Koli people: Difference between revisions

Koli
कोली, કોલી, कोळी
	A portrait of a Koli chieftain of Dahewan by James Forbes, 1813
Languages
	Kachi Koli, Parkari Koli, Wadiyara Koli, Rathwi Bareli, Hindi, Gujarati, Konkani, Marathi, Bhil, Kannada
Religion
	Hindu, Muslim, Christian
Related ethnic groups
	Kori, Koli Christians

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Latest revision as of 22:37, 26 March 2026

The Koli people are an agriculturist caste of India, mostly found in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Koli caste was recognised as a criminal tribe under Criminal Tribes Act by British Indian government because of their anti-social activities; but during World War I, Kolis were recognised as a martial caste by British Indian Empire. Kolis of Gujarat were well-known pirates of Arabian Sea.^[1]

The Kolis form the largest caste cluster in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, comprising 24% and 30% of the total population in those states, respectively.^[2]

Distribution[edit | edit source]

India: Kolis are distributed across the country, though the majority of the population is found in the Indian states of Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Kolis are 24% of the total state population in Gujarat^[3] and 30% of Himachal Pradesh.^[2]
Pakistan: Kolis are found in the Sindh province of Pakistan, most of them related to Kolis of Gujarat.^[4]
Penang Island: Kolis also found in the Penang Island. They were sent by the British Indian government because of their rebellious activities against the British East India Company during Indian Rebellion of 1857.^[5]
Fiji and New Zealand: Koli citizens here are agriculturists by profession and use the surname of Patel.^[6]
Nepal: Kolis of Nepal ruled over the cities of Ramgram, Devdaha and Panditpur.^[7]
East Africa: Kolis of East Africa referred to themselves as Mandhata Patel, Mandhata Koli Patel and Koli Patel. Many of them are employed as businesspeople, teachers, or doctors.^[8]

History[edit | edit source]

The Kolis seem to have attained an important socio political status by the fourteenth century, at least on Konkan coast in Maharashtra. A Koli kingdom is known to have been founded by Jayba Popera in North Konkan in 1342. During the reign of Shivaji, Kolis had served the Maratha army under their Koli commanders Yesaji Kank and Tanaji Malusare and exercised considerable control over the Konkan coast. The Bahmanis conferred the rank of Sardar on Koli chiefs who held charge of hill tracts.

In contrast, Kolis of Gujarat were mostly perceived as a predatory tribe. From the literature of the medieval period and in travellers' accounts, there is suspicion that some descendants of medieval Bhil chiefs, particularly those of Ahmedabad, could have claimed the status of Koli.^[9] Records of Koli people exist from at least the 15th century, when rulers in the present-day Gujarat region called their chieftains marauding robbers, dacoits, and pirates. Over a period of several centuries, some of them were able to establish chiefdoms throughout the region, mostly comprising just a single village.^[10] Although not Rajputs, this relatively small subset of the Kolis claimed the status of the higher-ranked Rajput community, adopting their customs and intermixing with less significant Rajput families through the practice of hypergamous marriage,^[11]^[12] which was commonly used to enhance or secure social status.^[13] There were significant differences in status throughout the Koli community, however, and little cohesion either geographically or in terms of communal norms, such as the establishment of endogamous marriage groups.^[14]

Criminal Tribes Act[edit | edit source]

The Koli caste of Maharashtra and Gujarat was classified as Criminal Tribes under Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 by the Government of India^[15] because of their anti-social activities such as robberies, murder, blackmailing, and crop and animal theft.^[16] In 1914, Kolis of Maharashtra revolted against British rule and attacked government officials. In retribution, the government again declared the Kolis as a criminal tribe under the Bombay Criminal Tribes Act.^[17]

Twentieth century[edit | edit source]

Throughout the colonial British Raj period and into the 20th century, some Kolis remained significant landholders and tenants,^[12] although most had never been more than minor landowners and labourers.^[14] By this time, however, most Kolis had lost their once-equal standing with the Patidar^{[lower-alpha 1]} community due to the land reforms of the Raj period.^[18] The Kolis preferred the landlord-based tenure system, which was not so mutually beneficial. They were subject to interference from the British revenue collectors, who intervened to ensure that the stipulated revenue was remitted to the government before any surplus went to the landlord.^[19] Being less inclined to take an active role in agriculture personally and thus maximise revenues from their landholdings, the Koli possessions were often left uncultivated or underused. The Kanbi land takeovers also reduced the Kolis to being the tenants and agricultural labourers of Kanbis rather than landowners, thus increasing the economic inequality between the communities. The difference was further exacerbated by the Kanbis' providing better tenancy arrangements for members of their own community than for Kolis.^[20]

During the later period of the British Raj, the Gujarati Kolis became involved in the process of what has subsequently been termed sanskritisation. At that time, in the 1930s, they represented around 20 percent of the region's population. Members of the local Rajput community were seeking to extend their own influence by co-opting other significant groups as claimants to the ritual title of Kshatriya. The Rajputs were politically, economically, and socially marginalised because their own numbers — around 4 to 5 per cent of the population — were lesser to the dominant Patidars, with whom the Kolis were also disenchanted.^[12]

Post Independence[edit | edit source]

The Patidars of central and north Gujarat were agricultural labour on the lands of Koli landlords or Koli chieftains. After India achieved independence, Patidars occupied Koli lands through the Urban Land Ceiling Act, reducing the Kolis in social status.^[21] The Kolis, upset at their loss of rights, formed gangs to plunder Patidar villages.^[22] The Rajputs of Gujarat, similarly in contention with the Patidars over land rights, allied with Kolis.^[23] In central and north Gujarat, the Kolis and their allies had several battles with the Patidars on the issue of land tenancy, land rights, and use of common village resources.

KKGKS[edit | edit source]

In 1947, around the time that India gained independence, the Kutch, Kathiawar, Gujarat Kshatriya Sabha (KKGKS) caste association emerged as an umbrella organisation to continue the work begun during the Raj. Christophe Jaffrelot, a French political scientist, says that this body, which claimed to represent the Rajputs and Kolis, "...is a good example of the way castes, with very different ritual status, join hands to defend their common interests... The use of the word Kshatriya was largely tactical and the original caste identity was seriously diluted."^[12]

Koli woman and Koli man with the Bow and Arrow, 19th century

The relevance of the Kshatriya label in terms of ritual was diminished by the practical actions of the KKGKS which, among other things, saw demands for the constituent communities to be classified as Backward Classes in the Indian scheme for positive discrimination. The Kolis gained more from the actions of the KKGKS than did the Rajputs, and Jaffrelot believes that it was around this time that a Koli intelligentsia emerged.^[12] Ghanshyam Shah, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, describes the organisation today as covering a broad group of communities, from disadvantaged Rajputs of high prestige to the semi-tribal Bhils, with the Kolis in the middle. He notes that its composition reflects "a common economic interest and a growing secular identity born partly out of folklore but more out of common resentment against the well-to-do castes".^[24]

In the election years of 1962 and 1967, the Gujarat Swatantra Party, dominated by the Patidars, won over some of the Koli leaders of the Gujarat Kshatriya Sabha, allowing Sabha to be controlled by Kolis of North Gujarat. The Party nominated a large number of the Kolis as party candidates and also gave them positions within the party organization. The alliance between the Koli and the Party quickly broke down. The party and the Kshatriya Sabha's Koli leaders could not resolve ground-level conflicts between the Koli peasants and Patidar peasants.^[25] The Patidar's issues were resolved by Gujarat Kshatriya Sabha but the large population prevented the issues of the Kolis from being solved.^[26] For example, the majority of the Patidar's children were engaged in college education while few Kolis received similar education.^[27]^[28]

A Thakarda Koli from Baroda State in 1911.

The Kolis of Gujarat remained educationally and occupationally disadvantaged compared to communities such as the Brahmins and Patidars.^[29] Their many Jātis include the Bareeya, Khant and Thakor, and they also use Koli as a suffix, giving rise to groups such as the Gulam Koli and Matia Koli. Some do not refer to themselves as Koli at all.^[30]

Military[edit | edit source]

Maratha Empire[edit | edit source]

When Shivaji began his revolt against Mughal sultanates, the Kolis were among the first to join him under the leadership of the Khemirao Sarnaik.^[31] The Kolis of Maharashtra^[32] joined the Maratha Army during the reign of Shivaji.^[33] The Kolis also served in the Maratha navy.^[34] The grand admiral of Maratha Navy was manned by Koli chieftain Kanhoji Angre, which earnt him the title Shivaji of the Sea.^[35] The army warriors were manned by Koli commander Tanaji Malusare.^[36] The Kolis formed the important Mavala army of Shivaji at the Shivneri Fort in Junnar.^[37] A Koli chief named Laya Patil who was the fleet chief in the Maratha navy was honoured by Shivaji with the title of Sarpatil for his courageous attack at Janjira.^[38] In 1665, under Shivaji, Koli soldiers played an important role during the battle of Purandar.^[39]

Deccan Sultanate[edit | edit source]

The Kolis of Maharashtra, served in the Deccan sultanates. They also served in the Bahmani sultanate as fortkeepers and the Sultans respected the Koli officers with the title of Sardar.^[40] The Ahmednagar sultanate conferred important positions to Kolis such as Sardar and Mansabdar.^[41]

Gujarat Sultanate[edit | edit source]

The Kolis of Gujarat served in the royal army of Gujarat Sultanate during the reign of Bahadur Shah.^[42] Kolis attacked the Mughal emperor Humayun in the defence of Gujarat sultan Bahadur Shah and looted the Mughal army at the Gulf of Khambhat.^[43]^[44]

Kolis of Bandra during Republic day parade performing Koli Dance

British Indian Empire[edit | edit source]

During the 1857 mutiny, the Deccan Koli Corps was formed under Captain Nuttall.^[45] When the regular troops were withdrawn in 1860, their places were taken by detachments of Koli corps. The Koli corps continued to perform this duty till 1861 when they were disbanded and some of them entered in police service.^[46]^[47] Like the Deccan Koli Corps of Maharashtra, the Gujarat Koli Corps^[48] was formed in Gujarat to subdue local rebellions.^[49] The Gujarat Koli Corps was honoured with the Mutiny Medal for the courage of Koli soldiers by the then Governor of Bombay Lord Elphinstone.^[50]

During the First World War, Kolis of Himachal Pradesh were recruited in the British Indian Army^[51]^[52] and Kolis of Punjab were enlisted in British infantry troops.^[53] The British Indian Navy, or Bombay Navy, was manned by the Kolis of Mumbai during the British Raj in India.^[54]

