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| ==Origins== | ==Origins== | ||
| ===Peasant origin=== | ===Peasant origin=== | ||
| * The Census of India, 1961 mentions "''The bulk of the Balijas are now engaged in cultivation and this accounts for so many having returned Kapu as their main caste for kapu is also a common Telugu word used for a ryot''" <ref>Census of India, 1961: Madras, Vol 9, p.21</ref>. | |||
| * Some historians surmise that the Balija grouping was formed by a small social change that occurred amongst some sections of the Kapu community.<ref name="ReferenceA">Social Change Among Balijas, A. Vijaya Kumari and Sepuri Bhaskar</ref>{{full}} | |||
| ===Merchant-Warrior origin=== | ===Merchant-Warrior origin=== | ||
| * The terms Balija and Banajiga, mean a tradesman, and are derived from the Sanskrit term ''Vanik'' <ref>The Mysore Tribes and Castes, by LKA Iyer, p.99 mentions: ''Banajigas are a trading people found all over the Mysore state. The caste is known by various names, one of which is 'Balija'. It appears to be a later form of Banajiga, and is very popular with the Telugu division...The term Banajiga is derived from the Sanskrit Vanik, signifying a tradesman, but different derivations are however given to the word 'Balija' or 'Balaja' which seems to be another form of the same name. Some say it means 'Born of Bali or sacrifice'...''</ref>. The Banajigas or Vira Banajigas comprised a trade guild, the ] in the medieval period of 12th and 13th centuries AD <ref>Muddachari, B (1982). Economic history of Karnataka: Vijayanagara Period, p.22 mentions: ''Dr. Barnett says about them : "There was a vast organisation of associated traders which about the twelfth and thirteenth centuries had spread a net work over the greater part of southern India and Ceylon, and perhaps even farther, and which beginning with simple commerce and then developing an elaborate social and semi-military system strikingly recalls our East India Company. There were the Vira Banajus as they were called in Kanarese. The name signifies ‘valiant merchants’. They claimed to have come from Ahicchatra but their central body was at Ayyavole, the modern Aihole which was the seat of their Board of Directors consisting of a council of 500 members". Dr.Fleet says "Balanja is another form of bananja or bananju, the modern banajiga or banijiga which must be the original or a corruption of the Sanskrit banija, beijika, merchant, trader"</ref>. | |||
| * Thurston and Rangachari describe the Telugu trading classes as fire-born merchant and artisan castes: Balijas (with their offshoots Kavarais and Janappans) believe they originated when their God Chamundeshwari threw rice into the sacrificial fire from which a host of warriors sprang out.{{full}} | |||
| *The Kavara and Gajulu Balija trace their mythological origins to Himavanta (father of Parvati) when he sacrificed a bull to Lord ] and from the fire emerged a person who brought forth combs, bangles, perfumes, sandals, powder, beads, and colored palf-leaf rolls for the ear for ].<ref>Government Of Madras Staff, Gazetteer of the Nellore District: brought up to 1938, page 105.</ref> | |||
| ===Mixed origins=== | ===Mixed origins=== | ||
| * The Madras District |
* The Madras District Gazetters, 1918, mentions of the classing of Balijas as follows: {{quote|"The Telugu ryots are known by the general name Kapu, a term which is loosely applied to the caste groups otherwise known as Reddis, Kammans, Telegas and ]s, and even Balijas, and is extended to the Kanarese Vakkiligas also.... The exact relationship between these castes has not yet been clearly determined; it is probable, however, that they, together with the Balijas and the ]), come originally of the same stock, and settled in the District in the wake of the Vijaynagar conquests. The Telagas, Balijas and ]) claim military antecedents, and there is evidence for classing the ]s as Balijas" <ref>Madras district gazetteers, Volume 1, Part 1, p.164-165 </ref>'' }} | ||
| ⚫ | * The book "Symbols of substance, court and state in Nāyaka period Tamilnadu" (pg 74) mentions |
||
| * Mixed origins are also stated by Vijaya Kumari and Sepuri Bhaskar in their book 'Social Change Among Balijas' (page 3) which mention that the "''Balija kings of Madurai and Tanjore claim to be Kshatriyas of Kasyapa gotra, while the Vijayanagara Rais say that they are lineal descendants of the sage Bharadwaja. Others trace their ancestry to the Kauravas of the Mahabharata. These kshatriya descendants are an offshoot of the Kammas or Kapus, or they are a mixed community recruited from these and other Telugu castes''".{{full}} | |||
| ==Population data== | |||
| According to the 1891 census data, the merchant groups of ], ], Balija, ] together constituted 5%{{where|date=December 2011}} of the population.<ref></ref>{{full}} However, in the census of 1981 Balija formed 27.5% of the total population of Andhra Pradesh.,<ref name="ReferenceC">Social Change Among Balijas by A. Vijaya Kumari and Sepuri Bhaskar</ref>{{full}} | |||
| ⚫ | * The book "Symbols of substance, court and state in Nāyaka period Tamilnadu" (pg 74) mentions that the term 'Balija' came to include the Boyas, Gollas, ]s, and others during the period of Krishanadevaraya: {{quote|"These left-Sudra groups — often referred to by the cover-title 'Balija', but also including Boyas, left-hand Gollas, Gavaras, and others - were first mobilized by ] in the Vijayanagara heyday...These Balija fighters are not afraid of kings: some stories speak of their killing kings who interfered with their affairs" <ref>Velcheru Narayana Rao, David Dean Shulman and Sanjay Subrahmanyam (1992). Symbols of substance: court and state in Nāyaka Period Tamilnadu, p.74</ref>'' }} | ||
| ==Language== | |||
| There are two major linguistic branches among Balijas: Telugu speaking and Kannada speaking. The Balijas of Andhra speak ] while those of Karnataka speak ]. ], the father of Dravidian Politics was a Kannada speaking Balija.<ref>"Many people say I am not a Tamilian myself. They are saying this because my mother tongue is Kannada. Many think that I am a Telugu Nayudu. The truth is that I am a Kannadiga belonging to the Balija Nayudu caste". Periyar E.V.R's speeches, Dravidar Kazhakam publication, 1990, Chennai</ref>{{full}} The descendants of ] from their matrimonial ties with the ] originally spoke ] and ] however merged into the ] and spoke the ] language for ruling purposes.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}} | |||
