Mavala

Mavala (plural mavale in Marathi) was a name used for people of the hilly Maval region^[1] west of the present day Indian city of Pune. It was in the Maval that the 17th century Maratha leader, Shivaji, first established his power base that later developed into the Maratha kingdom. The inhabitants of this hilly region who were heavily enlisted in his guerrilla forces and raiding bands were known as Mavale, composed of the Kunbi castes.^[2][3] The Mavala soldiers were expert footmen and excelled in mountain warfare. The infantry was considered the backbone of Shivaji's power, and according to Sabhasad Bakhar, which chronicled Shivaji's life, the Mavale Hasham infantry of Shivaji was composed of 100,000 men.^[4][5][6]

Some of the inhabitants of the region in north were Kolis while the south was mainly inhabited by Marathas.^[7][8][9]

The region was also known as Bavan Maval (52 valleys or Khoras). Each Khora was under the rule of Maratha^[10] Nayaks or Deshmukhs.

Some of the Deshmukhis were as follows -

• Nane Khore under Garud,
• Mose Khore under Pasalkar Yashwantraos,
• Paund Khore under Dhamale Rautraos,
• Mutha Khore under Marne Gambhirraos,
• Karyat Khore under Paygude Raviraos,
• Ghotau Khore under Ghare Bhupatraos,
• Khedebar Khore under Konde Itbarraos,
• Gunjan Khore under Shilimkar Haibatraos,
• Kanad under Maral Jhunjharraos,
• Welwanda under Dohar Adhalraos,
• Bhor taraf Rohida under Jedhe Sarjeraos,
• Atroli taraf Rohida under Khopades,
• Hirdas under Bandal Itbarraos,
• Shivatar under More Chandraraos, etc.^[11]

Each Maval lord commanded armed forces enlisted majorly from among his own tenants for the purpose of territorial defense and law enforcement. Additionally, they were appealed by their suzerain to raise troops for royal service in times of need, and would duly receive additional bounties and grants of new territories in reward.^[12][13]

References

1. Raeside, I. (1978). A Note on the “Twelve Mavals” of Poona District. Modern Asian Studies, 12(3), 393–417. http://www.jstor.org/stable/312227
2. The State and Society in Medieval India by J. S. Grewal, p.226
3. Raeside, Ian. “A Note on the ‘Twelve Mavals’ of Poona District.” Modern Asian Studies, vol. 12, no. 3, 1978, pp. 393–417. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/312227. Accessed 2 Aug. 2023.
4. M. R. Kantak (1993). The First Anglo-Maratha War, 1774-1783: A Military Study of Major Battles. Popular Prakashan. pp. 9, 123. ISBN 978-81-7154-696-1.
5. A.R.Kulkarni (2005). J.S.Grewal; D.P.Chattopadhyaya (eds.). The State and Society in Medieval India, Volume Vii Part I. Oxford University Press. p. 226. Shivaji made use of both sections of the Marathas in establishment of his swaraj...He drew his military strength mainly from the mawales, the kunbis of the Mawal region. In the north, particularly in the eighteenth century, the term 'Maratha' was used with reference to all the people of Maharashtra, irrespective of their caste distinctions.
6. "Welcome to the Official Website of Pune District, Maharashtra". Archived from the original on 10 March 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
7. Shivaji and His Times by Jadunath Sarkar, p.26-27
8. Srivastava, Ashirbadi Lal (1969). The Mughul Empire, 1526-1803 A.D. New Delhi, India, Asia: S. L. Agarwala. pp. 368: The people who inhabited the Maval country were Kolis, they were very hardy and industrious and formed a good army.
9. Burman, J. J. R. (1996). A comparison of sacred groves among the Mahadeo Kolis and Kunbis of Maharashtra. Indian Anthropologist, 26(1), 37–45. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41919791
10. Shivaji and His Times by Jadunath Sarkar, p.26-27
11. Shivaji Souvenir by G. S. Sardesai p.46-47
12. Shivaji and His Times by Jadunath Sarkar, p.26-27
13. Shivaji Souvenir by G. S. Sardesai p.46-47