Kapu (caste): Difference between revisions
Arudraraju (talk | contribs) |
Arudraraju (talk | contribs) →References & Sources: another category already exists |
||
| Line 357: | Line 357: | ||
[[Category:Telugu society]] |
[[Category:Telugu society]] |
||
[[Category:Tamil society]] |
[[Category:Tamil society]] |
||
[[Category: |
[[Category:Karnataka society]] |
||
Revision as of 06:48, 3 March 2008
| Kapu | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Warriors and Agrarians |
| Religions | Hinduism |
| Languages | Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Hindi |
| Populated states | Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharastra, Orissa, Chattisgarh |
| Subdivisions | 6 |
Kapu (Telugu:కాపు): The word Kapu or Kaapu in Telugu means Protector. It is a Community or Social Grouping found in the Southern Indian State of Andhra Pradesh.They speak Telugu and are primarily an Agrarian Community. They are also referred by their Caste title Naidu[1]. They are also found in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Orissa, Kerala, Maharashtra and Chattisgarh. They constitute about 18-22% of the population of Andhra Pradesh, making them the single largest community in the state.
Origins
- Kapus are considered be the earliest inhabitants of the Deccan region who migrated from the North and cleared Forests for Agriculture and built Towns in the Deccan. They are considered to be the Descendants of the Original Aryans who migrated to South India.
- Kapu are the descendants of the Kaampu tribe migrated from Kampilya (Near Ayodhya) and are mentioned in the ancient texts also referred to as the Kossar tribe, who some historians believe were the forefathers of the Satavahanas and other ancient Deccan kingdoms.
- Ethnically it is too large and geographically well spread to determine one ethnic root or origin but like all Telugu communities it is culturally and linguistically Dravidian and ethnically Dravidian with Aryan mixture. Genetic studies performed in Andhra University has shown there is little difference between Kapus and other similar Agrarian castes.
- The Kapu community have similar origins to the Kurmi, Kunbis and Maratha castes.
- After extensive research from available manuscripts on Indian history and social groups, the British Surveyor General of India, Colin Mackenzie authored the Mackenzie Manuscript, and suggested that Kapus were connected to many of the ancient kingdoms of coastal A.P.
- Ancient India was originally inhabited by non-Dravidian, non-Aryan aboriginal hunter/gathering tribes, still found throughout India. The more advanced Dravidians came next and founded the Harappan society. Centuries later an early migration of Indo-Aryans came and eventually mixed racially and culturally with the Dravidians settled in the Ganges plain. It is believed that the Kapus are the earliest representatives of this mixed race people to migrate south of the Vindhya range. They cleared the forests for agriculture and eventually built settlements and established nation states in the area.
- A significant number of individuals in the modern community have diversified into industry, films, and academia and a segment is quite wealthy but the majority is still agrarian and poor ever since India became independent due to a number of reasons, one being their lack of involvement in the political process of the state. However in recent years there has been a concerted and effective effort by the leaders of this community to gain back their share.
Kapu in Medieval time referred to people or Soldiers who were engaged in Protecting Villages and
towns from Bandits and Invading forces. Their primary responsibility was village defence.
During times of peace they took to agriculture and due to this peacetime activity the term, Kapu became synonymous with agriculture as well.
Agriculturist (Kapus) formed the bedrock of Telugu society and was certainly the mother of all the subcaste of this community. A simplistic way to describe the development of these divisions would be that the basic unite of Telugu society was and still is the village. Which ever caste comprised the largest landowning class dominated the village society. In villages where Kapus were in the majority, they dominated the social structure. In the villages, small and medium scale farmers were the majority and referred to themselves as Palle Kapu (Farmer). Amongst the larger landowners a leader was picked and was given the title of Pedda Kapu or Reddy. Amongst the rest, trusted individuals were picked by these Pedda Kapus to protect the village and called Vuuru Kapu/Prantha Kapus. Others were picked to protect the livestock and Farms and were called Panta Kapus.
