Bot at 21:47, 22 May 2022

2022-05-22T21:47:17Z

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{{short description|Hindu Koli rebel leader against Mughal Empire}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix = [[Koli people|Koli]] rebel leader
| name = Khemiraoji Sarnaik
| image = Koli Chabutra.jpg
| caption = a monument built by Aurangzeb in the honour of Khemirao Sarnaik
| native_name = खेमीराव सरनाईक
| native_name_lang = Mr
| birth_name = Khemirao
| birth_date = 1605
| birth_place = [[Maratha Empire]]
| death_date = 1650
| death_place = [[Mughal Empire]]
| monuments = Koli Chabutra, [[Junnar]], [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]
| era = [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] [[Maratha]] era
| known_for = Hindu rebellion against Jaziya
| title = Sarnaik of Koli Naiks of Bavan [[Mavala|Maval]]
| movement = Jaziya Movement
}}
'''Khemirao Sarnaik''' ([[Hindi|Hi]]: खेमीराव सरनाईक) also known as '''Kheni Sirnayak'''<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Hassan|first=Syed Siraj ul|url=|title=The Castes and Tribes of H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions|date=1989|publisher=[[Asian Educational Services]]|year=1989|isbn=978-81-206-0488-9|location=Delhi, India|pages=333|language=en}}</ref> was a [[Koli people|Koli]] [[Deshmukh]] of the [[Mavala|Maval]] region in 1640s and had taken up arms against [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] governor, [[Aurangzeb]] and abolished [[Jizya]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Ghurye|first=Govind Sadashiv|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FJkaAAAAIAAJ|title=The Mahadev Kolis|date=1957|publisher=Popular Book Depot|year=1957|location=[[Delhi]], [[India]]|pages=11|language=en}}</ref> he belongs to the Thorat [[clan]] of Mahadev Kolis of [[Maharashtra]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}} When shivaji began his revolts in following decades, the kolis were amongst the first to join shivaji under Khemirao Sarnaik.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hardiman|first=David|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QNA-AQAAIAAJ|title=Histories for the Subordinated|date=2007|publisher=Seagull Books|year=2007|isbn=978-1-905422-38-8|location=New Delhi, India|pages=103|language=en}}</ref> The [[Koli people|Koli]] community made a substantial contribution to the success of the [[Hindavi Swarajya|Swarajya]] movement of [[Shivaji]] under Khemirao Sarnaik and shaked the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] rule. [[Aurangzeb]] put down the revolt mercilessly and made a pile of the heads cut off. The 'Koli Chabutra' in [[Purandar Fort|Purandar]] fort still stands as a monument to the Kolis' love of independence and their excitable temper.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Deopujari|first=Murlidhar Balkrishna|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iF8MAAAAIAAJ|title=Shivaji and the Maratha Art of War|date=1973|publisher=Vidarbha Samshodhan Mandal|year=1973|location=[[New Delhi]], [[India]]|pages=262–263|language=en}}</ref>

According to historian [[G. S. Ghurye|Govind Sadasiva Ghurye]], the main reason for the rebellion was the imposition of land tax (Jaziya) by Sultan Aurangzeb. The Koli [[Zamindar|Zamidars]] had taken up arms against the Sultan Aurangzeb under the leadership of Khemirao Sarnaik, as well as with the sympathy of Shivaji as it was a great benefit to Shivaji.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Hardiman|first1=David|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8EsfAQAAIAAJ|title=Feeding the Baniya: Peasants and Usurers in Western India|last2=Hardiman|first2=Professor of History David|date=1996|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=1996|isbn=978-0-19-563956-8|location=[[New Delhi]], India|pages=211|language=en}}</ref> Khemrao assembled all the Koli naiks and promised that he would get rid of Mughal rule in a single rise.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Roy|first=Dr Shibani|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o4RJAAAAMAAJ|title=Koli Culture: A Profile of the Culture of Talpad Vistar|date=1983|publisher=Cosmo Publications|year=1983|location=New Delhi, India|pages=30–236|language=en}}</ref> Aurangzeb sent the [[Mughal army]] from the hilly areas to suppress the Koli rebellion, but the battle was very fierce in which thousands of Kolis were killed and the Mughal soldiers also. The Koli rebellion shook Aurangzeb. Sarnaik applied for help from Shivaji but Shivaji was unable to help Kolis because of their political matters and sarnaik was refused. The Khemirao Sarnaik fighting in this battle was killed by Mughal commander Nerrulaa, but the Koli rebellion was so intense that Aurangzeb got compelled to think.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gāre|first=Govinda|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L8NAAAAAMAAJ|title=Itihāsa ādivāsı̄ vı̄rāñcā|date=1982|publisher=Ādima Sāhitya|year=1982|location=[[Maharashtra]], India|pages=45|language=mr}}</ref> after the rebellion was crushed, the Kolis were treated with kindness by Aurangzeb and than Kolis achieve the high reputation under [[Peshwa]] for their daring and taking hill forts such as [[Kanhoji Angre]] and [[Tanaji Malusare]].<ref name=":2" />