| ==Balija branches== | ==Balija branches== | ||
| There are numerous branches, sub-divisions or social groups which make up the Balija social group, many of which are divided based on the trade or occupation. Some sub-divisions are the Kannadiyan, also known as Ravuth, Ravuthan or Rowthan <ref>Castes and Tribes of South India, Vol VI, P.247</ref>, the Pusala, Rajula, Pula and Swakamanchi <ref>Andhra Pradesh District Gazetteers: Anantapur, Vol 2, p.116</ref>. | |||
| ⚫ | Some are named after places, such as Gonuguntla Desayi Chettis (named after a village Gonuguntla) and Gandavarapu (Gonuguntla balijas who migrated to Cuddapah); while others had odd names like Mulaka (which is also name of a tribe), Miriyala (pepper traders), ], and Tota <ref>Census of India, 1961, Volume 9, Part 6, Issue 29, By India. Office of the Registrar General, p.21</ref>. The Kondeti Balija claim to have migrated from the princely state of Kondaveedu while the Gopathi Balija, who mainly inhabit Chittor and Ananthapur, is claimed to have divided from the Perike Balija or Gonegunta Balija over cattle <ref>Kumar Suresh Singh (1998). People of India: Volume 4, p.219-223</ref>. Some common sub-divisions are described below: | ||
| There are numerous sub-divisions among Balijas, many of which are divided based on the trade or occupation. Some sub-castes include: | |||
| * Balija Chettis or Shettis ( |
* Balija Chettis or Shettis (Chetty Balija or Shetty Balija): They have been mentioned in several Vijayanagar accounts as wealthy merchants who controlled powerful trading guilds <ref>Vijayanagara, Volume 1, By Burton Stein, p.87</ref><ref>Constructing the colonial encounter, By Niels Brimnes, p.3</ref>. To secure their loyalty, the Vijayanagar kings made them ]s or "superintendents of all castes in the country"<ref>Constructing the colonial encounter, By Niels Brimnes, p.28</ref>. They were classified as right-hand castes<ref>Madras: the growth of a colonial city in India, 1780-1840, page 224</ref><ref>Bowmen of Mid-India: a monography of the Bhils of Jhabua and adjoining territories, Volume 2, page 243</ref>. David Rudner claims that the Balija Chettis fissioned off as a separate caste from the Balija Nayaks warriors as recent as the 19th century; and accordingly they have closer kinship ties to the Nayak warriors than to Chetti merchants <ref>Religious Gifting and Inland Commerce in Seventeenth-Century South India, by David West Rudner in The Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 46, No. 2 (May, 1987), page 361</ref>. However, the Veera Balingyas or Vira Banajigas, were mentioned in the inscriptions of the ]s of ] and the ] as powerful and wealthy merchants who were known as "]"<ref>Archaeological Survey of Mysore, Annual Reports: 1910-1911</ref>. | ||
| ⚫ | * Gajula Balija / Kavara Balija / Sugavansi (pure) Balija: Myth is that ]'s wife ] did a severe penance in order to look beautiful for Shiva. Himavanta (father of Parvati) sacrificed a bull to Lord ] and from the fire emerged a person who brought forth combs, bangles, perfumes, sandals, powder, beads, and colored palf-leaf rolls for the ear for ]<ref>Government Of Madras Staff, Gazetteer of the Nellore District: brought up to 1938, page 105.</ref>. Titles found amongst them are Naidu, Nayakkan, Chetti, Setti and Nayak. Kavarai or Gavarai is said to be a corrupt form of Kauravar or Gauravar; as they claim to be the ]s or Kuru descendents of Mahabharata <ref>Alf Hiltebeitel (1999). Rethinking India's oral and classical epics: Draupadī among Rajputs, Muslims and Dalits, p.466 </ref>. | ||
| David Rudner claims that the Balija Chettis fissioned off as a separate caste from the Balija Nayaks warriors as recent as the 19th century; and accordingly they have closer kinship ties to the Nayak warriors than to Chetti merchants.<ref>Religious Gifting and Inland Commerce in Seventeenth-Century South India, by David West Rudner in The Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 46, No. 2 (May, 1987), page 361</ref> However, the Balija Chettis were mentioned as rich traders and merchants during the Kakatiya Dynasty associated with some very old trading guilds concentrated in Bellary, Karnataka.<ref>Making history: Karnataka's people and their past, Volume 1, By Saki</ref>{{full}} Veera Balingyas (Vira Banajigas) were mentioned in the inscriptions of the ]s of ] and the ] as powerful and wealthy merchants who were known as "]".<ref>Archaeological Survey of Mysore, Annual Reports: 1910-1911</ref> They have also been mentioned in Vijayanagar inscriptions.<ref>Vijayanagar inscriptions, by B. Muddachari</ref>{{full}} Some Balija Chettis today assume the spelling variation Shetty. | |||
| *Rajamahendravaram Balija <ref>Andhra Pradesh District Gazetteers: Anantapur, Vol 2, p.116</ref> or RajaMahendram Balija: A numerically strong group across Andhra Pradesh, they are said to have originally belonged to ] where their ancestors were employed in the army<ref>Kumar Suresh Singh (1998). People of India: Volume 4, p.227</ref>. | |||
| ⚫ | * Gajula Balija / |
||
| * Kambalattars / Thottiyans: The Gollavar, Sillavar and Tokkalavar were the subdivisions of the Raja Kambalattars and functioned as strictly endogamous units <ref>Singh KS, Thirumalai R, Manoharan S (1997). People of India: Tamil Nadu, p.592</ref>. TK Venkatasubramanian states | |||
| {{quote|"The Kambalattar (Kambalaththu Nayakar) are practically extinct. Remnants of their traditional agnates or cognates in the Telugu country are not to be traced. The ] of Ettayapuram and Panchalamkurichchi belong to this community. Their ancestry is traced to a community of hunters. Being dwellers of quasi-agricultural surroundings they were experts in reclaiming waste lands <ref>Venkatasubramanian, T.K (1993). Political change and agrarian tradition in South India, c. 1600-1801: a case study, P.51</ref>. }} | |||