The Shial is a clan of Koli caste found in the Indian state of Gujarat. They were noted pirates of Gujarat.^[55] The Shial Kolis got their name from the Shial island situated at the south coast of Kathiawar.^[56] Shial Kolis defeated and captured the Shial island from Portuguese India and made it their stronghold along with Chanch, Gujarat but were later defeated by the Nawab of Janjira and Jafrabad.^[57] During the World War I, they were enlisted as soldiers in the British Indian Army by the British Indian government.^[58]

Portuguese India[edit | edit source]

The Kolis of Maharashtra served in the Portuguese Indian navy. Kolis were most important for the Portuguese Indian rulers because in wartime, Kolis often fought with their own boats and gallivats. Despite their difficult financial state, the Portuguese rulers built two warships especially for Kolis to fight against pirates and other marine threats.^[59]

Princely States[edit | edit source]

The Princely State of Baroda enlisted eight to ten thousand Koli soldiers in their army.^[60] The Kotwals of the royal palaces of Bhavnagar, Morvi, and Rajkot princely states were Talpada Kolis of Radhavanaj village of the Kheda district.^[61]

Classification[edit | edit source]

The Koli community has been classified as an Other Backward Class community by the Government of India in the Indian States of Gujarat,^[62] Karnataka,^[63] Maharashtra^[64] and Uttar Pradesh.^[65] However, Tokre Koli, Malhar Koli, and Mahadev Kolis are listed as Scheduled Tribe by the State Government of Maharashtra.^[66] The Government of India classified the Koli community as Scheduled Caste in the 2001 census for the states of Himachal Pradesh, Delhi,^[67] Madhya Pradesh^[68] and Rajasthan.^[69]

Notes[edit | edit source]

↑ The Patidars were formerly known as Kanbi, but by 1931 had gained official recognition as Patidar.^[18]

References[edit | edit source]

↑ "Gujarat news : गुजरात चुनाव से पहले अब कोली-ठाकोर ने मांगा आरक्षण, क्या पाटीदार आंदोलन की तरह बनेगा मुद्दा". Navbharat Times (in हिन्दी). Retrieved 24 March 2022.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Minhas, Poonam (1998). Traditional Trade & Trading Centres in Himachal Pradesh: With Trade-routes and Trading Communities. Indus Publishing. ISBN 978-81-7387-080-4.
↑ Shah 2004, p. 297.
↑ Donnan, Hastings; Selier, Frits (1997). Family and Gender in Pakistan: Domestic Organization in a Muslim Society. New Delhi, India: Hindustan Publishing Corporation. p. 89. ISBN 978-81-7075-036-9.
↑ Chaturvedi, Vinayak (2007). Peasant Pasts: History and Memory in Western India. New Delhi, India, Asia: University of California Press. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-520-25076-5.
↑ Edmond, Jacob; Johnson, Henry; Leckie, Jacqueline (27 July 2011). Recentring Asia: Histories, Encounters, Identities. New Delhi, India: Global Oriental. p. 67. ISBN 978-90-04-21261-9.
↑ Whelpton, John (17 February 2005). A History of Nepal. New Delhi, India: Cambridge University Press. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-521-80470-7.
↑ Hahlo, Ken (10 August 2018). Communities, Networks and Ethnic Politics. New Delhi, India, Asia: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-429-86435-3.
↑ Behera, Maguni Charan (9 November 2019). Tribal Studies in India: Perspectives of History, Archaeology and Culture. New Delhi, India: Springer Nature. p. 46. ISBN 978-981-329-026-6.
↑ Shah, A. M.; Shroff, R. G. (1958). "The Vahīvancā Bāroṭs of Gujarat: A Caste of Genealogists and Mythographers". The Journal of American Folklore. 71 (281). American Folklore Society: 265. doi:10.2307/538561. ISSN 0021-8715. JSTOR 538561 – via JSTOR.
↑ Shah 2012, p. 169
↑ ^12.0 ^12.1 ^12.2 ^12.3 ^12.4 Jaffrelot 2003, pp. 180–182
↑ Fuller 1975, pp. 293–295
↑ ^14.0 ^14.1 Shah 2012, p. 170
↑ Ludden, David; David, Ludden; Ludden, Professor of History David (7 October 1999). An Agrarian History of South Asia. New Delhi, India: Cambridge University Press. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-521-36424-9.
↑ Vivekanand (2016). "Reversing the Semantics". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 77: 276–281. ISSN 2249-1937. JSTOR 26552652.
↑ Hardiman, David; Hardiman, David (1996). Feeding the Baniya: Peasants and Usurers in Western India. New Delhi, India: Oxford University Press. p. 250. ISBN 978-0-19-563956-8.
↑ ^18.0 ^18.1 Basu 2009, pp. 51–55
↑ Basu 2009, p. 52
↑ Basu 2009, p. 53
↑ Franco, Fernando (2002). Pain and Awakening: The Dynamics of Dalit Identity in Bihar, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. New Delhi, India, Asia: Indian Social Institute. p. 252. ISBN 978-81-87218-46-3.
↑ Hardiman, David (1981). Peasant Nationalists of Gujarat: Kheda District, 1917–1934. New Delhi, India, Asia: Oxford University Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-19-561255-4.
↑ DA COSTA, DIA (2016). Politicizing Creative Economy: Activism and a Hunger Called Theater. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-04060-3. JSTOR 10.5406/j.ctt1ws7wgk.
↑ Shah 2004, p. 178.
↑ Wood, John R. (2008). "Review of India's 2004 Elections: Grass-Roots and National Perspectives". Pacific Affairs. 81 (1): 138–140. ISSN 0030-851X. JSTOR 40377511.
↑ Bardhan, Pranab; Brass, Paul R.; Cohen, Stephen P.; Gupta, Jyotirindra Das; Frankel, Francine R.; Hart, Henry C.; Manor, James; Shah, Ghanshyam; Lewis, John P. (1988). India's Democracy: An Analysis of Changing State-Society Relations. Princeton University Press. JSTOR j.ctt7zv3bg.
↑ Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi, ed. (2002). Education and the disprivileged: nineteenth and twentieth century India. Hyderabad, India: Orient Longman. ISBN 978-81-250-2192-6.
↑ Mehta, Haroobhai; Patel, Hasmukh (1985). Dynamics of Reservation Policy. Patriot Publishers. p. 119. ISBN 978-0-8364-1818-7.
↑ Shah 2004, p. 302.
↑ Shah 2004, p. 221.
↑ Hardiman, David; Hardiman, Professor of History David (1996). Feeding the Baniya: Peasants and Usurers in Western India. New Delhi, India: Oxford University Press. p. 221. ISBN 978-0-19-563956-8.
↑ Pradhan, Gautam (7 September 2017). 300 Brave Men – Shivaji Trilogy Book I. One Point Six Technology Pvt Ltd. ISBN 978-93-5201-973-1.
↑ Roy, Kaushik (6 October 2015). Military Manpower, Armies and Warfare in South Asia. New Delhi, India: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-32127-9.
↑ Satchidanandan, K. (10 June 2016). Words Matter: Writings against Silence. New Delhi, India: Penguin UK. ISBN 978-93-86057-32-7.
↑ Bakshi, Shiri Ram; Sharma, Sita Ram; Gajrani, S. (1998). Sharad Pawar, the Maratha Legacy. New Delhi, India: APH Publishing. p. 41. ISBN 978-81-7648-007-9.
↑ Roy, Shibani (1983). Koli Culture: A Profile of the Culture of Talpad Vistar. New Delhi, India: Cosmo Publications. pp. 25: The chief warrior or ' senapati ' of Shivaji, Taraji Malusare belonged to the Kolis of Mawli and all his followers were Koli who had fought several battles against the.
↑ Burman, J. J. Roy (2002). Hindu-Muslim Syncretic Shrines and Communities. New Delhi, India: Mittal Publications. p. 242. ISBN 978-81-7099-839-6.
↑ Punekar, Vinaja B. (1959). The Son Kolis of Bombay. New Delhi, India: Popular Book Depot. p. 23.
↑ Kamble, B. R. (1982). Studies in Shivaji and His Times. New Delhi, India: Shivaji University. p. 135.
↑ Behera, Maguni Charan (9 November 2019). Tribal Studies in India: Perspectives of History, Archaeology and Culture. New Delhi, India: Springer Nature. p. 46. ISBN 978-981-329-026-6.
↑ Hassan, Syed Siraj ul (1989). The Castes and Tribes of H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions. New Delhi, India: Asian Educational Services. p. 332. ISBN 978-81-206-0488-9.
↑ Roy, Kaushik (6 October 2015). Military Manpower, Armies and Warfare in South Asia. New Delhi, India, Asia: Routledge. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-317-32128-6.
↑ Behera, Maguni Charan (9 November 2019). Tribal Studies in India: Perspectives of History, Archaeology and Culture. New Delhi, India, Asia: Springer Nature. p. 45. ISBN 978-981-329-026-6.
↑ Heredia, Rudolf C.; Ratnagar, Shereen (2003). Mobile, and Marginalized Peoples: Perspectives from the Past. New Delhi, India, Asia: Manohar Publications. pp. 158: A sixteenth - century Arabic text, the Zafar - ulWalih - bi - Muzaffar - Waalihi, mentions Bhils and Kolis helping the amirs of Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat in their attacks on Humayun at the Gulf of Khambat ( Sandesara 1970 : 208 ). ISBN 978-81-7304-497-7.
↑ Kennedy, Michael (1985). The Criminal Classes in India. New Delhi, India: Mittal Publications. p. 92.
↑ Hassan, Syed Siraj ul (1989). The Castes and Tribes of H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions. New Delhi, India, Asia: Asian Educational Services. p. 334. ISBN 978-81-206-0488-9.
↑ Ghurye, Govind Sadashiv (1957). The Mahadev Kolis. New Delhi, India: Popular Book Depot. p. 14.
↑ Cumming, Gordon (16 November 2016). Wild men and wild beasts. New Delhi, India: BoD – Books on Demand. p. 147. ISBN 978-9925-0-3736-0.
↑ McIntyre, W. David (18 June 1967). Imperial Frontier in the Tropics. New Delhi, India, Asia: Springer. p. 192. ISBN 978-1-349-00349-5.
↑ Pippet, G. K. (1969). A History of the Ceylon Police. Times of Ceylon Company. p. 4.
↑ Parry, Jonathan P. (13 September 2013). Caste and Kinship in Kangra. New Delhi, India: Routledge. p. 119. ISBN 978-1-136-54585-6.
↑ Indian Armed Forces in the World War. Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. ISBN 978-93-5409-556-6.
↑ Roy, Kaushik (22 November 2012). The Army in British India: From Colonial Warfare to Total War 1857 – 1947. New Delhi, India: A&C Black. p. 128. ISBN 978-1-4411-6845-0.
↑ Barendse, Rene (26 October 2009). Arabian Seas 1700 – 1763. New Delhi, India: Brill. p. 98. ISBN 978-90-474-3002-5.
↑ Williams, Raymond Brady; Trivedi, Yogi (12 May 2016). Swaminarayan Hinduism: Tradition, Adaptation, and Identity. New Delhi, India: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-908959-8.
↑ Campbell, James M. (1988). Hindu Castes and Tribes of Gujurat. New Delhi, India, Asia: Vintage Books. pp. 245: Shiale.
↑ The West India Pilot. New Delhi, India: J. D. Potter. 1987. p. 36.
↑ A Short Record of Bombay Recruiting During the Great War. New Delhi, India: Printed at the Government Central Press. 1919. p. 17.
↑ Barendse 2009, pp. 99.
↑ The Indian Historical Quarterly. New Delhi, India: Ramanand Vidya Bhawan. 1985. p. 146.
↑ Vanyajāti. Gujarat, India: Bharatiya Adimjati Sevak Sangh. 1989. p. 26.
↑ "A community called Koli – Indian Express". archive.indianexpress.com. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
↑ "Who is stirring the caste cauldron in Karnataka?". Hindustan Times. 1 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
↑ "CENTRAL LIST OF OBCs FOR THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA" (PDF).
↑ "कोली को अनुसूचित जाति का दर्जा नहीं: हाईकोर्ट".
↑ "List Of Scheduled Tribes – TRTI, Pune". trti.maharashtra.gov.in. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
↑ "N.C.T. Delhi : DATA HIGHLIGHTS: THE SCHEDULED CASTES : Census of India 2001" (PDF). Censusindia.gov. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
↑ "Madhya Pradesh : DATA HIGHLIGHTS: THE SCHEDULED CASTES : Census of India 2001" (PDF). Censusindia.gov. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
↑ "Rajasthan : DATA HIGHLIGHTS: THE SCHEDULED CASTES : Census of India 2001" (PDF). Censusindia.gov. Retrieved 3 October 2015.