Those who also engaged in trade were referred to as Balija. The Balijas that engaged solely on trade were referred to by the title of Setty. The Balijas classified themselves into trading guilds. These trading guilds referred to themselves by whatever product they specialized in; example those who traded in Glass were referred to as Gajula Balijas. Balijas who were within enclosed fortifications came to be called Kota Balijas. The Balijas who had the responsibility of protecting the trading Caravans were called as Balija Naidus. Other
Kapu subcastes which took to dedicated Military Service were Ontari, Munnuru Kapus the former served as Special Forces and Munnuru Kapus who were Interior Palace Guards of the Kakateeyas, Tanjavore Nayaks. The Telagas were the commanders of the Chalukyas who became fuedataries and Vassals of the Chola Dynasity and the Eastern Chalukyas like the Velanati Chodas of the Palnadu fame. And during peace time all of them took to Agriculture.
Because of the wealth and influence enjoyed by the large landlords and merchants some were assigned territories to act as tax collectors and administrators by the ruling clans and given the title of Nayaka which became Naidu. These Nayaka positions were originally supposed to not be hereditary. Their primary role was to collect taxes and maintain an army that would be called upon during times of war by the ruling clans. However whenever the central government became weak the larger Nayaks declared independence and became hereditary rulers. This is how things functioned during times of peace.
Sub Castes
There are six sub castes and many subcastes within these subcastes as well but most of them prefer to be simply called "Kapu".
|
Kapu
The Kapu community in Andhra Pradesh is predominantly in the coastal districts; though they are found in large numbers in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh and Orissa. It is probably the oldest middle caste in South India and forms the bedrock of the telugu society. They have the caste title Naidu. Naidu is a derivation of the word Nayaka, meaning leader. The Nayaka/Danda Nayaka term started being used during the Vishnukundina dynasty which ruled from the Krishna and Godavari deltas during the 3rd Century A.D.
Occupation
- Kapu Community primarily served as protectors of villages from bandits, Farmers,Army Generals, Soldiers,Traders in the Medieval Ages.
- These soldiers who stayed close to villages later took to other Professions like Village heads and Farmers during the times of peace.
- During the times of war they also served as Soldiers, Governors (Nayaks), Commanders in many of the South Indian Dynasties.
Hence the term Nayaka/Naidu becamse synonymous with the community .
- Modern day Kapu Community is predominantly an Agrarian community that has diversified into Business, Industry, Films, Academia, and IT etc.
Note
Kapus in the Pre-Kakatiyan period were referred to as Soldiers and Agriculturists. Some of the occupations or responsibilities that “Kapus” had in the medieval period -
- Village and Area defence committees (Vuuru Kapu, Pranta Kapu)
- Administration (Pedda Kapu)
- People responsible for protecting the farms from bandits and those protecting livestock were (Panta Kapu).
The agricultural laborers refer to the landlords as Kapu. Those landlords and farmers who served as village heads are also given the title "Pedda Kapu" or "Reddy". This is why the title Reddy is found not only in the separate Reddy caste but also among the Kapu / Balija / Telaga / Munnuru Kapu castes. It is a title used in many castes by members who are landowners. Another point of confusion is that the Reddy community refers to themselves as Kapus in Rayalaseema and Telangana. Here the Kapu community is referred to as Balija / Balija Naidu.
Branches
|
|
Balija
Balijas are found in the Rayalseema region, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Balija is the general classification for the merchant branch of the larger Kapu mother caste. They are divided into even smaller subcastes based on their occupation. The members that are purely merchants use the title Setty.Ballija is a telugu derivative of the Sanskrit word Vanijya which indicates a merchant. They also developed a warrior branch whos members give themselves the title of Naidu. Some of the Balija Naidu families were appointed to supervise provinces as Nayaks (Governors, Commanders) by the Kakatiya and Vijayanagaram Kings and after these empires lost power they continued to rule parts of southern Andhra Pradesh and northern Tamil Nadu independently. This includes the Madurai Nayaks, Tanjavur Nayaks, and the last rulers of Srilank, the Kandy Nayaks, before the British occupied Srilanka.
There is regional variation in the Balija community as to how they call themselves. In coastal Andhra they call themselves Kapu/Telaga, Munnuru Kapu in Telangana, and in Rayalaseema they are referred to as Balija / Setty Balija / Balija Naidu / Naidu. Interestingly in these areas Kapus call themselves Reddy, however they use Naidu in their names.
