Niyogi Brahmin

Niyogis
Niyogis
Classification	Brahmin
Religions	Hinduism
Languages	Telugu
Populated states	Andhra Pradesh
Subdivisions	-

Niyogis are a sect of Brahmins and are predominantly Telugu speakers.

Theories of origin

There is a saying that they originated from a Brahmin community of the northern region, and 6000 highly intelligent who were also skilled in warfare and administration were chosen to help Kshatryias in desperate need in defending the country. Later they were migrated to various parts of the nation.

Most of the Brahmins in Andhra Pradesh belong to Smaarta Brahmin group, i.e., the followers of Smritis and followers of Adi Sankar Acharya. The Smaarta Brahmins follow Apastamba Smriti or Apastamba Sutra (not Manu Smriti). Apasthamba (~600 BC) was one of the earliest law makers of South India who lived on the banks of the Godavari river. Boudhayana, Parasara, Yajnvalkya Sutras etc.. were other important laws in the past, especially in the courts of Sri Krishna Deva Raya. The Smaarta Brahmins in Andhra Pradesh can be grouped into two major divisions formed about a thousand to 700 years ago (most probably during Kakatiya rule), Niyogi and Vaidiki.

Traditionally believed to have descended Lord Parasurama, Niyogi Brahmins are those Brahmins who are into various secular vocations including military activities and gave up religious vocation, especially the priesthood. The Satavahana Vamsam that is said to have given the name Andhra to the state was a Niyogi clan. Niyogi Brahmins depend on and emphasize modern education. They were minor-kings, zamindaars (landlords), ministers in the courts of kings and feudatories. Many of them were village heads like munsabs, talukdaars, patels, and accountants/clerks, Karanams (Andhra) or Patwaris (Telangana), until recently. ^[1].

Etymology

According to Jogendranath Bhattacharya, the word Niyogi is derived from Yoga, which means "religious contemplation" or "meditation", as opposed to Yaga, which means "religious sacrifice". Niyogin in Sanskrit also means "employed" or "appointed" and it is probable that Niyogis were given this name because they accept secular employment.

Subdivisions

Over the past millennium the Niyogis have been further divided further into various groups:

Pradhamasakha/Kanveyulu/Yagnavalkyulu (The First Branch)
Aruvela(6000) Niyogi
Nandavarikulu
Golkonda Vyaparulu
Karanakamma Vyaparulu
Sristikaranalu/Sistukaranalu/Sistakaranalu
Kasalanatlu
Pakanati
Pranganati

The Pradhamasakha group which belongs to the Shukla Yajurveda School. In Maharashtra too, there is a group of Brahmins called Pradhamasakha. There are Marathas (warrior / land owner community) also known as Pradhamasakhi. Pradhamasakha Brahmins are also called a Yagnavalkyulu and Kanveyulu.

The Aruvela Niyogis are the largest Niyogi group. Different explanations exist for the coining of the phrase "Aruvela Niyogilu" or 6000 Niyogis. They, as well as the majority of Brahmins in Andhra Pradesh, belong to the Krishna Yajurveda School. Some part of Krishna Dist,Guntur Dist and the surrounding areas was called as "AAru vela naadu".As these people belong to that area,they were called so.

Another belief is that 6000 brahmins once left out some area in and around "vishakhapattanam and the surrounding Samsthanams".So they were called as Aaruvela niyogulu.

Another theory asserts that 6000 Brahmins left drought- and famine-stricken regions of present-day Maharashtra and traveled to coastal and riverine regions of Andhra. These Brahmin settlers and their descendants, who adopted secular vocations, were termed the 6000 (or Aruvela) Niyogi. Many surnames among Maharashtra Brahmins and Aruvela Niyogis are common (or similar): this fact is considered by many to support for this theory of migration.

According to Narasimha Shastry Nori, 6000 Brahmins were appointed as village heads and accountants and training imparted to them, way back in 13th or 14th century AD

Pravaras

Every Brahmin family will have Pravara . This means every family linked up with one or two or three origins or ancestors or Vamsa Parampara. Every brahmin family will have minimum three Rishis . For example ., Angirasa , Aayasha, Gargeysa. This is one parampara . These three people are origin for today's generation . Like that there are very prominent Rishis ( sages)like Vasista, Koundinyasa, Bhardwaja, Parasara, Gothamasa, Srivatsasa, and so on..,. Every family while celebrating either function or sraddha , they should utter three times this Pravara and start the function or ceremony.