Bibliography

Basu, Pratyusha (2009), Villages, Women, and the Success of Dairy Cooperatives in India: Making Place for Rural Development, Cambria Press, ISBN 9781604976250
Fuller, Christopher John (Winter 1975), "The Internal Structure of the Nayar Caste", Journal of Anthropological Research, 31 (4): 283–312, doi:10.1086/jar.31.4.3629883, JSTOR 3629883, S2CID 163592798
Jaffrelot, Christophe (2003), India's Silent Revolution: The Rise of the Lower Castes in North India (Reprinted ed.), C. Hurst & Co., ISBN 9781850653981
Shah, Arvind M. (2012), The Structure of Indian Society: Then and Now, Routledge, ISBN 978-1-13619-770-3
Shah, Ghanshyam (2004), Caste and Democratic Politics In India (Reprinted ed.), Anthem Press, ISBN 9781843310860

External links[edit | edit source]

Plants and animals important to the Koli-Agri community in Maharashtra Archived 11 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine on Biodiversity of India
A community called Koli – The Indian Express

Template:Gotras of Kolis Template:Social groups of Maharashtra

Template:Social groups of Gujarat

[19] The Patidars were formerly known as Kanbi, but by 1931 had gained official recognition as Patidar.^[18]

[1] "Gujarat news : गुजरात चुनाव से पहले अब कोली-ठाकोर ने मांगा आरक्षण, क्या पाटीदार आंदोलन की तरह बनेगा मुद्दा". Navbharat Times (in हिन्दी). Retrieved 24 March 2022.

[:1-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Minhas, Poonam (1998). Traditional Trade & Trading Centres in Himachal Pradesh: With Trade-routes and Trading Communities. Indus Publishing. ISBN 978-81-7387-080-4.

[FOOTNOTEShah2004297-3] Shah 2004, p. 297.

[4] Donnan, Hastings; Selier, Frits (1997). Family and Gender in Pakistan: Domestic Organization in a Muslim Society. New Delhi, India: Hindustan Publishing Corporation. p. 89. ISBN 978-81-7075-036-9.

[5] Chaturvedi, Vinayak (2007). Peasant Pasts: History and Memory in Western India. New Delhi, India, Asia: University of California Press. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-520-25076-5.

[6] Edmond, Jacob; Johnson, Henry; Leckie, Jacqueline (27 July 2011). Recentring Asia: Histories, Encounters, Identities. New Delhi, India: Global Oriental. p. 67. ISBN 978-90-04-21261-9.

[7] Whelpton, John (17 February 2005). A History of Nepal. New Delhi, India: Cambridge University Press. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-521-80470-7.

[8] Hahlo, Ken (10 August 2018). Communities, Networks and Ethnic Politics. New Delhi, India, Asia: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-429-86435-3.

[9] Behera, Maguni Charan (9 November 2019). Tribal Studies in India: Perspectives of History, Archaeology and Culture. New Delhi, India: Springer Nature. p. 46. ISBN 978-981-329-026-6.

[10] Shah, A. M.; Shroff, R. G. (1958). "The Vahīvancā Bāroṭs of Gujarat: A Caste of Genealogists and Mythographers". The Journal of American Folklore. 71 (281). American Folklore Society: 265. doi:10.2307/538561. ISSN 0021-8715. JSTOR 538561 – via JSTOR.

[FOOTNOTEShah2012169-11] Shah 2012, p. 169

[FOOTNOTEJaffrelot2003180–182-12] 12.0 ^12.1 ^12.2 ^12.3 ^12.4 Jaffrelot 2003, pp. 180–182

[FOOTNOTEFuller1975293–295-13] Fuller 1975, pp. 293–295

[FOOTNOTEShah2012170-14] 14.0 ^14.1 Shah 2012, p. 170

[15] Ludden, David; David, Ludden; Ludden, Professor of History David (7 October 1999). An Agrarian History of South Asia. New Delhi, India: Cambridge University Press. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-521-36424-9.

[16] Vivekanand (2016). "Reversing the Semantics". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 77: 276–281. ISSN 2249-1937. JSTOR 26552652.

[17] Hardiman, David; Hardiman, David (1996). Feeding the Baniya: Peasants and Usurers in Western India. New Delhi, India: Oxford University Press. p. 250. ISBN 978-0-19-563956-8.

[FOOTNOTEBasu200951–55-18] 18.0 ^18.1 Basu 2009, pp. 51–55

[FOOTNOTEBasu200952-20] Basu 2009, p. 52

[FOOTNOTEBasu200953-21] Basu 2009, p. 53

[22] Franco, Fernando (2002). Pain and Awakening: The Dynamics of Dalit Identity in Bihar, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. New Delhi, India, Asia: Indian Social Institute. p. 252. ISBN 978-81-87218-46-3.

[23] Hardiman, David (1981). Peasant Nationalists of Gujarat: Kheda District, 1917–1934. New Delhi, India, Asia: Oxford University Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-19-561255-4.

[24] DA COSTA, DIA (2016). Politicizing Creative Economy: Activism and a Hunger Called Theater. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-04060-3. JSTOR 10.5406/j.ctt1ws7wgk.

[FOOTNOTEShah2004178-25] Shah 2004, p. 178.

[26] Wood, John R. (2008). "Review of India's 2004 Elections: Grass-Roots and National Perspectives". Pacific Affairs. 81 (1): 138–140. ISSN 0030-851X. JSTOR 40377511.

[27] Bardhan, Pranab; Brass, Paul R.; Cohen, Stephen P.; Gupta, Jyotirindra Das; Frankel, Francine R.; Hart, Henry C.; Manor, James; Shah, Ghanshyam; Lewis, John P. (1988). India's Democracy: An Analysis of Changing State-Society Relations. Princeton University Press. JSTOR j.ctt7zv3bg.

[28] Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi, ed. (2002). Education and the disprivileged: nineteenth and twentieth century India. Hyderabad, India: Orient Longman. ISBN 978-81-250-2192-6.

[29] Mehta, Haroobhai; Patel, Hasmukh (1985). Dynamics of Reservation Policy. Patriot Publishers. p. 119. ISBN 978-0-8364-1818-7.

[FOOTNOTEShah2004302-30] Shah 2004, p. 302.

[FOOTNOTEShah2004221-31] Shah 2004, p. 221.

[32] Hardiman, David; Hardiman, Professor of History David (1996). Feeding the Baniya: Peasants and Usurers in Western India. New Delhi, India: Oxford University Press. p. 221. ISBN 978-0-19-563956-8.

[33] Pradhan, Gautam (7 September 2017). 300 Brave Men – Shivaji Trilogy Book I. One Point Six Technology Pvt Ltd. ISBN 978-93-5201-973-1.

[34] Roy, Kaushik (6 October 2015). Military Manpower, Armies and Warfare in South Asia. New Delhi, India: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-32127-9.

[35] Satchidanandan, K. (10 June 2016). Words Matter: Writings against Silence. New Delhi, India: Penguin UK. ISBN 978-93-86057-32-7.

[36] Bakshi, Shiri Ram; Sharma, Sita Ram; Gajrani, S. (1998). Sharad Pawar, the Maratha Legacy. New Delhi, India: APH Publishing. p. 41. ISBN 978-81-7648-007-9.

[37] Roy, Shibani (1983). Koli Culture: A Profile of the Culture of Talpad Vistar. New Delhi, India: Cosmo Publications. pp. 25: The chief warrior or ' senapati ' of Shivaji, Taraji Malusare belonged to the Kolis of Mawli and all his followers were Koli who had fought several battles against the.

[38] Burman, J. J. Roy (2002). Hindu-Muslim Syncretic Shrines and Communities. New Delhi, India: Mittal Publications. p. 242. ISBN 978-81-7099-839-6.

[39] Punekar, Vinaja B. (1959). The Son Kolis of Bombay. New Delhi, India: Popular Book Depot. p. 23.

[40] Kamble, B. R. (1982). Studies in Shivaji and His Times. New Delhi, India: Shivaji University. p. 135.

[41] Behera, Maguni Charan (9 November 2019). Tribal Studies in India: Perspectives of History, Archaeology and Culture. New Delhi, India: Springer Nature. p. 46. ISBN 978-981-329-026-6.

[42] Hassan, Syed Siraj ul (1989). The Castes and Tribes of H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions. New Delhi, India: Asian Educational Services. p. 332. ISBN 978-81-206-0488-9.

[43] Roy, Kaushik (6 October 2015). Military Manpower, Armies and Warfare in South Asia. New Delhi, India, Asia: Routledge. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-317-32128-6.

[44] Behera, Maguni Charan (9 November 2019). Tribal Studies in India: Perspectives of History, Archaeology and Culture. New Delhi, India, Asia: Springer Nature. p. 45. ISBN 978-981-329-026-6.

