96 Kuli Maratha: Surnames, History and What It Means for Marriage

If you have started looking for a match in the Maratha community, you have almost certainly come across the phrase 96 Kuli — often written as Shahannav Kuli. It appears in biodata, in matrimonial adverts, and in the first questions families ask each other.

It is also one of the most misunderstood terms in Marathi matchmaking. This is a plain explanation of what it means, where it came from, and how much it actually matters when a marriage is being arranged today.

What "96 Kuli" means

Kul means clan or lineage. Shahannav is ninety-six. The term refers to a traditional grouping of Maratha clans historically regarded as of Kshatriya descent — families associated with the ruling and warrior lineages of medieval Maharashtra, many of them prominent during the Maratha Empire.

The important thing to understand is that this was never a government register or a single written record. It is a social classification carried through family memory, genealogists (bhat and panjiyar records), and oral tradition across several centuries.

Why there is no single official list

This is the question we are asked most often, and the honest answer is that no single authoritative list of the 96 clans exists.

Different regions of Maharashtra, different genealogists, and different published sources give lists that overlap heavily but do not match exactly. Some lists include clans that others leave out. Some record the same family under different spellings. The number ninety-six is best understood as a traditional figure rather than a precise count that everyone agrees on.

So if you find your surname on one list and not another, that tells you something about the lists — not about your family.

Commonly cited 96 Kuli Maratha surnames

Below are surnames that appear across most widely circulated versions of the list. This is not an official record and is not exhaustive:

• Bhosale (भोसले)

• Jadhav (जाधव)

• Mohite (मोहिते)

• Chavan (चव्हाण)

• Shirke (शिर्के)

• Ghorpade (घोरपडे)

• Nimbalkar (निंबाळकर)

• Mane (माने)

• Sawant (सावंत)

• Dabhade (दाभाडे)

• Gaikwad (गायकवाड)

• Shinde (शिंदे)

• Pawar (पवार)

• More (मोरे)

• Ghatge (घाटगे)

• Kadam (कदम)

• Salunkhe (साळुंखे)

• Thorat (थोरात)

• Suryavanshi (सूर्यवंशी)

• Rane (राणे)

• Mahadik (महाडिक)

• Nikam (निकम)

• Jagtap (जगताप)

• Kale (काळे)

• Yadav (यादव)

• Pisal (पिसाळ)

• Bhalerao (भालेराव)

• Surve (सुर्वे)

• Khandekar (खंडेकर)

• Vichare (विचारे)

• Ranaware (राणावरे)

• Chalke (चाळके)

• Ubale (उबाळे)

• Zunjarrao (झुंजारराव)

• Sisode (सिसोदे)

• Bhoite (भोईटे)

• Bhor (भोर)

• Deokar (देवकर)

• Dhaygude (ढायगुडे)

• Ghodke (घोडके)

• Kanade (कानडे)

• Kate (काटे)

• Khopde (खोपडे)

• Kokate (कोकाटे)

• Londhe (लोंढे)

• Nalawade (नलावडे)

• Palande (पालांडे)

• Pandhare (पांढरे)

• Sarnaik (सरनाईक)

• Shelke (शेळके)

• Zende (झेंडे)

• Autade (औताडे)

• Bandal (बांदल)

• Adhav (आढाव)

Spellings vary considerably in English transliteration — Salunkhe and Salunke, Sawant and Savant, Ghorpade and Ghorpadey all refer to the same families. If you are searching online, try more than one spelling.

Kul, gotra and devak are not the same thing

These three get mixed up constantly, and the distinction matters when families compare details:

• Kul — the clan or lineage the family belongs to.

• Gotra — the ancestral line traced to a sage. Two families of the same gotra are traditionally considered related, which is why matches within the same gotra are usually avoided.

• Devak — the clan's sacred emblem, often a plant, tree or object, used in wedding rituals.

A family may share a kul with another family but have a different gotra and devak. When a proposal is being considered seriously, elders usually ask about all three.

How much does it matter in a marriage today?

It varies more than either traditionalists or modernisers tend to admit.
For many families — particularly in Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli and Solapur, where these lineages are closely tied to local history — 96 Kuli remains a genuine and stated preference, and profiles are filtered on it from the start.

For others, especially younger families and those living in Pune, Mumbai or abroad, it registers as heritage rather than a requirement. Education, profession, family values and the couple's own compatibility are weighted far more heavily.

Neither position is unusual. Our practical suggestion is simply to be explicit about it early. A family that treats 96 Kuli as essential and a family that treats it as background information will both save time by saying so at the first conversation rather than the fifth.

Searching for 96 Kuli Maratha matches

On MarathiVivah you can filter specifically for Maratha and 96 Kuli Maratha profiles, narrow by district, age, education and profession, and check kundli compatibility with a profile you are interested in before you get in touch. Profiles are reviewed manually before they go live, and registration is currently free.

You can browse 96 Kuli Maratha profiles directly, or see Maratha and 96 Kuli Maratha matches in Kolhapur if you are searching in that region.

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