Dabhade (Pronunciation: ̪abʱaːɖe is a

Koli Koli may refer to: Places * Koli, Finland, a hill in Finland * Koli National Park, a national park in Finland * Koli, Iran (disambiguation), several places in Iran * Koli Airfield, a former airfield in the South Pacific Other uses * Koli peopl ...

and

Maratha clan The Maratha clan system (also referred to as Shahannava Kuli Marathas, 96 Kuli Marathas or 96K), refers to the network of 96 clans of families and essentially their surnames, within the Maratha caste of India. The Marathas primarily reside in th ...

found largely in

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

, India. They were originally centered on

Talegaon Dabhade Talegaon is a town on the outskirts of the city of Pune, India. Demographics At the 2001 Census of India, Talegaon Dabhade had a population of 42,574. Males constituted 53% of the population and females 47%. The average literacy rate was 79%, ...

(in present-day

), but became the Maratha chiefs of

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

. A family belonging to the Dabhade clan held the hereditary title of ''senapati'' (commander-in-chief) and several

jagir A jagir ( fa, , translit=Jāgir), also spelled as jageer, was a type of feudal land grant in the Indian subcontinent at the foundation of its Jagirdar (Zamindar) system. It developed during the Islamic rule era of the Indian subcontinent, start ...

s in Gujarat until 1751. That year,

Umabai Dabhade Umabai Dabhade (died 1753) was a prominent member of the Maratha confederacy, Maratha Dabhade clan. The members of her family held the hereditary title ''senapati'' (commander-in-chief), and controlled several territories in Gujarat. After the d ...

and her relatives were arrested for a rebellion against the

Peshwa The Peshwa (Pronunciation: e(ː)ʃʋaː was the appointed (later becoming hereditary) prime minister of the Maratha Empire of the Indian subcontinent. Originally, the Peshwas served as subordinates to the Chhatrapati (the Maratha king); later, ...

, and were stripped of their titles.

Rise to power

At Dabhoi in 1731 the

Marathas The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...

and their allies used flintlocks as well as

matchlocks A matchlock or firelock is a historical type of firearm wherein the gunpowder is ignited by a burning piece of rope that is touched to the gunpowder by a mechanism that the musketeer activates by pulling a lever or trigger with his finger. Befo ...

. Several Maratha contingents were composed of what one might term peripheral peoples.

Sardars Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar/Sirdar ( fa, سردار, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other aristocrats. It has also been ...

from the

Gaikwad The Gaekwads of Baroda (also spelled as Gaikwads, Guicowars, Gaekwars) (IAST: ''Gāyakavāḍa'') are a Hindu Maratha dynasty origin of the former Maratha Empire and its subsequent Princely States. A dynasty belonging to this clan ruled the prin ...

, Bande and Dabhade clans recruited Kolis armed with matchlocks. The coastal Kolis had gained firearms and infantry warfare experience while serving as auxiliary matchlock levies to the

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

and to a lesser extent the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

. The Dabhade clan traces its ancestry to Bajajirao Dabhade. His son Yesajirao Dabhade was the personal bodyguard of the

Maratha The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...

king

Shivaji Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adils ...

. The family rose to prominence under his son

Khanderao Dabhade Khanderao Dabhade (Marathi: खंडेराव दाभाडे) is the founding patriarch of the ''Sarsenapati'' Dabhade family of Talegaon Dabhade. He was the eldest of the two sons of Yesaji Dabhade (Bodyguard of the Maratha King, Shivaj ...

, a Maratha military leader. He was conferred the title of "Sarsenapati" (commander-in-chief) on 11 January 1717 by Shivaji's grandson

Shahu I Chhatrapati Shahu Bhosale I (Pronunciation: �aːɦuː CE) was the fifth Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire founded by his grandfather, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Born into the Bhonsle family, he was the son of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj ...

of Satara. His younger son Shivaji Dabhade helped

Rajaram I Rajaram Bhosle I (Pronunciation: �aːd͡ʒaɾaːm – 3 March 1700) was the third ''Chhatrapati'' of Maratha Empire, who ruled from 1689 to his death in 1700. He was the second son of the Shivaji, the founder of the empire and younger half- ...

reach

Gingee Gingee, also known as Senji or Jinji and originally called Singapuri, is a panchayat town in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Gingee is located between three hills covering a perimeter of 3 km, and lies west of the Sa ...

safely from the Mughals.

Rebellion against Peshwa Baji Rao

The Dabhades carried out several raids in the rich province of

, collecting ''

chauth Chauth (from Sanskrit, meaning ''one fourth'') was a regular tax or tribute imposed from the early 18th century by the Maratha Empire in the Indian subcontinent. It was an annual tax nominally levied at 25% on revenue or produce, hence the name, ...

'' and ''

sardeshmukhi Chauth (from Sanskrit, meaning ''one fourth'') was a regular tax or tribute imposed from the early 18th century by the Maratha Empire in the Indian subcontinent. It was an annual tax nominally levied at 25% on revenue or produce, hence the name, on ...

