Regions with significant populations | |
---|---|
Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, India | |
Languages | |
Kannada, and Sanskrit | |
Religion | |
Vaishnavism, Shaivism | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Dravidian · Kannadiga |
The Kunchitigas [1] (also known as Kunchatiga, Kanchitiga, Kanchitigar, Kunchitigar, Kunchidigar, Kunchigar, Kunchu Okkaliga, Kunju Okkaliga, Kurichigar, Kunchiliyan, Kappiliyan) are a community of people from Karnataka, India. They are mostly concentrated in the Tumkur, Bangalore, Mysore, Ramanagara, Shivamogga and Chitradurga districts. [2] [3] They are also found in Tamil Nadu. [4] [5]
While the Kunchitigas are considered a sub-division of Vokkaligas, [6] [2] [7] they are listed separately by the government. [1] [8] [9] Some Kunchitigas were Veerashaivas who embraced Lingayatism to become a separate division. [10] [11] [12] The Kunchitigas are classified under the General/Unreserved Category by the Central Government of India. [13] [14] [15] [12]
The Kunchitigas were historically a landholding community of cultivators and merchants. [16] They formed part of the administrative [17] [18] and warrior classes [10] [19] [20] [21] in ancient times. Their chiefs were called "Gowda" [22] and "Nayaka" [23] in Karnataka, and "Gounder" [24] in Tamil Nadu.
The origin of the word Kunchitiga is uncertain, and there are two speculative theories about it. The first is that the word kunchiti is a combination of two words: kuncha (referring to the brush-like crest on a soldier's helmet) and iti (spear), describing soldiers with spears. [25]
The other is that a Kuruba, Jaldhi Bapparaya, held a kuncha, a brush used by Kuruba weavers. Unde Yattaraya is said to have named his community Kunchitiga in his honour. [26]
While the exact origins of the community are disputed to date, there are legends describing the migration of the community from the north to the south of India. [5] [4] [27]
It is believed that the Kunchitigas were originally from North India and were forced to migrate south due to various circumstances in that region. In most legends concerning this migration a Muslim ruler is involved, who is said to have coveted the chief's daughter, Unde Yattaraya. While fleeing the Muslim ruler, she was unable to cross an overflowing river (some accounts say Godavari, others say Tungabhadra) and was helped by a Kuruba Gowda [5] [27] [4] called Jaldhi Bapparaya, who was one of the two divine foundlings (the other being Avinakamaraya). [27] Jaldhi is said to have offered himself as a sacrifice to the river goddess to create an easy passage for the fleeing people. Unde Yattaraya is said to have given her daughter to marry Jaldhi Bapparaya's corpse, who was then revived by divine grace. Unde Yattaraya, Jaldi Bapparaya, and Avinakamaraya are ranked among the progenitors of the Kunchitigas. After crossing the river, the Kunchitigas settled in Vijaynagar first, before moving further south to Nandana Hosur in Chitradurga District, where they migrated to Sira, which is still considered to be their headquarters. [27] [28] [4]
There seems to be evidence to link the Kunchitigas with the Seuna dynasty. [5] [29] [30] The Seunas known as Yadavas of Devagiri [31] often proudly claimed their pastoral ancestry. [32] [33] It is believed the Vokkaligas had pastoral origins. [34] [35] The legend of Jaldhi Bapparaya [30] has a clear theme of being chased south by Muslim invaders. The arrival of the Kunchitigas at Nandana Hosur matches with Alauddin Khalji's raid on Devagiri. Alauddin Khalji sent Malik Kafur to recapture Devagiri in 1313; [36] Singhana III was killed in the ensuing battle and Khalji's army occupied Devagiri. [37] [38] Seunas were once the feudatories of the Rashtrakutas who were dispatched to rule the northern regions [38] and later became feudatories of the Western Chalukyas. [39] [40] Further epigraphic evidence suggests that the Seuna dynasty likely emerged from a Kannada-speaking background. [41] Many Seuna rulers had Kannada names and titles such as Dhadiyappa, Bhillama, Rajugi, Vadugi, Vasugi, and Kaliya Ballala. [25] Kunchitigas could be Yadavas that migrated south with the fall of their dynasty. [5]
