Haider Ali Kohari
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Maulana Haider Ali Kohari (b.17th century-d.?) was the trusted military general and secretary of the great Maratha king Shivaji. He was one of the most trusted lieutenants of Shivaji and was involved in almost all the early campaigns of the great Maratha leader. Although, nearly one-third of the Maratha army consisted of Muslims, Haider Ali Kohari was the highest Muslim general in the Maratha army.[citation needed] Born in a Marathi-speaking Muslim family in the Deccan, he quickly took to arms and weaponry. Although he was a warrior, he was also a learned Islamic scholar. Information about his later years is obscure.