Koli titles

Koli (Sanskrit: Koliya) (Hindi: कोली) is a caste found in the Indian subcontinent, mainly modern-day India, Nepal and Pakistan. The Koli titles (Upadhi) are spread almost all over country.

Portrait of Koli Raja of Dahewan in Gujarat

The Koli caste forms the largest caste-cluster in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, comprising 24% and 30% of the total population in those states respectively.

Titles

1. Patel: Patel is a title of the Talpada Koli caste of Gujarat in India which has the greatest importance in the Politics of Gujarat. The Talpada Koli Patels of Saurashtra benefited the most under the rule of Indian National Congress party. Koli Patels are recognised as an Other Backward Class caste by Government of Gujarat. Koli Patels are Agriculturist by profession and own the high landholding in villages. Koli Patels also call themselves as Mandhata Patel and Mandhata Koli Patel and those who have migrated to East Africa are Businessman and civil servants. Some of the well known Clans of Koli Patels are Chauhan, Makwana and Rathod. Muslims of Gujarat also use Patel as title who converted from Hindu Kolis.
   
   
   
2. Thakor: The Thakor or Thakore, is a title of the Chunvalia Koli caste of Gujarat. Koli Thakors in Gujarat are classified as Other Backward Class (OBC). During the tenure, the former chief minister, Koli community member Madhav Singh Solanki, included all Koli communities of Gujarat in the OBC. Koli Thakors are mostly cultivators or small land-owners.
   
   
   
3. Pagi: Pagi (also spelled as Paghi and Pugi) is a title used by the Koli caste of the Indian state of Gujarat during the rule of Mughals, Muslims, British, and princely states in British India. They specialised in the tracking of thieves by means of their footprints. Pagi was a title equal to the detective conferred on the Kolis of Talpada and Chunwalia subcastes. In some cases, Kolis of the Pagi title were treated as of lower status in comparison to those Kolis who were Kotwal, because a small number of Pagi Kolis worked as village watchmen, maintaining order and securing the village at night. Koli Pagis stretched their role as guardsman, police officers and maintain the position in government to use their title proper as Pagi. They are classified as Other Backward Class (OBC) Kshatriya for their work as Pagi seemed to be a warrior class. The Talpada Kolis of Radhvanaj village in Gujarat, whose forefathers were Pagi, adopted the two names as their family clans are Rathod and Solanki. The Kolis who bore the Pagi title ruled over Angadh state as shareholders with kolis of Kotwal title. Angadh was a petty princely state.
   
   
   
4. Kotwal: Kotwal is a title of Koli caste in Gujarat, derived from the occupation of fort-keepers or protectors of forts and village leader. Even when a Koli man retired as a Kotwal, he and his descendants would use "Kotwal" as a surname as it signified prestige. Kolis were Kotwal from the times of Mughal rule in Gujarat and were hereditary Kotwal of the royal palaces of Rajkot, Morvi and Bhavnagar Princely states. Kolis of Maharashtra also served as Kotwal in Ahmadnagar Sultanate and controlled the forts.
   
   
   
5. Darbar: The Darbar, Durbar or Darbar Sahib is a honorific title of Koli caste in the Indian state of Gujarat. During the reign of Maratha Empire and British Indian Empire, Koli Darbars were petty rulers of several villages and jagirs and known as Darbar Sahib and Koli Thakor for their landholdings. The Kolis who were enjoying the power called Koli Darbar often use Sang, Singh and Sinh as their middle name. according to the Harald Tambs-Lyche, the Kolis who respected as Darbar Sahib were not agriculturist like other Khedut Kolis (Farmer Kolis) of Gujarat and generally follow the Kshatriya ways of Koli society. The Koli Darbars of north Gujarat made several vast gathering under their Koli society organisations to uplift their society and educational interests.
6. Dharala: The Dharala, or Dhurala is a title used by Koli caste of Gujarat, Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu who were professional soldiers and were experts in sword fighting. during the British Raj in India, the 80% of the total population of of Kolis in Kheda district were Dharala. the Koli Dharalas plundered the British trading ships because they were turbulent and considered as bad tribe. the Koli Dharalas also served in British Indian Army as trackers and village guard and were occasionally used as soldiers in wartime by British government in return of sum. The most of the Koli Dharalas were from Talapada subcaste of Kolis who were prosperous and respected in society and ruled over petty Princely States during British regime. The title of Dharala is taken from the Dhar (Sharpness) of a sword's edge. Dharala means experts of sword fighting. The Dharala Vero was a type of tax collected by Kolis of Gujarat to allowed the other caste people to live in their villages. in 1920, the Mahatma Gandhi tried to reform the Koli Dharalas to get ride of Anti social activities such as gang Robberies and tax collection from other caste people.
7. Behera: Kolis of Odisha who were chief of villages used the Behera as a title.
8. Patil: The Patil (also known as Gaonpatil and Sarpatil) is a title used by Koli chiefs of villages in Maharashtra. the Janjira island was built and fortified by Koli chieftain Ram Patil. Koli Patils sometimes called as Gaonpatil which means 'village head' and it is found among both Hindu and Christian Kolis. Patil is hereditary title to the Koli families of Maharashtra. In Koli society, there were several types of Patil. (1) Police Patil: Police Patil was a service position in Kolis during British Raj and Maratha rule. Kolis who were serving as in-charge of police knowns as Police Patil. (2) Zemidar Patil: the Kolis who were village headman or landlord were known as Zemidar Patil. They received the grants of villages from rulers for their services in Princely states, kingdoms and Sultanates. (3) Samajik Patil: the Koli people who were responsible to maintain order in Koli society and resolve their problems were called as Samajik Patil. Kolis of Maharashtra served in Maratha Empire and a Koli Patil who was naval chief in Maratha Navy named Laya was honoured by Shivaji with the title of Sarpatil and grants of villages for his courageous actions and Siddis of Janjira.
   