According to Edgar Thurston, the Vokkaligas claimed to be descendants of the Ballāl Rājah of Ānēgundi. [6] The Hoysalas or Ballāl Rājas were contemporaries of the Seūnas of Devagiri. [42]
An alternate version of the history of Kunchitigas and the traditions of Unde Yattaraya is recorded in the Nandana Hosur Copper Plate, but its reliability is doubted. [23]
A legend follows Veera Keturaya, his son Veera Nagappa, and daughter-in-law Veera Nagamma. Keturaya is described as a divine ruler born in Warangal that rose to power after the fall of the Kakatiya empire. He is said to have moved south to fulfill his legacy of killing an evil demon king. In his adventure, he meets the 48 clans of the Kunchitigas coming from Dwarka and becomes their leader. Veera Keturaya moves to Vaddagere with the Kunchitigas, conquers Nelamangala by killing the demon king Baicha, and becomes the king of Penukonda. He is succeeded by Nagappa. [43]
Nagappa's unexpected death at the hands of enemy forces brings Nagamma‘a youthful marriage to an end. She is disappointed in Shiva for failing to protect her husband and ends her life by performing sati. Shiva, displeased with the turn of events, revives her. The Kunchitigas worship Mahasati Devi Veera Nagamma as Shiva's daughter, who through her pure and sincere devotion was able to overcome death. [43]
Keturaya is said to have ruled a part of the Warangal's Kakatiya kingdom in the 12th century, which is approximated by archaeological evidence like a copper inscription.[ citation needed ] He was a contemporary of Penukonda's ruler Jagaraya or Jaga Devaraya. The Penukonda rulers dominated parts of South India roughly during and after the fall of Kakatiya dynasty of Warangal, and much before the rise of the Vijayanagara Empire. After ruling Warangal for 12 years, Keturaya settles down in Varapura, Tumkur. [44]
The poet Kempananjaiah praises Keturaya in his yakshagana plays. [44]
The story of Veera Nagamma in Vaddagere, Tumkur, and the movement of the Kunchitigas from the north to south form the basis that Kunchitigas were Yadavas who moved towards Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Some believe Kunchitigas were Chalukya or Rashtrakuta warriors. Historian S. C. Nandinath proposed that the word Chalukya originated from Salki or Chalki, which is a Kannada word for an agricultural implement. [45] [46] Some of the Rashtrakuta inscriptions found in the Banavasimandala carry the depiction of a plough at the top, the symbol of the Vokkaliga. [47] There is a view that the Rashtrakutas were originally prosperous cultivators, who later dominated the political scene. Some of the inscriptions refer to them as Kutumbinah, which is interpreted to mean "cultivators". [48] This theory is supported with evidence from Kunchitiga settlements and migration patterns, which resemble a mobile army's method of setting up outposts in their conquests. [25]
As a community of warriors [20] [19] [10] and cultivators, [22] [49] [10] they were historically associated with the Vijaynagar Empire [50] [51] and the Wodeyars of Mysore, among other rulers. [52] [20] [17] Kunchitigas were the rulers of Sira, Madhugiri, and Koratagere. [53]
Kunchitigas are also found in interior parts of Tamil Nadu. [4] [5] Some of the Polygars in the Madurai district were Kunchitigas. [54] [55] Wodeyars frequently battled Madurai Nayakars and had briefly won Dindigal and Theni after Chanda Sahib ended the Madurai Nayak dynasty. Some Kunchitigas are believed to have received land grants. [56] They are also associated with the expansion of the Dindigal fort.
