The Maratha king Shivaji Maharaj recruited a number of them into his army in the 17th century. They served as guards in hill forts and as soldiers. The Mahar along with the Koli and Marathas defended the fort of Purandar from Dilirkhan's Moghul army in 1665.Kantak, M. R. "The Political Role of Different Hindu Castes and Communities in Maharashtra in the Foundation of Shivaji's Swarajya", Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute, vol. 38, no. 1/4, 1978, pp. 40–56. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/42931051. Accessed 28 January 2021. Later during Peshwa rule Shidnak mahar saved the life of his commander Parshurambhau Patwardhan during the Battle of Kharda in 1795.
