Mali / Saini community of Gujarat
Gujarat is the most industrialized province of India and is situated in Western India, with capital city Gandhinagar. Gujarat is the area bordering the Sindh region of Pakistan. Gujarat was a part of Indus Valley civilization with prominent centres like Lothal in Ahmedabad and Dholavira in Kutch. Geographically Gujarat has 4 regions-Kutch, Saurashtra, Kathiawad and North-East Gujarat. Kutch has desert like topography and in its North is salt marsh known as Little Run of Kutch and its central part isa ridge of jurassic sand stone. Southern Gujarat is extension of Western Ghats. Between Saurashtra and Khambat gulf is Kathiawad made of Deccan Lavas.
History—Gujarat was called as Anarta after the name of Anarta who was the son of Sharyati. Anarta’s son Revat ruled Kushsthali and its capital was Dwarka. Due to Jarasandh’s repeated attacks on Mathura Lord Krishna moved to Dwarka with mama Ugrasen and yadu tribes and carried the banner of Aryan culture to Gujarat. After the death of Krisna and Balaram, due to interncine strife among Yadav’s and to end this Arjuna installed Vajra -the King of Dwarka at Mathura and this ended the dominance of Yadu tribes in Gujarat. Kutch and Saurashtra also came under Persian and Greek influence also. After this Gujarat came under Mauryan empire and Pushyamitra was made Governer of this region. Ashoka established his Edict at Junagadh and also the Dam and canal system of Sudarshan river was constructed during Mauryan times. After 100 AD, Saka’s started migration to this region and controlled the region upto 450 AD when Gupta empire came on the scene, Gupta’s were followed by Maitraka in 640 AD. Maitraka kingdom was soon divided into different portions like Pratihara-Gurjara rule in North, Chalukya’s in South and with Maitrakas in Saurashtra. By 942 Chavda rule began in North Gujarat parts whose king Samar singh was overthrown by Mul raj and so was established Solanki Dynasty, which were defeated by Ghazni and temple of Somnath was destroyed. After fall of Solanki’s, Vaghelas who were in service of Solanki’s came to power. Solanki’s encouraged Jainism. Karandev Vaghela was the last Hindu ruler of Gujarat and was defeated by Khilzi army in 1297 AD. After 400 years Mughal viceroy of Gujarat was defeated by Maratha’s in 1758 AD and Ahmedabad was captured. At this time of history, Gujarat became the hunting ground for Maratha warlords and were collecting tributes from all the small kingdoms of Saurashtra. Maratha General Dama ji Gaikwad established sway over Gujarat with headquarters at Baroda, and their interncine war with Brahmin Peshwas of Pune continued and later Gaikwads joined British against Peshwas in 1819 AD. After the famines of 1900 AD in Gujarat, people from Anand, Kheda and Nadiad districts started moving to Africa and then to North America and later people from Saurashtra also started migrating to foreign lands.
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Social Structure—Due to pouring of different tribes from Sindh route, Gujrati society has the largest no. of castes. Gujarat was the entrance to India from Sindh through Kutch. . Malwa region (Rajasrhan and central provinces i.e.Madhya Pradesh) is geographically cut off by Satpuras and Aravilli,s and Mount Abu. Sakas who when arrived to Gujarat got divided into many tribes like Gurjars-Pratiharas, Summas, Sumras etc and some got mixed with local aboriginals liike Bhils who are the most populous among 26 tribes found in Gujarat. Gurjar and Pratihara moved to Rajasthan through Mount Abu region. Later due to factionalism many Rajput clans established small kingdoms in Saurashtra (Land of 100 Kingdoms). Nomadic pastoralists or herders like Jats, Maldharis, Holaris, Bharwads also arrived from Sindh. Jats came from Sindh after being expelled by Chach Brahmins of Sindh. They tried to raise power but were soon subdued by the Summas who later became famous as Jadeja Rajputs. Later Jats were divided into 3 sub groups, Garasia Jats i.e.who took to Agriculture, Dhanetah Jats who were heders and Fakirani Jats who studied Koran. When around 900 AD, Brahmins created or enforced Rajput rule in the region which is known as Origin of Rajputs from fire at Mount Abu, it gave birth to Jagirdari system of Land holdings and Rajputs who were only 5% of the population became Jagirdars. Maratha’s capture of Surat and Ahmedabad and containment of the other Muslim and Rajput Chieftains of the region and massacre of Rajputs brought Rayatwari system of land reforms and cultivators beacame owners of the lands. Hindus constitute 70% of the present population. Main Gujarati dialects are Kutchi, Marwari, Charotri (central Gujarat), Vagadi, Bhili, Surati and Sorthi (Saurashtra). Sindhi and Parsi and Siddi communities are also settled in Gujarat. Kutch is famous for its Sufi- culture.
Brahmins--- are divided into 84 sub castes.
Trader or Vania castes--- are Jains, Lohanas, Marwaris, Meshri and Shravaks.
Cultivator castes ---Kolis, Patidars(Patels), Kachias, Malis/Rami and Yadavs/Ahirs and Rajputs and allied castes of Kathis and Darbars.
Artisan castes--- are Chunaras- brick layers, Sonis- Suniara, Kansara- copper smith, Luhar- black smith, Salats- stone cutter, Khumbhar- potter, Suthar- carpenter, Ghanchis- telis, Khatri- weavers and cloth-silk and cotton, Barber and Darji etc.
