One of them betrayed his own people and helped the Ungrez (English) fly the Union Jack from the ramparts of Shaniwar Wada in Poona - an act that formally confirmed the demise of the Maratha Rule. Perhaps as an act of penance, this community later produced a number of revolutionaries and freedom fighters, each greater than the other. Phadke, Chafekar, Tilak, Gokhale, Savarkar ... the immortal legends. Their stellar role in India's freedom struggle is simply awesome. Who are they? Here is a scholarly look at the origins of the (Marathi-speking) Chitpavan (or Kokanastha/Konkanastha) Brahmins of Western India. http://www.kelkar.net/Home/chitpavans --- Harshawardhan_Bosham Nimkhedkar