Origins
The Balija branch of Kapus migrated from Balijipeta, Srikakulam District and [2] arose by social changes that occurred among some sections of telugu society. The Encyclopedia of World History states, “ Balijas were originally part of the great Telugu migrations southward into the Tamil country in the 15th and 16th centuries, Balija merchant-warriors who claimed these Nayaka positions rose to political and cultural power and supported an ethos that emphasized non-ascriptive, heroic criteria in legitimizing political power. The Balijas were proud of their Sudra status, in a world previously dominated by a classical Sanskritic Varna scheme that insisted that kings had to be Kshatriya (two castes higher than Sudras). The new egalitarian ethos made it easier for claimants from a variety of communities to succeed to political control".
Veera Balaingyas were mentioned in Kakatiya inscriptions as powerful tax collectors and wealthy merchants who were highly respected in Kakatiyan society and used the title Setty. Kasturi Nayadu and Peda Koneti Nayudu of the Vasarasi family belonged to the Balija subcaste, and ruled some provinces. The first Rebellion against British Rule was launched by another famous Balija Nayak Katta Bomma Naicker in Tamil Nadu long before the Sepoy Mutiny in Bengal.
It is believed that Vijayanagar emperor Krishna Deva Raya had a Balija origin. In Edgar Thurston's "Castes And Tribes of Southern India" and R.V.Russell's "The Tribes and Castes of Central Provinces of India", the ruling clans of Vijayanagar, Madurai and Thanjavur came from the Balija caste. According to Kante Narayana Desayi's, "Balijakula Charithra", kings of Vijayanagar, Madurai, Thanjavur, Khandi (Kandy) and Thundeera (Gingee/Chenchi) were interrelated and belonged to Balija caste.
Branches
- Setty Balija: These were traders and merchants of the Kakatiya dynasty. There was mention of some very old trading guilds concentrated in Bellary, Karnataka. Historian's suggest this was the first branch in Balijas.
- Balija Naidu: A derivation of the term Balija Nayakulu. This sub caste formed during the Kakatiya dynasty time, primarily to protect the Balija / Setty trading caravans from bandits. The current Anantapur Dt and Nellore Dt were ruled by Balijas.
- Kota Balijas: The Madurai Nayaks, and the Tanjavore Nayaks are from this lineage. Kandy Nayaks were descendants of Madurai Nayaks.
- Gajula Balija/Sugavansi Balija: Myth is that Siva’s wife Parvati made a penance in order to look beautiful for Siva and the person that brought her bangles was the ancestor of the Gajula Balija.
- Kavarai (Kavara Balija Naidu/Gavara Balija Naidu): "Kavarai is the name for Balijas (Telugu trading caste), who have settled in the Tamil country" as per Thurston. Kavarais call themselves Balijas (Born from fire). They use the titles Naidu, Nayakkan, Chetti or Setti and Nayak. Gajula Balija is the largest sub-division of Kavarais. The equivalent name for Gajula Balija in Tamil is Valaiyal Chetti. The meaning of Tamil name Valaiyal in Telugu is Gajulu (Bangles). Gajula Balijas attained this name as they were involved in manufacturing and selling bangles initially though they made their mark in various other fields later.
- Rajamahendravaram Balija or Musu Kamma Balija (Named after a special ear ornament worn by women)
- Gandavallu or Gundapodi Vandlu (Supposed to have originally been Komatis)
Balija ruling clans:
|
|
Note:
Perika Balija, Vada Balija (Fishermen), Ediga, Balija/Goud (Toddy Tappers), Setty Balija/Chettu Balija/Goud (Toddy Tappers) of Coastal Andhra are not part of Balija or Balija Naidu Caste.
Refer to Balija for further Information
Munnuru Kapu
Munnuru Kapus are concentrated in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh. They are a military branch of the Kapu community who farmed during peace time. The word munnuru means “three hundred", is of a recent origin. The Munnuru Kapu have functioned as interior palace guards or cavalry in many kingdoms like Tanjavore Nayaks, Devarakonda, and Nizam.