Surnames (Family Names) of Niyogi Brahmins

Pradhamasakha Niyogi Brahmins:

Adaalatu
Adukuri
Ainaparti
Ainamprolu
Akhandam
Alapattu
Aleti
Alladi
Ambadasu
Ambarukhana
Amruthavakkula
Anantavarapu
Andukuru
Anipeddi
Annavarpu
Anumarlapudi
Attota
Atreyapurapu
Ayinambrolu
Ayinpura
Ayyagari
Bendapudi
Birudavolu
Bollapragada
Bhavaraju
Bhimavarapu
Budharaju
Chaganty
Challa
Chakilam
Cheruku
Chillara
Chitrapu
Chittem
Dubagunta
Durgaraju
Damerla
Desiraju
Edlapalli
Eedupalli
Errapatruni
Errapragada
Gangaravula
Gampa
Gatraju
Gaddapalli
Gadidasu
Ganapatiraju
Ganugapati
Gajulapalli
Gadicharla
Ghali
Gorijavolu
Jeedigunta
Josyula
Kanchikacharala
Kanchugantala
Kathari
Kanakabhattula
Kavulu
Kavuluri
Kakarlapudi
Kakarlamudi
Kamaraju
Kanukollu
Karinapati
Karlapudi
Kasarabada
Kesharaju
Koochi
Kotamraju
Komaravolu
Korlimarla
Kuppila
Khandaladinne
Lakkaraju
Mannava
Mocherla
Matukumalli
Mukkapati
Mylavarapu
Nadimpalli
Nedunuri
Nissankala
Palepu
Parimi
Parupudi
Potula
Poruri
Regadamilli
Rayabharam
Rupanagunta
Rudravarapu
Srikaram
Sandepudi
Sampatam
Sambaraju
Sambatur
Sattenapalli
Satram
Sannikandlapadu
Samudram
Saripalli
Savidi
Somaasi
Sthaanam
Tammera
Toleti
Torthi
Twarakavi
Udayagiri
Ullaganti
Uppala
Urakaranam
Uta
Uttaralingamakuntla
Vaddiraju
Vadduri
Vadlamudi
Vaduri
Vahi
Vallambhatla
Valluri
Vanam
Vangipurapu
Vonkamamidi
Vankeswarapu
Varagani
Varahagiri
Vareswaram
Varkhola
Vasa
Vasiraju
Veladi
Velagapudi
Vepachedu
Vissamraju, etc.

Most of these families belong to "Kanva" or "Kanveeya" branch of Pradhamasakha. Many of these family names are unique to Pradhamasakha, and you may not find the same names in any other Brahmin caste, but some family names are found in various other Brahmin groups as well. Also, some of these family names may be found in non-Brahmin castes due to the fact that many of the family names are derived from the village names and/or due to inter-caste-mixing^[2].

