In this battle Mahar community who were/are considered as Dalits or untouchables had participated on behalf of British East India Company against the Peshwa faction of the Maratha Confederacy, at Koregaon Bhima. The site is now located in state of Maharashtra in present-day India.
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One may argue about loyalty/patriotism of Mahars but what about humiliations meted out to them due to millennia old caste system ? Look at the following video even though it's in Hindi.
It was Brahminism or Brahmin supremacy that was calling shots in various parts of the Subcontinent, even when Muslim empires and later on European colonialists/companies arrived.
More details are as under:
Significance to Mahars
B. R. Ambedkar and his followers at the Koregaon victory pillar on 28 December 1927
The Koregaon pillar inscription features the names of the 49 Company soldiers killed in the battle.[27] 22 of these names end with the suffix -nac (or -nak), which was used exclusively by the people of Mahar caste.[2][28] The obelisk was featured on the Mahar Regiment's crest until Indian Independence. While it was built by the British as a symbol of their own power, today it serves as a memorial of the Mahars.[22][29]
The Mahars were considered untouchable in the contemporary caste-based society. The Peshwas, who were the 'high-caste' Brahmins, were notorious for their mistreatment and persecution of the untouchables.[30] Because of this, the Dalits (former untouchables), after independence, saw the Koregaon obelisk as a symbol of their victory over the high-caste oppression.[31] Dalit Leader B. R. Ambedkar visited the site on 1 January 1927. To commemorate his visit to the site, now thousands of his followers visit the site every New Year's Day.[32] A number of Mahar gatherings have also been held at the place.[27] On 1 January 2018, clashes erupted between right-wing Hindu groups and Dalit Buddhist groups during the commemoration of this battle.[33] This led to further violent protests and rioting in Mumbai and Maharashtra for two days.[34]
However, the Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbde has argued that portraying the Battle of Bhima Koregaon as the battle of Mahars against their caste oppression in Peshwa rule is misleading. Teltumbde mentions that most of those died in the battle (27 out of 49) were not Mahar, and the Peshwa army actually retreated fearing the arrival of a larger British force. Thus he considers painting of the battle as "Mahars' against the Peshwas' Brahmanic rule" to be misleading.[35]
Battle of Koregaon
Now, will any of the right wing Hindus , Saffronists in short, bother to explain this? Plus how would these former Pakistanis who always please right wing BJP supporters explain the battle?
Tarek Fatah
Tahir Aslam Gora
Arif Aajakia
If you watch their videos then apart from Pak-bashing and attacking Imran Khan, they also side with BJP/RSS propagandists in demonizing Muslim kingdoms. They assist Hindutvadis in blaming Muslims for destroying the rich and tremendous Sanathan civilization/land.
One may argue about loyalty/patriotism of Mahars but what about humiliations meted out to them due to millennia old caste system ? Look at the following video even though it's in Hindi.
It was Brahminism or Brahmin supremacy that was calling shots in various parts of the Subcontinent, even when Muslim empires and later on European colonialists/companies arrived.
More details are as under:
Significance to Mahars
B. R. Ambedkar and his followers at the Koregaon victory pillar on 28 December 1927
The Koregaon pillar inscription features the names of the 49 Company soldiers killed in the battle.[27] 22 of these names end with the suffix -nac (or -nak), which was used exclusively by the people of Mahar caste.[2][28] The obelisk was featured on the Mahar Regiment's crest until Indian Independence. While it was built by the British as a symbol of their own power, today it serves as a memorial of the Mahars.[22][29]
The Mahars were considered untouchable in the contemporary caste-based society. The Peshwas, who were the 'high-caste' Brahmins, were notorious for their mistreatment and persecution of the untouchables.[30] Because of this, the Dalits (former untouchables), after independence, saw the Koregaon obelisk as a symbol of their victory over the high-caste oppression.[31] Dalit Leader B. R. Ambedkar visited the site on 1 January 1927. To commemorate his visit to the site, now thousands of his followers visit the site every New Year's Day.[32] A number of Mahar gatherings have also been held at the place.[27] On 1 January 2018, clashes erupted between right-wing Hindu groups and Dalit Buddhist groups during the commemoration of this battle.[33] This led to further violent protests and rioting in Mumbai and Maharashtra for two days.[34]
However, the Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbde has argued that portraying the Battle of Bhima Koregaon as the battle of Mahars against their caste oppression in Peshwa rule is misleading. Teltumbde mentions that most of those died in the battle (27 out of 49) were not Mahar, and the Peshwa army actually retreated fearing the arrival of a larger British force. Thus he considers painting of the battle as "Mahars' against the Peshwas' Brahmanic rule" to be misleading.[35]
Battle of Koregaon
Now, will any of the right wing Hindus , Saffronists in short, bother to explain this? Plus how would these former Pakistanis who always please right wing BJP supporters explain the battle?
Tarek Fatah
Tahir Aslam Gora
Arif Aajakia
If you watch their videos then apart from Pak-bashing and attacking Imran Khan, they also side with BJP/RSS propagandists in demonizing Muslim kingdoms. They assist Hindutvadis in blaming Muslims for destroying the rich and tremendous Sanathan civilization/land.
