Munnuru Kapu

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 Kapu
ReligionsHinduism[1]
LanguagesTelugu
CountryIndia
RegionTelangana

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. 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. Singh, K. S. (1992). People of India: Andhra Pradesh. Anthropological Survey of India. p. 846. ISBN 978-81-7671-006-0.
  3. Proceedings - Indian History Congress. Indian History Congress. 2006.
  4. 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. 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. 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. "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. 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. 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.
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