[45] Heredia, Rudolf C.; Ratnagar, Shereen (2003). Mobile, and Marginalized Peoples: Perspectives from the Past. New Delhi, India, Asia: Manohar Publications. pp. 158: A sixteenth - century Arabic text, the Zafar - ulWalih - bi - Muzaffar - Waalihi, mentions Bhils and Kolis helping the amirs of Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat in their attacks on Humayun at the Gulf of Khambat ( Sandesara 1970 : 208 ). ISBN 978-81-7304-497-7.

[46] Kennedy, Michael (1985). The Criminal Classes in India. New Delhi, India: Mittal Publications. p. 92.

[47] Hassan, Syed Siraj ul (1989). The Castes and Tribes of H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions. New Delhi, India, Asia: Asian Educational Services. p. 334. ISBN 978-81-206-0488-9.

[48] Ghurye, Govind Sadashiv (1957). The Mahadev Kolis. New Delhi, India: Popular Book Depot. p. 14.

[49] Cumming, Gordon (16 November 2016). Wild men and wild beasts. New Delhi, India: BoD – Books on Demand. p. 147. ISBN 978-9925-0-3736-0.

[50] McIntyre, W. David (18 June 1967). Imperial Frontier in the Tropics. New Delhi, India, Asia: Springer. p. 192. ISBN 978-1-349-00349-5.

[51] Pippet, G. K. (1969). A History of the Ceylon Police. Times of Ceylon Company. p. 4.

[52] Parry, Jonathan P. (13 September 2013). Caste and Kinship in Kangra. New Delhi, India: Routledge. p. 119. ISBN 978-1-136-54585-6.

[53] Indian Armed Forces in the World War. Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. ISBN 978-93-5409-556-6.

[54] Roy, Kaushik (22 November 2012). The Army in British India: From Colonial Warfare to Total War 1857 – 1947. New Delhi, India: A&C Black. p. 128. ISBN 978-1-4411-6845-0.

[55] Barendse, Rene (26 October 2009). Arabian Seas 1700 – 1763. New Delhi, India: Brill. p. 98. ISBN 978-90-474-3002-5.

[56] Williams, Raymond Brady; Trivedi, Yogi (12 May 2016). Swaminarayan Hinduism: Tradition, Adaptation, and Identity. New Delhi, India: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-908959-8.

[:0-57] Campbell, James M. (1988). Hindu Castes and Tribes of Gujurat. New Delhi, India, Asia: Vintage Books. pp. 245: Shiale.

[58] The West India Pilot. New Delhi, India: J. D. Potter. 1987. p. 36.

[59] A Short Record of Bombay Recruiting During the Great War. New Delhi, India: Printed at the Government Central Press. 1919. p. 17.

[FOOTNOTEBarendse200999-60] Barendse 2009, pp. 99.

[61] The Indian Historical Quarterly. New Delhi, India: Ramanand Vidya Bhawan. 1985. p. 146.

[62] Vanyajāti. Gujarat, India: Bharatiya Adimjati Sevak Sangh. 1989. p. 26.

[63] "A community called Koli – Indian Express". archive.indianexpress.com. Retrieved 7 March 2022.

[64] "Who is stirring the caste cauldron in Karnataka?". Hindustan Times. 1 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2022.

[65] "CENTRAL LIST OF OBCs FOR THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA" (PDF).

[66] "कोली को अनुसूचित जाति का दर्जा नहीं: हाईकोर्ट".

[67] "List Of Scheduled Tribes – TRTI, Pune". trti.maharashtra.gov.in. Retrieved 7 March 2022.

[68] "N.C.T. Delhi : DATA HIGHLIGHTS: THE SCHEDULED CASTES : Census of India 2001" (PDF). Censusindia.gov. Retrieved 3 October 2015.

[69] "Madhya Pradesh : DATA HIGHLIGHTS: THE SCHEDULED CASTES : Census of India 2001" (PDF). Censusindia.gov. Retrieved 3 October 2015.

