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Kapu (caste)

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The Kapu / Kaapu caste / community is found in South India. They are a Telugu speaking farming community concentrated mainly in the state of Andhra Pradesh. There are also found in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. They are also referred to by their caste titles Naidu and Setty[1]. The term Kapu means Protector. They make up about 25% of the population of Andhra Pradesh.

Origins

Since it is a large, diverse and geographically well spread group there is no one root or origin but the most prevalent theories of their origin are mentioned below.

  • Kapu is a Dominant middle caste.
  • Modern day Kapu's are predominantly are an Agragarian community diversified into Business, Industry, Films, Academia, IT etc.
  • Kapu's traditionally served as Soldiers, Commanders and Governors (Nayaks) during times of war and served as Village heads and *Farmers during times of peace in many of the Andhra dynasties.
  • Kapu's history is similar to the Kurmi, Kunbi and Maratha castes.

Kapu seem to the Descendants or Migrants from Kampilya (near Ayodhya) and were one of the earliest inhabitants of South India. who took to clering the Forests and Starting Agriculture in the Deccan and the current day Andhra Pradesh. They seem to date back to the Pre-Christ era and are believed to be the descendants of the Kaampu tribe, which was also referred to as the Kossar tribe that migrated from the U.P. area and whom some historians believe established the Satavahanas and other ancient dynasties.


Modern day caste definitions

  1. Upper castes" (Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas)
  2. Middle castes" (farming castes such as Jats, Yadavs and Kurmis in the north, Marathas and Patidars in the west, Kapu, Reddy, Kamma, Velama and Vokkaligas in the south.)
  3. Lower castes" (a diverse group of castes typically engaged as marginal farmers, sharecroppers, agricultural laborers, traditional service and artisan activity)
  4. SCs and STs [2]

Sub Castes

There are many sub castes within the Kapu community but most of them prefer to be simply called Kapu.

Kapu

They were also referred to as Kaampu (Kossar) in the ancient texts. They were probably the earliest settlers of the Deccan and Andhra region who came in and cleared the forests and started agriculture. References to this particular caste or grouping can be traced back to the Satavahana dynasty. It is probably the oldest middle caste in Andhra and forms the bed rock of the state.

The Mackenzie manuscript suggests that Kapus were linked to many ancient Kingdoms of coastal AP as soldiers. Kapu used to be a generic term used to refer to all landowning or peasant communities in Andhra Pradesh. The Land owners came to be called Kapu by the agricultural laborers, and those who served as village heads were given the title of Reddy. This is the reason the title Reddy is found among the Kapu and Reddy castes. They are heavily concentrated in the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Origin

  • Kapu in the Pre Kakatiyan period referred to Soldiers rather than Agricuturists.
  • Some of the occupations or responsibilities that “Kapu's” had in the medieval period:
  1. Village defense committees (Kapu)
  2. Administration (Pedda Kapu)
  3. People responsible for protecting the farms from bandits (Reddy) and those protecting livestock were (Panta Kapu).
  • The term Kapu has become synonymous with Agriculturists. The agricultural laborers address their landlords with the title Kapu.

Kapu Branches

  • Ayyaraka
  • Dhulipudi
  • Mekala (Also found in Kamma, Boya, Chenchu)
  • Mogili (Also found in Yerukala)
  • Motati
  • Mungaru
  • Nagali
  • Nerati or Neravati (Also found in Reddy)
  • Pakanati or Pakinadu (Eastern territory) (Also found in Reddy, Golla, Kamsala, Mala, and Tsakala)
  • Oruganti (Also found in Mudiraju)
  • Nagaralu / Patrulu
  • Chalukya Kapu

Nagaralu means the dwellers in a nagaram (City). This caste was originally a section of the Kapus which took to town life and separated itself off from the parent stock. They are mainly agriculturists but are also into medicine. A number are Physicians and Pharmacists.

Balija

Origin Myths

Primarily Traders by Occupation they seem to have formed by a small Social Change that seem to have occured among some sections of the Kapu community the Original Balijas seem to have migrated form the Baleejipeta, Srikakulam District According to some Historians.

Veera Balaingyas were mentioned in Kakatiya inscriptions. They were powerful and wealthy merchants who were highly respected in Kakatiyan society. The Balijas had the title Setty and were primarily Tax collectors and Merchants.

Balija Branches

  • Setty Balija These were the powerful Traders and Merchants of the Kakatiya Dynasity.There were mention of some very old Trading Guilds concentrated in Bellary in Karnataka[3].
  • Balija Naidu Balija Naidu is a derivation of the term Balija Nayakulu. This sub caste seems to have formed during the Kakatiya times primarily to protect the Balija / Setty trading caravans from being attacked by bandits.
  • Kota Balijas the Araveedu dynasty of Vijayanagar Empire was from this lineage so are the Madurai Nayaks and the Tanjavore Nayaks.
  • Gajula 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 riding a donkey was the ancestor of the Gajula Balija.
  • Rajamahendravaram Balija
  • Gopati Balija
  • Kavarai
  • Musu Kamma (Named after a special ear ornament worn by women)Balija
  • Mutyala
  • Mulaka
  • Miriyala
  • Nemilli (Also found in Boya caste)
  • Pagadala (Also found in Kavarai)
  • Pakanati (Eastern territory) (Also found in Reddy,Golla, Kamsala, Mala,and Tsakala)
  • Oppanakkaran (Trader)

Balijas are concentrated throughout Andhra and Rayalaseema Region.