| * Rajamahendravaram Balija or Musukamma Balija.<ref name="Social Change Among Balijas p.9">Social Change Among Balijas, A. Vijaya Kumari and Sepuri Bhaskar, p.9</ref> They are traders named after a special ear ornament worn by women.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}} They are named after the Rajamahendram town of Rajahmundry.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}} | |||
| *Kannadiyan:<ref>Castes and Tribes of South India, Vol VI, P.247</ref> Also known as Ravuth, Ravuthan or Rowthan. | |||
| *Adi Balija: a sub-caste of Balijas living in the Hyderabad Karnataka area.<ref></ref> | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ==Caste titles== | ==Caste titles== | ||
| ⚫ | Some Balijas use surnames such as Naidu and Naicker, which share a common root. ''Nayaka'' as a term was first used during the Vishnukundina dynasty that ruled from the Krishna and Godavari deltas during the 3rd century AD. During the Kakatiya dynasty, the Nayaka title was bestowed to warriors who had received land and the title as a part of the ] for services rendered to the court. The Nayaka was noted to be an officer in the ] court; there being a correlation between holding the ''Nayankara'', the possession of the administrative title ''Angaraksha'' and the status title ''Nayaka''.<ref>The Indian economic and social history review, Volume 31, p. 281</ref> | ||
| Not all Balijas use the Naidu / Naicker surname. | |||
| ⚫ | A more widespread usage of the Nayaka title amongst the Balijas appears to have happened during the Vijayanagar empire where the Balija merchant-warriors rose to political and cultural power and claimed Nayaka positions.<ref>Stearns Peter N and Langer Leonard W (2001). The Encyclopedia of world history, p.368</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | Colonial writers such as ] and ] noted that other castes succeeded in obtaining admission into the Balija caste by way of assuming the title "Naidu". The 1901 Census of India report notes that "Caste titles and names are; however, of recent origin and little can be inferred from them, whatever their meaning may be shown to be" and that "wealth is a very potent factor, both in the way of levelling down caste heights and filling up social depths ...a wealthy member of the Dhedh caste is actually the Dharmakartha of a Siva temple in Southern India'' and ''a Sathani becomes elevated into a Balija often in the course of a few years ; so also a Palli into a Mudaliar".<ref name=Census1901p219>{{cite book |title=Census of India |year=1901 |volume=XXIL |page=219 |url=http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924071136109}}</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | A more widespread usage of the Nayaka title amongst the Balijas appears to have happened during the Vijayanagar empire where the Balija merchant-warriors rose to political and cultural power and claimed Nayaka positions.<ref> |
||
| ==Other claims== | |||
| ⚫ | Colonial writers such as Edgar Thurston and |
||
| ⚫ | While seeking a Kshatriya varna position in the Census of 1901, a reference was made to the Srimad Bhagavatham, Vishnu Puranam and Brahmanda Puranam to seek classification as ] ]s <ref>Census of India, 1961, Volume 9, Part 6, Issue 29, p.19-22</ref><ref>Thurston E and Rangachari K (1909). Castes and tribes of southern India: Volume 1, p.134-135</ref>. | ||
| ==Etymology of Balija== | |||
| ⚫ | While seeking a Kshatriya varna position in the Census of 1901, a reference was made to the Srimad Bhagavatham, Vishnu Puranam and Brahmanda Puranam to seek classification as ] ]s |
||
| ] ]] | |||
| ==Dynasties== | ==Dynasties== | ||
| The Vijayanagar empire was based on an expanding, cash-oriented economy enhanced by Balija tax-farming |
The Vijayanagar empire was based on an expanding, cash-oriented economy enhanced by Balija tax-farming <ref>Velcheru Narayana Rao, David Dean Shulman and Sanjay Subrahmanyam (1992). Symbols of substance: court and state in Nāyaka Period Tamilnadu, p.10 and p.218 </ref>. Some Balija families were appointed to supervise provinces as Nayaks (governors, commanders) by the Vijayanagara kings, some of which are | ||
| Many of the Poligars,<ref>Note: Palegallu/Palegars or Palalu were Paraya cultivators of land and NOT poligars. REF: Land and Caste in South India, p. 46 </ref> the local military chieftains of South India, belonged to the Balija social group.<ref>Some south Indian villages, by Gilbert Slater</ref>{{full}} The Vijayanagar rulers had a policy of consolidating power by granting the ] / ]s local Administrative rights.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}} They in turn relied on the bands of soldiers that these Poligars put at the disposal of the Vijayanagar rulers in times of war.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}} | |||
| Some Balija families were appointed to supervise provinces as Nayaks (governors, commanders) by the Vijayanagara kings and after the empire lost power, they continued to rule parts of southern Andhra Pradesh and northern Tamil Nadu independently. These include the ], ], and the last rulers of Sri Lanka, the ], before the British occupied ].{{citation needed|date=December 2011}} | |||
| 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 new egalitarian ethos made it easier for claimants from a variety of communities to succeed to political control'' .{{full}} | |||
| ⚫ | ===Varna status=== | ||
| ⚫ | Velcheru Narayana Rao and Sanjay Subrahmanyam say that the emergence of left-hand caste Balijas as trader-warrior-kings was evidence in the Nayak period as a consequence of conditions of new wealth, produced by collapsing two Varnas, ]s and ]s into one.<ref>Velchuru Narayana Rao and Sanjay Subrahmanyam ''''. Modern Asian Studies (2009), 43:175-210 Cambridge University Press. Page 204</ref> In the brahmanical conceptualization of castes, Balijas were accorded the ] position.<ref>Sheldon I Pollock. (2003). Literary cultures in history: reconstructions from South Asia, p.414. University of California Press. </ref> The four fold Brahmanical varna concept has not been acceptable to Non-Brahmin social groups and some of them challenged the authority of Brahmins who described them as shudras.<ref name="Krishnan-Kutty1999">{{cite book|author=G. Krishnan-Kutty|title=The political economy of underdevelopment in India|url=http://books.google.co.in/books?id=bTlMi4a6Ct8C&pg=PA172|accessdate=16 December 2011|year=1999|publisher=Northern Book Centre|isbn=9788172111076|pages=172–}}</ref><ref name="Krishnan-Kutty1986">{{cite book|author=G. Krishnan-Kutty|title=Peasantry in India|url=http://books.google.co.in/books?id=wyRZ7nmItsEC&pg=PA10 |date=1 January 1986|publisher=Abhinav Publications|isbn=9788170172154|pages=10–}}</ref> The Varna designation of Balijas is a contested issue.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}} | ||