[70] "Rajasthan : DATA HIGHLIGHTS: THE SCHEDULED CASTES : Census of India 2001" (PDF). Censusindia.gov. Retrieved 3 October 2015.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Indian caste and ethnic group}}
+{{protection padlock|small=yes}}
-{{short description|Ethnic Indian group}}
+{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
-{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
+{{More citations needed|date=January 2026}}
-{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
+{{Use Indian English|date=July 2023}}
 {{Infobox ethnic group
 | group            = Koli
@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 | native_name_lang = Hi, Gj, Mr
 | flag             =
-| languages        = [[Hindi]], [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], [[Marathi language|Marathi]], [[Kachi Koli language|Koli language]], [[Konkani]], [[Kannada]]
+| languages        = [[Kachi Koli language|Kachi Koli]], [[Parkari Koli language|Parkari Koli]], [[Wadiyara Koli language|Wadiyara Koli]], [[Rathwi Bareli language|Rathwi Bareli]], [[Hindi]], [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], [[Konkani language|Konkani]], [[Marathi language|Marathi]], [[Bhil language|Bhil]], [[Kannada]]
-| religions        = [[Hindus|Hindu]], [[Muslim]], [[Christian people|Christian]]
+| religions        = [[Hindus|Hindu]], [[Muslim]], [[Koli Christians|Christian]]
-| related_groups   = [[Kori (caste)|Kori]], [[Kolhi]], [[Koli Christians]]
+| related_groups   = [[Kori (caste)|Kori]], [[Koli Christians]]
 | flag_caption     =
 | image            = A Coolie Chieftain.jpg
-| caption          = A [[portrait]] of Koli [[Zamidar|chieftain]] of [[Dahewan]] by [[James Forbes (artist)|James Forbes]], 1813
+| caption          = A [[portrait]] of a Koli [[Zamidar|chieftain]] of [[Dahewan]] by [[James Forbes (artist)|James Forbes]], 1813
 }}
-The '''Koli''' is an Indian [[Caste system in India|caste]] found in [[Rajasthan]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[Gujarat]], [[Maharashtra]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Haryana]], [[Karnataka]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Koli community hopeful of getting ST tag in Karnataka - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/koli-community-hopeful-of-getting-st-tag-in-karnataka/articleshow/59305521.cms |access-date=2019-04-08 |website=The Times of India}}</ref> [[Odisha]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Odisha - List of Scheduled Tribes|url=http://stscodisha.gov.in/pdf/ScheduledTribe_List.pdf |website=ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare Department Government of Odisha |access-date=16 May 2021}}</ref> and [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]] states in [[India]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/jan/27/jammu-and-kashmir-bjp-in-favour-of-reservation-for-people-living-along-international-border-1930747.html|title=Jammu and Kashmir BJP in favour of reservation for people living along international border|website=The New Indian Express|access-date=2019-04-08}}</ref> Koli is a [[Agriculturist]] caste of Gujarat but in coastal areas they also work as fisherman and agriculturist. In the beginning of [[20th century]], the Koli caste was recognised as a [[Denotified Tribes|Criminal Tribe]] under [[Criminal Tribes Act]] by [[British Raj|British Indian government]] because of their anti-social activities during [[World War I]].
+The '''Koli people''' are an agriculturist caste of India, mostly found in [[Gujarat]] and [[Himachal Pradesh]]. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Koli caste was recognised as a [[Denotified Tribes|criminal tribe]] under [[Criminal Tribes Act]] by [[British Raj|British Indian government]] because of their anti-social activities; but during [[World War I]], Kolis were recognised as a martial caste by [[British Indian Empire]]. Kolis of Gujarat were well-known pirates of [[Arabian Sea]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gujarat news : गुजरात चुनाव से पहले अब कोली-ठाकोर ने मांगा आरक्षण, क्या पाटीदार आंदोलन की तरह बनेगा मुद्दा |url=https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/state/gujarat/ahmedabad/koli-thakor-seek-reservation-before-gujarat-assembly-election-2022-just-like-patidar-agitation/articleshow/90366946.cms |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=Navbharat Times |language=hi}}</ref>
-The Koli caste forms the largest [[caste]]-[[Caste system in India|cluster]], comprising 24% of the total population of the [[Gujarat]]{{sfn|Shah|2004|p=221}} and 30% of [[Himachal Pradesh]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Minhas|first=Poonam|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_52-WyPfLG0C&dq=Himachal+Koli+population&pg=PA59|title=Traditional Trade & Trading Centres in Himachal Pradesh: With Trade-routes and Trading Communities|date=1998|publisher=Indus Publishing|isbn=978-81-7387-080-4|language=en}}</ref>
+The Kolis form the largest [[Caste system in India|caste cluster]] in [[Gujarat]] and [[Himachal Pradesh]], comprising 24% and 30% of the total population in those states, respectively.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Minhas |first=Poonam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_52-WyPfLG0C&dq=Himachal+Koli+population&pg=PA59 |title=Traditional Trade & Trading Centres in Himachal Pradesh: With Trade-routes and Trading Communities |date=1998 |publisher=Indus Publishing |isbn=978-81-7387-080-4 |language=en}}</ref>
+== Distribution ==
+* '''India:''' Kolis are distributed across the country, though the majority of the population is found in the [[States and union territories of India|Indian states]] of Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, and [[Maharashtra]]. Kolis are 24% of the total state population in Gujarat{{sfn|Shah|2004|p=297}} and 30% of Himachal Pradesh.<ref name=":1" />
+* '''[[Pakistan]]:''' Kolis are found in the [[Sindh]] [[Administrative units of Pakistan|province]] of Pakistan, most of them related to Kolis of Gujarat.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Donnan |first1=Hastings |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SwluAAAAMAAJ |title=Family and Gender in Pakistan: Domestic Organization in a Muslim Society |last2=Selier |first2=Frits |date=1997 |publisher=Hindustan Publishing Corporation |isbn=978-81-7075-036-9 |location=New Delhi, India |pages=89 |language=en}}</ref>
+* '''[[Penang|Penang Island]]:''' Kolis also found in the Penang Island. They were sent by the [[British Raj|British Indian government]] because of their rebellious activities against the British [[East India Company]] during [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chaturvedi |first=Vinayak |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MzPlZSOjCpsC&dq=Penang+Kolis&pg=PA32 |title=Peasant Pasts: History and Memory in Western India |date=2007 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |isbn=978-0-520-25076-5 |location=New Delhi, India, Asia |pages=32 |language=en}}</ref>
+* '''[[Fiji]] and [[New Zealand]]:''' Koli citizens here are agriculturists by profession and use the surname of Patel.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Edmond |first1=Jacob |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B_V5DwAAQBAJ&dq=Fiji+Koli&pg=PA67 |title=Recentring Asia: Histories, Encounters, Identities |last2=Johnson |first2=Henry |last3=Leckie |first3=Jacqueline |date=2011-07-27 |publisher=[[Global Oriental]] |isbn=978-90-04-21261-9 |location=New Delhi, India |pages=67 |language=en}}</ref>
+* '''[[Nepal]]:''' Kolis of Nepal ruled over the cities of [[Ramgram Municipality|Ramgram]], [[Devdaha]] and Panditpur.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Whelpton |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KoNT6tjk9mQC |title=A History of Nepal |date=2005-02-17 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-0-521-80470-7 |location=New Delhi, India |pages=19 |language=en}}</ref>
+* '''East Africa:''' Kolis of East Africa referred to themselves as Mandhata Patel, Mandhata Koli Patel and Koli Patel. Many of them are employed as [[Businessperson|businesspeople]], [[teacher]]s, or [[Medical doctor|doctors]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hahlo |first=Ken |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UKybDwAAQBAJ&dq=Africa+Koli+migrated&pg=PT113 |title=Communities, Networks and Ethnic Politics |date=2018-08-10 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-0-429-86435-3 |location=New Delhi, India, Asia |language=en}}</ref>
 == History ==
-=== Early ===
+The Kolis seem to have attained an important socio political status by the fourteenth century, at least on Konkan coast in [[Maharashtra]]. A Koli kingdom is known to have been founded by Jayba Popera in North Konkan in 1342. During the reign of [[Shivaji]], Kolis had served the [[Maratha army]] under their Koli commanders [[Yesaji Angre|Yesaji Kank]] and [[Tanaji Malusare]] and exercised considerable control over the [[Konkan|Konkan coast]]. The [[Bahmanis]] conferred the rank of [[Sardar]] on Koli chiefs who held charge of hill tracts.
+In contrast, Kolis of Gujarat were mostly perceived as a predatory tribe. From the literature of the medieval period and in travellers' accounts, there is suspicion that some descendants of medieval [[Bhil]] chiefs, particularly those of [[Ahmedabad]], could have claimed the status of Koli.<ref>{{Cite book |last=[[Behera (surname)|Behera]] |first=Maguni Charan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rVS9DwAAQBAJ&q=Patil+Koli |title=Tribal Studies in India: Perspectives of History, Archaeology and Culture |date=2019-11-09 |publisher=[[Springer Nature]] |isbn=978-981-329-026-6 |location=New Delhi, India |pages=46 |language=en}}</ref> Records of Koli people exist from at least the 15th century, when rulers in the present-day Gujarat region called their chieftains marauding robbers, [[dacoit]]s, and pirates. Over a period of several centuries, some of them were able to establish chiefdoms throughout the region, mostly comprising just a single village.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shah |first1=A. M. |last2=Shroff |first2=R. G. |date=1958 |title=The Vahīvancā Bāroṭs of Gujarat: A Caste of Genealogists and Mythographers |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/538561 |journal=The Journal of American Folklore |publisher=American Folklore Society |volume=71 |issue=281 |pages=265 |doi=10.2307/538561 |issn=0021-8715 |jstor=538561 |url-access=subscription |via=JSTOR}}</ref> Although not [[Rajput]]s, this relatively small subset of the Kolis claimed the status of the higher-ranked Rajput community, adopting their customs and intermixing with less significant Rajput families through the practice of [[hypergamy|hypergamous]] marriage,{{sfn|Shah|2012|p=169|ps=}}{{sfn|Jaffrelot|2003|pp=180–182|ps=}} which was commonly used to enhance or secure social status.{{sfn|Fuller|1975|pp=293–295|ps=}} There were significant differences in status throughout the Koli community, however, and little cohesion either geographically or in terms of communal norms, such as the establishment of [[endogamous]] marriage groups.{{sfn|Shah|2012|p=170|ps=}}
+=== Criminal Tribes Act ===
+The Koli caste of [[Maharashtra]] and [[Gujarat]] was classified as [[Denotified Tribes|Criminal Tribes]] under [[Criminal Tribes Act]] of 1871 by the Government of India<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ludden |first1=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eHi62S7vZlsC&q=Mahadev+Kolis |title=An Agrarian History of South Asia |last2=David |first2=Ludden |last3=Ludden |first3=Professor of History David |date=1999-10-07 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-0-521-36424-9 |location=New Delhi, India |pages=200 |language=en}}</ref> because of their anti-social activities such as [[Robbery|robberies]], murder, [[blackmailing]], and crop and [[Cattle theft in India|animal theft]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Vivekanand |date=2016 |title=Reversing the Semantics |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26552652 |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=77 |pages=276–281 |issn=2249-1937 |jstor=26552652}}</ref> In 1914, Kolis of Maharashtra revolted against [[British rule]] and attacked government officials. In retribution, the government again declared the Kolis as a criminal tribe under the Bombay Criminal Tribes Act.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Hardiman |first1=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8EsfAQAAIAAJ |title=Feeding the Baniya: Peasants and Usurers in Western India |last2=Hardiman |first2=David |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-19-563956-8 |location=New Delhi, India |pages=250 |language=en}}</ref>
+=== Twentieth century ===
 [[File:A_koli_woman_(fisherwoman).jpg|thumb|A Koli woman]]
