The Nethakani or Netkani (also Nethkani in Maharashtra or Nethakaani in Telangana) are a Marathi- and Telugu-speaking caste of cotton weavers and laborers. Originating in Maharashtra, and spread over middle India, Northern and southern parts of India. Traditionally they have been associated with the occupation of weaving (netha neyuta means "weaving" in Telugu), but they have now largely moved to cultivation and agricultural labor; with a few of them being small land-owners.
The Nethkani claim descent from Brigu Maharshi, Markandeya, and Bhawana rishi. [1] [2] According to Bhadravathi Kalyana Natakamu, a folk-drama which has been published, the Nethakani are one among the four sections of Padmasaliyulu who are the sons of Bhavana Rushi. The four sections mentioned in this drama are Padmiyulu, Padmasakhiyulu, Padmasalikulu and Padmapulindulu. Padma-pulindulu was the original name of the Nethakani. From Padmapulindulu, the name became Chenethakanivaru, which in course of time changed to the present form, Nethakani.
During British rule, Hyderabad State was ruled by the Nizam Nawabs with Aurangabad as the capital of Maharashtra. The Nethakanis migrated to other parts of the country due to financial difficulties, some of which also came to the Telangana region. They later started farming as agricultural laborers in the Telangana region so that their economic condition improved to some extent.
The main occupation of the Nethakani society in the past was weaving handloom textiles. Weaving has disappeared over time, forcing the Nethakani to turn toward other professions, mainly agricultural labour and the making of agricultural implements (e.g. plowing edlabandi, making). Nethakani also went into the forest to gather coir and make rope from it, including line ropes, line ropes for bullock carts, reins for oxen, goats, tails, etc. The threads made of coir are called nulaka and the beds were woven with this nulaka. Linen beds are also known as chenetha beds.
Based on their financial status in the society, Nethekanis are designated as a Scheduled Caste (SC) in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Telangana, [3] and may be classified as an Other Backward Class (OBC) in other parts of India.
Nethakanis are distributed throughout Maharashtra. Most live in Chandrapur and Gadchiroli areas of Maharashtra, with smaller populations in other areas. The Nethakanis of Maharashtra speak Marathi, as do those in the neighbouring Adilabad district of Telangana.
In Telangana, Nethakanis are found primarily in the Godavari River basin, in the districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Khammam, and Warangal. Nethakani's are among the smaller SC castes in Telangana; a study estimated their population to be around 80,000, constituting about 1% of the state's total SC population. [4]
Nethakani in Adilabad Warangal Agency areas in Khammam district such as Utnur, Asifabad, Aturunagaram Bhadrachalam are living with tribals in areas under ITDA. But the Nethakani caste people who have been residing in the agency areas for many generations have no right to land, no education, no job, no political opportunities. In a way the orphans living in the Agency area are said to be the poorest of the tribals in India, but the local Nethakani people experience worse poverty than those tribes.
This people are part of Hindu Shiva sampradaya. They are unique caste present in India. They speak Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati, and Hindi.
The Nethakanis are distinguished by their custom of tying their head cloth in a roughly square shape, and by their loincloths, which are worn very loose and not knotted. [1] [5]
After the independence of India, the state of Hyderabad was merged into the state of Andhra Pradesh pursuant to the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. Due to this boundary change, the non-weaver community on one side of the Godavari river basin would come under the state of Maharashtra, and the weaver community on the other side came under the joint state of Andhra Pradesh. Among the Netakani in Telangana's Adilabad district, Buddhist religious traditions are practiced. In the villages in the Aheri Revenue Division area, the non-weaving community follows the religion of the Buddha, as well as the ideology of Ambedkar, and some Hindu traditions. The Telugu language is mostly spoken by the Netakani community living in these areas.
Khammam is the city in Khammam district of the Indian state of Telangana. It is the fourth largest city in the state. It is the headquarters of the Khammam district and Khammam mandal also. It is located about 193 kilometres (120 mi) east of the state capital, Hyderabad, 61 kilometres (38 mi) from Suryapet, 120 kilometres (75 mi) from Warangal and also it is located about 121 kilometres (75 mi) North of the Andhra Pradesh state capital, Amaravathi. The river Munneru flows on the western side of the city. As of 2011 census of India, Khammam urban agglomeration has a population of 313,504. However, on 19 October 2012, the civic body of Khammam was upgraded to a municipal corporation. Post- upgradation to corporation, the population of Khammam was approximated to be 3,07,000.
Telangana is a state in India situated in the southern-central part of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It was the eleventh largest state and the twelfth most populated state in India as per the 2011 census. On 2 June 2014, the area was separated from the northwestern part of United Andhra Pradesh as the newly formed state of Telangana, with Hyderabad as its capital. Telugu, one of the classical languages of India, is the most widely spoken and the primary official language of the state.
Warangal is a city in the Indian state of Telangana and the district headquarters of Warangal district. It is the second largest city in Telangana with a population of 811,844 per 2011 Census of India, and spreading over an 406 km2 (157 sq mi). Warangal served as the capital of the Kakatiya dynasty which was established in 1163. The monuments left by the Kakatiyas include fortresses, lakes, temples and stone gateways which, in the present, helped the city to become a popular tourist attraction. The Kakatiya Kala Thoranam was included in the emblem of Telangana by the state government and Warangal is also touted as the cultural capital of Telangana.
