They are patrilineal descendants of Kshatriya and Vaishya Vani converts to the Latin Church, in parts of the Konkan region that were under Portuguese Goan rule.

Two most probable explanations are as follows:[13] Kshatriyas of the Konkan region were composed of the warrior class, they ranked second in the Hindu Varnashrama system.

[14] The caste appellation of Chardo eventually fell into disuse among the remaining few Hindu Kshatriyas, who began calling themselves Maratha, in order to differentiate themselves from those Kshatriyas, who had embraced Christianity & to also align themselves with the Hindu Mahrattas in the neighbouring Mahratta Confederacy.

[18] Another instance of a Kshatriya group of 200 members being baptized en masse at Batim in Bardez, in August, 1560; the event is mentioned in a letter of a Jesuit missionary, Luís Fróis, dated 13 November 1560.

The Naik-Lewis families of Kallianpur near Udupi, produced many distinguished soldiers and officers in the Keladi army.