Satara Gazetteer
Kolhapur: The Satara Gazetteer prepared in 1885 by the Bombay Presidency for people living in Satara and Sangli districts states that 5.84 lakh of the 10 lakh population were registered as Marathas.
Maratha history experts said that finding the records of current Marathas linking them to Kunbis of that time is a herculean task. “The National Archives Delhi, Shahu Daftar of Peshwe Records from Pune, Deccan College records and Parasnis Records from Menoli need to be aggregated and studied,” said Neeraj Salunkhe, a Sangli-based expert.
The state govt has assured activist Manoj Jarange that it will study and implement Satara and other Gazetteers such as that of erstwhile Aundh princely state, Sangli princely state and Kolhapur princely state in 90 days. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kolhapur | Silver Rate in Kolhapur | Bank Holidays in Kolhapur | Public Holidays in Kolhapur Stay updated with the latest Kolhapur news.
Maharashtra govt should bring these records to Satara and let people find out,” said Salunkhe. Satara Gazetteer is most important as it has direct reference to Kunbi’s and both Kunbi’s and Maratha’s of Satara were counted as one. The Gazetteer explicitly mentions “The Kunbis and the Marathas together constitute the biggest group. There is not much to distinguish between the Kunbis and the Marathas except that the former form a poorer section and the latter a better placed section of the community. …The Satara Marathas do not seem to have historic or legendary evidence as to when or from where they came into the district. They are somewhat fairer in complexion and more refined in manners, but they cannot be distinguished from the Kuṇbīs with whom all eat and the poorer marry. Now-a-days they all pass under the name Marathas. Jarange has been demanding that the Satara, Aundh, Kolhapur Gazetteers should also be implemented on the lines of the Hyderabad Gazetteer. “We can get census details of villages from the National Archives. Land related documents also mention castes. The practice of keeping birth and death records too was existing and it can show Kunbi record. Download the TOI App.