Reddy Catholics

Reddy Catholics are a loose sect or association of Catholics that grew out of the first Christian converts in Andhra Pradesh, India. They generally speak Telugu and often retain some of their Hindu customs. There are branches in many parts of the world.[1]

Reddy Catholics
రెడ్డి కతోలికులు , ரெட்டி கத்தோலிக்கர்கள் (Reddy Katholikulu, Reddy Katholickkarkal)
Regions with significant populations
Rayalaseema, Guntur district, Rangareddy District, Hyderabad, Chengalpattu district, Chennai
Diaspora: United States, Australia
Languages
Telugu, Tamil
Religion
Catholicism
Related ethnic groups
Reddy people, Roman Catholic Kshatriyas, Telugu people, Tamil people

History

The first convert to Christianity in Andhra Pradesh was Thumma Hanumantha Reddy, also known as Manda Reddy.[2][3] Manda Reddy, along with thirty Reddy families of Muddiguba and some other Reddy families in Alamuru, embraced Christianity in 1715.[4] In the Rayalaseema region, many Reddies began visiting churches and converted to Christianity (Catholicism).[5] By 1735, in South Andhra, there were thousands of Christians, most of whom belonged to the Reddy and traditional weaver communities.

Many Reddies in Guntur district have converted in to Roman Catholisim. Reddies who converted to Roman Catholicism still kept some the Hindu traditions like thali, bottu. Some of the Catholic Reddies migrated to Telangana via Krishna river. In Telangana they named their village as Guntur pally, Reddypuram or Reddypalem.[6] By 1750, Christianity further spread to the Circar Districts due to the migration of Christian Reddies into those areas.[6] In the early 18th century, many Catholic Reddies had migrated from Rayalaseema to some parts of Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. In Tamil Nadu, many Reddy Catholic villages can be found in districts of Chingleput and Kancheepuram like Thatchur and Kilachery, Pallipattu, Sakainagar, Pathur, Boothur, etc all these villages are dominated by Reddy Catholics, Presently most of the people who settled in Tamil Nadu speak Tamil and got assimilated with local culture.

Reddy Catholics mainly live under

See also

References
  1. "American Telugu Reddy Catholic Association | ATRCA". Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  2. The Quarterly Review of Historical Studies. Institute of Historical Studies. 2002. p. 14.
  3. Pandey, Alpana (2015-08-11). Medieval Andhra: A Socio-Historical Perspective. Partridge Publishing. p. 119. ISBN 9781482850178.
  4. Itihas. 2002. p. 111. ISBN 9789854420769.
  5. Jangam, Chinnaiah (2013). "The Story of a Jailed Prince: Feudal Roots of Democratic Politics in Andhra Pradesh". Economic and Political Weekly. 48 (25): 11–15. ISSN 0012-9976. JSTOR 23527964.
  6. Hrangkhuma, F. (1998). Christianity in India: Search for Liberation and Identity. Indian Society. p. 67. ISBN 9788172144579.
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