Kunbi

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Kunbis, also known as Kunbi Marathas, are a Maratha sub-caste residing primarily in provinces of India such as Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka etc.

Contents

[edit] List of famous Saints

  • Saint Tukaram A 17th Century popular poet.
  • Rashtra Saint Tukdoji Maharaj A national saint, musician and social reformer. He wrote Gramgeeta for rural development.

[edit] List of other Saints

  • Shree Saint Gulabrao Maharaj was blind from birth. He preached Vedas to the Brahmins.
  • Shree Sant Gadaji Maharaj A saint, visionary leader and social reformer in 1700. He saved his own village from the mughal occupation and became famous for his extra-ordinary leadership and visionary speeches. Nearly 20 thousand people gather on holy occasions to remember him.

[edit] List of famous Kunbi women

  • Lalita Pawar was a Bollywood actor known as the The Mother of all mothers-in-law in films. She was born into a rich Yevle family of Nashik and was married to Raj Prakash Gupta and lived in Pune. She started her career in silent films in 1928 and acted in more than 500 Hindi and Marathi films.
  • Smita Patil was a Bollywood actor who was the first Asian cine-star to have the unique honor of Retrospectives in Paris and La Rochelle, (at the promptings of no less a film luminary than Director Costa Gavras), a two-time Best Actress award winner at the National Film Festival (Bhumika and Chakra) and a Padmashree. She was a keen photographer and died at the age of 31.
  • Smt Prabha Rau (Woman President of MPCC) was a sports person and has represented Maharashtra in the long jump, high jump, hurdles, discus throw and running. She is also a musician, and holds a Masters degree in Politics and Music.
  • Smt Kumud Pawade was a renowned Sanskrit scholar, author and a professor. She was born in Nagpur in 1938 into a Mahar family considered to be untouchable before the 1950s. She married Motiram Pawade a social worker who was from a Maratha family. She was also the president of All India Progressive Woman's Organization.
  • Smt Pratibha Patil Shekhawat was the first woman Governor of Rajasthan and Woman President of MPCC. Before becoming Governor of Rajasthan, she was a Member of Rajya Sabha. She was Table Tennis Champion in her college days, and has won Inter-Tournaments. She holds an MA in Arts and a Law Degree. Besides her political career, she also manages her own educational institutes for the poor, and industries. She has been elected as the first woman President of India since July 2007.
  • Mrs Ujjwala Raut-Sterry is India's most accomplished supermodel now settled in the US. She has won awards in both India and internationally for her performance as a model. Born and brought up in Mumbai, she is married to British film producer Craig Maxwell Sterry. She has also been on the cover of Time magazine.

