The Koli Race of Mumbai

The Koli Race of Mumbai, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

The Koli people (Sanskrit/Hindi: कोली; Gujarati: કોળી) are historically an Indo-Aryan ethnic group native to Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana areas. [1]
Originally, all Kolis were Hindu. Later, during the Mauryan Empire some Kolis converted to Buddhism, during the Mughal Empire some converted to Islam, and some converted to Christianity under the British Raj. [2]
On demographics, the Encyclopædia Britannica states: "In the early 20st century the Kolis constituted about 20 percent of the population of Gujarat, nearly 10 percent of the population of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, and from 2 to 5 percent of the populations of Bengal and Orissa and Maharashtra." [3]
In 1931, the date of the last census of the British Raj before the abolition of caste, they were distributed throughout North India and Northwest India, mostly in the Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Rajputana.

Origin of the Community

According to legend, the Koli claim to be descendents from the Black Dwarf that came forth from the body of King Vena. Numbering more than 12 million they are one of the largest communities of western India. The Koli constitute of a number of communities with various occupations and cultural identities while still remaining Koli. As their name implies, fishing is a common occupation; other common occupations include: laborers, agriculturists, water carriers, boatman, and animal husbandry. There are also Koli people that have obtained advanced degrees and have placed themselves well within society and government.
[edit]History

[edit]Medieval period
There are very few records concerning Kolis prior to the 19th century. There are records of Jhalkari Bai, She was a daughter of a Koli farmers, Sadovar Singh and Jamuna Devi. She was born on November 22, 1830 in Bhojla village near Jhansi. She is one of the famous Women to fight against Britishers in Indian Rebellion of 1857. (Other one is Rani Laxmi Bai )
In the State of Maharashtra, Shivaji's Commander-in-Chief and several of his Generals belonged to this tribe. ‘A History of the Marathas’ note with pride the bravery of Shivaji's army consisting mainly of Mavalas and Kolis. His General, Tanaji Rao Malusare, who was always referred to by Shivaji as ‘My Lion’ was a koli. When Tanaji fell fighting for and winning the‘Kodana Fort’, Shivaji renamed the fort as ‘Sinhghadhh’ in his memory. [4]
In the 1857 uprising a number of Koli women fighters played an important role in trying to save the life of the ‘Rani of Jhansi’. Among them was a very close colleague of the queen named Jalkaribai. She was a village girl and hailed from a very poor family. It is said that she had an encounter with a tiger while she was collecting firewood in the jungle and she killed the tiger single handed with her axe. She had a striking resemblance to Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi and because of this Rani took interest in her and inducted her into the women's wing of the army. During 1857-58 there were several British raids on Jhansi Fort and the Rani repulsed every one of the attacks. Later when the fall of fort became imminent Jalkari bai and some generates convinced Laxmibai to escape quietly with the help of supporters. In a ploy to deceive the British, Jalkari bai dressed herself up like the Rani and took command of the army. The British found out the truth, but it was too late. The Rani had covered a considerable distance by then. Jalkaribai fought the British forces valiantly but was eventually forced to surrender. The British general, impressed by her loyalty, courage and fighting prowess treated her with respect and set her free.
[edit]Modern period
Today, Koli people found almost in every State of India. In Gujarat, they enjoy high society privileges.[citation needed] Today, Kolis of Gujarat are very prosperous and come under General Category in only Indian State of Gujarat. They are leading in business, engineers, doctors, and especially teachers in Northern part of India including Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.[citation needed]
[edit]Demographics

Today, the largest population centre is located in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi areas. There are smaller distributions across the world, due to the large immigrant diaspora. In the immigrant diaspora major populations centres include the Nepal, Pakistan (During the Partition of British India), Bangladesh, Guyana(Black Indian Koli Hindus in Guyana) and UK.
[edit]Census under the British Raj
The census in 1931 in India recorded population on the basis of ethnicity. In 1925, the population of Kolis was around 3 millions in South Asia, of which 99% were Hindu, 0.5% Christian and 0.5% Muslim. [5]
According to earlier censuses, the Koli people accounted for approximately 25% of the entire Gujarati speaking area, making it the "Second largest single socially distinctive group" in the region.
The region-wise breakdown of the total koli people population in 1931 (including Koli Hindus, Koli Christians) is given in the following table. The Koli people, approximately 73%, were located mainly in the Western Part of India.
[edit]Modern estimates
Name of regionKoli population (2001)Approx
Percentage
Gujarat7,287,00059 %
Uttar Pradesh2,345,00019 %
Madhya Pradesh662,0005.3 %
Himachal Pradesh494,0004.0 %
Rajasthan478,0003.8 %
Delhi214,0001.7 %
Haryana60,0000.5 %
Andhra Pradesh59,0000.5 %
Uttaranchal45,0000.4 %
Maharashtra38,0000.3 %
Total12,299,000100 %
Professor Sriram panthi states that by taking population statistical analysis into consideration the Koli population growth of both India and Pakistan and Bangladesh since 1925, Quanungo's figure of three million could be translated into a minimum population statistic (1988) of 10 million and 20 Million in 2011.

Republic of India
The Koli people are one of the most prosperous groups in State of Gujarat on a per-capita basis. (Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat are the wealthiest of Indian states).
Adult franchise has created enormous social and political awakening among Koli people. Consolidation of economic gains and participation in the electoral process are two visible outcomes of the post-independence situation. Through this participation they have been able to significantly influence the politics of North India. Economic differentiation, migration and mobility could be clearly noticed amongst the Koli people.
[edit]Pakistan
As the Rann of Kutch extends into parts of Pakistan, there are also Kutchi Kolis among the Pakistanis. The Hindu Koli tribes are located mostly in southeastern Pakistan. They are primarily concentrated in the fertile flood plain of the province of Sindh. There are several major subdivisions of Koli in that area, including the Parkari Koli, the Wadiyara Koli and the Tharadari Koli.
[edit]Culture and society



Historically, the Koli People are the adherents of Hinduism.
The Koli community has its own distinct identity, with a particular focus on folk dance. These dances typically incorporate nautical themes that commemorate the fishing and seafaring traditions of the community. [6] The dance is performed by both men and women divided into two groups, where fishers stand in two rows holding oars in their hands. The dancers move in unison, miming the rowing of a boat. Fisherwomen stand opposite the men with their arms linked, and advance towards the men. The separate formations then break up and dance together, with movements symbolizing the waves and the actions of rowing and casting fishing nets. [2]
Additionally, Kolis have a rich tradition of Folk Song, with songs such as Aga Pori Sambhaal Dariyala Tufaan Ayalay Bhari and Me Hai Koli being famous both within and beyond the Koli community.