Mali caste
Encyclopedia
The Mali are an occupational caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...

 found among the Hindus who traditionally worked as gardners. They also call themselves Phul Mali, who derived their names from their occupation of growing flowers. The Mali are found throughout North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...

, East India
East India
East India is a region of India consisting of the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Orissa. The states of Orissa and West Bengal share some cultural and linguistic characteristics with Bangladesh and with the state of Assam. Together with Bangladesh, West Bengal formed the...

 as well as the Terai
Terai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...

 region of Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...

 and Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...

.

Origin

The word Mali is derived from Sanksrit mala (garland). People from the Mali community pursued various occupations and by virtue of this they were known accordingly. Thus,those worshiping deity known as Deuli Mali, gardening are known as Baghban
Baghban
Baghban is a 2003 Bollywood drama film directed by Ravi Chopra, with a star cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Salman Khan, Mahima Chaudhary, Paresh Rawal, Rimi Sen, Lilette Dubey and others...

, threshing/husking paddy as Dhankuta or Kuta Mali
Kuta (caste)
The Kuta are a Hindu caste found in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. They are also known as Dhankuta .- Origin :The Kuta are an occupational Hindu caste traditionally associated with rice husking. According to some traditions, the word kuta is a corruption of the Hindi word kutna, which means...

, doing grass cutting/selling as Sasia Mali, vegetable growers/sellers as Jadon Mali, and those growing flowers to the deity known as Phool Mali. Likewise, the Malis living near the river Ganga, Saharanpur and Haridwar are known as Bhagrathi Mali or Gola Mali. Likewise, there are Mathur Mali, Rohtaki Mali, Dilwali Mali and so on. Besides there are Mahar Mali, Var Mali, Kachchi Mali, Lodh Mali, Jeera Mali and Dhanya Mali. They are known as Mohal, Malaya, Malni, etc.

There are many endogamous groups within Malis. Not all Mali groups have the same origin, culture, history or social standing and there is at least one group from Rajasthan that overlaps with Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...

s and was included under Rajput sub-category in Marwar
Marwar
Marwar is a region of southwestern Rajasthan state in western India. It lies partly in the Thar Desert. In Rajasthani dialect "wad" means a particular area. The word Marwar is derived from Sanskrit word 'Maruwat'. English translation of the word is 'The region of desert'., The Imperial Gazetteer...

 State Census Report of 1891 AD. This group is called Rajput Mali
Rajput Mali
Rajput Mali is a distinctive ethnic group from Rajasthan which is included under the broader occupational group of the Mali caste as well as a separate sub-category within the Rajput group.- Origin :...

 and has a distinctive character and bloodlines coming from the Rajput tribes they originated from.

Adoption of new identity in 1930-1940 CE

The Rajput Mali community adopted the surname Saini in the 1930-1940 decade during the colonial rule.

The exact order issued my government is given below:

Notable Malis

  • Jyotiba Phule - 19th century Social reformer from Pune
    Pune
    Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...

  • Savitribai Phule
    Savitribai Phule
    Savitribai Jotiba Phule was a social reformer, who, along with her husband, Mahatma Jotiba Phule, played an important role in improving women's rights in India during the British Rule....

     - Social reformer and wife of Jyotiba Phule
  • Savata Mali
    Savata Mali
    Shri Sant Savata Mali - Hindu bhakti Saint born into the Mali community from 13th century, he was contemprary of Sant Namdeo. He was a great devotee of Lord Vitthal , while working on his field he sang the glory of vithalla. Lord vitthal came to meet him in village Aran since he never able to go...

     - Hindu saint from Maharashtra
  • Ashok Gehlot
    Ashok Gehlot
    Ashok Gehlot is the 21st & 23rd Chief Minister of the state of Rajasthan, India.-Personal:Shri Ashok Gehlot, son of Late Shri Laxman Singh Gehlot, was born on 3 May 1951 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. A Science and Law Graduate, Shri Gehlot holds an M.A. in Economics. Married to Smt. Sunita Gehlot on 27...

     - Politician & Chief Minister of Rajasthan
  • Chaggan Bhujbal - Former Deputy Chief Minister of Mahrashtra.
  • Nilu Phule
    Nilu Phule
    Nilu Phule was an Indian actor known for his roles in the Marathi language movies and Marathi theatre. Nilu Phule had acted in around 250 Marathi and Hindi movies during his film career....

     - Actor of Marathi
    Marathi language
    Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...

     theatre and films.
  • Waman Bapuji Metre
    Waman Bapuji Metre
    Waman Bapuji Metre , admiringly referred to as Dādā Metre in the Indian oil industry circles, was the doyen of Indian petroleum geologists...

     - Geologist, Padma Bhusan (1968) Science & Engineering, Maharashtra
  • S. L. Silam
    S. L. Silam
    Sayaji Laxman Silam was First Lt. Governor of Pondicherry Union Territory in India. He was Lt.Governor for First and Second assemblies of Pondicherry U.T....

     - Speaker of Bilingual Bombay State Assembly (1956-1960), Maharashtra (1960-1962). First Lt. Governor of Pondicherry Union Territory in India
  • Gajmal Dalpat Mali - Started variuos Educational and Cooperative societies; MLA and MLC, Maharashtra
  • Haren Das
    Haren Das
    Harendra Narayan Das , better known as Haren Das, was a highly respected artist in India who worked almost exclusively in printmaking mediums...

     - Ex-MLA & Gen. Secretary (Admn), Assam Pradesh Congress Committee.
  • Nageshwar Mali - Ex-member & chairman of Nagar palika Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh
  • Sameer Gehlaut
    Sameer Gehlaut
    Young entrepreneur Sameer Gehlaut established Indiabulls in 2000, after acquiring Orbis Securities, a stock brokerage company in Delhi. The group started its operations from a small office near Hauz Khas bus terminal in Delhi.The office had a tin roof and two computers.In less than 10 years the...

    , Founder of Indiabulls
    Indiabulls
    Indiabulls is an Indian company with its presence in the Real Estate, Infrastructure, Financial Services, Securities, Retail, Multiplex and Power sectors....


Baldev Malakar, Director of Tourism, Assam
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