Munnuru Kapus are also called Telugus, Telengas, Munnurwar, Telenga Kunbi and Thopatkari. They apparently moved to Chanda region from Telugu country travelling along rivers Godavari and Pranahitha.
There was an ancient professional rivalry that lasted for decades between the Munnuru Kapus and the Mudiraju community during the Kakateeya rule. The Mudiraj's were associated with the Devarakonda Velamas.
Origin Theories
- King Ganapati Deva of Kakatiya needed the support of local agrarian communities from coastal Andhra region during the establishment and expansion of the empire as they had not establish power over the Telugu Chodas (Telaga) and Chalukyas in that region. In order to bring legitimacy to their rule and to strengthen its roots, he requested the migration of three hundred families of Kapu / Telaga soldiers from the Kondavidu region of the current Krishna District. The descendants of those who migrated with three hundred families are called Munnuru Kapu. This migration could be dated back to around about 900 years.
- Queen Rudrama Devi of Kakateeya wanted to cultivate large tracts of the Telangana region. A large migration of agriculturists from coastal Andhra region came after her alliance with the Chalukyan Prince. Three hundred Kapu / Telaga families were dispatched by the prince to bring these vast Telangana lands under cultivation. These three hundred families are called as Munnuru Kapu.
- The Nawab of Hyderabad requested the Tanjavore Nayaks to send a battalion of his best infantry and cavalry for his personal security. The Nayak dispatched three hundred Telaga men and their families from their imperial guard. The descendants of these three hundred families are now called Munnuru Kapu.
- There is also a reference of Perikas (Community found in Rayalaseema) fighting a great battle against three hundred Balijas to prove their valor. As there was no community called Munnuru Balija at that time it most likely were the Munnuru Kapus who fought this battle. The Kapus are referred to as Balija Naidu in Rayalaseema.
- In many parts of the Telangana region, Munnuru Kapus use the Reddy title. It is very difficult to differentiate between Reddy and Kapu in Nizamabad, Adilabad and Karim Nagar districts as both have sub castes like Gudati, Motati and Saudar.
Refer to Munnuru Kapu for further Information
Telaga
Telagas are the most ancient Warrior/Agricultural clans of the Deccan and South India who specialized in warfare and took to agriculture during times of peace. Modern day Telagas still continue to specialize in their traditional occupation of Agriculture but also have diversified into Trading, Industry,IT,Films etc.
Origin
Some of theories of their origin are as follows:-
- The Origin of the Telagas can be traced back to the Western Chalukyan expansion into Andhra region which happened in the 4th century A.D. The term Telaga was a derivation of the word Telingana. Andhra was referred to as Telingana in the ancient texts as it was the area that had three major Shivinsa-Aramas, thus was called Tri-Linga, and the people living there were called Telugus and the language spoken by the people there was called Telugu.
- Another source of origin mentions that when the Chalukyas invaded Andhra so in order to differentiate between the Native Commanders of the Tri-linga Desam from the commanders in the Chalukyan army the term Telugu Nayakulu was coined which eventually became Telaga Nayak/Naidu.
The Telagas have served as Nayakulu (Governors), commanders and vassals of the Western Chalukya rulers under Pulakesin. They formed the bulwark of Ancient armies of the Deccan and South India like Cholas, Chalukyas,Kakatiyas, Vijayanagar,Nayaks etc. They seem to have a connection with the Eastern Chalukyas. The Vassals of Chalukyas entered into matrimonial alliances and ultimately established the Chalukya - Chola Dynasty. The important dynasty of Telagas were the Telugu Cholas who were also the first Andhra Kings to write inscriptions in Telugu. They ruled over the Palnadu, Velanadu and Renadu Regions of Andhra Pradesh for most of the medieval ages as fuedals and principal ruling clans of these regions. The Telugu Chodas formed the base on which Chalukyan Empire flourished and were the principal combatants of the Palanadu war/Palanati Yuddam. Telugu Cholas supported Bramha Naidu in this war against the Nalagam Raju. The other Telaga dynasties are mentioned below.
