ABSTRACT
The state of Maharashtra came into existence in May 1960. The Marathi-speaking districts of the Bombay Province, the Central Provinces, Berar and the princely state of Hyderabad were grouped together to form today’s Maharashtra. These areas are now known as regions of the state as follows: Vidarbha (Marathi-speaking districts from the Central Provinces and Berar), Marathwada (the districts from the Hyderabad state), western Maharashtra (the districts from the Bombay Province), and Konkan (coastal districts from the Bombay Province). The social composition of Maharashtra reflects the structure of society as it is found in these regions. One has to make rough estimates on the basis of the data of the 1931 Census of these regions to understand the caste composition of the state as a whole.
