Mahar (A Weaver Community of Maharastra State)

Mahar

The Mahar is an Indian weaver community found largely in the state of Maharashtra, where they comprise 10% of the population, and neighbouring areas. Most of the Mahar community followed B. R. Ambedkar in converting to Buddhism in the middle of the 20th century. The community is included in the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes category by the Indian government.

Under British rule, the Mahars became aware of the scope for social and political advancement Their traditional role had been low-status but important in the village system. A number of Mahars joined the army during the early British era.

The Mahar served in various armies over several centuries. The Maratha emperor Shivaji recruited a number of them into his army in the 17th century. They served as guards in hill forts and as soldiers.

During the colonial period, large numbers of Mahars were recruited for military duties by the East India Company and the British Raj. The Battle of Koregaon (1 January 1818) is commemorated by an obelisk known as the Koregaon pillar—which was erected at the site of the battle—and by a medal issued in 1851. The pillar featured on the Mahar Regiment crest until the Independence of India; it is inscribed with the names of 22 Mahars killed at the battle.

The Mahar were initially heavily recruited into British military units, but this process slowed after the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Their recruitment was halted under Lord Kitchener in the early 1890s. Before the rebellion, Mahar regiments made up one-sixth of the Bombay units of the East India Company but thereafter they were pensioned off and gradually removed from military service. Mahar recruitment reached its nadir in the early 1890s (sources differ as to exact year) when Kitchener halted the recruitment of Untouchables in Maharashtra in favour of "martial races," such as the Marathas and other north-western communities. The Mahar community attempted to confront this block with a petition circulated among the Mahar, Chamar, and Mang former soldiers—all Marathi-speaking Untouchables—but the movement was unable to organise and submit their petition. In 1941, the Mahar Regiment was formed.

A Mahar (Weaver) Man winding thread from The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India (1916)

Daya Ram Singh Bhamra

Haridwar

(From Wikipedia)