'' taxes. When Shahu's

(prime minister)

Baji Rao I Baji Rao I (18 August 1700 – 28 April 1740), born as Visaji, also known as Bajirao Ballal (Pronunciation: ad͡ʒiɾaːʋ bəlːaːɭ, was the 7th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. During his 20-year tenure as a Peshwa, he defeated Nizam-ul-M ...

decided to take over the tax collection in Gujarat, the Dabhades and other Maratha clans that had traditionally controlled Gujarat (

Gaekwad Gaekwad (also spelt Gaikwar and Gaikwad; mr, Gāyǎkǎvāḍǎ) is a surname native to the Indian state of Maharashtra. The surname is found among the Marathas, Kolis and in Scheduled castes. It is also a common surname among Bharadis, Dhor, an ...

and Kadam Bande) rebelled against Shahu and Baji Rao. Baji Rao defeated them, and

Trimbak Rao Dabhade Trimbak Rao Dabhade (? – 1 April 1731) was a senapati (general) of Maratha empire during 1729–1731. He was the son of Khande Rao Dabhade and Umabai Dabhade. The Dabhade clan had carried out several raids in the rich province of Gujara ...

was killed in a battle the Battle of Dabhoi on 1 April 1731.

, the wife of Khanderao and mother of Trimbak Rao, became the

matriarch Matriarchy is a social system in which women hold the primary power positions in roles of authority. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege and control of property. While those definitions apply in general E ...

of the family after their death. Shahu granted all of Trimbak Rao's assets and titles (including ''senapati'') to his minor brother Yashwant Rao. The Peshwa allowed them to retain control of Gujarat, on the condition that they would remit half of the revenues to his treasury. Since Yashwant Rao was a minor, Umabai exercised the executive power. Even as he grew up, he was addicted to alcohol and opium, and the Dabhades' lieutenant

Damaji Rao Gaekwad Damaji Rao Gaekwad was the second Maharaja of Baroda reigning from 1732 to 1768 until his death. Early life Damaji, also known as Damaji II, was the third son of Pilaji Rao Gaekwad. His father Pilaji was an adopted son of Damaji I, who had ...

gradually increased his power during this time.

Aftermath

Umabai pretended reconciliation with Peshwa Baji Rao, but always maintained a grudge against him for killing her son. Under her, the Dabhades never actually remitted half of the revenues to Shahu's treasury, but Shahu did not want to take any extreme measures against a grieving widow and a mother who had lost her son. However, after Shahu's death in 1749, Peshwa

Balaji Baji Rao Baji Bajirao (8 December 1720 – 23 June 1761), also known as Nana Saheb I, was the 8th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy in India. He was appointed as Peshwa in 1740 upon the death of his illustrious father, the Peshwa Bajirao I. During ...

, who was facing an empty treasury, sought a share of revenues from the Dabhades. Umabai then joined

Tarabai Tarabai Bhosale (Pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, ̪aːɾabaːi ''née'' Mohite) was the regent of the Maratha Empire of India from 1700 until 1708. She was the queen of Rajaram Chhatrapati, Rajaram Bhonsale, and daughter-in-law of the emp ...

in a rebellion against the Peshwa. In November 1750, she dispatched 15,000 troops under Damaji Gaekwad to support Tarabai. Damaji was defeated by the Peshwa loyalists after a few initial successes. He remained in the Peshwa's captivity from May 1751 to March 1752.

Decline

Shortly after the Peshwa's arrest, Umabai, Yashwant Rao and their relatives were also arrested. The Dabhades were deprived of their

s as well as their hereditary title ''senapati''. In March 1752, Damaji Gaekwad agreed to Peshwa's demands, and abandoned the service of the Dabhades. Subsequently, the

Gaekwad dynasty The Gaekwads of Baroda (also spelled as Gaikwads, Guicowars, Gaekwars) ( IAST: ''Gāyakavāḍa'') are a Hindu Maratha dynasty origin of the former Maratha Empire and its subsequent Princely States. A dynasty belonging to this clan ruled the pr ...

replaced the Dabhades as the Maratha chiefs of Gujarat. Gaekwad agreed to provide an annual maintenance expense to the Dabhades, but the latter lost all of their power and much of their wealth. Umabai died on 28 November 1753. After her death, Peshwa Balaji Rao took Yashwant Rao on his Carnatic campaign. On the way, Yashwant Rao died of fatigue in

Miraj Miraj (Pronunciation: iɾəd͡z ) is a city in Sangli District and also in Maharashtra, India, that was founded in the early 10th century. It was an important jagir of the Adil Shahi court of Bijapur. Shivaji Maharaj stayed in Miraj for ...

, on 18 May 1754. The Dabhade family line was continued by Trimbak Rao Dabhade II, who controlled a small ''riyasat'' (estate). The family was divided into the Senior Branch and Junior Branch in 1933. The descendants presently live in Talegaon Dabhade and Pune. Sardar Jayendraraje Sangramsinhraje Dabhade is the head of the senior branch since 1993 and Sardar Satyasheelraje Padmasenraje Dabhade is the head the junior branch since 2014.

Notable members

, Maratha military leader and Commander-in-Chief *

Umabaisaheb Khanderao Dabhade Umabai Dabhade (died 1753) was a prominent member of the Maratha Dabhade clan. The members of her family held the hereditary title ''senapati'' (commander-in-chief), and controlled several territories in Gujarat. After the deaths of her husband ...

, wife of Khanderao; exercised executive powers while her minor son was the titular commander

References