Koli people
The Koli people are an agriculturist caste of India, mostly found in Gujarat. 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.
The Kolis form the largest caste cluster in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, comprising 24% and 30% of the total population in those states, respectively.
Distribution
- 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 and 30% of Himachal Pradesh.
- Pakistan: Kolis are found in the Sindh province of Pakistan, most of them related to Kolis of Gujarat.
- 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.
- Fiji and New Zealand: Koli citizens here are agriculturists by profession and use the surname of Patel.
- Nepal: Kolis of Nepal ruled over the cities of Ramgram, Devdaha and Panditpur.
- 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.
History
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. 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. 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, which was commonly used to enhance or secure social status. 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.
Criminal Tribes Act
The Koli caste of Maharashtra and Gujarat was classified as Criminal Tribes under Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 by the Government of India because of their anti-social activities such as robberies, murder, blackmailing, and crop and animal theft. 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.Twentieth century
Throughout the colonial British Raj period and into the 20th century, some Kolis remained significant landholders and tenants, although most had never been more than minor landowners and labourers. By this time, however, most Kolis had lost their once-equal standing with the Patidar community due to the land reforms of the Raj period. 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. 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.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.
Post Independence
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. The Kolis, upset at their loss of rights, formed gangs to plunder Patidar villages. The Rajputs of Gujarat, similarly in contention with the Patidars over land rights, allied with Kolis. 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 India gained independence, the Kutch, Kathiawar, Gujarat Kshatriya Sabha 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."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. 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".
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. The Patidar's issues were resolved by Gujarat Kshatriya Sabha but the large population prevented the issues of the Kolis from being solved. For example, the majority of the Patidar's children were engaged in college education while few Kolis received similar education.
The Kolis of Gujarat remained educationally and occupationally disadvantaged compared to communities such as the Brahmins and Patidars. 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.
Military
Maratha Empire
When Shivaji began his revolt against Mughal sultanates, the Kolis were among the first to join him under the leadership of the Khemirao Sarnaik. The Kolis of Maharashtra joined the Maratha Army during the reign of Shivaji. The Kolis also served in the Maratha navy. The grand admiral of Maratha Navy was manned by Koli chieftain Kanhoji Angre, which earnt him the title Shivaji of the Sea. The army warriors were manned by Koli commander Tanaji Malusare. The Kolis formed the important Mavala army of Shivaji at the Shivneri Fort in Junnar. 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. In 1665, under Shivaji, Koli soldiers played an important role during the battle of Purandar.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. The Ahmednagar sultanate conferred important positions to Kolis such as Sardar and Mansabdar.Gujarat Sultanate
The Kolis of Gujarat served in the royal army of Gujarat Sultanate during the reign of Bahadur Shah. Kolis attacked the Mughal emperor Humayun in the defence of Gujarat sultan Bahadur Shah and looted the Mughal army at the Gulf of Khambhat.File:Kolis_of_bandra_during_republic_day_parade_doing_performing_koli_dance.jpg|thumb|Kolis of Bandra during Republic day parade performing Koli Dance