Dynasties:
|
|
Popular Surnames :-Kommana Majji,Gandham, Garikapati, Geebu, Garikepati, Bonda, Dasam, Pinapatruni,Akiri, Katikireddy, Katreddi, Annam, Addagarla, Kunche, vejju,Rayapureddy, Akula,Grandhi, Bezawada, Koppineedi, Namburi, Narisetty, Narisetti, Rokkam, Siddireddi, Sura, Thota, Oosuri, Konidena,Kota, Kottapalli, Kommuri, Vishnumolakala, Allaparthi, Pangam,Mopidevi, Kosuri,Puppala, Chodisetty, Namburu ,Sangineedi,Sunkara
Refer to Telaga for further Information
Ontari
Ontari community is concentrated in coastal Andhra. They use the title Naidu and Dora. Ontari Kapu's used to be soldiers/ special forces in Andhra Kingdoms. They are different from the Ontaris (Bunt -Individual hand to hand fighters). The Ontari-Kapu community specialized primarily in weapons like a sword or a spear and deployed for special operations. Their surnames always start with weapons like Kattula (Knife), Tupakula (Pistol), Kommula, Bollu etc.
Note:
Ontari of Mudiraj Community are not part of the Kapu-Ontari Caste.
Turpu Kapu
Turpu in Telugu means east. The Kapus living on the eastern frontier of Andhra Pradesh called themselves Turpu Kapus. There have been some rulers of coastal kingdoms from this community. They are hard working poor and middle farmers. They are the majority in Vizianagaram District but many of them still show their feudal loyalty to erstwhile Zamindars of Bobbili and Vizianagaram etc. Off late however the political awakening of this caste has led some representatives of this group to be more politically active.
Naidu
Naidu is a title that is commonly incorporated into the names of members of the Kapu community who's ancestorys probably servered as an army commander, governor, knight, baron, village/lineage headman or tax collectors. It eventually became a hereditary title. It is a Telugu derivation of the Sanskrit title for a head of a band of soldiers known as Nayaka (Protector).The first usage of the title Nayaka could be found in the Vishnukundinas who ruled from the Krishna basin and conferred the title Danda Nayaka to commanders.
During times of war the rulers would call upon the local farmers to join the ranks of the army. In the army amongst the Kapu community some members became specialist in certain types of combat and began to be referred to as Munnuru, Telaga and Ontari Kapus. Some of the highly distinguished soldiers were recognized by the rulers and given posts as commanders and given the title of Nayak/Naidu also. After the battles were settled some were rewarded by being put in charge of territories and responsible for tax collection, administration and security. These Naidus were also initially supposed to serve for as long as the rulers felt they were effective. However they also declared independence whenever the central government became weak. They had their greatest influence in telugu society during the Chalukya, Kakatiya, Nayaka, Vijayanagar periods and had the greatest independent power following the fall of Vijayanagar in Tanjore, Madurai, Chenchi, Kandy at least until the Moghuls, Marathas and British took over. Basically although staunchly Hindu, over the centuries this large and proud community was involved in all aspects of society and developed their own social, economic and political structure outside of the rigid Hindu Varna system without developing the habit of preventing marriage between the factions.
In the medieval times the Kakatiyas had many prominent nayakas, of which several were from a Kapu background. Vijayanagar also had several Nayakas of Kapu, Telaga and Balija background. During the expansion of Vijayanagar Empire it was conferred to other non-Telugu speaking communities who served in the same function in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. This title is also being used by other communities in TamilNadu and Southern Andhra Pradesh.
In southern Tamil Nadu Balija's use the title Naicker. It evolved in the following manner during different phases of history.
Nayaka --> Nayudu -->Naidu--> Naicker --> Naidoo
Dynasties
The following are some ruling clans associated with Kapu community.
|
|
Kapu Names & Gothrams
- Kapu/Balija/Telaga/Ontari/Turpu Kapu communities have the caste title Naidu.