[edit] List of famous Kunbi men

  • Yashaskara, King of Kashmir[1]. After the Utpala dynasty, a Yashaskara became king. (V 469). He was a great-grandson of a Viradeva, a Kutumbi (V 469). He was from the kutumbi group (also known as kurmis of UP and Kunbis of Gujarat/Maharashtra) and the son of a treasurer of Karkota Shamkaravarman.
  • Shri Yashwantrao Chavan belonged to a poor farming family and was born on 12 March, 1913, in the village of Devrashtre in Karad Taluka of Satara. His great grandfather was killed in the third battle of Panipat.[2]. He has held and performed well in several government positions during his tenure.
  • Dr Shrikant Jichkar, MP, Member of Rajya Sabha, Cabinet Minister of Maharashtra holds 20 postgraduate degrees. He has obtained 28 Gold Medals. Between 1972 and 1990 he wrote 42 University Examinations. He was also IPS officer and IAS officer. At 25 years of age, he became the Youngest MLA in India. He was also leading Indian delegations on several forums including the UNO, UNESCO. He is founder of Kavi Kulaguru Kalidas (India's firstSanskrit University). He is Managing Editor of Nagpur Times and Nagpur Patrika and Founding Chairman of National Institute of Amateur Radio. (The Guinness World Records lists him as 'Politician with most qualifications'. He was the first Non-Brahmin to be awarded the Dixit Title)
  • Sandeep Patil is a cricket player and former coach of the Kenya Cricket Team that reached World Cup Semi-Finals in 2003. He had a record for six fours in a cricket over.
  • Shri Ashok Desai is the former Attorney General of India, He authored several books on law, is Chief Justice of Uttaranchal, and was awarded Padma Bushan by Government of India.
  • Barrister S. K. Wankhede is a former BCCI President and State Minister. He was married to the late Smt Kusumtai (from a Brahmin family) who greatly contributed to his career success. Due to his contribution to Indian cricket a stadium was named after him.
  • Shri Anant Geete is a Member of Parliament and former Union Minister of Power. He is involved in power reforms that started during orthodox BJP Led-NDA central government. He belongs to Konkan Region.
  • Shri Datta Meghe is Educationists, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha. He runs several educational institutes in Mumbai and Central India.
  • Dr Atul Gawande is a second generation Harvard professor and doctor, who is also a columnist in US. He was a student at Stanford and Oxford.[3]
  • Sharad Pawar is Union Minister of Agriculture and Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mumbai Cricket Association President and BCCI President. He is a native of Baramati
  • Late Dwarkanath Laxman Mhaskar known as Dadasaheb was the President of Tillori Kunbi Maratha Samaj (Mumbai). He has worked with his father Late Laxman Krishnaji Mhaskar in Govt central press, Mumbai when the freedom movement started, he later gave his resignation and got involved in to the movement. He was even attached with various school and colleges, as donor and commitee member. He was vice president of Mumbai Sharirik Shikshan Mandal Headed by Late Appa Samant(Fanas wadi Koliwadi). Also he had formed Maharashtara Rajya Hu-tu-tu Maha Mandal. He has arranged many tournaments in Mumbai and Rest of the state. He had formed Shreerang Co-operative Housing Society Limited, with help of Late S K Wankhede,(Former State Finance Minister) and Sumati Devi Dhanavte (M.L.A.)frm Nagpur. This was the biggest Housing Society in India. He even participated in the separation of Mumbai region from Sanyukta Maharashtra. He even went to jail during this movement. Govt of Maharashtra awarded him as Justice of Peace for 35 years. He has traveled abroad for many social seminar in many countries. He died in May 88 in Thane.
  • Rajnikanth also known as Shivaji Rao Gaekwad is an Indian Tamil and Bollywood actor, born in Bangalore. He was a former bus conductor before he entered the film industry. he is the second highest paid actor in Asia after Action star Jacki Chan, he is the most popular star in Indian filims .Rajnikanth is a follower of Ramakrishna Paramhansa.
  • Harish Raut (1925–2002) was born in Bordi. He was one of the best painters and his paintings appear in national galleries, government offices, museums in India and abroad and on greeting cards. He has won several state and national awards for his painting. His paintings mainly focus on rural life in India. His natural skill was identified and furthered by Government of Maharashtra.
  • Dr. R B Thakare Former adviser to World Bank and Asian Development Bank. He obtained his PhD from University of California, Berkly. He is a widely recognized expert in the field of [Agriculture]. He has number of publications in international journals and is a Board of Member on various universities and institutes in India. At present he is active in India solving farmers problems.
  • Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh was a famous social reformer, educationists and freedom fighter in Vidarbha. He was the founder of Shivaji Education Society at Amravati and was a Union Minister of Agriculture in Pandit Nehru's government. He completed his Ph.D at University of Cambridge. He returned to India was involved in reforms and was also associated with Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar.
  • Mr. Sarang Bhoyar SSC Topper from Vidarbha board in 1994, Currently working at a high position in India's software giant, Infosys Technologies Limited.
  • Dr. Datta Samant was a medical doctor by profession but came to be known as a very powerful Trade Union leader and was elected as a Member of Parliament. He had seen the plight of his own poverty-stricken patients who were stone factory workers. He was assassinated probably because he got entangled in business rivalry of Dhirubhai Ambani, Khatau family, Nusli Wadia, other textile industrialists and Trade Unions. During this time Bombay was getting an influx of workers from all over India. Dr Samant was assassinated by underworld thugs and during his time the Communist Party was influential in Bombay.[4]. Bal Thackeray had a similar vision of Dr Samant which still remains incomplete.
  • Aditya Raut Youngest person in the world to swim across five continental channels [5]

[edit] List of common surnames

It is quite common in the state of Maharashtra that the following family names are used by other castes.

