Maratha clan system

The Marāthā clan system (also referred to as Śahāṇṇava Kuḷī Marāṭhās, 96 Kuli Marathas or 96K) refers to the network of families and essentially their surnames, within the Maratha culture of India. The Marathas primarily reside in the Indian state of Maharashtra, with smaller regional populations in other states. Various lists have been compiled, purporting to list the 96 "true Maratha" clans, but these lists vary greatly and are disputed. The list of ninety-six clans is divided into five ranked tiers, the highest of which contains the five primary Maratha clans.