- Balija/Kapu/Telaga/Munnuru Kapu communities use the title Setty / Setti in their surnames to indicate that they are traders. (Ex: Polisetty[16])
- Munnuru Kapu/Telaga/Kapu/Balija communities have the Suffix Reddy in their surnames in Telangana, Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra indicating the ancestors of these families served or were appointed as Borons under the Rashtrakutas and Eastern Chalukyas.
- Kapu and Balija communities also have the tite Rayudu in their names indicating their Vijaynagar Affiliation and lineage.
- Kapu/Telaga surnames ending with the Neni, which is a derivation of Senani, indicates that ancestors of these families served as commanders under the Kakateeya dynasty. (Ex: Lakkineni[17])
- Some Munnuru Kapu/Telaga/Kapu/Balija surnames end with the suffix Pati which indicates their ancestors owned large tracts of land in medieval times (Ex: Garikepati)
- Chola-Chalukyas used Udayar or Odeyar for certain period of time.
Some of the very common gothrams found in the Kapu community are:
|
|
Political, Social and Cultural Contributions to South India
History records of the Kapu community state that it lived in the area between the Krishna and the Godavari. This community which has prospered even before the Christian era had Telugu as the mother tongue. According to historians the Kapu community during later centuries spread into other regions developing the Telugu language and culture. It is evident that the Kapus were originally a peace loving community but due to onslaught of the invading forces from the north it formed itself into a force which protected its individuality by war. The ability to defend the cultural and religious fabric of the society from the invading forces allowed the Kapus to elevated themselves to superior status among all the other varnas all throughout the medieval ages. The Kapu caste through the Vijayanagaram Empire and through the various Nayaks played a significant role in the formation and expansion of the Telugu Empire and its culture throughout South India and Srilanka. Many inspiration leaders who have contributed greatly to the social, cultural and political aspects of South India came from this community.[19]Some of them contributed greatly to the freedom struggle and in the upliftment of the downtrodden by fighting hard against oppression and social evils. The most prominent among them are listed below:
|
|
See List of Kapus for information.
Kapus in the 20th century
Though the Kapu community did have a great role to play in the various social, economic, political and cultural aspect of the Telugu society up until the 19th century, it has not enjoyed economic and political success after India's independence. They started getting into a steady decline except for a few sections of the community who adopted to modern education and economic transition. The decline peaked during the 1970 and 1980s.Offlate with economic liberalization and with the removal of License Raj and Government monopoly on Sectors the community is slowly but steadily rebuilding itself but is till a long way away from restoring its Golden Age.
- The Kapu community were slow in adopting the modern techniques of cultivation, education, business and politics.
- The Richer sections of the community primarily in the Coastal Andhra did take part in the renaissance but to a larger extent the middle farmers from Rayalaseema and Telangana could not take advantage of this because of not being blessed with natural resources like their Coastal cousins.
- This resulted in a drastic decrease in education among the community in Rayalaseema, Telangana and North Andhra resulting in poverty.
- Although socially still a Forward community, lack of Government support by the way of political representation, reservations,welfare measures made the Kapus economically deprived.
- They currently have only about 5% representation in government jobs and services despite being about 22% of the state population.
- They have only about 48 members representing both the Parliament and Assembly seats which does not represent the numbers the community has in the State.
- Both the major political parties, the Congress and Telugu Desam did not proper allocated assembly seats to Kapus as per their population for e.x Balija's even after being a majority population in the Rayalaseema districts (Chitoor, Tirupathi,Cuddapah, Ananthpur etc ) have hardly any MLAs representing them in the State Assembly.[20]
- The lack of strategic or collective decision making and dis-inclination to join Politics has cost the community dearly but offlate they have realized their mistakes and are moving steadily in this direction to consolidate their representation in the Elected bodies.
- Some sections of the Kapus succeeded in diversifying into fields like Cinema, IT,Business and Academic.
- There are a lot of budding Entreprenuers who have succeeded in different fields.
- The situation in steadily changing with the community realizing it's mistakes of the past and uniting itself to play a more active role in deciding the Political future of the state. It's now trying to diversify from its traditional occupation of Agriculture and focussing more on Education, Business,Finance, IT,Cinema etc
References & Sources
Important information about Kapu origins can be obtained from Balijapuranam in the Chennai library.
|
|