The Mewasi, or Mevasi, Mehwasi is a

title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...

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 people ...

caste Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...

found in

Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, with a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions. History Pre-indepen ...

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 ...

. The Koli chieftains who ruled over villages populated by turbulent Kolis were titled as ''Mewasi'' because of their rebellious activities against

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 ...

and

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rulers. In those days, Mewasi word was used to describe the unruly, turbulent and violent Kolis but during

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

, Mewasi was used for Koli chieftains in rebellions against British rule as a hero. Koli Mewasis liked the independent rule of self so they always fought against their Rajas, Maharajas and other rulers. Koli Mewasis often plundered the villages to collect the revenue. In the fifteenth century , the early

Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

s of

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per t ...

attempted to subjugate the Koli Mehwasis; but they were met with such a sturdy resistance from those chiefs, who were naturally helped by the wild nature of their Koli chiefs. Firozkhan II ruled at

Palanpur Palanpur is a city and a municipality of Banaskantha district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Palanpur is the administrative headquarters of Banaskantha district. Palanpur is the ancestral home to an industry of Indian diamond merchants. Ety ...

from 1707-1719, during which period he attacked and took

Tharad Tharad (historically known as Thirpur) is a town in Tharad taluka in the Banaskantha district of the state of Gujarat in India. It is the administrative center of Tharad taluka. Tharad is near the border of Gujarat, 40 km from the border wi ...

which was ruled by Koli chieftain, subdued the Koli Mewasis of Sur Bhakhri, Kidotar and Dabhela and extended his territory. The Rewakantha settlements were made during the regime of

Sayajirao Sayajirao (1944–1966) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. A full brother to 1945 Epsom Derby winner, Dante, he was out of the mare Rosy Legend and sired by the great Nearco who is described by ''Thoroughbred Heritage'' as "one of the greatest ...

. these areas were constantly disturbed by the depredations of the Koli Mehwasis, and the maintenance of law and order in these areas became a challenge for Baroda government.

Clans

Prominent clans of Koli Mewasis include: * Baria

Mewasi villages

The villages which were ruled or controlled by rebellious

chieftains and inhabited by turbulent Kolis were called ''Mewasi Villages'' by

rulers. The Barmuvada, Chhapra, Khumarwad were most notable Mewasi villages and their Koli chieftains were receiving ''Giras'' dues from Radhvanaj rulers. The British government always faced the trouble in Mehwasi areas and used the troops to collect the annual revenue.

References

{{Reflist Koli titles