It is believed that Kunchitigas originally had 101 gotras. Currently, people of the following 48 gotras are found in the Karnataka region. The archaeological department found a stone inscription in Nandana-hosuru, Chitradurga District, with information about the 48 gotras. [44] Endogamous marriages within the same gotra are forbidden. [57]
According to various inscriptions that were found on the copper plates and palm leaves in South Indian archives, [58] the 48 gotras were named after their characters and physiques. Among them, Avinavaru, Baduvanavaru, Basalenavaru, Emmenavaru, Dasalenavaru, Danyadavaru, Undenavaru, Jaldhinavaru, and Janakallinavaru married girls of Shri Krishna Kula Nagakanni sect of Yadavas, and the rest of them were married to the offspring of these couples during pre-Vedic periods. [29] [5]
1. Undenavaru | Humorous ones, descendants of Unde Yattaraya |
2. Yelenavaru | Powerful, Anjaneya Bhaktas |
3. Janakallinavaru | Caretakers |
4. Arasanavaru | Guru, judge |
5. Jaldhinavaru | Jailors, descendants of Jaldhi Bapparaya |
6. Rageoru | Crazy ones |
7. Avinavaru | Traditional, descendants of Avinakamaraya |
8. Jannakkoru | Wardens |
9. Alunavaru | Philanthropists |
10. Danyathavaru | Elegant people |
11. Eradukkariouru | Absent minded ones |
12. Kankalanavaru | Zealous ones |
13. Alenavaru | Sober ones/Teetotallers |
14. Surenavaru | clan guru/Advisor |
15. Basalenavaru | Traders |
16. Emmenavaru | Diplomats |
17. Ethirukaraioru | Moral, straightforward |
18. Huliyaru | Humane ones |
19. Settenavaru | Decision makers |
20. Goniyoru | Rigid people |
21. Alpenavaru | Aloof ones |
22. Bellenavaru | Aggressive ones |
23. Andenavaru | Good anchors, Traders and Wise ones |
24. Jeerikkoru | Jealous ones |
25. Kattaratavaru | Ardent ones |
26. Onamanavaru | Powerful people |
27. Kakkiyavaru | Enthusiastic ones |
28. Manasanvaru | Recited Hymns |
29. Kambalioru | Juvenile natured |
30. Ellaioru | Elite people |
31. Mayoru | Confused ones |
32. Uthenavaru | Commanders |
33. Karikkenavaru | Youthful ones |
34. Sarangathoru | Wise people |
35. Ravuththnaoru | Chatterboxes |
36. Uthathoru | Toolmakers |
37. Gudiyoru | Guard, Guest |
38. Jeriyoru | Entertainers |
39. Uthathoru | Toolmakers |
40. Badavanavaru | Singers |
41. Dasalenavaru | Tailors |
42. Ullenavaru | Autocrats |
43. Thabakkioru | Weavers |
44. Saradenavaru | Intelligent ones |
45. Thomkuthioru | Meticulous ones |
46. Kokkenavaru | Knowledgeable ones |
47. Kuloru | Traditional people |
48. Koopaenavaru | Ones with decorated eyes |
49. Olakkaloru | Celebrities |
50. Aramaneyaru | Zamindars |
The following gotras are found outside Karnataka. [28]
The Kunchitigas of Malenadu were cattle traders that were known as maroru (transl. "vendors"). [59]
The Kannadigas or Kannaḍigaru, often referred to as Kannada people, are a Dravidian ethno-linguistic group who natively speak Kannada and trace their ancestry to the South Indian state of Karnataka in India and its surrounding regions. The Kannada language belongs to the Dravidian family of languages. Kannada stands among 30 of the most widely spoken languages of the world as of 2001.
Kempe Gowda I locally venerated as Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda, or commonly known as Kempe Gowda, was a governor under the Vijayanagara Empire in early-modern India. He is famous for the development of Bangalore Town in the 16th century. He erected many kannada inscriptions in the regions. He also authored Ganga-gauri-vilasa, a yakshagana (verse-play) in Telugu. He is commemorated with various statues and memorials and many places are named after him in Bangalore.