| ==Balija ruling clans== | |||
| <div class="references-mediuml"> | <div class="references-mediuml"> | ||
| {{col-begin}} | {{col-begin}} | ||
| Line 106: | Line 76: | ||
| *]<ref>K.V. Raman. ''''. Abhinav Publications, 2003. ISBN 8170170265, 9788170170266</ref> | *]<ref>K.V. Raman. ''''. Abhinav Publications, 2003. ISBN 8170170265, 9788170170266</ref> | ||
| {{col-end}} | {{col-end}} | ||
| ⚫ | ===Varna status=== | ||
| ⚫ | Velcheru Narayana Rao and Sanjay Subrahmanyam say that the emergence of left-hand caste Balijas as trader-warrior-kings was evidence in the Nayak period as a consequence of conditions of new wealth, produced by collapsing two Varnas, ]s and ]s into one.<ref>Velchuru Narayana Rao and Sanjay Subrahmanyam ''''. Modern Asian Studies (2009), 43:175-210 Cambridge University Press. Page 204</ref> In the brahmanical conceptualization of castes, Balijas were accorded the ] position.<ref>Sheldon I Pollock. (2003). Literary cultures in history: reconstructions from South Asia, p.414. University of California Press. </ref> The four fold Brahmanical varna concept has not been acceptable to Non-Brahmin social groups and some of them challenged the authority of Brahmins who described them as shudras.<ref name="Krishnan-Kutty1999">{{cite book|author=G. Krishnan-Kutty|title=The political economy of underdevelopment in India|url=http://books.google.co.in/books?id=bTlMi4a6Ct8C&pg=PA172|accessdate=16 December 2011|year=1999|publisher=Northern Book Centre|isbn=9788172111076|pages=172–}}</ref><ref name="Krishnan-Kutty1986">{{cite book|author=G. Krishnan-Kutty|title=Peasantry in India|url=http://books.google.co.in/books?id=wyRZ7nmItsEC&pg=PA10 |date=1 January 1986|publisher=Abhinav Publications|isbn=9788170172154|pages=10–}}</ref> The Varna designation of Balijas is a contested issue.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}} | ||
| In Southern India, occupational divisions have existed since the times of ].<ref>ES Varatarāja Aiyar. (1987). Tolkappiam--Porulatikaram: Akattinai iyal, Kalaviyal, Karpiyal, and Poruliyal. Annamalai University</ref> But early southern Indian literature does not mention the Chatur-Varna institution. Elements of caste pre-date varna; and social networks with elements of caste have been in existence since pre-vedic times.<ref>Brajadulal Chattopadhyaya. (2009). A social history of early India, p. xxxix. Pearson Education India </ref> Southern India fell outside the region of ] where Chaturvarna was followed. Hence, the Southern Indians were outside the Indo-Aryan social organization of the varna system. | |||
| Chatur-Varna is first mentioned in a ] (circa 1000 BC) and by the time of ] (200 BC - 200 AD), ''varna'' and ''jati'' (or "caste") co-exist as isomorphically ranked social orders <ref>Ashok Kumar Y (2005). Struggle for economic freedom and social justice of scheduled castes in south India, p.46 </ref>. Based on the usage of the terms ''Brahmana'' and ''Kshatriya'' in ] it has been suggested that Varna was a theoretical construct tied to upper categories, while a person’s identity during the time of Buddhism depended on a person’s occupation, kula (lineage) and jati (caste).<ref>Upinder Singh. (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Pearson Education India </ref> | |||
| The tribal society in a pre-varna era followed a system of clan kinship as tribal social structures are based on totemic clans.<ref>K Mohan Rao. (1999). Tribal development in Andhra Pradesh: problems, performance and prospects, p.45. Booklinks Corporation</ref> The traditional gotra lists, contained in Pravara Prasnas and Ganapatha of Panini, include all types of gotras, both brahmanical (''Arsa'') as well as non-Brahmanical.<ref>Krishna Chandra Mishra. (1987). Tribes in the Mahabharata: a socio-cultural study, p.45. National Publishing House</ref> Such a list may also indicate a process of assimilation as in the case of ]-gotra which has been mentioned in the Ganapatha of ]. Such an inclusion would not have been possible unless some brahmanas had been adsorbed from non-brahmanical groups or had served non-brahmins as priests.<ref>Ram Sharan Sharma. (2002). Sudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to Circa A, Part 600, p.143. Motilal Banarsidass Publications. </ref> Village names used as gotras by non-brahmanical groups were not bereft of complexities either. Panini uses the term ''kula'' (clan). However Panini’s ''kula'' was explained by commentators as non-famous Gotras.<ref>Radhakumud Mookerji. (1990). Ancient Indian Education: Brahmanical and Buddhist, p.243. Motilal Banarsidass Publication. </ref> | |||
| A group of related families living homogenously in a given locality were called a ''kula'' (clan) ruled over by a ''kulapati'' (head of the clan). A group of related kulas formed a ''grama'' (also called ''vis'' or settlement) presided by a ''Vispati'' or ''Gramani''. The terms grama and vis originally denoted a group of kinsfolk related by blood, but later came to mean village or canton, and embraced all the castes and families of the village population, whether related or not.<ref>Benjamin Walker. (1968). The Hindu world: an encyclopedic survey of Hinduism, Volume 1, p.247. Praeger, 1968 </ref> | |||