Munnuru Kapu

Munnuru Kapu's are primarily concentrated in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh. The name Munnuru seems to be of a recent origin, which means three hundred. They were a part of the Telaga community and were the Imperial guard of the Tanjore Nayaks.

The Nawab of Hyderabad requested the Tanjore Nayak to send a battalion of his best infantry and cavalry for his personal security. The Tanjore Nayak dispatched three hundred Telaga men and their families. The descendants of these three hundred families are now called Munnuru Kapu.

Telaga

The term Telaga was a derivation of the word Telugu Nayakulu. Andhra was referred to as Telingana in the ancient texts because it was the area that had three major Shiva-Aramas was called Tri-linga', and the language spoken by the people there was called Telugu and the people living there were called Telaga. The subcaste got its name from this as they were living in this area. The Telaga sub caste may have served as soldiers, Nayakulu (Governors), commanders and vassals of the Western Chalukyan rulers under Pulekesin. His sons Pulekesin II and Vishnu Vardhan went on to establish the Eastern Chalukyan Dynasty

Legend

Although historians believe that Pulakesi's brother, Kubjha Vishnu Vardhana, founded the Eastern Chalukya Empire after he was appointed Viceroy of Vengi, some historians have an interesting alternative view. They believe that Pulakesi II conducted an Aswamedha Yagna to expand his kingdom, bringing him in direct confrontation with the Pallavas, whom he managed to subjugate. After their defeat he granted his commanders and vassals control over these areas and the Telugu commanders took up reign as Telugu Nayakulu or Telaga.

Telaga's are concentrated mainly in the coastal areas of Andhra (Popular surnames are Addagarla, Sunkara, Balla, Cherukuri, Kondra and Dwaram. Although these names are found in many communities as they are dervided from the village they were living in).

Ontari

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 was primarily specialized in individual weapons like a sword or a spear and was primarily used for special operations. Their surnames always start with weapons like Kattula (Knife), Tupakula (Pistol) etc.

Turpu Kapu

Turpu in Telugu means east. The Kapus living on the eastern frontier of Andhra Pradesh called themselves Turpu Kapus. There may have been some rulers of coastal kingdoms from this community.

Ayyaraka

Ayyaraka Patrudu are a section of Kapus who rose in the social scale by Royal favor.Ayyaraka is primarily a Farming community but in some parts of Andhra Pradesh, many are cart-drivers who live principally in the districts of Visakhapatnam and Vijayanagaram, while a few are distributed in the district of Srikakulam.

Origin

The Ayyaraka state that their forfathers were soldiers in the Vizianagram army of the Pusapatis, and rendered great services to the Rajus. They have a story of their origins to the effect that on one occasion while battling the Muslim Golkonda force, they caused so much havoc that after defeating them in battle, the Muslim commander proceded to their own towns to destroy their homes. But the women upon hearing of this dressed as men and drove them off with bayonets and battle axes. The Raja of Vizianagram, in return for their gallantry adorned their legs with Silver bangles. They use the title Patrudu and some of the wealthier members call themselves Rajus.

Dynasties

The following are some Modern ruling clans associated with Kapu community.

The surnames Chode, Chodasetty, Chodepala, Konidena and Chodavarapu suggest a link to the Telugu Cholas (Choda) dynasties with the Kapus. These Kings were from the Chaturtha Kulamu (Source Palanati Veera Charitra-Pg 39) Kasyapa as their Gothram.

The Kona Kings were Descendants of Haiheya and had Kasyapa as their Gothram which is found in Kapu.

"Garikepati"is the last name of Madura Balija kings."Alluri"is the last name of Thanjavur Balija kings.

"Chinthalapudi" is the last name of Khandi(Ceylon)Balija kings.Vijaya Bhupala Naidu who ruled Khandi was the brother -in-law of Kumara krishnappa Naidu of Madurai Balija Dynasty.

C.P. Brown mentioned that the Polygars of Anantapur belonged to this community. Balija itself is a huge branch and has many sub castes under it. To name a few:

The Vijayanagar Araveeti line of Kings called themselves as Chalukya Prince's and were descendents of these Haiheyas and can also be found in History as Arayeti during Eastern Chalukyan Rule and had Atreya as their Gothram which is Found in the Kapu communities.

