Settibalija

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Settibalija (also Setti Balija, Shetty 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 Shetty 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]

Contents

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]

Shetty Balijas of Rayalaseema

Shetty Balija (also known as Shetty Balija, Chetty Balija, Balija) is a subgroup of the Balija caste. [8] The community identifies itself as Shetty 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 Shetty 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] Shetty Balija (sub-caste of Balija) is present all across Rayalaseema, and in smaller numbers in former Nellore and Prakasam districts. [9] The Shetty 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]

Settibalijas of Coastal Andhra

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 Shetty 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]

Related Research Articles

Naidu is a Telugu title commonly used by various Telugu castes of South India. 'Nayudu/Naidu' (నాయుడు) is a contraction of the Telugu word 'Nayakudu' (నాయకుడు) meaning leader, chief, or headman. Telugu castes such as the Kamma, Gavara,,Kapu/Balija ,Golla, Turpu Kapu, Velama, Boya among others use this title. There is also lots of ambiguity in the title 'Naidu' usage & its origin, as to who used it first & who adapted it later, as there are also several backward communities such as Koppala Velama,Golla and a few other Kapu sub-castes that started using the above title!

Mala is a Telugu caste from the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. They are also present in smaller numbers in the states of Karnataka and Maharashtra. They are classified as a Scheduled Caste (SC) by the Government of India. According to 2001 census data, Malas constituted 41.6 percent of the Scheduled Castes population in the then state of Andhra Pradesh, which also included the present state of Telangana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coastal Andhra</span> Geographic region of Andhra Pradesh, India

Coastal Andhra or Kosta Andhra is a geographic region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Vijayawada is the largest city in this region followed by Guntur. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andhra State</span> Former state of India (1953–56) in Andhra Pradesh

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madiga</span> Caste in South India

Madiga ""Gaelic 'o' madiga"" is an ethnic group/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 they work mostly known to make shoes, Chindu They are nomadic performing caste, Chindus constantly travel to different villages and live with Madigas they can be identified as worshippers of Yellamma diety, Dakkali, Dakkala or Dakkali is the name of a class of mendicants who beg from Mādigas only, Mashti, a nomadic tribe with martial art skills has by and large gone unnoticed in this part of East Godavari. They are unknown to many beyond the district and deprived of any support from the authorities. They are known as ‘Mala Mashtis’, Sangaris they are known for making handicrafts and wood carving. The priestly class is known as Madiga Dasu they are associated with temple worships and have had a long history of being agricultural land owners they are also worshippers of Venkateswara or Narasimha dieties.

Kapu is a Hindu caste primarily found in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kapus are classified as a Forward caste, and are a community of land-owning agriculturists. Historically, they also served as military generals (Nayakas) and warriors in Hindu kingdoms such as the Vijayanagara Empire. Kapus are a dominant caste of Andhra Pradesh. They are primarily present in Coastal Andhra, with a major concentration in the Godavari-Krishna delta region. Kapus commonly use the title Naidu.

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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. In Tamil Nadu, they are known as Kavarais.

Gavara is a term used to refer to four distinct and completely unrelated communities in South Indian.

Edigas or Idigas is a Hindu toddy tapper community in Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Telaga is a land-owning agrarian community primarily found in the Coastal Andhra region of India. Telaga is a subcaste of the Kapu community, with both terms often used interchangeably. They are classified as a Forward caste. 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, Maharashtra 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Komati (caste)</span> Indian trading community