| Despite professing gotras based on kula (clan) and vis (settlement), south Indian social structures largely ignored the four-varna system; for there is no evidence of a chaturvarna system during the tribal states. A transitional state began during the time of ] when Varna terms penetrated Southern-Indian society.<ref name="Ray">Ranabir Chakravarti. Book review: Himanshu P Ray, Monastery and guild: commerce under the Sātavāhanas. Indian Economic Social History Review 1987 24: 443</ref> Although the transitional character of the society is clearly observed historically, yet it was noted that there was little relevance for varna status among various professional groups.<ref name="Ray"/> It has been argued that varna divisions were never functioning groups of social order and varna structures offered upward and downward mobility.<ref name="Himanshu Prabha Ray 1986 p.160-193">Himanshu Prabha Ray. (1986). Monastery and guild: commerce under the Sātavāhanas, p.160-193. Oxford University Press.</ref> The principal points of social interaction had remained families (vamsa), lineages (gotra), clans (kula) and jatis (occupations), without the usage of varnas.<ref name="Himanshu Prabha Ray 1986 p.160-193"/> | |||
| The presence of ] and ] may have overshadowed and stymied the presence and progression of a Varna system, during and after the ]. The earliest historical monuments of Andhra are Buddhist,<ref>KR Subramanian. (1989). Buddhist remains in Āndhra and the history of Āndhra between 224 and 610 A.D, p.2. Asian Educational Services.</ref> with Buddhism having reached Andhra Desa during the lifetime of ] (563 BC – 483 BC) himself.<ref>DC Ahir. (2003). Buddhist sites and shrines in India: history, art and architecture. Bibliotheca Indo-Buddhica, Volume 231, pp.3-6. Sri Satguru Publications.</ref> Extant literary and archeological evidences demonstrate that Andhra was one of the earliest recipients of Jainism as well.<ref name="G Jawaharlal. 2006">G Jawaharlal. (2006). Studies in Jainism: as gleaned from archaeological sources. Harman Publication House.</ref> The earliest Andhra writers were Jainas and several Jain caves and inscriptions have been found across Andhra Desa.<ref>Haripriya Rangarajan, G Kamalakar, AKVS Reddy and K Venkatachalam. (2001). Jainism: art, architecture, literature and philosophy. Sharada Publication House</ref> Both Buddhism and Jainism enjoyed prevalence and popularity on an equal scale.<ref>G Jawaharlal. (2002). Jaina monuments of Andhra, p.7. Sharada Publication House.</ref> Historically several dynasties which ruled in Andhra were Buddhist or Jain or a mix of both, such as the ]s, ] (Jain),<ref name="G Jawaharlal. 2006"/> ] Kingdom (Jain) and ] (Jain);<ref>Sailendra Nath Sen. (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization, p.380 mentions that: ''Many of the Rashtrakuta emperors like Amoghavarsha I, Krishna II Indra III and Indra IV were staunch patrons of Jain religion…Many of the feudatories and officers of Rashtrakutas were Jains…Gangas were also Jain..Most of the Rashtrakuta rulers were patrons of Jainism''.</ref> while others such as ] were partly Hindu and partly Buddhist. | |||
| The process of peasantisation of tribals (conversion of hunter-gatherers into peasants) and state formation of tribal communities continued unhindered until in some place it was hindered by Mughal invasions.<ref>National Integration in Historical Perspective, p.175. Mittal Publications </ref> Several kingdoms that arose from tribal states claimed Dvija status over time. The many forms of the integration of tribal groups into Hindu society are discussed by Kulke (1976 and 1984) and Kosambi (1962 and 1996). As tribal chiefs became Hindu rajas, tribal deities became state gods, and sustained royal patronage of those gods, as is seen in the case of ] and the ] of Orissa.<ref>Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. (1981). Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Volume 1, p.221. Cambridge University Press for the Royal Asiatic Society.</ref> | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 14:31, 17 December 2011
| Balija | |
|---|---|
| Religions | Hinduism (India), Jainism (India), Buddhism (Sri Lanka) |
| Languages | Telugu, Tamil, Kannada |
| Populated states | Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka |
| Subdivisions |
|
| Related groups | Kapu, Kamma, Reddy |
| Notes | |
| ‡ Shared by other groups | |
Balija (Template:Lang-te; Template:Lang-ta; Kannada: ಬಲಿಜಾ) is a social group spread across the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh (concentrated in the Rayalaseema region), Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. Balijas are considered a sub-castes of the Kapu caste in Andhra Pradesh.
Origins
Peasant origin
- The Census of India, 1961 mentions "The bulk of the Balijas are now engaged in cultivation and this accounts for so many having returned Kapu as their main caste for kapu is also a common Telugu word used for a ryot" .
Merchant-Warrior origin
- The terms Balija and Banajiga, mean a tradesman, and are derived from the Sanskrit term Vanik . The Banajigas or Vira Banajigas comprised a trade guild, the Five Hundred Lords of Ayyavolu in the medieval period of 12th and 13th centuries AD .
Mixed origins
- The Madras District Gazetters, 1918, mentions of the classing of Balijas as follows:
"The Telugu ryots are known by the general name Kapu, a term which is loosely applied to the caste groups otherwise known as Reddis, Kammans, Telegas and Velamas, and even Balijas, and is extended to the Kanarese Vakkiligas also.... The exact relationship between these castes has not yet been clearly determined; it is probable, however, that they, together with the Balijas and the Razus), come originally of the same stock, and settled in the District in the wake of the Vijaynagar conquests. The Telagas, Balijas and Razus) claim military antecedents, and there is evidence for classing the Kammas as Balijas"
- The book "Symbols of substance, court and state in Nāyaka period Tamilnadu" (pg 74) mentions that the term 'Balija' came to include the Boyas, Gollas, Gavaras, and others during the period of Krishanadevaraya:
"These left-Sudra groups — often referred to by the cover-title 'Balija', but also including Boyas, left-hand Gollas, Gavaras, and others - were first mobilized by Krishnadevaraya in the Vijayanagara heyday...These Balija fighters are not afraid of kings: some stories speak of their killing kings who interfered with their affairs"
Balija branches
There are numerous branches, sub-divisions or social groups which make up the Balija social group, many of which are divided based on the trade or occupation. Some sub-divisions are the Kannadiyan, also known as Ravuth, Ravuthan or Rowthan , the Pusala, Rajula, Pula and Swakamanchi .
