Marathi people
Marathi bride and groom in traditional attire | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 83 million | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| India | 82,801,140 (2011) |
| United States | 127,630 |
| Israel | 60,000 (Bene Israel) |
| Australia | 13,055 |
| Canada | 9,755 |
| Pakistan | 500 |
| Languages | |
| Marathi | |
| Religion | |
| Majority: Hinduism Minority: | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Indo-Aryan peoples | |
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The Marathi people (/məˈrɑːti/; Marathi: मराठी लोक, Marāṭhī lōk) or Marathis (Marathi: मराठी, Marāṭhī) are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are native to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a Marathi-speaking state of India on 1 May 1960, as part of a nationwide linguistic reorganisation of the Indian states. The term "Maratha" is generally used by historians to refer to all Marathi-speaking peoples, irrespective of their caste; However, it may refer to a Maharashtrian caste known as the Maratha which also includes farmer sub castes like the Kunbis.
The Marathi community came into political prominence in the 17th century, when the Maratha Empire was established by Shivaji in 1674.