Baria Koli

The Baria Koli, or Baraiya Koli,^[1] Bareeya Koli^[2] and Bariya Koli^[3] is a clan (Gotra) of the Koli caste found in the Indian State of Gujarat^[4] and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.^[5] the Devgad Baria was their Stronghold or given their name to Baria State in Gujarat.^[6]

Baria Koli બારીયા કોલી
Clan (Gotra) of Koli caste
Koli population in Gujarat in 1931 including Baria Kolis
Ethnicity	Koli people
Location	Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Gujarat
Varna	Warrior
Parent tribe	Talapada Koli Chunvalia Koli Ghedia Koli Palia Koli Divecha Koli
Demonym	Kolis
Branches	Baria Koli Bariya Koli Baraiya Koli Baraia Koli
Language	Koli language Gujarati Hindi English
Religion	Hinduism Jainism
Surnames	Thakor Darbar Kotwal Garasia Mewasi Dharala Pagi

According to the census records of 1931, there were 1,03,769 Hindu Baria Kolis and 5 Baria Kolis were converted to Jain religion in the Baroda State of Gaekwars.^[7]

Tax collection

Origin

The Baria Kolis got their name from the Devgadh Baria of Gujarat which was ruled by them and it was their Stronghold as well as they were lawless and turbulent people.^[8]

Piracy

Historically, the Baria Kolis were well known pirates of Gujarat and the Piram island of Gujarat was stronghold of Baria Koli pirates but later they were defeated by Mokhadaji Gohil in 1325.^[9]

History

The Bariya Kolis were formerly known as Bandits because of their anti-social activities but later settled as agriculturist in villages.^[3]

Around 1950, Kolis of Baria clan joined the Gujarat Kshatriya Sabha which was started by Koli elite Natwarsinh Solanki for upliftment of Koli society.^[10] after joining the Sabha, Baria Kolis were not in conflicts against Rajputs but Kolis of Saurashtra didn't join the Sabha because they thought that 'Patidar wasn't their enemy and they didn't need to be Rajputs to be called as Kshatriya'.^[2]

Pre Independence

The Patidars of Central and North Gujarat were agricultural labour on the lands of Koli landlords or Koli chieftains but after Independence of India, Patidars enchraoched the lands of Kolis through land ceiling act of Independent India and reduced the Kolis in social status.^[11] after that, Kolis thought that they ruled the area but have no rights, so Kolis often plunders the Patidar villages in midnight in gangs.^[12] The Rajputs of Gujarat strongly allied with Kolis because Rajputs also were against Patidars because of their land rights.^[13] In central and north Gujarat, the Kolis had several battles with the Patidars on the issue of land tenancy, land rights and use of common village resources. It may be mentioned here that in order to win the elections in 1962 and 1967 the Gujarat Swatantra Party, dominated by the Patidars, won over some of the Koli leaders of the Gujarat Kshatriya Sabha and Sabha was dominated by Kolis of North Gujarat . The Party evolved a strategy referred to by the acronym PKASH; that is the 'party of Patidars and Koli Kshatriyas.' Party nominated a large number of the Kolis as party candidates and also gave them positions within the party organization. But that alliance did not last. The party and the Kshatriya Sabha's Koli leaders could not resolve ground-level conflicts between the Koli peasants and well Patidar peasants.^[14] The grievances of Patidar were resolved by Gujarat Kshatriya Sabha by several time meetings but it was not enough because Kolis were double in number of population if Gujarat and Patidars often targeted by influenced Kolis.^[15] most of the Patidar's children were engaged in collage study but Kolis not and it was a big beneficial point of Patidars.^[16][17]

See also

• Devgadh Baria
• Baria State
• Rathwa
• Rathva koli

References

1. Yājñika, Acyuta; Sheth, Suchitra (2005). The Shaping of Modern Gujarat: Plurality, Hindutva, and Beyond. New Delhi, India: Penguin Books India. p. 304. ISBN 978-0-14-400038-8.
2. Dominance and State Power in Modern India: Decline of a Social Order. New Delhi, India: Oxford University Press. 1989. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-19-562098-6.
3. Plunkett, Hugh Sheridan (1972). Leadership and Social Change in a District of Rajasthan, India. New Delhi, India: University of California, Berkeley. p. 191.
4. "A community called Koli - Indian Express". archive.indianexpress.com. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
5. Gopal, Krishna (2003). Fairs and Festivals of India: Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra. New Delhi, India: Gyan Publishing House. p. 35. ISBN 978-81-212-0811-6.
6. Desai, Anjali H. (2007). India Guide Gujarat. New Delhi, India: India Guide Publications. p. 184. ISBN 978-0-9789517-0-2.
7. Lobo, Lancy (1995). The Thakors of North Gujarat: A Caste in the Village and the Region. New Delhi, India: Hindustan Publishing Corporation. p. 188. ISBN 978-81-7075-035-2.
8. Shah, A. M.; Desai, Ishwarlal Pragji (1988). Division and Hierarchy: An Overview of Caste in Gujarat. New Delhi, India: Hindustan Publishing Corporation. p. 7. ISBN 978-81-7075-008-6.
9. Singhji, Virbhadra (1994). The Rajputs of Saurashtra. New Delhi, India: Popular Prakashan. p. 39. ISBN 978-81-7154-546-9.
10. Ghosh, Buddhadeb; Kumar, Girish (2003). State Politics and Panchayats in India. New Delhi, India: Manohar Publishers & Distributors. p. 95. ISBN 978-81-7304-487-8.
11. Franco, Fernando (2002). Pain and Awakening: The Dynamics of Dalit Identity in Bihar, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. New Delhi, India, Asia: Indian Social Institute. p. 252. ISBN 978-81-87218-46-3.
12. Hardiman, David (1981). Peasant Nationalists of Gujarat: Kheda District, 1917-1934. New Delhi, India, Asia: Oxford University Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-19-561255-4.
13. DA COSTA, DIA (2016). Politicizing Creative Economy: Activism and a Hunger Called Theater. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-04060-3. JSTOR 10.5406/j.ctt1ws7wgk.
14. Wood, John R. (2008). "Review of India's 2004 Elections: Grass-Roots and National Perspectives". Pacific Affairs. 81 (1): 138–140. ISSN 0030-851X. JSTOR 40377511.
15. Bardhan, Pranab; Brass, Paul R.; Cohen, Stephen P.; Gupta, Jyotirindra Das; Frankel, Francine R.; Hart, Henry C.; Manor, James; Shah, Ghanshyam; Lewis, John P. (1988). India's Democracy: An Analysis of Changing State-Society Relations. Princeton University Press. JSTOR j.ctt7zv3bg.
16. Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi, ed. (2002). Education and the disprivileged: nineteenth and twentieth century India. Hyderabad, India: Orient Longman. ISBN 978-81-250-2192-6.
17. Mehta, Haroobhai; Patel, Hasmukh (1985). Dynamics of Reservation Policy. Patriot Publishers. p. 119. ISBN 978-0-8364-1818-7.

External links

• Feminists Rethink the Neoliberal State: Inequality, Exclusion, and Change by Leela Fernandes