Marathwada (मराठवाडा) is a region of India's Maharashtra state, which corresponds to Maharashtra's Aurangabad Division.

The term Marathwada is dereived from the word Bara-hatti-vada (Bar-hat-vada) meaning country of Dhangars.

Marathwada was part of the former Hyderabad state of India until November 1, 1956, when it was transferred to Bombay state, which in 1960 was divided into Maharastra and Gujarat.Marathwada is home to significant Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Muslim monuments, and is called the land of saints.

Despite recent industrial developments, the region remains the most backward region of Maharashtra. Human Development Index (HDI) using the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) methodology for the year 2000 highlights the backwardness of the districts of Marathwada. None of the Marathwada districts are in the list of above-the-State’s average attainment.