  • Adik, Aware, Akalkar, Amtekar, Ambekar, Agre
  • Bachale,Burade, Bhalerao, Bhad, Brahmankar, Bele,Bhagavath, Bhuwad,Bhogate, Bhonde,Bhope, Belkar, Bhoir, Bodhale, Bante, Bhosale, Bhute, Baraskar, Bhurkunde, Balgude,Bhusari, BHOYAR
  • Chaudhari, Chaudhary, Chavan, Chadokar
  • Dandley,Dhone, Dhore, Dhuldhar, Dhorey, Dhote,Dange, Dongre, Dore, Desai, Dhawle, Dhanwate, Deshmukh, Deoskar, Deorkar, Dhamankar, Dhande, Dhongade, Dubey, Dhamakar, Dhadse, Dakhore,Dhumak ,Dhavade
  • Gaonkar, Geete, Gurve, Gaithonde, Gore, Gode, Gaikwad, Gedam, Gawande, Gurve, Gaidhane, Gharat, Gavankar,
  • Harad,Halmare,Hande, Hathonde
  • Jadhav, Javanjal, Junarkar, Jichkar, Jharbade, Jagdale
  • Karade, Kadu, Kafre, Khandar, Khade, Kadam, Kedar, Kale, Katole , Kor, Kahalkar, Khambe,Khapare, Kulat,Kalambe
  • Lunge, Lalke, Lambat, Lode,Lande,Lade, Lakade, Lute,
  • Ingle, Ingole
  • Mali,Mhaskar, Mohodkar, Mohod, Mohol, Misal, Mathankar, Mandavkar, More, Munde,Mahajan, Manik, Mate, Mane,Mahalle, Mankar,Mahalle
  • Nagle, Nagale, Narale, Navalkar, Naik, Nayak, Nigam, Nikunj, Nakhate
  • Pabley, Parimal, Patil, Pawar, Pandey, Pashte, Panse, Pongale, Pimple, Pimpale, Premkhede
  • Rode, Raut, Rane, Rasal,Raul, Rewale, Raonag
  • Sonar, Sonare, Sagne, Shinde, Sable, Sawant, Satope, Salve, Shinde, Shelar, Solkar, Shigvan
  • Tatte, Tale, Talar,Taiwade, Thakur, Thakre, Taley, Tambe, Tayde, Thape, Tope, Thombre, Ture, Temkar, Tambe
  • Uparker
  • Vaidya
  • Wankhade, Wankhede, Watonde, Wagh, Warhade,wadhai,Wadkar,Watane
  • Yeole,
  • Zurmoore, Zooting, Zade, Zanjal

[edit] Demographics

Historical social Structure in Central India
Historical social Structure in Central India


Kunbis of Maharashtra are known as Marathas as they form the farming section of Marathas. They are also known as Patils, Patels or Patidars. Chatrapati Shahu Maharaj coined the word Maratha for the peasant section, so as to stand united against the priestly domination that existed for around 1,900 years. Kunbis from Maharashtra have a 12 and 1/2 (also known as Saade Bara) clan system. The 12 clans predominantly consist of Indo-Aryan races and 1/2 part consists of other clans. Names of clans are listed below[6]

  • Tirale, most prosperous caste in number of parts of Maharashtra and now dominant in politics in Vidarbha and Khandesh. (Tirole is the most ancient of all the sub castes and represents the Rajputs from Therol from Rajputana)[7][8]
  • Lonari (Farming,business)
  • Vandhekars (i.e Deshmukhs) and Jadhav (administration, business, farming and now politically dominant)
  • Ahire, Bawne, Vanjari and Dhanoje (money lenders, business and farming)
  • Lonare, Zade, Beldar, Ghatole, Killedar and Dhakane
  • Tirale,Mana, Karadi and Khedule
  • Khaire and Jungli (tribals involved in farming)

Jadhavs with surnames Sonar, sonare, khapare, dhuldhar, bhurkunde, Tatte, Bhad, Deshmukh reside mainly in Vidharbha specially in western regions like Amaravati.In the Konkan region, many Kunbis practice farming and practice Christian religion. Many Kunbi groups in the Konkan and Goa region have their own farm lands and Churches.

[edit] Culture

Many Hindu-Kunbis perform the Upanayana Samskara as per their family traditions. In the past Kunbis have larger houses - some were called WADA, some were GADHI (fortressed complex) and some also had KEELLA (a fort). Most of the historical evidences are managed and maintained by National (India) and State (Maharashtra) level government departments, although there are many families who maintain their own set of documents or evidences as a mark of family assets. Large scale Kunbi farmers generally maintain large herds of dairy cattle and a number of horses.

[edit] References and links