-There has historically been some difficulty in identifying people as Koli or as [[Bhil people]] in what is now the state of Gujarat. The two communities co-existed in the hills of that area and even today there is confusion regarding their identity, not helped, in the opinion of sociologist [[Arvind Shah]], by there being "hardly any modern, systematic, anthropological, sociological or historical study" of the Kolis.{{sfn|Shah|2012|p=168|ps=}} Sources from the medieval period suggest that the term ''koli'' was applied generically to lawless people, whilst British colonial studies considered it to be a vague collective noun for varied communities whose sole common feature was that they were inferior to the [[Kunbi|Kunbis]]. At some stage, ''koli'' became accepted as a [[Caste system in India|caste]] and thus superior to the tribal Bhils.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ratnagar |first=Shereen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tcTz54VVHF4C&pg=PA11 |title=Being Tribal |publisher=Primus Books |year=2010 |isbn=978-9-38060-702-3 |page=11 |author-link=Shereen Ratnagar}}</ref>
-Records of Koli people exist from at least the 15th century, when rulers in the present-day Gujarat region called their chieftains marauding robbers, [[dacoit]]s, and pirates. Over a period of several centuries, some of them were able to establish petty chiefdoms throughout the region, mostly comprising just a single village.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Shah|first1=A. M.|last2=Shroff|first2=R. G.|date=1958|title=The Vahīvancā Bāroṭs of Gujarat: A Caste of Genealogists and Mythographers|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/538561|journal=The Journal of American Folklore|publisher=American Folklore Society|volume=71|issue=281|pages=265|doi=10.2307/538561|jstor=538561|via=JSTOR}}</ref> Although not [[Rajput]]s, this relatively small subset of the Kolis claimed the status of the higher-ranked Rajput community, adopting their customs and intermixing with less significant Rajput families through the practice of [[hypergamy|hypergamous]] marriage,{{sfn|Shah|2012|p=169|ps=}}{{sfn|Jaffrelot|2003|pp=180-182|ps=}} which was commonly used to enhance or secure social status.{{sfn|Fuller|1975|pp=293-295|ps=}} There were significant differences in status throughout the Koli community, however, and little cohesion either geographically or in terms of communal norms, such as the establishment of endogamous marriage groups.{{sfn|Shah|2012|p=170|ps=}}
+Throughout the colonial [[British Raj]] period and into the 20th century, some Kolis remained significant landholders and tenants,{{sfn|Jaffrelot|2003|pp=180–182|ps=}} although most had never been more than minor landowners and labourers.{{sfn|Shah|2012|p=170|ps=}} By this time, however, most Kolis had lost their once-equal standing with the [[Patidar]]{{efn|The Patidars were formerly known as [[Kanbi]], but by 1931 had gained official recognition as Patidar.{{sfn|Basu|2009|pp=51–55|ps=}}}} community due to the land reforms of the Raj period.{{sfn|Basu|2009|pp=51–55|ps=}} The Kolis preferred the landlord-based tenure system, which was not so mutually beneficial. They were subject to interference from the British revenue collectors, who intervened to ensure that the stipulated revenue was remitted to the government before any surplus went to the landlord.{{sfn|Basu|2009|p=52|ps=}} Being less inclined to take an active role in agriculture personally and thus maximise revenues from their landholdings, the Koli possessions were often left uncultivated or underused. The Kanbi land takeovers also reduced the Kolis to being the tenants and agricultural labourers of Kanbis rather than landowners, thus increasing the [[economic inequality]] between the communities. The difference was further exacerbated by the Kanbis' providing better tenancy arrangements for members of their own community than for Kolis.{{sfn|Basu|2009|p=53|ps=}}
+During the later period of the [[British Raj]], the Gujarati Kolis became involved in the process of what has subsequently been termed [[sanskritisation]]. At that time, in the 1930s, they represented around 20 percent of the region's population. Members of the local Rajput community were seeking to extend their own influence by co-opting other significant groups as claimants to the [[Varna (Hinduism)|ritual title]] of [[Kshatriya]]. The Rajputs were politically, economically, and socially marginalised because their own numbers — around 4 to 5 per cent of the population — were lesser to the dominant Patidars, with whom the Kolis were also disenchanted.{{sfn|Jaffrelot|2003|pp=180–182|ps=}}
+=== Post Independence ===
+The [[Patidar]]s of central and north Gujarat were agricultural labour on the lands of Koli [[landlord]]s or Koli [[Tribal chief|chieftains]]. After [[Indian independence movement|India achieved independence]], Patidars occupied Koli lands through the [[Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976|Urban Land Ceiling Act]], reducing the Kolis in social status.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Franco |first=Fernando |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ueRtAAAAMAAJ |title=Pain and Awakening: The Dynamics of Dalit Identity in Bihar, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh |date=2002 |publisher=Indian Social Institute |isbn=978-81-87218-46-3 |location=New Delhi, India, Asia |pages=252 |language=en}}</ref> The Kolis, upset at their loss of rights, formed gangs to plunder Patidar villages.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hardiman |first=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lzWFAAAAIAAJ |title=Peasant Nationalists of Gujarat: Kheda District, 1917–1934 |date=1981 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-561255-4 |location=New Delhi, India, Asia |pages=45 |language=en}}</ref> The [[Rajput]]s of Gujarat, similarly in contention with the Patidars over land rights, allied with Kolis.<ref>{{Cite book |last=DA COSTA |first=DIA |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/j.ctt1ws7wgk |title=Politicizing Creative Economy: Activism and a Hunger Called Theater |date=2016 |publisher=University of Illinois Press |isbn=978-0-252-04060-3 |jstor=10.5406/j.ctt1ws7wgk }}</ref> In central and north Gujarat, the Kolis and their allies had several battles with the Patidars on the issue of land tenancy, land rights, and use of common village resources.
+==== KKGKS ====
+In 1947, around the time that [[Independence of India|India gained independence]], the Kutch, Kathiawar, Gujarat Kshatriya Sabha (KKGKS) caste association emerged as an [[umbrella organisation]] to continue the work begun during the Raj. [[Christophe Jaffrelot]], a French political scientist, says that this body, which claimed to represent the Rajputs and Kolis, "...is a good example of the way castes, with very different ritual status, join hands to defend their common interests... The use of the word ''Kshatriya'' was largely tactical and the original caste identity was seriously diluted."{{sfn|Jaffrelot|2003|pp=180–182|ps=}}
 [[File:Koli woman and Koli Man with the Bow and Arrow, 19th century.jpg|thumb|left|Koli woman and Koli man with the Bow and Arrow, 19th century]]
-Through the colonial [[British Raj]] period and into the 20th century, some Kolis remained significant landholders and tenants,{{sfn|Jaffrelot|2003|pp=180-182|ps=}} although most had never been more than minor landowners and labourers.{{sfn|Shah|2012|p=170|ps=}} By this time, however, most Kolis had lost their once-equal standing with the [[Patidar]]{{efn|The Patidars were formerly known as [[Kanbi]], but by 1931 had gained official recognition as Patidar.{{sfn|Basu|2009|pp=51-55|ps=}}}} community due to the land reforms of the Raj period.{{sfn|Basu|2009|pp=51-55|ps=}} The Kolis preferred the landlord-based tenure system, which was not so mutually beneficial. They were subject to interference from the British revenue collectors, who intervened to ensure that the stipulated revenue was remitted to the government before any surplus went to the landlord.{{sfn|Basu|2009|p=52|ps=}} Being less inclined to take an active role in agriculture personally and thus maximise revenues from their landholdings, the Koli possessions were often left uncultivated or underused. These lands were gradually taken over by Kanbi cultivators, while the Kolis became classified as a [[Criminal Tribes|criminal tribe]] due to their failure to meet the revenue demands and their tendency to raid Kanbi villages to survive. The Kanbi land takeovers also reduced the Kolis to being the tenants and agricultural labourers of Kanbis rather than landowners, thus increasing the economic inequality between the communities. The difference was further exacerbated by the Kanbis' providing better tenancy arrangements for members of their own community than for Kolis.{{sfn|Basu|2009|p=53|ps=}}
-=== Twentieth century ===
+The relevance of the Kshatriya label in terms of ritual was diminished by the practical actions of the KKGKS which, among other things, saw demands for the constituent communities to be classified as [[Other Backward Class|Backward Classes]] in the Indian [[Reservation in India|scheme for positive discrimination]]. The Kolis gained more from the actions of the KKGKS than did the Rajputs, and Jaffrelot believes that it was around this time that a Koli [[intelligentsia]] emerged.{{sfn|Jaffrelot|2003|pp=180–182|ps=}} Ghanshyam Shah, a professor at [[Jawaharlal Nehru University]], describes the organisation today as covering a broad group of communities, from disadvantaged Rajputs of high prestige to the semi-tribal [[Bhil people|Bhil]]s, with the Kolis in the middle. He notes that its composition reflects "a common economic interest and a growing secular identity born partly out of folklore but more out of common resentment against the well-to-do castes".{{sfn|Shah|2004|p=178}}
-During the later period of the Raj, the Gujarati Kolis became involved in the process of what has subsequently been termed [[sanskritisation]]. At that time, in the 1930s, they represented around 20 percent of the region's population and members of the local Rajput community were seeking to extend their own influence by co-opting other significant groups as claimants to the [[Varna (Hinduism)|ritual title]] of [[Kshatriya]]. The Rajputs were politically, economically and socially marginalised because their own numbers&nbsp;— around 4 - 5 per cent of the population&nbsp;— were inferior to the dominant Patidars, with whom the Kolis were also disenchanted. The Kolis were among those whom the Rajputs targeted because, although classified as a [[Criminal Tribes|criminal tribe]] by the British administration, they were among the many communities of that period who had made genealogical claims of descent from the Kshatriya. The Rajput leaders preferred to view the Kolis as being Kshatriya by dint of military ethos rather than origin but, in whatever terminology, it was a marriage of political expedience.{{sfn|Jaffrelot|2003|pp=180-182|ps=}}
+In the election years of 1962 and 1967, the [[Swatantra Party|Gujarat Swatantra Party]], dominated by the Patidars, won over some of the Koli leaders of the Gujarat Kshatriya Sabha, allowing Sabha to be controlled by Kolis of North Gujarat. The Party nominated a large number of the Kolis as party candidates and also gave them positions within the party organization. The alliance between the Koli and the Party quickly broke down. The party and the Kshatriya Sabha's Koli leaders could not resolve ground-level conflicts between the Koli peasants and Patidar peasants.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wood |first=John R. |date=2008 |title=Review of India's 2004 Elections: Grass-Roots and National Perspectives |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40377511 |journal=Pacific Affairs |volume=81 |issue=1 |pages=138–140 |issn=0030-851X |jstor=40377511}}</ref> The Patidar's issues were resolved by Gujarat Kshatriya Sabha but the large population prevented the issues of the Kolis from being solved.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bardhan |first1=Pranab |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt7zv3bg |title=India's Democracy: An Analysis of Changing State-Society Relations |last2=Brass |first2=Paul R. |last3=Cohen |first3=Stephen P. |last4=Gupta |first4=Jyotirindra Das |last5=Frankel |first5=Francine R. |last6=Hart |first6=Henry C. |last7=Manor |first7=James |last8=Shah |first8=Ghanshyam |last9=Lewis |first9=John P. |date=1988 |publisher=Princeton University Press |jstor=j.ctt7zv3bg}}</ref> For example, the majority of the Patidar's children were engaged in college education while few Kolis received similar education.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/351633 |title=Education and the disprivileged: nineteenth and twentieth century India |date=2002 |publisher=Orient Longman |isbn=978-81-250-2192-6 |editor-last=Bhattacharya |editor-first=Sabyasachi |location=Hyderabad, India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Mehta |first1=Haroobhai |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zJE6AAAAMAAJ |title=Dynamics of Reservation Policy |last2=Patel |first2=Hasmukh |date=1985 |publisher=Patriot Publishers |isbn=978-0-8364-1818-7 |pages=119 |language=en}}</ref>
+[[File:Thakarda Koli.png|thumb|A Thakarda Koli from Baroda State in 1911.]]
+The Kolis of Gujarat remained educationally and occupationally disadvantaged compared to communities such as the [[Brahmin]]s and Patidars.{{sfn|Shah|2004|p=302}} Their many [[Jāti]]s include the [[Baria (caste)|Bareeya]], Khant and [[Thakor]], and they also use ''Koli'' as a suffix, giving rise to groups such as the Gulam Koli and Matia Koli. Some do not refer to themselves as Koli at all.{{sfn|Shah|2004|p=221}}
+== Military ==
+=== Maratha Empire ===