   
   
9. Nayak or Naik: Nayak, or Naik is a title used by Koli caste of Maharashtra. The Princely State of Jawhar was founded by a Koli Nayak Jayaba Mukne around 1300. The Maval region was known as Koli country of fifty two valleys in Maratha Empire. Each valley was controlled by a Koli Nayak and the Sirnayak, or head chief, lived at Junnar, and presided over the gotarni, or caste council. the Fort of Sinhagad was built and ruled by Koli chief Nag Nayak who resisted the Mughal Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq for eight months. the Kolis of Maharashtra revolted against Mughal ruler Aurangzeb under their Koli chief Khemirao Sirnaik and in 1769, Kolis revolted against Peshwa of Maratha Empire under their Koli Naik Javji Bamble and broken the peace of Konkan and in 1798, Kolis challenged the Company under their Koli Naik Ramji Naik Bhangria who was father of freedom fighters Bapuji Bhangare and Raghoji Bhangare.
10. Deshmukh: The Deshmukh is a title used by the Koli caste of Maharashtra. The ruling royal Koli of Surgana State held the title of Deshmukh respectively. the title Deshmukh mostly used by Mahadev Kolis who ruled over several Princely States before Independence of India. most of the influenced Koli families conferred the titles of Deshmukh, Patvari and Patel by ruler of their territories.
11. Girasia or Garasia: Garasia, alternatively spelled Girasia, Girasiya or Garasiya, is a title used by the Koli chieftains of petty states or Jagirdars in India who held the villages as Giras granted by rulers. Many of the Chunvalia Kolis held the title of Girasia and they worshipped the Hindu goddess Shakti. The Koli Garasiya were tributary to the ruler of state who gave the Giras. 
12. Vatandar or Watandar: Vatandar, or Watandar is a title of the Kolis who were Vatandar in Maratha Empire and "landholder Kolis".
13. Mian or Miyan: The Koli rulers of petty Princely States of Ramas, Dabha, Punadra and Khadal used the Mian as their hereditary title.
14. Maldhari: The Maldhari is a occupational term or title used by several herdsmen or animal husbandry castes such as Koli, Kathi, Charan, Rabari and Bharwad in Kutch district of Gujarat, India. The literal meaning of Maldhari is keeper (dhari) of the animal stock (mal). They are notable as the traditional dairymen of the region, and once supplied milk and cheese to the palaces of rajas.
15. Agaria or Agariya: The Aghariya, or Agariya is a title of Chunvalia Kolis who are salt farmers in Kutch district of Gujarat, India. in 2019, Koli Agariyas faced the great loss of salt trade because of the trade war between China and the United States of America. They produce the 30% of the salt of all of India. they were listed as a Criminal Tribe under the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 by British Indian government because of their rebellions against British rule in India. The Aghariya's were landowners of the land of Little Rann of Kutch but in 1978 this area was declared as Wild Ass Sanctuary by Government of Gujarat and their lands were captured by Gujarat government. The Aghariya's demanding recognition as farmers and an assurance that they have a legal right on Little Rann of Kutch land for salt farming to get the benefit like agriculture farmers such as money package and relief for natural calamities like flood.
16. Bandkari: The Bandkari, or Bundkari is a title conferred to the Koli chief of dacoits or revolutionaries in Maharashtra till 1960. if a person pleasure the Koli heros call them as Bandkari but when want to degrade calls them Daku. The meaning of Bandkari is revolutionary or leader of revolt. The Band, or Bund means revolt (rebellion) and Kari means leader or a person of position. According to a 19th century Marathi-English dictionary, Band meant either insurrection, sedition, or an insurgent, a rebel. A 'Bandkhorvala' or 'Bandkari' was a rebellious person. Until the 19th century, the title appears to have been associated exclusively with revolts against the state or other ruling powers. Revolts by Mahadev Kolis were all described as Bands. Regions which were outside the control of the Maratha state were known as 'Bandi Mulk'. During the course of the nineteenth century, the title evolved, being associated increasingly with the activities of peasants rebelling against social oppression. Today, the people of the mountain regions describe the Koli outlaws as Bandkaris. This is not a word that appears in the nineteenth-century records. The title is applied now not so much to a rebel against the state, but to a person who has put himself outside the law to fight the social oppressors of his caste. He thus enjoys the support of the caste as a whole. In this, the Bandkari is distinguished today from the Daku, or dacoit, who is seen as being involved in illegal activities primarily for his own gain, and who does not enjoy popular support. In English. we may say that the contrast, as it now exists, is between the social bandit, as defined by Eric Hobsbawm, and the mere 'robber' or 'thief who belongs to a professional underworld. When outsiders wish to denigrate the heroes of the Kolis, they call them Dakus. In this section of the essay, I shall examine the tradition of the Band in the pre colonial and early colonial periods, seeing how it had begun to change by 1830, and then go on in the following section to see how this tradition fed into the revolt of Raghu Bhangare. The Bandkari is thus different from the dacoits of the professional underworld. Intrinsic to the varying significance is a complex interplay of power, benefit and dissent with agenda and alliances of convenience: Dacoits looted the people for their livelihood but a Bandkari looted only rich or bad people, Dacoits collected the looted goods for self but a Bandkari distribute the looted goods in needed or poor people, Dacoits generally attacked the people but a Bandkari plundered the rich or high profile person in response to punish them.