== Cause of rebel ==
The reason for the Koli revolt was Aurangzeb's imposition of [[Jizya|Jiziya]] (tax on the land of Hindus) on [[Hindus]]. After which Sarnaik, fed up with Jiziya, united the people of his caste (Mahadev Koli) and planned a [[Rebellion|revolt]] against the Sultan. But a lot of power was required to fight Aurangzeb for which Sarnaik Khemirao went to Shivaji [[Raje]] [[Bhonsle|Bhosle]] as Sarnaik believed that Shivaji would accompany him in the fight against Aurangzeb as the Kolis fought for Shivaji against the [[Bijapur Sultanate]]. Anyway, Shivaji was to benefit from the Mahadev Koli rebellion against Aurangzeb. At the same time Sarnaik also sought help from the king of [[princely state]] of [[Jawhar State|Jawhar]] because the king of [[Jawhar]] also belonged to the Koli caste, after which Khemirao Sarnaik revolted against Aurangzeb, the Sultan of the Mughal Empire.<ref name=":0" />

== Clash of clan ==
After the death of Khemirao Sarnaik, Aurangzeb killed the family and relatives of the Thorat clan of Khemirao Sarnaik and also started killing the other Kolis of the Thorat clan so that no one could revolt the Koli of Thorat clan again. Aurangzeb started searching for the Kollis of the Thorat clan in hilly, sandy and forest areas so that they could be put to death. After which Aurangzeb took the Kolis to Junnar and beheaded everyone at the [[Shivneri]] Fort, but later Sultan [[Aurangzeb]] built a monument at the same place known as Koli Chabutara to pay respect to the martyred Kolis and Aurangzeb reputed the kolis in his territory for their love to country.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Gāre|first=Govinda|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vZciAAAAMAAJ|title=Tribals in an Urban Setting: A Study of Socio-economic Impact of Poona City on the Mahadeo Kolis|date=1976|publisher=Shubhada Saraswat|year=1976|location=India|pages=25|language=en}}</ref>

== Titles ==
* [[Nayak (title)|Naik]] - Khemirao was the Naik or chief of [[Mahadev Kolis]] of Thorat [[clan]] who used to deal with social problems and maintain order in the Koli of Thorat clanship.
* [[Sarnaik]] - Khemirao was conferred with the title of Sarnaik before the [[rebellion]] by koli chiefs and other hindu [[Sardar|Sardars]] for assembling the koli Naiks of other clans and leading the rebellion.
* [[Deshmukh]] - Khemirao was Deshmukh of [[Maval]] region (52 valleys or Bavan Mavals) as independent ruler and known as [[Mavala]].

== See also ==
* [[List of Koli people]]
* [[List of Koli states and clans]]
* [[Tanaji Malusare]]

== References ==

<references />
[[Category:Indian warriors]]
[[Category:Maratha Light Infantry officers]]
[[Category:Shivaji]]
[[Category:Koli people]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:1650 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian independence movement]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists]]

Khemirao Sarnaik - Revision history

Bot at 21:47, 22 May 2022