Some are named after places, such as Gonuguntla Desayi Chettis (named after a village Gonuguntla) and Gandavarapu (Gonuguntla balijas who migrated to Cuddapah); while others had odd names like Mulaka (which is also name of a tribe), Miriyala (pepper traders), Vyasa, and Tota . The Kondeti Balija claim to have migrated from the princely state of Kondaveedu while the Gopathi Balija, who mainly inhabit Chittor and Ananthapur, is claimed to have divided from the Perike Balija or Gonegunta Balija over cattle . Some common sub-divisions are described below:
- Balija Chettis or Shettis (Chetty Balija or Shetty Balija): They have been mentioned in several Vijayanagar accounts as wealthy merchants who controlled powerful trading guilds . To secure their loyalty, the Vijayanagar kings made them Desais or "superintendents of all castes in the country". They were classified as right-hand castes. David Rudner claims that the Balija Chettis fissioned off as a separate caste from the Balija Nayaks warriors as recent as the 19th century; and accordingly they have closer kinship ties to the Nayak warriors than to Chetti merchants . However, the Veera Balingyas or Vira Banajigas, were mentioned in the inscriptions of the Chalukyas of Badami and the Kakatiya dynasty as powerful and wealthy merchants who were known as "Five Hundred Lords of Ayyavolu".
- Gajula Balija / Kavara Balija / Sugavansi (pure) Balija: Myth is that Siva's wife Parvati did a severe penance in order to look beautiful for Shiva. Himavanta (father of Parvati) sacrificed a bull to Lord Brahma and from the fire emerged a person who brought forth combs, bangles, perfumes, sandals, powder, beads, and colored palf-leaf rolls for the ear for Parvati. Titles found amongst them are Naidu, Nayakkan, Chetti, Setti and Nayak. Kavarai or Gavarai is said to be a corrupt form of Kauravar or Gauravar; as they claim to be the Kurus or Kuru descendents of Mahabharata .
- Rajamahendravaram Balija or RajaMahendram Balija: A numerically strong group across Andhra Pradesh, they are said to have originally belonged to Rajahmundry where their ancestors were employed in the army.
- Kambalattars / Thottiyans: The Gollavar, Sillavar and Tokkalavar were the subdivisions of the Raja Kambalattars and functioned as strictly endogamous units . TK Venkatasubramanian states
"The Kambalattar (Kambalaththu Nayakar) are practically extinct. Remnants of their traditional agnates or cognates in the Telugu country are not to be traced. The polegars of Ettayapuram and Panchalamkurichchi belong to this community. Their ancestry is traced to a community of hunters. Being dwellers of quasi-agricultural surroundings they were experts in reclaiming waste lands .
Caste titles
Some Balijas use surnames such as Naidu and Naicker, which share a common root. Nayaka as a term was first used during the Vishnukundina dynasty that ruled from the Krishna and Godavari deltas during the 3rd century AD. During the Kakatiya dynasty, the Nayaka title was bestowed to warriors who had received land and the title as a part of the Nayankarapuvaram system for services rendered to the court. The Nayaka was noted to be an officer in the Kakatiya court; there being a correlation between holding the Nayankara, the possession of the administrative title Angaraksha and the status title Nayaka.
A more widespread usage of the Nayaka title amongst the Balijas appears to have happened during the Vijayanagar empire where the Balija merchant-warriors rose to political and cultural power and claimed Nayaka positions.
Colonial writers such as Edgar Thurston and Robert Vane Russell noted that other castes succeeded in obtaining admission into the Balija caste by way of assuming the title "Naidu". The 1901 Census of India report notes that "Caste titles and names are; however, of recent origin and little can be inferred from them, whatever their meaning may be shown to be" and that "wealth is a very potent factor, both in the way of levelling down caste heights and filling up social depths ...a wealthy member of the Dhedh caste is actually the Dharmakartha of a Siva temple in Southern India and a Sathani becomes elevated into a Balija often in the course of a few years ; so also a Palli into a Mudaliar".
Other claims
While seeking a Kshatriya varna position in the Census of 1901, a reference was made to the Srimad Bhagavatham, Vishnu Puranam and Brahmanda Puranam to seek classification as Somavanshi Kshatriyas .
Dynasties
The Vijayanagar empire was based on an expanding, cash-oriented economy enhanced by Balija tax-farming . Some Balija families were appointed to supervise provinces as Nayaks (governors, commanders) by the Vijayanagara kings, some of which are
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Varna status
Velcheru Narayana Rao and Sanjay Subrahmanyam say that the emergence of left-hand caste Balijas as trader-warrior-kings was evidence in the Nayak period as a consequence of conditions of new wealth, produced by collapsing two Varnas, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas into one. In the brahmanical conceptualization of castes, Balijas were accorded the Shudra position. The four fold Brahmanical varna concept has not been acceptable to Non-Brahmin social groups and some of them challenged the authority of Brahmins who described them as shudras. The Varna designation of Balijas is a contested issue.
In Southern India, occupational divisions have existed since the times of Tolkāppiyam. But early southern Indian literature does not mention the Chatur-Varna institution. Elements of caste pre-date varna; and social networks with elements of caste have been in existence since pre-vedic times. Southern India fell outside the region of Āryāvarta where Chaturvarna was followed. Hence, the Southern Indians were outside the Indo-Aryan social organization of the varna system.
Chatur-Varna is first mentioned in a late Vedic text (circa 1000 BC) and by the time of Manusmriti (200 BC - 200 AD), varna and jati (or "caste") co-exist as isomorphically ranked social orders . Based on the usage of the terms Brahmana and Kshatriya in Pali canon it has been suggested that Varna was a theoretical construct tied to upper categories, while a person’s identity during the time of Buddhism depended on a person’s occupation, kula (lineage) and jati (caste).
The tribal society in a pre-varna era followed a system of clan kinship as tribal social structures are based on totemic clans. The traditional gotra lists, contained in Pravara Prasnas and Ganapatha of Panini, include all types of gotras, both brahmanical (Arsa) as well as non-Brahmanical. Such a list may also indicate a process of assimilation as in the case of Nishada-gotra which has been mentioned in the Ganapatha of Pāṇini. Such an inclusion would not have been possible unless some brahmanas had been adsorbed from non-brahmanical groups or had served non-brahmins as priests. Village names used as gotras by non-brahmanical groups were not bereft of complexities either. Panini uses the term kula (clan). However Panini’s kula was explained by commentators as non-famous Gotras.
