Munnuru Kapu
ReligionsHinduism[1]
LanguagesTelugu
CountryIndia
RegionTelangana

Munnuru Kapu is a Telugu-speaking caste primarily found in the Indian state of Telangana.[2] Traditionally, they are a community of cultivators and are distributed across Telangana.[3] They are also present in Nanded and Latur districts of Maharashtra.[1][4] Munnuru Kapus are distinct from the Kapu caste of Coastal Andhra.[5]

Munnuru Kapus are described as an economically and politically prominent community of Telangana.[6][7][8] In the 2018 Telangana Assembly, Munnuru Kapus are the third largest caste in unreserved seats with eight MLAs; next only to Reddy and Velama communities.[9] Some members of the community have also ventured into industry and business, and became established businessmen like B. V. Rao, Vikram Akula, and Myadam Kishan Rao.[10][11]

Etymology

Kapu means cultivator or protector in Telugu.[12][13] Munnuru means three hundred.[2] According to some writers, Telangana being a rocky area and deficient in water, has acute water scarcity. The Kapus who were water diviners (Munnuru = Mun + Neeru = water diviner) were said to have been called Munnuru Kapus.[14]

Another version of the etymology also exists. As per some other writers, 300 Kapu families migrated to present-day Telangana in the medieval period and they came to be called as Munnuru Kapus (transl. Kapus of the three hundred families).[2][11]

Geographical distribution

Munnuru Kapus are distributed across the state of Telangana.[3] They are also present in Nanded and Latur districts of Maharashtra[1][4] and in seven mandals of Andhra Pradesh that were transferred to it from Telangana in 2014.[15]

History

Traditionally, they are a community of cultivators and large sections of them are still into agriculture.[3] A few have served as village Patels (equivalent to Munasabu in Andhra), an official who maintained law and order in the village. Some have also risen to a high status as landlords and Zamindars, but the majority are ordinary cultivators.[14]

A considerable portion of the Munnurus over the years have entered government service or become traders.[14] Some members of the community have also ventured into industry and business, and became established businessmen like B. V. Rao, Vikram Akula, and Myadam Kishan Rao.[10][11]

Notable people

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Singh, Kumar Suresh; Bhanu, B. V. (2004). People of India - Maharashtra. 2. Vol. 30. Popular Prakashan. pp. 1495, 1500. ISBN 978-81-7991-101-3.
  2. 1 2 3 Singh, K. S. (1992). People of India: Andhra Pradesh. Anthropological Survey of India. p. 846. ISBN 978-81-7671-006-0.
  3. 1 2 3 Proceedings - Indian History Congress. Indian History Congress. 2006.
  4. 1 2 Singh, K. S. (1996). Communities, Segments, Synonyms, Surnames and Titles. Anthropological Survey of India. p. 699. ISBN 978-0-19-563357-3.
  5. ↑ Gudavarthy, Ajay (2014). Maoism, Democracy and Globalisation: Cross-currents in Indian Politics. SAGE Publishing India. p. 81. ISBN 978-9-35150-425-2.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Reddy, R. Ravikanth (7 June 2022). "Caste engineering in Telangana". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  7. ↑ Political Science Review. Department of Political Science, University of Rajasthan. 1980. p. 96.
  8. ↑ "How votes are caste in Telangana". The New Indian Express. 22 November 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  9. ↑ Bhargav, Nimmagadda (28 February 2023). Stringers and the Journalistic Field: Marginalities and Precarious News Labour in Small-Town India. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-000-84035-3.
  10. 1 2 3 Damodaran, Harish (25 November 2018). India's New Capitalists: Caste, Business, and Industry in a Modern Nation. Hachette India. ISBN 978-93-5195-280-0.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Lunch with BS: Vikram Akula, SKS Microfinance". Business Standard. 12 October 2010. Archived from the original on 21 July 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  12. ↑ Bhargav, Nimmagadda (28 February 2023). Stringers and the Journalistic Field: Marginalities and Precarious News Labour in Small-Town India. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-000-84035-3.
  13. ↑ Census of India, 1981: Andhra Pradesh. Controller of Publications. 1900. p. 9.
  14. 1 2 3 Kantha Rao, M. L. (July 1999), A Study of the Socio-Political Mobility of the Kapu Caste in Modern Andhra, University of Hyderabad, p. 82. hdl:10603/25437
  15. ↑ "Andhra Pradesh: Munnuru Kapu community is BC-D in 7 merged mandals". The New Indian Express. 21 August 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  16. ↑ "Father of Indian poultry industry remembered". The Hindu. 7 November 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  17. ↑ Damodaran, Harish (25 November 2018). India's New Capitalists: Caste, Business, and Industry in a Modern Nation. Hachette India. ISBN 978-93-5195-280-0.
  18. ↑ "Shiv Shankar appointed PRP manifesto panel chairman". The Times of India. 15 November 2008. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  19. 1 2 Sinha, Akash (21 January 2022). "Bandi Sanjay Kumar episode: What BJP really hopes to gain from the controversy in Telangana". The Financial Express. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.