Settibalija (also Setti Balija, Setty Balija) refers to two distinct and completely unrelated communities in Andhra Pradesh, India. The term Setti Balija (or Chetty Balija) historically referred to a sub-caste of the Balija community. [1] These Setti Balijas were a prominent mercantile community of South India with a history dating back to the Vijayanagara Empire. [1] They are currently found in the Rayalaseema region and are classified as a Forward Caste. [2]
In 1920, as a part of Sanskritization process, the toddy-tapper community of Godavari districts — not related to the Balija caste and the historical Setti Balija trader community — changed their caste name from Ediga or Eendra to the more respectable name of Chettu Balija (Chettu meaning tree in Telugu), which transformed to Setti Balija over a period of time. [3] [4] The Settibalijas of Godavari districts are related to the larger Goud community and are classified as a Backward Caste. [5]
Setti Balija (also known as Setty Balija, Chetty Balija, Balija) is a subgroup of the Balija caste. [8] The community identifies itself as Setti Balija in Rayalaseema while in Coastal Andhra they prefer to call themselves Balija to avoid confusion with an unrelated community of the same name. [9] Their traditional occupation is trading. [1] [10] These Setti Balijas, along with Komatis, were a prominent mercantile community of South India with a history dating back to the Vijayanagara Empire. [1]
In the present-day, they are landholders and are involved in agriculture, business, and trade in food grain. [7] : 16, 18 They are classified as a Forward Caste in Andhra Pradesh. [12] Setti Balija (sub-caste of Balija) is present all across Rayalaseema, and in smaller numbers in former Nellore and Prakasam districts. [9] The Setty Balijas of Rayalaseema are closely related to the landowning Kapu/Telaga community of Coastal Andhra. [13] They are completely unrelated to the Coastal Andhra community known as Setti Balija, who are a part of Goud community and changed their caste name from Ediga to Setti Balija in 1920 to attain social dignity. [17]
The Settibalijas (also known as Chettu Balija, Ediga, Eendra, Settiga, Settikula) [18] of Coastal Andhra mostly live in the erstwhile districts of East Godavari, West Godavari and in smaller numbers in Visakhapatnam and Krishna districts. Traditionally, they are a community of toddy tappers. [19] [20] They are similar to other Telugu toddy tapping castes like Goud, Ediga, Yatha, Gamalla, Goundla, Segidi etc. [21] [5] [22]
The Settibalija community of Coastal Andhra is classified as a Backward Caste and is listed under BC-B in the Andhra Pradesh Backward Castes list. [24] They are completely unrelated to the Setty Balija community of Rayalaseema who are traders and landlords. [25]
History
In the early 20th century, toddy tappers of Godavari districts were looked down upon by the upper caste people due to their occupation and low economic status. [26] [27] At the time, they were referred to as Ediga (ఈడిగ) or Eendra (ఈండ్ర) with the disparaging suffix -gadu added to the names of men. [30] They were also known as Chettu gallu (Chettu meaning tree in Telugu). [4]
On 25 September 1920, Dommeti Venkata Reddy (1853–1928), a rich merchant from the Eendra community organised a caste meeting in Bodasakurru, East Godavari district (now in Konaseema district) and passed the resolution that the Ediga/Eendra caste would henceforth only be referred to as Settibalija (Setti sounding similar to Chettu meaning tree or Chottu meaning tapping; and Balija meaning trader/businessman). [31]
Even though Edigas are unrelated to the Balija community, the word 'Balija' was added to their caste name as it was considered to be a respectable name. [32] Venkata Reddy urged his fellow Edigas to record their caste under their new name in land documents, censuses, and other government records. [33] He also resolved that -gadu would not be used for the names of toddy-tapper families in any manner and submitted a memorandum to the district collector on the same. [34] He also established a high school and undertook other initiatives for the educational development of his caste. [27] [15]
In 2020, members of the community celebrated the 100th anniversary of the renaming of their caste from Ediga to Settibalija. [35] [28]
Naidu is a Telugu title commonly used by various Telugu castes. 'Nayudu/Naidu' (నాయుడు) is a contraction of the Telugu word 'Nayakudu' (నాయకుడు) meaning leader, chief, headman. Telugu castes such as the Kapu/Balija Kamma, Gavara, Golla, Turpu Kapu, Velama, Boya etc. use the title.
Coastal Andhra or Kosta Andhra is a geographic region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Visakhapatnam is the largest city in this region. The region share borders with Rayalaseema region of the state and Telangana. It was a part of Madras State before 1953 and Andhra State from 1953 to 1956. According to the 2011 census, it has an area of 91,915 square kilometres (35,489 sq mi) which is 57.99% of the total state area and a population of 34,193,868 which is 69.20% of Andhra Pradesh state population. This area includes the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh on the Circar Coast between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal, from the northern border with Odisha to Rayalaseema in the south.