+When Shivaji began his revolt against [[Mughal Empire|Mughal sultanates]], the Kolis were among the first to join him under the leadership of the [[Khemirao Sarnaik]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Hardiman |first1=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8EsfAQAAIAAJ |title=Feeding the Baniya: Peasants and Usurers in Western India |last2=Hardiman |first2=Professor of History David |date=1996 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-563956-8 |location=New Delhi, India |pages=221 |language=en}}</ref> The Kolis of Maharashtra<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pradhan |first=Gautam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SV02DwAAQBAJ&dq=Shivaji+Kolis&pg=PT688 |title=300 Brave Men – Shivaji Trilogy Book I |date=2017-09-07 |publisher=One Point Six Technology Pvt Ltd |isbn=978-93-5201-973-1 |language=en}}</ref> joined the Maratha Army during the reign of [[Shivaji]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Roy |first=Kaushik |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GpNECgAAQBAJ&dq=Sultanate+Koli&pg=PT69 |title=Military Manpower, Armies and Warfare in South Asia |date=2015-10-06 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1-317-32127-9 |location=New Delhi, India |language=en}}</ref> The Kolis also served in the [[Maratha Navy|Maratha navy]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Satchidanandan |first=K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=woU_DAAAQBAJ&dq=Shivaji+Kolis&pg=PT58 |title=Words Matter: Writings against Silence |date=2016-06-10 |publisher=[[Penguin UK]] |isbn=978-93-86057-32-7 |location=New Delhi, India |language=en}}</ref> The grand admiral of Maratha Navy was manned by Koli chieftain [[Kanhoji Angre]], which earnt him the title Shivaji of the Sea.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bakshi |first1=Shiri Ram |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iP433CnEW_gC&dq=Maratha+Empire+Koli&pg=PA41 |title=Sharad Pawar, the Maratha Legacy |last2=Sharma |first2=Sita Ram |last3=Gajrani |first3=S. |date=1998 |publisher=APH Publishing |isbn=978-81-7648-007-9 |location=New Delhi, India |pages=41 |language=en}}</ref> The army warriors were manned by Koli commander Tanaji Malusare.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Roy |first=Shibani |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o4RJAAAAMAAJ |title=Koli Culture: A Profile of the Culture of Talpad Vistar |date=1983 |publisher=Cosmo Publications |location=New Delhi, India |pages=25: The chief warrior or ' senapati ' of Shivaji, Taraji Malusare belonged to the Kolis of Mawli and all his followers were Koli who had fought several battles against the |language=en}}</ref> The Kolis formed the important [[Mavala]] army of Shivaji at the [[Shivneri Fort]] in [[Junnar]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Burman |first=J. J. Roy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yDZkX0PUEKQC&dq=Shivaji+Kolis&pg=PA242 |title=Hindu-Muslim Syncretic Shrines and Communities |date=2002 |publisher=Mittal Publications |isbn=978-81-7099-839-6 |location=New Delhi, India |pages=242 |language=en}}</ref> A Koli chief named [[Laya Patil]] who was the fleet chief in the Maratha navy was honoured by Shivaji with the title of ''Sarpatil'' for his courageous attack at Janjira.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Punekar |first=Vinaja B. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VOU9AAAAIAAJ |title=The Son Kolis of Bombay |date=1959 |publisher=Popular Book Depot |location=New Delhi, India |pages=23 |language=en}}</ref> In 1665, under Shivaji, Koli soldiers played an important role during the [[battle of Purandar]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kamble |first=B. R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HdQgAAAAMAAJ |title=Studies in Shivaji and His Times |date=1982 |publisher=[[Shivaji University]] |location=New Delhi, India |pages=135 |language=en}}</ref>
+=== Deccan Sultanate ===
+The Kolis of Maharashtra, served in the [[Deccan sultanates]]. They also served in the [[Bahmani sultanate]] as fortkeepers and the Sultans respected the Koli officers with the title of ''[[Sardar]]''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Behera |first=Maguni Charan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rVS9DwAAQBAJ&dq=Shivaji+Kolis&pg=PA46 |title=Tribal Studies in India: Perspectives of History, Archaeology and Culture |date=2019-11-09 |publisher=[[Springer Nature]] |isbn=978-981-329-026-6 |location=New Delhi, India |pages=46 |language=en}}</ref> The [[Ahmadnagar Sultanate|Ahmednagar sultanate]] conferred important positions to Kolis such as ''Sardar'' and ''Mansabdar''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hassan |first=Syed Siraj ul |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lYSd-3yL9h0C&q=Dalvi+Koli&pg=PA335 |title=The Castes and Tribes of H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions |date=1989 |publisher=[[Asian Educational Services]] |isbn=978-81-206-0488-9 |location=New Delhi, India |pages=332 |language=en}}</ref>
+=== Gujarat Sultanate ===
+The Kolis of [[Gujarat]] served in the royal army of [[Gujarat Sultanate]] during the reign of [[Bahadur Shah of Gujarat|Bahadur Shah]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Roy |first=Kaushik |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q5JECgAAQBAJ&dq=Bahadur+Shah+Gujarat+Koli&pg=PA53 |title=Military Manpower, Armies and Warfare in South Asia |date=2015-10-06 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1-317-32128-6 |location=New Delhi, India, Asia |pages=53 |language=en}}</ref> Kolis attacked the Mughal emperor [[Humayun]] in the defence of [[Gujarat]] sultan Bahadur Shah and looted the Mughal army at the [[Gulf of Khambhat]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Behera |first=Maguni Charan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rVS9DwAAQBAJ&dq=Bahadur+Shah+Gujarat+Koli&pg=PA45 |title=Tribal Studies in India: Perspectives of History, Archaeology and Culture |date=2019-11-09 |publisher=[[Springer Nature]] |isbn=978-981-329-026-6 |location=New Delhi, India, Asia |pages=45 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Heredia |first1=Rudolf C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mYKAAAAAMAAJ |title=Mobile, and Marginalized Peoples: Perspectives from the Past |last2=Ratnagar |first2=Shereen |date=2003 |publisher=Manohar Publications |isbn=978-81-7304-497-7 |location=New Delhi, India, Asia |pages=158: A sixteenth - century Arabic text, the Zafar - ulWalih - bi - Muzaffar - Waalihi, mentions Bhils and Kolis helping the amirs of Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat in their attacks on Humayun at the Gulf of Khambat ( Sandesara 1970 : 208 ) |language=en}}</ref>
-In 1947, around the time that [[Independence of India|India gained independence]], the Kutch, Kathiawar, Gujarat Kshatriya Sabha (KKGKS) caste association emerged as an [[umbrella organisation]] to continue the work begun during the Raj. [[Christophe Jaffrelot]], a French political scientist, says that this body, which claimed to represent the Rajputs and Kolis, "...&nbsp;is a good example of the way castes, with very different ritual status, join hands to defend their common interests.&nbsp;... The use of the word Kshatriya was largely tactical and the original caste identity was seriously diluted."{{sfn|Jaffrelot|2003|pp=180-182|ps=}}
+[[File:Kolis_of_bandra_during_republic_day_parade_doing_performing_koli_dance.jpg|thumb|Kolis of [[Bandra]] during [[Republic Day (India)|Republic day]] [[Delhi Republic Day parade|parade]] performing [[Koli Dance]]]]
-The relevance of the Kshatriya label in terms of ritual was diminished by the practical actions of the KKGKS which, among other things, saw demands for the constituent communities to be classified as [[Other Backward Class|Backward Classes]] in the Indian [[Reservation in India|scheme for positive discrimination]]. Kshatriyas would not usually wish to be associated with such a category and indeed it runs counter to the theory of Sanskritisation, but in this instance, it suited the socio-economic and political desires. By the 1950s, the KKGKS had established schools, loan systems and other mechanisms of communal self-help and it was demanding reforms to laws relating to land. It was also seeking alliances with political parties at the state level; initially, with the [[Indian National Congress]] and then, by the early 1960s, with the [[Swatantra Party]]. By 1967, the KKGKS was once again working with Congress because, despite being a haven for Patidars, the party leadership needed the votes of the KKGKS membership. The Kolis gained more from the actions of the KKGKS in these two decades than did the Rajputs, and Jaffrelot believes that it was around this time that a Koli intelligentsia emerged.{{sfn|Jaffrelot|2003|pp=180-182|ps=}} Ghanshyam Shah, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, describes the organisation today as covering a broad group of communities, from disadvantaged Rajputs of high prestige to the semi-tribal [[Bhil people|Bhil]]s, with the Kolis in the middle. He notes that its composition reflects "a common economic interest and a growing secular identity born partly out of folklore but more out of common resentment against the well-to-do castes".{{sfn|Shah|2004|p=178}}
+=== British Indian Empire ===
+During the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|1857 mutiny]], the Deccan Koli Corps was formed under Captain Nuttall.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kennedy |first=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PEZCY_iK3GIC&dq=Koli+corps&pg=PA92 |title=The Criminal Classes in India |date=1985 |publisher=Mittal Publications |location=New Delhi, India |pages=92 |language=en}}</ref> When the [[Regular army|regular troops]] were withdrawn in 1860, their places were taken by detachments of Koli corps. The Koli corps continued to perform this duty till 1861 when they were disbanded and some of them entered in police service.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hassan |first=Syed Siraj ul |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lYSd-3yL9h0C&dq=Koli+corps&pg=PA334 |title=The Castes and Tribes of H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions |date=1989 |publisher=[[Asian Educational Services]] |isbn=978-81-206-0488-9 |location=New Delhi, India, Asia |pages=334 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ghurye |first=Govind Sadashiv |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5UAdAAAAMAAJ |title=The Mahadev Kolis |date=1957 |publisher=Popular Book Depot |location=New Delhi, India |pages=14 |language=en}}</ref> Like the Deccan Koli Corps of Maharashtra, the Gujarat Koli Corps<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cumming |first=Gordon |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1JKCDQAAQBAJ&dq=Koli+corps&pg=PA147 |title=Wild men and wild beasts |date=2016-11-16 |publisher=BoD – Books on Demand |isbn=978-9925-0-3736-0 |location=New Delhi, India |pages=147 |language=en}}</ref> was formed in Gujarat to subdue local rebellions.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McIntyre |first=W. David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EYevCwAAQBAJ&dq=Koli+corps&pg=PA192 |title=Imperial Frontier in the Tropics |date=1967-06-18 |publisher=[[Springer Publishing|Springer]] |isbn=978-1-349-00349-5 |location=New Delhi, India, Asia |pages=192 |language=en}}</ref> The Gujarat Koli Corps was honoured with the Mutiny Medal for the courage of Koli soldiers by the then [[Governor of Bombay]] Lord Elphinstone.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pippet |first=G. K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TLr7LqbnQQoC |title=A History of the Ceylon Police |date=1969 |publisher=Times of Ceylon Company |pages=4 |language=en}}</ref>
-The Kolis of Gujarat remained educationally and occupationally disadvantaged compared to communities such as the [[Brahmin]]s and Patidars.{{sfn|Shah|2004|p=302}} Their many [[Jāti]]s include the [[Baria (caste)|Bareeya]], [[Khant caste|Khant]] and [[Thakor]], and they also use ''Koli'' as a suffix, giving rise to groups such as the Gulam Koli and Matia Koli. Some do not refer to themselves as Koli at all.{{sfn|Shah|2004|p=221}}
+During the [[First World War]], Kolis of [[Himachal Pradesh]] were recruited in the [[British Indian Army]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Parry |first=Jonathan P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MabdAAAAQBAJ |title=Caste and Kinship in Kangra |date=2013-09-13 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1-136-54585-6 |location=New Delhi, India |pages=119 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=chVyEAAAQBAJ&dq=army+Kolis&pg=PP55 |title=Indian Armed Forces in the World War |publisher=Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting |isbn=978-93-5409-556-6 |language=en}}</ref> and Kolis of [[Punjab]] were enlisted in British [[infantry]] troops.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Roy |first=Kaushik |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oYPWpxyunwkC&dq=army+Kolis&pg=PA128 |title=The Army in British India: From Colonial Warfare to Total War 1857 – 1947 |date=2012-11-22 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-1-4411-6845-0 |location=New Delhi, India |pages=128 |language=en}}</ref> The British Indian Navy, or Bombay Navy, was manned by the Kolis of [[Mumbai]] during the [[British Raj]] in India.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Barendse |first=Rene |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fCywCQAAQBAJ&dq=navy+Kolis&pg=PA98 |title=Arabian Seas 1700 – 1763 |date=2009-10-26 |publisher=[[Brill Publishers|Brill]] |isbn=978-90-474-3002-5 |location=New Delhi, India |pages=98 |language=en}}</ref>