The Dhangars are caste of people found in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Madhya Pradesh. They are referred to as dhangar in southern Maharashtra, Goa and northern Karnataka, Golla in Andhra Pradesh and Kuruba in Karnataka and Gavli Dhangars in northern Maharashtra. Some Gavlis live in forested hill tracts of India's Western Ghats. Gavli, also known as Dange or Mhaske, and ahir are a sub-caste of Dhangar. However, there are many distinct Gavli castes in Maharashtra and Dhangar Gavli is one of them.
Hegde or Heggade Pergade is a common surname found primarily in the Kanara, Tulu Nadu and Konkan regions of India. It is prevalent among various Hindu communities in these regions, including the Kuruba Gowda, Bunt, Saraswat Brahmins, Kannada Jain, Havyaka Brahmin, and Vokkaliga communities of Karnataka.
Western Ganga was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India which lasted from about 350 to 1000 CE. They are known as "Western Gangas" to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over Kalinga. The general belief is that the Western Gangas began their rule during a time when multiple native clans asserted their freedom due to the weakening of the Pallava empire in South India, a geo-political event sometimes attributed to the southern conquests of Samudra Gupta. The Western Ganga sovereignty lasted from about 350 to 550 CE, initially ruling from Kolar and later, moving their capital to Talakadu on the banks of the Kaveri River in modern Mysore district.
Vokkaliga is a community of closely related castes, from the Indian states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Kongu Vellalar is a community found in the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu, India.
North Karnataka is a geographical region in Deccan plateau from 300 to 730 metres elevation that constitutes the region of the Karnataka state in India and the region consists of 14 districts. It is drained by the Krishna River and its tributaries the Bhima, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, and Tungabhadra. North Karnataka lies within the Deccan thorn scrub forests ecoregion, which extends north into eastern Maharashtra.
Davanagere district is an administrative district of Karnataka state in India. It is the centre of Karnataka. The city of Davanagere is the district headquarters. It had a population of 1,643,494 of which 32.31% was urban as of 2011. This district was separated from Chitradurga district in 1997 by the then Chief minister of Karnataka J. H. Patel including Chennagiri and Honali Taluks Shimoga district.
The Western Chalukya Empire ruled most of the western Deccan Plateau in South India between the 10th and 12th centuries AD. This Kannada-speaking dynasty is sometimes called the Kalyani Chalukya after its regal capital of Kalyani in present-day Basavakalyan, Bidar district, Karnataka, and the Later Chalukya from its theoretical relationship to the sixth-century Chalukya dynasty of Badami. It is known as the Western Chalukyas to distinguish it from the contemporaneous Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi. Before the rise of the Chalukyas, the Rashtrakuta Empire of Manyakheta controlled most of the Deccan Plateau and central India for over two centuries. In 973, seeing confusion in the Rashtrakuta Empire after an invasion of their capital by the ruler of the Paramara dynasty of Malwa, Tailapa II defeated his overlords and made Manyakheta his capital. The dynasty quickly gained power and grew into an empire under Someshvara I, who moved the capital to Kalyani.
The Seuna, Sevuna, or Yadavas of Devagiri was a medieval Indian dynasty, which at its peak ruled a realm stretching from the Narmada river in the north to the Tungabhadra river in the south, in the western part of the Deccan region. Its territory included present-day Maharashtra, northern Karnataka and parts of Madhya Pradesh, from its capital at Devagiri.
The Origin of the Rashtrakuta dynasty has been a controversial topic and has been debated over the past decades by historians. The differing opinions mostly revolve around issues such as the home of the earliest ancestors of the medieval Rashtrakutas, a possible southern migration during the early part of the first millennium and the relationship between the several Rashtrakuta dynasties that ruled small kingdoms in northern and central India and the Deccan in the 6th century - 7th century. Further, the relationship of these medieval Rashtrakutas to the most important and famous dynasty, the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta of the 8th century - 10th century time period has also been debated. Also contested is whether the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta were related by ancestry to the early Kannada and Maratha communities of the Deccan or other ethnic groups of northern India.