Andhra State was a state in India created in 1953 from the Telugu-speaking northern districts of Madras State. The state was made up of this two distinct cultural regions – Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra. Andhra State did not include all Telugu-speaking areas, as it excluded some in Hyderabad State. Under the State Reorganisation Act of 1956, Andhra State was merged with the Telugu-speaking regions of Hyderabad State to form Andhra Pradesh.
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.
Tanguturi Anjaiah (1919–1986), popularly known as T. Anjaiah, was an Indian politician who served as the 7th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh from October 1980 to February 1982. He won from Ramayampet Assembly Constituency.
The Nayak, or Naik is a historic Indian title conferred on military captains and governors of feudal states in the Middle Ages. Today it is also a surname. Nayaks are mostly Hindu and few Sikhs, who follow Hinduism and Sikhism respectively.
Kapu is a Hindu caste mainly found in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. They are classified as a Forward caste. They are a community of land-owning agriculturists. Historically, they have also been warriors and military generals (Nayakas) in Hindu armies. They are a dominant caste of Andhra Pradesh. Kapus commonly carry the title Naidu. They are primarily present in Coastal Andhra with major concentration in the Godavari-Krishna delta region.
Sardar Gouthu Latchanna was a veteran freedom fighter from India.
The Balija are a Telugu-speaking mercantile community primarily living in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and in smaller numbers in Telangana and Kerala.
Gavara is a term used to refer to four different South Indian communities.
Edigas or Idigas is a Hindu toddy tapper community in Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Telaga is a community found in Coastal Andhra region of India. Telaga is a subcaste of Kapu and both terms are often used synonymously. They are classified as a Forward caste. They are a land-owning agrarian community. Historically, they were a warrior caste known for their honour and bravery.
The Gamalla are an Indian caste whose traditional occupation was that of toddy tapping. They also produced and sold the arrack.
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.
The Komati is a Telugu-speaking trading community which is a Vaishya community that is currently organised as a caste. They are primarily found in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and in smaller numbers in neighbouring states. The members of the Komati caste are commonly engaged as moneylenders, businessmen, and shopkeepers. The community consists of many sects who are followers of Hinduism, namely the Gomata, the Thrivarnika, and the Kalinga, along with the Jaina Komatis who are followers of Jainism. Traditionally, most Komatis are vegetarian due to their belief in ahimsa (nonviolence).
Koppula Velama or Koppu Velama is a Telugu peasant caste found in Andhra Pradesh, India. They are primarily found in the Uttarandhra region with smaller populations in other districts of the state. They are classified under the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. They are politically well-represented in the Uttarandhra region. Koppula Velama is distinct from Padmanayaka Velama or Velama Dora caste.
Bairisetty, Bairisetti or Byrisetty is one of the Indian surnames this surname is used by Kapu, Balija and Naidu Caste. this surname is mostly used in Andhra Pradesh state Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions. Bairisetty derived from the name of Bairi word means Peregrine falcon in Telugu గద్ద or గ్రద్ద
Eluru district is a district in coastal Andhra Region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. With Eluru as its administrative headquarters, it was proposed on 26 January 2022 to become one of the resultant twenty six districts in the state once a final notification is issued by the government of Andhra Pradesh. It is formed from Eluru revenue division and Jangareddygudem revenue division from West Godavari district and Nuzvid revenue division from Krishna district.
The Setty Balija community of the Rayalaseema region is basically a landholding community.
In some parts of Andhra Pradesh, the Idiga have assumed the name of "Setty Balija", which is felt as more respectable than the traditional name. But the socio-economic and educational conditions of the Idiga of Andhra Pradesh are now worse than that of Ezhava and Nadar. A large percentage of them continue to still work as toddy-tappers.
For instance, Chetti Balija or Chettu Balija means a section of people engaged in economic activity whose main raw material base is trees. In other words, Chettu Balija is a section of people who are engaged in tapping the juice from trees particularly ....
(p. 281) The Setty Balija is a subgroup of the Balija. This community identifies itself as Setty Balija in the Rayalaseema districts, while the people in coastal Andhra prefer to call themselves Balija and Kapu.
ఈండ్ర లేక యీడిగ అని పిలువబడు కులజు లిటీవల సెట్టిబలిజెలు అనుపేరు పెట్టుకొని యున్నారు. కాని వీరలలో వీరి కెట్టి సంబంధమును లేదు.
Setti Balija / Gamalla / Gaundla are originally toddy tappers by profession, though a few work to cultivation.
The Idiga or Ediga are toddy-tappers and liquor vendors in the Rayalaseema area. They are referred to as Goundala and Kalali in Telangana and Gowda, Gamalla or Setti Balija in coastal Andhra.
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