Yerukala people
 Yerukala men holds stick | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 519,337 (2011 census) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Andhra Pradesh (Majority), Tamil Nadu, Telangana | |
| Languages | |
| Yerukala | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Soliga, Tamil, Irula |
Yerukala or Erukala or Erukula is a Tamil tribal community primarily found in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.[1] The population of Yerukala tribes according to 2011 census is 519,337. The total literacy rate among Yerukula is 48.12%. Most live in southern coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema, with a smaller minority in districts of Telangana. Their native language is Tamil based Yerukala but most have shifted to Telugu. They were vilifed in British sources for being habitual criminals,[2] and so were placed under Criminal Tribes Act, although they were underrepresented in the population of criminals and were most likely targeted for their nomadic lifestyle.[3]
References and notes
- ^ Chaudhuri, Sarit Kumar; Chaudhuri, Sucheta Sen, eds. (2005). Primitive tribes in contemporary India: concept, ethnography and demography. Vol. 2. Mittal Publications. p. 263. ISBN 81-8324-026-7.
- ^ Thurston, Edgar. Castes and Tribes of Southern India.
- ^ P, Samuel Jonathan (25 November 2017). "The agony of Stuartpuram". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 5 October 2020.