A group of related families living homogenously in a given locality were called a kula (clan) ruled over by a kulapati (head of the clan). A group of related kulas formed a grama (also called vis or settlement) presided by a Vispati or Gramani. The terms grama and vis originally denoted a group of kinsfolk related by blood, but later came to mean village or canton, and embraced all the castes and families of the village population, whether related or not.
Despite professing gotras based on kula (clan) and vis (settlement), south Indian social structures largely ignored the four-varna system; for there is no evidence of a chaturvarna system during the tribal states. A transitional state began during the time of Satavahana dynasty when Varna terms penetrated Southern-Indian society. Although the transitional character of the society is clearly observed historically, yet it was noted that there was little relevance for varna status among various professional groups. It has been argued that varna divisions were never functioning groups of social order and varna structures offered upward and downward mobility. The principal points of social interaction had remained families (vamsa), lineages (gotra), clans (kula) and jatis (occupations), without the usage of varnas.
The presence of Buddhism and Jainism may have overshadowed and stymied the presence and progression of a Varna system, during and after the Satavahana dynasty. The earliest historical monuments of Andhra are Buddhist, with Buddhism having reached Andhra Desa during the lifetime of Gautama Buddha (563 BC – 483 BC) himself. Extant literary and archeological evidences demonstrate that Andhra was one of the earliest recipients of Jainism as well. The earliest Andhra writers were Jainas and several Jain caves and inscriptions have been found across Andhra Desa. Both Buddhism and Jainism enjoyed prevalence and popularity on an equal scale. Historically several dynasties which ruled in Andhra were Buddhist or Jain or a mix of both, such as the Andhra Ikshvakus, Eastern Chalukyas (Jain), Rashtrakuta Kingdom (Jain) and Ganga dynasty (Jain); while others such as Satavahana dynasty were partly Hindu and partly Buddhist.
The process of peasantisation of tribals (conversion of hunter-gatherers into peasants) and state formation of tribal communities continued unhindered until in some place it was hindered by Mughal invasions. Several kingdoms that arose from tribal states claimed Dvija status over time. The many forms of the integration of tribal groups into Hindu society are discussed by Kulke (1976 and 1984) and Kosambi (1962 and 1996). As tribal chiefs became Hindu rajas, tribal deities became state gods, and sustained royal patronage of those gods, as is seen in the case of Gajapati chiefs and the Jagannatha temple of Orissa.
References
Specific
- Census of India, 1961: Madras, Vol 9, p.21
- The Mysore Tribes and Castes, by LKA Iyer, p.99 mentions: Banajigas are a trading people found all over the Mysore state. The caste is known by various names, one of which is 'Balija'. It appears to be a later form of Banajiga, and is very popular with the Telugu division...The term Banajiga is derived from the Sanskrit Vanik, signifying a tradesman, but different derivations are however given to the word 'Balija' or 'Balaja' which seems to be another form of the same name. Some say it means 'Born of Bali or sacrifice'...
- Muddachari, B (1982). Economic history of Karnataka: Vijayanagara Period, p.22 mentions: Dr. Barnett says about them : "There was a vast organisation of associated traders which about the twelfth and thirteenth centuries had spread a net work over the greater part of southern India and Ceylon, and perhaps even farther, and which beginning with simple commerce and then developing an elaborate social and semi-military system strikingly recalls our East India Company. There were the Vira Banajus as they were called in Kanarese. The name signifies ‘valiant merchants’. They claimed to have come from Ahicchatra but their central body was at Ayyavole, the modern Aihole which was the seat of their Board of Directors consisting of a council of 500 members". Dr.Fleet says "Balanja is another form of bananja or bananju, the modern banajiga or banijiga which must be the original or a corruption of the Sanskrit banija, beijika, merchant, trader"
- Madras district gazetteers, Volume 1, Part 1, p.164-165
- Velcheru Narayana Rao, David Dean Shulman and Sanjay Subrahmanyam (1992). Symbols of substance: court and state in Nāyaka Period Tamilnadu, p.74
- Castes and Tribes of South India, Vol VI, P.247
- Andhra Pradesh District Gazetteers: Anantapur, Vol 2, p.116
- Census of India, 1961, Volume 9, Part 6, Issue 29, By India. Office of the Registrar General, p.21
- Kumar Suresh Singh (1998). People of India: Volume 4, p.219-223
- Vijayanagara, Volume 1, By Burton Stein, p.87
- Constructing the colonial encounter, By Niels Brimnes, p.3
- Constructing the colonial encounter, By Niels Brimnes, p.28
- Madras: the growth of a colonial city in India, 1780-1840, page 224
- Bowmen of Mid-India: a monography of the Bhils of Jhabua and adjoining territories, Volume 2, page 243
- Religious Gifting and Inland Commerce in Seventeenth-Century South India, by David West Rudner in The Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 46, No. 2 (May, 1987), page 361
- Archaeological Survey of Mysore, Annual Reports: 1910-1911
- Government Of Madras Staff, Gazetteer of the Nellore District: brought up to 1938, page 105.
- Alf Hiltebeitel (1999). Rethinking India's oral and classical epics: Draupadī among Rajputs, Muslims and Dalits, p.466
- Andhra Pradesh District Gazetteers: Anantapur, Vol 2, p.116
- Kumar Suresh Singh (1998). People of India: Volume 4, p.227
- Singh KS, Thirumalai R, Manoharan S (1997). People of India: Tamil Nadu, p.592
- Venkatasubramanian, T.K (1993). Political change and agrarian tradition in South India, c. 1600-1801: a case study, P.51
- The Indian economic and social history review, Volume 31, p. 281
- Stearns Peter N and Langer Leonard W (2001). The Encyclopedia of world history, p.368
- Census of India. Vol. XXIL. 1901. p. 219.
