The articles say they were used into the 19th century. While the Maratha navy's heyday was earlier, I would suspect these would still have been around patrolling the coasts for pirates and in the service of some of the princely states under indirect rule or possibly for wealthier zamindars. I doubt they would be completely out of the picture in the time frame you're working with, and I don't think I'd hesitate to use them.
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