Schedule tribes and Adivasis---- include 29 groups , of them Bhils are the largest and has allied groups also like Bhilala, Gamti, Dubla, Dhodia, Baiga, Gonds, Rathawas and Rabaris and others are nomadic tribals like Garasias, Bharwads, Bhajanias, Halaris and Maldharis etc.and their main occupation is Herding/ Sheperding and Agriculture. Nomadic tribes are mostly Muslims and are amainly in Saurashtra, Kutch and North Gujarat eg. Muslim Garasia - Jats of Jamnagar in Saurashtra and of Kutch and North Gujarat.
Schedule castes--- like Vankaras and Maru - Meghwals are 7.4%.
Gujarat has a very long seacoast and has a large Koli community which constitutes 20% of the state population whose main profession is fishing and agriculture. Adivasis make 30% and Patels are 13% of the total population. Rajputs and allied castes who are the feudals of the yesteryears i.e. Kathis and Darbars constitute 7% of the population. After fall of Rajput- era, Rajputs became minority and to muster power they started alliance with Koli caste through matrimony and this new group came to known as Thakor caste. Mer caste is also present in Junagadh District.
Mali Community-- Mali community is a minority caste in Gujarat and is also called as Rami caste in Central Gujarat and Saini in Northern Gujarat. They are just 2-3% of the state population. Mali’s/ Rami’s are mostly found in the districts of the Gujarat which shares borders with the Malwa region of Rajasthan and Khandesh region of Maharashtra. Malis are Caste Hindus and are mostly Vaishnavs and some are Jains also in northern districts.
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Northern Gujarat---Mali community is found in the districts of Sabarkantha, Banaskantha as a cultivating caste. These districts border with the Sirohi, Jalore and Jhalawar districts of Rajasthan which has a large Saini/Mali population in these districts. Malis are also distribured in Mehsana and Patan Districts. Shri Gordhanji Gigaji Mali was BJP MLA from Deesa in Banaskantha district and was the Chairman of Gujarat State Water Resources Corporation.Their culture is very similar to Rajasthani Mali caste. Bajra is the main crop of this region along with teak forests buisness. Palanpur in the Banaskantha district is famous for Diamond workers and Ambaji for marble quarries. Mali caste is mostly involved in cultivation and handicrafts. Ambaji, Deesa, Radhanpur, Tharad, Palanpur Bhabhur are strongholds of the community.
Sothern Gujarat --- In districts of Valsad and Navsari which are an extension of Khandesh region of Maharashtra—Mali caste is one of the dominant caste along Koli caste. Their culture is reflection of Maharashtrian Malis. Main occupation is cultivation.
Central Gujarat--- During Maratha rule in Gujarat, Brahmin, Maratha –Kunbi and Mali and other natives of Deccan plateau and Khandesh migrated to Gujarat as part of Maratha army and administrative servants and had settled permanently in Baroda territory. This is the reason Baroda/ Vadodra has a 150,000 strong Mali community as Baroda was the capital of Gaikwad Marathas and is also known as Garden and Palace City. The culture of Baroda is Marathi and most of the population of Baroda speaks Marathi language. The other main centres of Maratha kingdom like Ahmedabad and Surat also has sizeable Mali community. In central Gujarat districts of Anand, Bharuch, Ahmedabad and Kheda, Mali caste is scattered in villages as a minority cultivating and florist caste. Many Malis from northern Gujarat district of Banaskantha and southern Gujarat districts are settled in Ahmedabad and Surat etc. and do a good buisness during festival season when demand of flowers is high. Many Malis are also involved in the export buisness. Many Sainis of Punajab has been involved in the Transport and Hotel buisness in Baroda and Ahmedabad. Mali caste of Baroda is famous for the ages old ritual of goat sacrifice. Shri M.L. Rami is the president of Mali Shikshan Prachar Samiti, Bapu Nagar, Ahmedabad and has contributed a lot to Relief work for earthquake victims in Kutch region.
Eastern Gujarat--- Districts of Panchmahal, Dahod and Dangs are Adivasi districts. Only some % of Malis are present in this region.
Saurashtra and Kutch--- Malis have insignificant presense in this region like their allied Yadu caste of Ahir/Yadav which is also a minority caste and is mostly present in Junagadh and some in Kutch region. These Ahirs and Malis came with Krisna and when were moved back to Mathura, few stayed back. Most of the population of this region is made up of namadic tribes.
Why Mali’s are minority in Gujarat while they are a dominant caste in Gujrat’s Northern State of Rajasthan and Southern State of Maharashtra---- Gujarat is a province or land of tribals and Adivasis. Sakas and nomadic herders came to this land through Sindh. During Mahabharata times, Arjuna brought the Yadu tribes back to Mathura in Central India from Dwarka in Saurashtra’s Junagadh District. This is the reason Saini/ Mali, Ahir and Yadav’s are the minority caste in Saurashtra region. Moreover Malis, Yadavas and Ahirs enterd the Khandesh through Malwa region ie.Indore and so they settled in Khandesh and river valleys of Maharashtra but are not found as a leading cultivating caste of central Gujarat and Saurashtra. Gujarat is situated on Western side of Malwa. And from Malwa entrance to Gujarat is cut off by lands which are densly forested and mountaneous and has only aborriginal and Adivasi population eg. Panchmahal and Dangs District in Satpura range. From Rajasthan it is separated by Mount Abu and Aravilli mountain range, so Malis are settled in North Gujarat dustricts. But Saka tribes got entrance through Sindh and Kutch. Mali / Sainis were Vedic Aryans settled in north and central Hindustan while Sakas and Sindh’s Nomadic Herders came much later to Gujarat through Kutch in search of new grazing lands. While Malis and Kunbis also made inroads to Gujarat through Khandesh and later with Marathas.
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