Adilabad is a city which serves as the headquarters of Adilabad district, in the Indian state of Telangana. Telugu, Urdu, Marathi, and Lambadi, gondi are the most spoken languages of Adilabad. Adilabad is famous for its rich cultivation of cotton. Hence, Adilabad is also referred as "White Gold City". It is located about 304 kilometres (189 mi) north of the state capital, Hyderabad, 150 kilometres (93 mi) from Nizamabad and 196 kilometres (122 mi) from Nagpur.
The Sriram Sagar Project is also known as the Pochampadu Project is an Indian flood-flow project on the Godavari. The Project is located in Nizamabad district, 3 km away from National Highway 44. It has been described by The Hindu as a "lifeline for a large part of Telangana".
Madiga is a Telugu caste from southern India. They mainly live in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka, with a small minority in Tamil Nadu. Madigas are historically associated with the work of tannery, leatherwork and small handicrafts. Today, most are agricultural labourers. They are categorized as a Scheduled Caste by the Government of India. Within the Madiga community, there are various sub-castes include Bindla, Chindu, Dakkali, Mashti, Sangaris and the priestly class is known as Madiga Dasu.
Khammam district is a district in the eastern region of the Indian state of Telangana. The city of Khammam is the district headquarters. The district shares boundaries with Suryapet, Mahabubabad, Bhadradri districts and with Eluru and NTR districts.
Nizamabad district is a district located in the north-western region of the Indian state of Telangana. The city of Nizamabad is the district headquarters. The district share boundaries with Jagtial, Sircilla, Nirmal, Kamareddy districts and with Nanded district of the state boundary of Maharashtra.
Hanamkonda district, is a district in the Indian state of Telangana. The district headquarters are located at Hanamakonda. The district borders the districts of Jangaon, Karimnagar, Warangal, Bhupalpally and Siddipet.
The Andh are a designated Scheduled Tribe in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Andhs have the originated from the Satavahan dynasty.Andh community is one of the oldest Tribals community in India At the time of Satvahan rule, the king was the owner of the lands and the forests but some time after the death of the Satvahan king, the East India Company decreed all lands and forests under their governance. This was the cause of the Andh becoming isolated and non-progressed. They seem to have is originated in southern India in the vicinity of Madras which was once ruled by the Andhra dynasty. However the identification is only used for the people who by the start of the 20th century had a long history of presence in central India.
The Pranahita Chevella Lift Irrigation Project is a lift irrigation project to harness the water of Pranahita tributary of Godavari River for use in the Telangana state of India. The river water diversion barrage across the Pranahita River is located at Thammidihatti village in Komaram Bheem district of Telangana. This lift canal is an inter river basin transfer link by feeding Godavari River water to Krishna River basin. The chief ministers of Telangana and Maharashtra states reached an agreement in 2016 to limit the full reservoir level (FRL) of the barrage at 148 m msl with 1.85 tmcft storage capacity. In the year 2016, this project is divided into two parts. The scheme with diversion canal from the Thammmidihatti barrage to connect to existing Yellampalli reservoir across the Godavari River is presently called Pranahita barrage lift irrigation project. This scheme is confined to providing irrigation facility to nearly 2,00,000 acres in Adilabad district using 44 tmcft water.
Godavari Valley Coalfield is located in the districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Khammam and Warangal in the Indian state of Telangana. It is the only coalfield in South India. It lies in the basin of the Godavari River.
The Golla are a Telugu-speaking pastoral community primarily living in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with smaller numbers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. They are related to other pastoral-herding castes like Gulla, Gullar, Gollewar, Gavli and Dhangar and are a part of the larger Yadav community. They are classified as a Other Backward Caste.
Andhra Pradesh is a state in the southern part of India. It was created on 2 June 2014, with the passing of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. Andhra Pradesh is bordered by the Bay of Bengal to the east, Karnataka to the west, Telangana to the north-west Odisha and Chhattisgarh are to the north and Tamil Nadu to the south. The state covers an area of 162,975 km2, or 5.83% of the total geographical area of India. It comprises 26 districts. Telugu is the primary official language of Andhra Pradesh and spoken as a native language by about 89.21% of the people. Other ethnic minorities in the state as of 2001 are Urdu people (6.55%), Tamil people (1.04%).
Adilabad district is a district in the northern state of Telangana, India. It is known as the gateway district to South and Central India. The district's headquarters is the town of Adilabad.
Mancherial district is a district located in the northern region of the Indian state of Telangana. The district comprises 18 mandals and two revenue divisions – Mancherial and Bellampalli. The district headquarters is located at Mancherial town. It is surrounded by Komaram Bheem, Nirmal, Jagtial, Peddapalli and Bhupalpally districts of Telangana and with Maharashtra state.
Nirmal district is a district located in the northern region of the Indian state of Telangana. The district headquarters is located in the town of Nirmal. It borders the Telangana districts of Adilabad, Nizamabad, Mancherial, Asifabad, Jagtial districts as well as Nanded district of the state Maharashtra.
Warangal district, formerly Warangal Rural district, is a district in the Indian state of Telangana. The district shares boundaries with Mahabubabad, Jangaon, Hanamkonda, Mulugu and Bhupalpally districts.
Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district is a district in the Indian state of Telangana. The town of Asifabad is its district headquarters and kagaznagar as its largest town. It is named after Gond tribal leader Kumuram Bheem. It was earlier part of Adilabad district and it became a new district in 2016. The district share boundaries with Adilabad, Nirmal, Mancherial districts and with the state boundary of Maharashtra. It is the second most backward district in India, according to the 2018 NITI Aayog ranking.
