The Mali of
Maharashtra are a caste of cultivators specializing in horticulture. The caste is concentrated in five districts of Western Maharashtra and a district in the
Vidarbha region. They traditionally made their living by cultivating fruit, flowers and vegetables. There are many different sub-castes depending on what the sub-group cultivated, for example, the Phul mali were florists, the Jire mali grew jire or
cumin, and halde mali cultivated Halad (
turmeric) etc. In the 20th century, the mali have been the pioneers in using irrigation to grow cash crops such as sugar cane and in establishing farmer owned sugar mills. This led later in the century of wide spread cultivation of sugarcane in Western Maharashtra by other communities as well as the establishment hundreds of
sugar mills in Maharashtra and other regions of India.
Social activism & politics The 19th century social reformer,
Jyotirao Phule belonged to the Mali community. His work extended to many fields including eradication of untouchability and the caste system, and women's emancipation. He and his wife,
Savitribai Phule, were pioneers of education for women and
Dalits in India. The couple was among the first native Indians to open a school for girls of India. He also founded a home for pregnant Hindu brahmin widows who were cast out by their families. In 1873, Phule, along with his followers, formed the
Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of Seekers of Truth) to attain equal rights for people from lower castes. Other Mali such as Gyanoba Sasane and Narayan lokhande were leading members and financial supporters of the Samaj in its early years. Lokhande has been called the father of trade Unionism in India. ==The Mali in Nepal==