- Census of India, 1961, Volume 9, Part 6, Issue 29, p.19-22
- Thurston E and Rangachari K (1909). Castes and tribes of southern India: Volume 1, p.134-135
- Velcheru Narayana Rao, David Dean Shulman and Sanjay Subrahmanyam (1992). Symbols of substance: court and state in Nāyaka Period Tamilnadu, p.10 and p.218
- ^ Manual of the Pudukkóttai State, Page 127, by K. R. Venkatarama Ayyar, Commissioner of Museum, Pudukkottai (Princely State)
- ^ Politics and Social Conflict in South India: The Non-Brahmin Movement and Tamil Separatism, 1916 to 1929. Author: Irschick, Eugene F. Page 8
- The Ceylon gazetteer: containing an accurate account of the districts, by Simon Casie Chitty, Frederick Jayetileke, Page 11
- Delhi School of Economics. The Indian economic and social history review, page 411
- Sanjay Subrahmanyam. The Political Economy of Commerce: Southern India 1500-1650, page 304
- <Sanjay Subrahmanyam. Improvising empire: Portuguese trade and settlement in the Bay of Bengal, 1500-1700, page 206
- A journey from Madras through the countries of Mysore, Canara, and Malabar Vol 111 - 1807 - Francis Buchanan -from page 254 ""
- Mysore: a gazetteer compiled for ... - B. L. Rice - Google Books
- K.V. Raman. Sri Varadarajaswami Temple, Kanchi: A Study of Its History, Art and Architecture. Abhinav Publications, 2003. ISBN 8170170265, 9788170170266
- Velchuru Narayana Rao and Sanjay Subrahmanyam Notes on Political Thought in Medieval and Early Modern South India. Modern Asian Studies (2009), 43:175-210 Cambridge University Press. Page 204
- Sheldon I Pollock. (2003). Literary cultures in history: reconstructions from South Asia, p.414. University of California Press.
- G. Krishnan-Kutty (1999). The political economy of underdevelopment in India. Northern Book Centre. pp. 172–. ISBN 9788172111076. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- G. Krishnan-Kutty (1 January 1986). Peasantry in India. Abhinav Publications. pp. 10–. ISBN 9788170172154.
- ES Varatarāja Aiyar. (1987). Tolkappiam--Porulatikaram: Akattinai iyal, Kalaviyal, Karpiyal, and Poruliyal. Annamalai University
- Brajadulal Chattopadhyaya. (2009). A social history of early India, p. xxxix. Pearson Education India
- Ashok Kumar Y (2005). Struggle for economic freedom and social justice of scheduled castes in south India, p.46
- Upinder Singh. (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Pearson Education India
- K Mohan Rao. (1999). Tribal development in Andhra Pradesh: problems, performance and prospects, p.45. Booklinks Corporation
- Krishna Chandra Mishra. (1987). Tribes in the Mahabharata: a socio-cultural study, p.45. National Publishing House
- Ram Sharan Sharma. (2002). Sudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to Circa A, Part 600, p.143. Motilal Banarsidass Publications.
- Radhakumud Mookerji. (1990). Ancient Indian Education: Brahmanical and Buddhist, p.243. Motilal Banarsidass Publication.
- Benjamin Walker. (1968). The Hindu world: an encyclopedic survey of Hinduism, Volume 1, p.247. Praeger, 1968
- ^ Ranabir Chakravarti. Book review: Himanshu P Ray, Monastery and guild: commerce under the Sātavāhanas. Indian Economic Social History Review 1987 24: 443
- ^ Himanshu Prabha Ray. (1986). Monastery and guild: commerce under the Sātavāhanas, p.160-193. Oxford University Press.
- KR Subramanian. (1989). Buddhist remains in Āndhra and the history of Āndhra between 224 and 610 A.D, p.2. Asian Educational Services.
- DC Ahir. (2003). Buddhist sites and shrines in India: history, art and architecture. Bibliotheca Indo-Buddhica, Volume 231, pp.3-6. Sri Satguru Publications.
- ^ G Jawaharlal. (2006). Studies in Jainism: as gleaned from archaeological sources. Harman Publication House.
- Haripriya Rangarajan, G Kamalakar, AKVS Reddy and K Venkatachalam. (2001). Jainism: art, architecture, literature and philosophy. Sharada Publication House
- G Jawaharlal. (2002). Jaina monuments of Andhra, p.7. Sharada Publication House.
- Sailendra Nath Sen. (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization, p.380 mentions that: Many of the Rashtrakuta emperors like Amoghavarsha I, Krishna II Indra III and Indra IV were staunch patrons of Jain religion…Many of the feudatories and officers of Rashtrakutas were Jains…Gangas were also Jain..Most of the Rashtrakuta rulers were patrons of Jainism.
- National Integration in Historical Perspective, p.175. Mittal Publications
- Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. (1981). Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Volume 1, p.221. Cambridge University Press for the Royal Asiatic Society.
General
- Balijavaaru Puraanam, by Sri Salem Pagadaala Narasimhalu Nayudu.
- Balijakula Charithra, by Kante Narayana Desayi
- Andhrula Sankshiptha Charitra, by Balarama Murthi
- Munnuru Kapu Kulabhyudayamu, written by Sri Bojjam Narsimlu.
- Questioning Ramayanas, by Paula Richman
- The Literary Cultures in History, by Sheldon I Pollock
- Further Sources of Vijayanagara History, by K A Nilakanta Sastry
- Penumbral Visions, by Sanjay Subrahmanyam
- Caste and Race in India, by G.S.Ghurye
- The Wars of The Rajas - by Charles Philip Brown
- The View from Below, by Kanakalatha Mukund
- Caste & Class Articulation of Andhra Pradesh
- Genetic Evidence on Caste Origins
- Caste politics in the North, West and South India before Mandal
- Kerala information
- The Madura Country, by James Henry Nelson
- Konduru: structure and integration in a South Indian village, Paul G. Hiebert, P.21-22.
- The Journal of Sir Thomas Roe an ambassodor of England to Emperor Jahangeer AD 1744
- The Warrior Merchants, by Mittison Mines
- India's Silent Revolution, by Christophe Jaffrelot
- Social Change in Modern India, by M N Srinivas
- The Trading world of the Tamil Merchant, by Kanakalatha Mukund
- Gazetteer of the Nellore District - by Government of Madras
- Constructing the Colonial Encounter, by Niels Brimnes
- Religion and Public Culture, by John Jeya Paul
- The World of the Weaver in Northern Coromandel, C.1750- C.1850, by P. Swarnalatha
- Manual of the Bellary District, by John Kelsall, 1869
- Social Changes among Balijas (by Vijaya Kumari and Sepuri Bhaskar)