Draft:Konkan Maratha

Konkan Maratha is a Konkani-speaking Hindu Kshatriya community native to Konkan i.e. the region between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats in Maharashtra, Goa and North Karnataka.

Prior to the arrival of Portuguese in Goa, the area belonged to various dynasties native to Goa. These Kingdoms ruled over the ancient Konkan coast, including Canara region in Karnataka. The members of these Kshatriya dynasties, with their ancestral home in Karwar, Ankola, Supa/Joida and the region surrounding Goa and South Konkan districts in Maharashtra having Konkani as their mother tounge are the Konkan Marathas.

Kshatriyas of Goa, also known as Chardo, prefer to attach Desai (to assert their landlord status) to their surnames, like NaikDesai, PhalDessai, etc. The members of this Kshatriya community in Goa own plantations and locally referred as bhaatkars along with the GSBs.

This community is a subgroup among the 96 Maratha clans of deccan collectively called 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 and other areas bordering Maharashtra owing to their overwhelming majority and political acumen. However, in recent times, they are losing that clout, as the numbers are falling because of the compulsion for 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 Kshatriya Maratha clans from Belgaum, and Konkan Maharashtra.

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