of India. This Coronation Ceremony was to take place in the Red Fort at Delhi in the year 1760 A.D. In order to stall this plan, a few subjugated Governors and Chieftains earlier under the Moghuls led by Najib Khan extended an invitation to Afghan Ruler Ahmed Shah Abdali to attack Delhi and have its control. To take the revenge of the ouster of his son in law from Lahore by the Marathas and the greed to rule the great empire of India allured him to proceed to Delhi with a large contingent of Army. Instead of coming directly to Delhi, he entered the present day Uttar Pradesh via Doaba and then coming to Sonepat after crossing Yamuna River near Baghpat. The Marathas had already started their journey to Delhi from Maharashtra for Coronation in the Red Fort in Delhi. They were joined by their Chieftains all over the country. They first plundered Kunjpura fort and took control of the treasure hidden thereof for Ahmed Shah Abdali. The Maratha Army along with a large contingent of their womenfolk proceeded to Kurukshetra for a pilgrimage. The whole Army stayed there for 18 days when the news of Ahmed Shah Abdali crossing the Yamuna and reaching Sonepat made them to move towards Delhi after settling their womenfolk comfortably in Kurukshetra. Both the Armies faced each other near Panipat – Ahmed Shah Abdali facing towards Ambala and the Maratha Army facing towards Delhi. At the opportune time, a fierce battle took place in Panipat. Both sides suffered heavy causalities. No concrete result of this battle could come out except the temporary rout of the Marathas. In the hustle –bustle of the war, a few Maratha warriors left the battlefield of Panipat and reached Kurukshetra to protect the honor and dignity of their womenfolk. Ahmad Shah Abdali also followed them but before he could reach Kurukshetra, the Maratha Warriors along with their womenfolk took shelter in the dense forests of Daks and thus foiled the efforts of Ahmed Shah Abdali to capture them. Ahmed Shah Abdali and the Nawabs were after the blood of those Maratha warriors. A public announcement was, therefore, made in all habitations of major parts of the North India to the effect that-‘Ek Maratha Mundi lao aur Ek Sone ka SIkka Inaam mein Pao’ – one gold coin in return for a Maratha soldier dead or alive. It is also a matter of record that not even a single Maratha could reach back Maharastra after the battle of Panipat. Those very Maratha warriors resurfaced as ‘Rode’ from these very jungles (forests) by suppressing their Maratha Identity to escape the fury of the circumstances created by the Afghans and the Nawabs of that time. On the subject, our elders had been continuously telling their youngsters emphatically that we belong to those Kshtriyas who refused to give their daughter in marriage to the Muslim ruler - Instead preferred to get uprooted and migrated- Fought with the Muslims and settled down in the ‘Chaurasi’. It is to be recalled that our elders, the ladies in particular, kept on teaching us to hail Chhattrapati (Chhattrapati ki Jai) whenever we as a baby used to sneeze. In contrast to Rode community, other castes living in this area record there caste in the column meant to record the caste in the chithee(letter of marriage) sent by the family of the bride to the family of bridegroom, where as in the Rode community there is no such mention of the caste in the said chithee. The reason is quite clear that our ancestors had been hiding something amongst themselves that Rode is not a caste but a ‘beong’ for some recognition. In the syllabus of Kurukshetra University of Kurukshetra in B.A. Part ∏ in the book titled as ‘Haryana ka Itihaas’(History of Haryana) it is clearly mentioned that there was no community named as ‘Rode’ in existence in Haryana before the 1761 A.D. It has also been mentioned that the community named as ‘Rode’ appeared for the first time during the upheavals of the 18th century (the period between 1761 AD to 1805 AD.) and their main centre of activities was Amin- a village situated in the south of Kurukshetra. The historians do have the opinion that not even a single Maratha warrior could reach back Maharashtra after the Third Battle of Panipat. They have also a strong opinion that in type of battle that was fought in Panipat and the kind of weaponry used in that battle, it is not possible that there was no survivor left. It is a matter of fact that in the aftermath of nuclear holocaust in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan during the Second World War, the two big cities were completely destroyed but still many people could survive. For years there was no clue about the Maratha survivors of the Third Battle of Panipat as to where and in what condition they are. Therefore, it is not a mere coincidence that the Maratha soldiers alongwith their womenfolk hid themselves in the jungles south of Kurukshetra and the Rode community appeared from the same jungles simultaneously. It is pertinent to refer hereto the Ain-e-Akbari – a Government Record of the Mogul Empire – wherein the enumeration of the castes, paying revenue (lagan) or not paying revenue (landholder or landless), is compiled Village wise, Talukawise, Paraganwise and State wise. This document of the Moghul Government has in total of 3400 castes approximately. The name of the Rode community is not recorded therein whereas every other single community, big or small, residing in this part of the state is included and enumerated in the list. In this connection, it would be relevant to refer to the Imperial Gazetteer of the British Government in India in Vol.6th, the Punjab Distt. Gazette, 1918 wherein the Karnal distt. has been shown to have Samalkha- Kaithal- Shahbad- Yamunanagar in its territory. It is very clearly mentioned therein that when the Britishers took over, the Karnal Distt. was so desolated that four fifth of its area was covered with dense forests. It is specifically mentioned therein that out of the total 221 villages in distt. Karnal, the inhabitants of 178 villages had been wholly driven away from their homes and fields. The Royal Moghul Canal had long dried up and thick forests had taken place of cultivation and afforded shelter to thieves, vagabonds and beasts of prey. It is, therefore, factually incorrect to say that Rode caste is residing in this part of the country since Mahabharat i.e. for over more than 5000 years. It needs to be told that during reigns of Aurangzeb there occurred mass conversions of Hindu to Islam. The fact that this conversion had taken place in all the communities except the Rode community clearly indicates that the community was not in existence at that point of time. It needs to be mentioned here that there are a large number of Marathi language words in our dialect which are completely missing in other communities residing beside Rodes. Our customs, festivals, rituals etc. are identical with those of Marathas. Gotras of Rodes and Marathas are stunningly the same. Rodes are available in Kshtriya Vansh and upvansh of the Marathas. Therefore, it is beyond any shred of doubt who we are. It is to be recalled that it is not a mere coincidence that after the Third Battle of Panipat, the survivor Maratha soldiers along with their womenfolk disappear in the jungle of Daks in the south of Kurukshetra and the Rode community surfaces simultaneously from thereof. It is not only a coincidence that the community is localized in a particular tract of land wherein there was no inhabitation as per the Imperial Punjab Gazetteer of the British Government. It is no coincidence that many Marathi words in our dialect, our gotras, our bone structure and skin texture, our customs and rituals are different from other communities residing in this part of the land and are stunningly identical with those Marathas who are situated nearly 2000 Kms away from this place. It is no coincidence that this community kept itself isolated from the other surrounding communities and kept their culture and genetic purity intact to a highest level. It is not important what we claim or proclaim but what is important is that the Royal Family of Chhattrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Maratha community across India have no doubt whatsoever about our ancestry as Maratha. The research work on the RodeMarathas published as ‘Panipat Yuddh ke RodeMarathon ka Itihaas’ by ‘Dr. Vasant Rao Keshav More’ a reputed historian shall be put on the website for the benefit of the community and the society at large very soon. It is appealed earnestly to one and all to kindly ponder over this issue seriously without any preconceived notions so that we could face the reality and move ahead in life.