Veera Ballala III was the last great king of the Hoysala Empire. During his rule, the northern and southern branches of the Hoysala empire were consolidated and administered from Halebidu. During his rule, he fought numerous wars with the Yadavas of Devagiri, the Pandyan Dynasty of Madurai and other minor dynasties of South India. But it was his conflict with the invading forces of Alauddin Khalji, and later those of Muhammad bin Tughluq, the Sultan of Delhi, that would alter the course of history of South India. For his courage and fortitude, the historians Suryanath Kamath, Chopra, Ravindran and Subrahmanian have called him a "great ruler". With his death in c. 1343, South India saw the rise of a new Hindu empire, the Vijayanagara Empire. In the words of the historian Sen "the Hoysalas were the greatest among those who claim to be the makers of modern Mysore". Harihara I and Bukka Raya I, the brothers who founded the Vijayanagara Empire had served the king in a military capacity.
The History of Karnataka goes back several millennia. Several great empires and dynasties have ruled over Karnataka and have contributed greatly to the history, culture and development of Karnataka as well as the entire Indian subcontinent. The Chindaka Nagas of central India Gangas, Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta, Chalukyas of Vengi, Yadava Dynasty of Devagiri were all of Kannada origin who later took to encouraging local languages.
The political history of medieval Karnataka spans the 4th to the 16th centuries in Karnataka region of India. The medieval era spans several periods of time from the earliest native kingdoms and imperialism; the successful domination of the Gangetic plains in northern India and rivalry with the empires of Tamilakam over the Vengi region; and the domination of the southern Deccan and consolidation against Muslim invasion. The origins of the rise of the Karnataka region as an independent power date back to the fourth-century birth of the Kadamba Dynasty of Banavasi which was the earliest of the native rulers to conduct administration in the native language of Kannada in addition to the official Sanskrit.
The Western Ganga Dynasty ruled large parts of southern Karnataka from the fourth century CE till the late tenth century CE with their regal capital initially at Kolar and later at Talakad in Mysore district, Karnataka. The origin of the Ganga clan prior to the fourth century is shrouded in legends and myths. Clarity into their history comes from such contemporaneous writings as Chavundaraya Purana in Kannada and Lokhavibhaga in Prakrit and from numerous inscriptions excavated in the Mysore, Bangalore and Kolar districts and Anantapur district. The Western Gangas played a pivotal role in the development of polity, culture and literature during their long rule in the region, at times as independent monarchs and at other times as subordinates of their larger neighbors: the Badami Chalukyas and later the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta. Their patronage to literature in Kannada and Sanskrit, their achievements in architecture including the famous monolith of Gomateshwara, their Hindu temples in the southern Karnataka, and their Jain Basadi's of Shravanabelagola and Kambadahalli are testimony to the rich contribution they made to the region.
About 25,000 inscriptions found in Karnataka and nearby states belong to historic Kannada rulers, including the Kadambas, the Western Ganga Dynasty, the Rashtrakuta, the Chalukya, the Hoysala and the Vijayanagara Empire. Many inscriptions related to Jainism have been unearthed. The inscriptions found are generally on stone (Shilashasana) or copper plates (Tamarashasana). These Kannada inscriptions are found on historical hero stones, coins, temple walls, pillars, tablets and rock edicts. They have contributed towards Kannada literature and helped to classify the eras of Proto Kannada, Pre Old Kannada, Old Kannada, Middle Kannada and New Kannada. Inscriptions depict the culture, tradition and prosperity of their era. The literature of Ramayana and Mahabharata are transferred through the generations by these inscriptions. The Hazara Rama Temple and Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple are the best examples of temples associated with Kannada inscriptions.
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Dridhaprahara is the earliest historically attested ruler of the Seuna (Yadava) dynasty that ruled the western Deccan region in present-day India.
Bhillama II was a ruler of the Seuna (Yadava) dynasty of Deccan region in India. He was a vassal of the Kalyani Chalukya ruler Tailapa II, and played an important role in Tailapa's victory against the Paramara king Munja.
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