Kapu refers to a social grouping of the Telaga and Balija subcastes found primarily in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kapus speak Telugu and are primarily an agrarian community, forming a heterogeneous peasant caste.
| Kapu | |
|---|---|
| Religions | Hinduism, Buddhism |
| Languages | Telugu, Kannada, Tamil |
| Region | Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Orissa, Maharashtra |
| Subdivisions | Balija, Telaga |
| Related groups | Reddy |
The Kapu community in Andhra Pradesh is predominantly concentrated in the coastal districts, North Telangana and Rayalaseema regions of Andhra Pradesh. They are also found in large numbers in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Orissa and some other Indian states as well as Sri Lanka.
Etymology
Modern sources give etymology of the Kapu name variously as "to protect",[1] "agricultor", and "watchman".[2]
Varna status
The Kapu are considered to be a Shudra community in the traditional Hindu ritual ranking system known as varna.[3][4][5]
Note: Wikipedia is not a encyclopedia. Hence there is no clear proof available in Indian constitution, and in any authentic government supported sources to prove the exact Varna of Kapu/Balija/Telaga community. The write up on Varna status is mostly from various books and sources written during 19th century or early part of 20th century and hence very old and non authentic / non verified sources
Kapu titles
Aside from noting that the Kapu were a high caste agricultural Shudra community, Jogendra Nath Bhattacharya recorded in 1896 that in common with others of their type in the "Telegu country", "They enlist in the army as common soldiers. ... [They] follow the local Kshatriyas in all matters relating to religion and diet. They eat almost every kind of meat excepting beef. They also drink spirituous liquors, though in privacy, and with great moderation." He lists the "Telega" (an alternate spelling for Telaga) separate from the Kapu but makes no reference to the Balija.[6]
More recently, in 2002, the Kapu have been described by Srinivasulu as a "dominant peasant caste in coastal Andhra", with the Telaga listed as "a backward peasant caste" and the Baliji as a peasant caste who hold Lingayat beliefs. The 1921 census of India was the last to collect data regarding the caste. It predates the creation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956 and also the post-Indian independence socio-economic classification system, Further, it treated Reddys as being among the Kapu community for enumeration purposes because of the generic definition of kapudanam as people involved with farming. Srinisavulu has analysed the 1921 census data to cause alignment with the new state and classification system, from which he concludes that Kapus (including Reddys) amounted to around 17 percent of the state's then population and are a Forward caste, whilst the Balija and Telaga are Backward castes and comprised 3 percent and 5 percent of the 1921 population, respectively.[7]
Srinivasulu notes that the Reddys and Kammas are the politically dominant communities of Andhra Pradesh as a whole, rather than just the coastal areas, and that the Kapus are among a group with lesser but still significant influence, despite their small population. They are particularly effective in the districts of East Godavari and West Godavari, although Srinivasulu notes that "The Kapus of the coastal districts are distinct from the Munnur Kapus of Telangana. While the former are fairly prosperous, the political emergence of the latter, who are part of the OBC category, is a recent phenomenon."[8]
See also
References
- ^ Balasubramanyam, K. (1965). Mysore: Handicraft Survey Monographs: Crafts Using Wood as the Chief Raw Material. Mittal Publications. p. 537. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- ^ Singh, Kumar Suresh (1998). India's Communities. Anthropological Survey of India. Oxford University Press. p. 1571. ISBN 978-0-19-563354-2. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- ^ Sahitya Akademi (1996). Indian literature. Sähitya Akademi. p. 177. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
- ^ Verma, Harnam Singh (2005). The OBCs and the ruling classes in India. Rawat Publications. p. 309. ISBN 978-81-7033-885-7. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
- ^ Säävälä, Minna (2001). Fertility and familial power relations: procreation in south India. Nordic Institute of Asian Studies. Psychology Press. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-7007-1484-1. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- ^ Bhattacharya, Jogendra Nath (1896). Hindu Castes and Sects. Calcutta: Thacker, Spink & Co. p. 286. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
- ^ Srinivasulu, K. (September 2002). Caste & Class Articulation of Andhra Pradesh (PDF). London: Overseas Development Institute. pp. Glossary of castes, 4. ISBN 0-85003-612-7. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
- ^ Srinivasulu, K. (September 2002). Caste & Class Articulation of Andhra Pradesh (PDF). London: Overseas Development Institute. p. 3. ISBN 0-85003-612-7. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
Further reading
- Brimnes, Niels (1999). Constructing the Colonial Encounter: Right and Left Hand Castes in Early Colonial South India. Routledge. ISBN 9780700711062.
- Devi, Konduri Sarojini (May 1990). Religion in Vijayanagara Empire. Sterling Publishers. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- Hiltebeitel, Alf (1999). Rethinking India's Oral and Classical Epics: Draupadi among Rajputs, Muslims, and Dalits. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226340517.
- Irschick, Eugene F. (1969). Politics and Social Conflict in South India: The Non-Brahman Movement and Tamil Separatism, 1916-1929. University of California Press.
- Jaffrelot, Christophe (2003). India's Silent Revolution: the Rise of the Lower Castes in North India. London: C. Hurst & Co. ISBN 978-1-85065-670-8.
- Kumari, A. Vijaya; Bhaskar, Sepuri (1 March 1998). Social change among Balijas: majority community of Andhra Pradesh. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 978-81-7533-072-6. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- Mukund, Kanakalatha (1999). The Trading World of the Tamil Merchant: Evolution of Merchant Capitalism in the Coromandel. Orient Blackswan. ISBN 9788125016618.
- Mukund, Kanakalatha (2005). The View from Below: Indigenous Society, Temples, and the Early Colonial State in Tamilnadu, 1700-1835. Orient Blackswan. ISBN 9788125028000.
- Subrahmanyam, Sanjay (2002). The Political Economy of Commerce: Southern India 1500-1650 (Reprinted ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521892261.
- Swarnalatha, P. (2005). The World of the Weaver in Northern Coromandel, c. 1750 - c. 1850. New Delhi: Orient Blackswan. ISBN 9788125028680.
- Ziadi, Sunita (1989). "Mughal State and Tribes in 17th century". Indian Economic Social History Review. 26: 343–362.