-[[File:Kolis_of_bandra_during_republic_day_parade_doing_performing_koli_dance.jpg|thumb|Kolis of [[Bandra]] during [[Republic Day (India)|Republic day]] [[Delhi Republic Day parade|parade]] doing performing [[Koli Dance|Koli dance]]]]
-== Classification ==
+The Shial is a [[Gotra|clan]] of Koli [[Caste system in India|caste]] found in the [[States and union territories of India|Indian state]] of [[Gujarat]]. They were noted [[Piracy|pirates]] of Gujarat.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Raymond Brady |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rs5JDwAAQBAJ&dq=Shials+Kolis&pg=PT94 |title=Swaminarayan Hinduism: Tradition, Adaptation, and Identity |last2=Trivedi |first2=Yogi |date=2016-05-12 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-908959-8 |location=New Delhi, India |language=en}}</ref> The Shial Kolis got their name from the Shial island situated at the south coast of [[Kathiawar]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Campbell |first=James M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FAXGpcEdbfUC |title=Hindu Castes and Tribes of Gujurat |date=1988 |publisher=[[Vintage Books]] |location=New Delhi, India, Asia |pages=245: Shiale |language=en}}</ref> Shial Kolis defeated and captured the Shial island from [[Portuguese India]] and made it their stronghold along with [[Chanch, Gujarat]] but were later defeated by the [[Nawab]] of [[Janjira State|Janjira]] and [[Jafarabad State|Jafrabad]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jIZKh-zoF-0C&dq=Shial+Kolis&pg=PA36 |title=The West India Pilot |date=1987 |publisher=J. D. Potter. |location=New Delhi, India |pages=36 |language=en}}</ref> During the [[World War I]], they were enlisted as soldiers in the [[British Indian Army]] by the [[British Raj|British Indian government]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Duk2AQAAMAAJ |title=A Short Record of Bombay Recruiting During the Great War |date=1919 |publisher=Printed at the Government Central Press |location=New Delhi, India |pages=17 |language=en}}</ref>
-The Koli community classified as [[Other Backward Class]] by [[Government of India]] in the [[States and union territories of India|Indian States]] of [[Gujarat]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=A community called Koli - Indian Express |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/a-community-called-koli------------------------/214908/ |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=archive.indianexpress.com}}</ref> [[Karnataka]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-01 |title=Who is stirring the caste cauldron in Karnataka? |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/who-is-stirring-the-caste-cauldron-in-karnataka-101614604265600.html |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref> [[Maharashtra]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=CENTRAL LIST OF OBCs FOR THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA |url=http://ncbc.nic.in/Writereaddata/cl/maharashtra.pdf}}</ref> and [[Uttar Pradesh]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=कोली को अनुसूचित जाति का दर्जा नहीं: हाईकोर्ट |url=https://www.bhaskar.com/news/UP-ALAH-allahabad-high-court-said-koli-did-not-come-under-scheduled-caste-4993156-NOR.html}}</ref> but in Maharashtra, Tokre Koli, Malhar Koli and Mahadev Kolis are listed as [[Scheduled Tribe]] by [[Government of Maharashtra|State Government]] of Maharashtra.<ref>{{Cite web |title=List Of Scheduled Tribes - TRTI, Pune |url=https://trti.maharashtra.gov.in/index.php/en/list-of-scheduled-tribes |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=trti.maharashtra.gov.in}}</ref>
-The [[Government of India]] classified the Koli community as [[Scheduled Caste]] in the [[2001 census of India|2001 census]] for the states of Delhi,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/dh_sc_delhi.pdf |title=N.C.T. Delhi : DATA HIGHLIGHTS: THE SCHEDULED CASTES : Census of India 2001 |publisher=Censusindia.gov |access-date=2015-10-03}}</ref> [[Madhya Pradesh]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/dh_sc_madhya_pradesh.pdf |title=Madhya Pradesh : DATA HIGHLIGHTS: THE SCHEDULED CASTES : Census of India 2001 |publisher=Censusindia.gov |access-date=2015-10-03}}</ref> and Rajasthan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/dh_sc_rajasthan.pdf |title=Rajasthan : DATA HIGHLIGHTS: THE SCHEDULED CASTES : Census of India 2001 |publisher=Censusindia.gov |access-date=2015-10-03}}</ref>
+=== Portuguese India ===
+The Kolis of [[Maharashtra]] served in the Portuguese Indian navy. Kolis were most important for the Portuguese Indian rulers because in wartime, Kolis often fought with their own boats and gallivats. Despite their difficult financial state, the Portuguese rulers built two [[warship]]s especially for Kolis to fight against [[Piracy|pirates]] and other marine threats.{{sfn|Barendse|2009|pp=99}}
-=== Criminal Tribes Act ===
+=== Princely States ===
-The Koli caste of [[Maharashtra]] and [[Gujarat]] was classified as a [[Denotified Tribes|Criminal Tribe]] under [[Criminal Tribes Act]] of 1871 by [[British Raj|British Indian Government]] or [[Bombay Presidency|Bombay government]] because of their anti-social activities such as [[Robbery|robberies]], murder, [[blackmailing]], and crop and [[Cattle theft in India|animal theft]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Vivekanand |title=Reversing the Semantics |date=2016 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26552652 |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=77 |pages=276–281 |jstor=26552652 |issn=2249-1937}}</ref> In 1914, Kolis of Maharashtra revolted against [[British Raj|British]] rule and attacked the British officials and to control the kolis, British government again declared the Kolis as a criminal Tribe under Bombay criminal Tribes Act. Around 7000 kolis were required to attend the call each day.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Hardiman |first1=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8EsfAQAAIAAJ |title=Feeding the Baniya: Peasants and Usurers in Western India |last2=Hardiman |first2=David |date=1996 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-19-563956-8 |location=[[New Delhi]], [[India]] |pages=250 |language=en}}</ref> Kolis often attacked the [[Marwari people|Marwari]] [[Bania (caste)|Banias]], [[Sahukars]] and [[Moneylenders]]. if Kolis were not able to pay the debt given by Moneylenders so they always burnt the house and account books and looted the available valueables. It was much common for Kolis of Maharashtra and Gujarat so kolis were notorious tribe for [[British Empire|British]] officials. in 1925, kolis were registered under Criminal Tribes Act.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ludden |first1=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eHi62S7vZlsC&q=Mahadev+Kolis |title=An Agrarian History of South Asia |last2=David |first2=Ludden |last3=Ludden |first3=Professor of History David |date=1999-10-07 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-521-36424-9 |location=New Delhi, India |pages=200 |language=en}}</ref> The indian historian [[G. S. Ghurye]] writes that Kolis worked as soldiers in [[British Indian Army]] in several [[Bombay Army|Regiments]] but again in 1940 Koli soldiers were classified as a Criminal Tribe under Criminal Tribe Act by British Bombay Government for their uncommon activities against Britishers.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pillai |first=S. Devadas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P3uD22Ghqs4C&q=mahadev+koli |title=Indian Sociology Through Ghurye, a Dictionary |date=1997 |publisher=Popular Prakashan |year=1997 |isbn=978-81-7154-807-1 |location=New Delhi, India |pages=209–210 |language=en}}</ref>
+The [[Princely State of Baroda]] enlisted eight to ten thousand Koli soldiers in their army.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YzkKAQAAIAAJ |title=The Indian Historical Quarterly |date=1985 |publisher=Ramanand Vidya Bhawan |location=New Delhi, India |pages=146 |language=en}}</ref> The Kotwals of the royal palaces of [[Bhavnagar]], [[Morbi|Morvi]], and [[Rajkot]] princely states were Talpada Kolis of Radhavanaj village of the [[Kheda district]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4_htAAAAMAAJ|title=Vanyajāti|date=1989|publisher=Bharatiya Adimjati Sevak Sangh.|location=[[Gujarat]], India|pages=26|language=en}}</ref>
-== Rebellion ==
+== Classification ==
-{{Main|Koli rebellions}}
+The Koli community has been classified as an [[Other Backward Class]] community by the [[Government of India]] in the Indian States of [[Gujarat]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=A community called Koli – Indian Express |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/a-community-called-koli------------------------/214908/ |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=archive.indianexpress.com}}</ref> [[Karnataka]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-01 |title=Who is stirring the caste cauldron in Karnataka? |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/who-is-stirring-the-caste-cauldron-in-karnataka-101614604265600.html |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref> [[Maharashtra]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=CENTRAL LIST OF OBCs FOR THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA |url=http://ncbc.nic.in/Writereaddata/cl/maharashtra.pdf}}</ref> and [[Uttar Pradesh]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=कोली को अनुसूचित जाति का दर्जा नहीं: हाईकोर्ट |url=https://www.bhaskar.com/news/UP-ALAH-allahabad-high-court-said-koli-did-not-come-under-scheduled-caste-4993156-NOR.html}}</ref> However, Tokre Koli, Malhar Koli, and Mahadev Kolis are listed as [[Scheduled Tribe]] by the [[Government of Maharashtra|State Government]] of Maharashtra.<ref>{{Cite web |title=List Of Scheduled Tribes – TRTI, Pune |url=https://trti.maharashtra.gov.in/index.php/en/list-of-scheduled-tribes |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=trti.maharashtra.gov.in}}</ref> The [[Government of India]] classified the Koli community as [[Scheduled Caste]] in the [[2001 census of India|2001 census]] for the states of [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[Delhi]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/dh_sc_delhi.pdf |title=N.C.T. Delhi : DATA HIGHLIGHTS: THE SCHEDULED CASTES : Census of India 2001 |publisher=Censusindia.gov |access-date=2015-10-03}}</ref> [[Madhya Pradesh]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/dh_sc_madhya_pradesh.pdf |title=Madhya Pradesh : DATA HIGHLIGHTS: THE SCHEDULED CASTES : Census of India 2001 |publisher=Censusindia.gov |access-date=2015-10-03}}</ref> and [[Rajasthan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/dh_sc_rajasthan.pdf |title=Rajasthan : DATA HIGHLIGHTS: THE SCHEDULED CASTES : Census of India 2001 |publisher=Censusindia.gov |access-date=2015-10-03}}</ref>
-== Notable people ==
+== See also ==
-{{Main|List of Koli people}}
+* [[List of Koli people]]
-== Notes and references ==
+==Notes==
-'''Notes'''
 {{notelist}}
-'''References'''
+==References==
 {{Reflist}}
-'''Bibliography'''
+;Bibliography
 {{refbegin}}
 *{{citation |title=Villages, Women, and the Success of Dairy Cooperatives in India: Making Place for Rural Development |first=Pratyusha |last=Basu |publisher=Cambria Press |year=2009 |isbn=9781604976250 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zJxY9IWzGewC}}
@@ Line 77: / Line 114: @@
 == External links ==
 {{commons category}}
-* [http://www.biodiversityofindia.org/index.php?title=Article:103 Plants and animals important to the Koli-Agri community in Maharashtra] on ''Biodiversity of India''
+* [http://www.biodiversityofindia.org/index.php?title=Article:103 Plants and animals important to the Koli-Agri community in Maharashtra] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200111063632/http://www.biodiversityofindia.org/index.php?title=Article:103 |date=11 January 2020 }} on ''Biodiversity of India''
-* Indian Express. [http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/a-community-called-koli------------------------/214908/0 A community called Koli]
+* [http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/a-community-called-koli------------------------/214908/0 A community called Koli] – ''[[The Indian Express]]''
+{{Gotras of Kolis}}{{Social groups of Maharashtra}}{{Social groups of Rajasthan}}{{Social groups of Gujarat}}
+{{Authority control}}
-{{Gotras of Kolis}}{{Social groups of Maharashtra}}{{Social groups of Rajasthan}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Koli people}}
 [[Category:Koli people| ]]
@@ Line 95: / Line 134: @@
 [[Category:Shudra castes]]
 [[Category:Scheduled Tribes of Odisha]]
+[[Category:Agricultural castes]]
+[[Category:Other Backward Classes]]
+[[Category:Other Backward Classes of Gujarat]]
+[[Category:Other Backward Classes of Maharashtra]]
+[[Category:Other Backward Classes of Karnataka]]