There were Matrimonial Alliances between Kapu community and Major Dynasities like Eastern Chalukyas,Telugu Chodas, Kakatiya and Vijayanagar Kingdom,Madura and Thanjavur Kingdoms. Some inscriptions belonging to the Eastern Chalukyan King Bhima Raja, who was the ancestor of Raja Raja Narendra, point to a possible link between the Chalukya dynasties to the Kapus of coastal Andhra. According to Thurston Vijayanagar,Madura and Thanjavur kings are Balija Naidus .

The following are some of the interesting matrimonial alliances among Balija(Kapu) Naidu dynasties of Vijayanagar,Madura,Thanjavur and Kakatiya.

(1)Vijayanagar emperor Srikrishna DevaRaya's half brother was emperor Achyutha Devaraya.Achyutha Devaraya wife Thirumalamba's own sister Murthimamba (Achyutha Devaraya's sister-in-law) was married to Thanjavur king Alluri Sevappa Naidu.

(2)One of the members of Thanjavur king Sevappa Naidu was married to Madura king Garikepati Thirumala Naidu.

(3)Thanjavur King Vijaya Raghava Naidu's daughter and Sevappa Naidu's great Grand daughter Mangamma was married to king Chokkalinga Naidu,the grand son of the celebrated Thirumala Naidu of Madura dynasty.

(4)Queen Ganga Devi,the daughter of Kakatiyas was married to Kampa Rayalu of Vijaya Nagar dynasty.

(5)Queen Sreeranga Devi,sister of Veera Narasimha Rayalu of Narapathi dynasty was married to king Bhuvanaika malla of Kakatiya dynasty.(Note:Narapathis are also called Chalukyas. Araveeti families come under Genealogical tree of Narapathis.Vijaya Nagar emperor Srikrishna Devaraya's son -in-law Rama Rayalu belongs to Araveeti family).


Despite inscriptional evidence of the Chalukyas claiming Kshatriya status, off late this has become questionable. Historian Suravaram Pratapa Reddy hypothesizes that though Raja Raja Narendra called himself a Kshatriya this was done to justify his rule and subsequent legacy. He may have even gotten the Kshatriya classification through matrimonial alliances.

Kapu Names

File:Chalukya.gif
  • Naidu in Andhra refers to the Kapu/ Telaga/ Ontari/ Turpu Kapu community.
  • In Tamil Nadu and Karnataka they are called Balija Naidu.
  • In Southern T.N Districts Balijas have the title Naicker
  • Balijas have the title Setty
  • Munnuru Kapu's have the title Reddy in Telangana.
  • Kapu and Telaga community have the title Rayudu in Coastal and Rayalaseema Regions.
  • Telaga/Kapu Community also has the title Reddy in their Surnames in Coastal Andhra Region.

(Indicating some of their ancestors were village heads. Maddireddy, Muthareddy, Kunapareddy etc..)

  • Chola-Chalukyas used titles "Udayar" or "Odeyar" for certain period of time.According to Etukuri BalaRama Murthi in "Andhrula Samkshiptha Charithra" Cholas gradually known to called as "Kapus" or "Telagas".

Naidu meant:

  1. Native captain or headman
  2. Title of honor among Hindus in the Deccan. "The kings of deccan also have a custom when they will honor a man or recompense their service done, and raise him to dignity and honor. They give him the title of Nayak." -Linschoten

It evolved in the following manner during different phases of history.

Nayaka-->Nayudu-->Naidu-->Naicker-->Naidoo

Many people with the Naidu surname had some remote ancestor who was a soldier that was promoted to "Nayaka". It is equivalent to a Baron. They served as Nayaks under the Chalukyas, Kakatiyas and Vijayanagar Emperors. The Kakatiya Dynasty had many prominent Nayakas, of which several were from a Kapu background. The Vijayanagar kings also had several Nayakas of Kapu, Telaga and Balija background.

Brahma Naidu & Velama Legend

A legend told about the formation of the Velama caste goes that as the Palnadu war was fought between Velanati chiefs that resulted in the expulsion (Veli) of certain sections of the Kapu community for practicing the principles of Brahma Naidu. The legend states that Brahma Naidu called himself Velama and his followers referred to themselves as Velamas.

Reddy

The Reddys were included in the broad category of Kapus (which generically refers to those involved in kapudanam, meaning farming) in the 1921 Census. They were not the same caste, just the same profession. The Telegas, Balijas, and Munnuru Kapus were listed as separate castes for some reason. Reddys of Rayalaseema are addressed as Kapu because it is generic term for Landlord as well as a Caste name.

Many of today's Kapus strongly resemble people in ancient Chola,Chalukya paintings. Note the pic... looks like today's Naidu girl in Nalgonda or Adoni or Vuyyuru.

Naidus, especially of Kapu background, have migrated to several countries like South Africa, Mauritius, United States etc. They are active in the local Telugu and Tamil associations.

Famous Kapu Personalities

This page contains a list of modern day Famous Kapus personalities.

Sources

Important information about Kapu origins can be obtained from Balijapuranam in the Chennai library. For further information log on to the website for history of Kapus

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