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.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Paul, John Jeya; Yandell, Keith E. (2000). Religion and Public Culture: Encounters and Identities in Modern South India. Psychology Press. pp. 33–34. ISBN   978-0-7007-1101-7.
  2. 1 2 Proceedings - Indian History Congress. Indian History Congress. 2006. p. 430. The Shetty Balija community of the Rayalaseema region is basically a landholding community.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Devi, Dr V. Vasanthi (3 May 2021). A Crusade for Social Justice: P. S. Krishnan: Bending Governence Towards The Deprived. South Vision Books. pp. 47–48. 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.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Census of India, 1961. Part 6. Vol. 2. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. p. 13. 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 ....
  5. 1 2 W. Chandrakanth (27 February 2004). "Gouda, Settibalija conference". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 18 January 2005. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  6. ↑ Reddy, M. Atchi (1996). Lands and Tenants in South India: A Study of Nellore District, 1850-1990. Oxford University Press. p. 139. ISBN   978-0-19-563660-4.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "NCBC Andhra Pradesh Bench Findings" (PDF). National Commission for Backward Classes . 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 February 2013.
  8. ↑ [1] [6] [7] : 12, 16 
  9. 1 2 3 Singh, K. S. (1992). People of India: Andhra Pradesh (3 pts.). Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN   978-81-85579-09-2. (p. 281) The Setty Balija is a subgroup of the Balija. This community identifies itself as Shetty Balija in the Rayalaseema districts, while the people in coastal Andhra prefer to call themselves Balija and Kapu.
  10. ↑ Singh, K. S. (1998). India's Communities. Vol. 6. Anthropological Survey of India. p. 228. ISBN   978-0-19-563354-2.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Report of the Backward Classes Commission. Andhra Pradesh Backward Classes Commission. 1970.
  12. ↑ [2] [11] [7] : 20 
  13. ↑ [9] [7] : 12, 18 
  14. 1 2 Prasada Bhoopaludu (1939). Andhra Vignanamu. Vol. 3. The Razan Electric Press. p. 1382. ఈండ్ర లేక యీడిగ అని పిలువబడు కులజు లిటీవల సెట్టిబలిజెలు అనుపేరు పెట్టుకొని యున్నారు. కాని వీరలలో వీరి కెట్టి సంబంధమును లేదు.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 ఆహ్వానము (in Telugu), అఖిల భారత కల్లుగీత కులాల సమాఖ్య, 2018, retrieved 24 October 2022
  16. 1 2 3 K. Narayana Desai (1937). Balija Kula Charitra (PDF) (in Telugu). pp. 10–11.
  17. ↑ [3] [14] [7] : 9–10, 18  [15] [4] [11] : 160, 169  [16]
  18. ↑ Singh, K. S. (1992). People of India: Andhra Pradesh (3 pts.). Anthropological Survey of India. p. 275. ISBN   978-81-85579-09-2.
  19. ↑ Proceedings - Indian History Congress. Indian History Congress. 2006. p. 430. Setti Balija / Gamalla / Gaundla are originally toddy tappers by profession, though a few work to cultivation.
  20. ↑ Somanaboina, Simhadri; Ramagoud, Akhileshwari (15 November 2021). The Routledge Handbook of the Other Backward Classes in India: Thought, Movements and Development. Taylor & Francis. ISBN   978-1-000-46280-7.
  21. ↑ Singh, K. S. (1992). People of India: Andhra Pradesh. Anthropological Survey of India. p. 692. ISBN   978-81-7671-006-0. 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.
  22. ↑ Balasubramanian, Rangaswamy (2001). Social and Economic Dimensions of Caste Organisations in South Indian States. University of Madras. p. 249.
  23. ↑ "Andhra Pradesh Backward Caste List". Srikakulam Online. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  24. ↑ [11] : 160, 169  [23] [7] : 3–4 
  25. ↑ [14] [11] : 160, 169  [7] : 9–10, 18  [16]
  26. 1 2 Gudikadi Anjaneyulu Goud (2001). గౌడ పురాణం: పటం కథ - ఒక పరిశీలన [Gouda Puranam: Patam Katha - Oka Pariseelana] (in Telugu). Triveni Publications. p. 23. Archived from the original on 30 June 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 Gudikadi Anjaneyulu Goud (2001). గౌడ పురాణం: పటం కథ - ఒక పరిశీలన [Gouda Puranam: Patam Katha - Oka Pariseelana] (in Telugu). Triveni Publications. p. 24. Archived from the original on 30 June 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  28. 1 2 3 4 Gubbala Satya Prasad (1 September 2019). ""శెట్టిబలిజ" కు నూరేండ్లు" (in Telugu). Bombay Andhra Settibalija Samajam. Archived from the original on 30 June 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  29. ↑ "ఆంధ్రభారతి నిఘంటు శోధన - ఈండ్ర". Andhra Bharati. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  30. ↑ [26] [27] [3] [15] [28] [29]
  31. ↑ [27] [4] [15] [28] [3] [7]
  32. ↑ [11] [7] : 9–10, 18  [16]
  33. 1 2 Gubbala Madhava Murty (30 September 2013). "First Settibalija Mahajana Sabha and its Resolutions" (in Telugu). Archived from the original on 30 June 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  34. ↑ [27] [15] [33] [28]
  35. ↑ "నూరేండ్ల పండుగ" [Centenary Celebrations]. Bombay Andhra Settibalija Samajam. January 2020. Archived from the original on 30 June 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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