Aruvela Niyogi and Other Niyogi Brahmins

Abburi
Achanta
Addanki
Adimulam
Adiraju
Aditham
Adivi
Aduri
Ajjarapu
Akkanapragada / Akkinapragada / Akkenapragada (all are same - as they are proper nouns)*
AkkaRaju
Akkinepalli
Akkiraju
Akunuri
Aluru
Amancherla
Andukuri
Annapragada
Annamraju
Annavaram
Apparaju (Parasara Gotram (tryo-rishi pravara Vasishta-Sakti-Parasara)in Aruvela Niyogi)
Apparaju (also exists in Nandavareeka Niyogi & Pradhama Sakha Niyogi)
Aradhyula
Arjarapu
Avatapalli
Ayyadevara
Ayyagari
Ayyalaraju
Bakaraju
Balabhadrapatruni
Balanthrapu
Balemarthy
Balivada
Ballijepalli
Bapatla
Bhadriraju
Bharatham
Bhattiprolu
Bhogaraju
Bhograj
Bhupatiraju
Bitragunta
Bodapati
Bollapragada
Bommireddipalli
Bondalapati
Boyinepalli
Buddhavarapu
Budhiraju
Budaraju
Chadalawada
Chakilam
Challa
Challapally
Chamarthy
Chandarlapati
Chatrathi
Chamaraju
Cheemalamarri
Chennapragada
Chilakalapudi
Chimakurthy
Chinta
Chintapalli
Chittamuri
choragudi
Chitrapu
Chitturi
Chodavarapu
Damaraju
Dammalapati
Danam
Desabhatla
Desabhatla
Desiraju
Devarabhotla
Devulapalli
Dinavahi
Doddavarapu
Dronamraju
Duggaraju
Duggirala
Enjeti
Gade
Gadiraju
Gaddamanugu
Gandavarapu
Gangaraju
Ganjam
Gollamudi
Gollapudi
Goparaju
Goteti
Govindaraju
Gudipati
Gudladona
Gudlavalleti
Gundimeda
Gundlapalli
Gundamaraju
Gunnikuntla
Gurazada
Iduri
Inugurthi
Inumella
Ippagunta
Iragavarapu
Ivaturi
Jakkaraju
Jeedigunta
Jonnalagedda
Jayagiri
Kaasiraju
Kalapatapu
Kaligotla
Kalugotla
Kadambari
Kamakolanu
Kamaraju gadda
Kambhammettu
Kanala
Kanchnepalli
Kandukuri
Kanukollu
Kanukolanu
Kanuparthy
Karavadi
Karanam
Kasavaraju
Kasturi
Kasukurthi
kesaanapalli
Kavi
Kallakuri
Kesinapalli
Khambhammettu
Kocherlakota
Koduri
Koka
Kolanu
Kalluri
Komaravolu
Kona
Konda
Kondepudi
Kondapally
Konduri
Konduru
Konidena
Korimilli
Korrapati
Korupolu
Kotamraju
Kotamarthi
Kotaru
Kotharu
Kotichintala
Kovuru
Krovvidi
Kummamuru
Kurapati
Lakkapragada
Lakkaraju
Lakkavajjula
Lingamgunta
Machavaram
Machiraju
Maddali
Madiraju
Malkapuram
Mallapragada
Malyala
Manapragada
Manchikalapati
Manchikanti
Manchiraju
Mandapati
Mangu
Mannava
Mantri
Mantripragada
Maramraju
Marella
Marripati
Mattigunta
Matukumalli
Medikonduru
Medukonduru
Mittagunta
Mooparti
Moorthiraju
Mukkamala
Mulakaluri
Mulugu
Mulpur
Mulpuri
Munimanikyam
Munipalle
Muppalla
Mynampati
Mylavarapu
Nadela
Namburi
Nandanavanam
Nandiwada
Nanduri
Naraparaju
Nadimpalli
Navuluri
Neelamraju
Nellutla
Nemalikanti
Nidamarthi
Nimushakavi/Nimishakavi
Nissankala
Pabbaraju
Pagolu
Palakodety
Palivela
Palutla
Pamulaparthi
Pamulapati
Panamgipalli
Panchalavarapu
Panguluri
Panthangi
Paramatmuni
Paramkusham
Parimi
Pegatraju
Pathikonda
Pemmaraju
Penamakuru
Penumudi
Perala
Petluri
Pingali
Pillutla
Piduru
Pindiprolu
Pochiraju
Poduri
Poolla
Polamraju
Polavaram
Poluri
Ponduri
Ponnada
Poruri
Pothapragada
Potharaju
Potturi
Pragadaraju
Pulijala
Pulikanti
Pulipaka
Pullamaraju
Punyamurthula
Puttabakula
Puvvada
Rachapudi
Racherla
Rajasekharuni
Ramajaru
Ramaraju
Rangaraju
Ravinutala
Ravulaparti
Ravuri
Rupanagunta
Sambharaju
Sandepudi
Santapur
Sambatur
Sarraju
Sarikonda
Sarvepalli
Sattiraju
Saathamraju
Satyavolu
Seethamraju
Seethimraju
Siddiraju
Singam
Singampalli
Singaraju
Siripurapu
Suraparaju
Tadanki
Tadakamalla
Tadikonda
Tallapragada
Tallamraju
Talluri
Tanuku
Tamvada
Tanguturi
Tadakamalla
Tadinada
Tadimeti
Tamirisa
Tatavarthy
Tetali
Thungathurthi
Tummurugoti
Timmaraju
Turaga / Tvarakavi
Turlapati / Turlapaty
Unnava
Uppaluri
Vaddadi
Vadlamannati
Vadrevu
Valluri
Vajja
Vakkalanka
Vangipurapu
Vankamamidi
Varanasi
Varahagiri
Vedagiri
Vedururu
Veladi
Velagapudi
Velaparti
Veldurthy
Velichety
Vempati
Vemula
Vemulakonda
Vemuri
Ventrapragada
Venuturupalle
Vepakomma
Viriyala
Volety
Vurakaranam
Wuriti
Yabaloori
Yallapragada
Yandapalli
Yarrapragada
Yedida
Yendluri
Yerramilli
Yerrapragada
Yeddanapudi
Wuppalapati / Uppalapati
Vajja

Niyogis today

Niyogis are those brahmins, who took up various secular vocations including military ones like their counterparts in other states such as Chitpavans in Maharashtra, Mohyals in the Punjab, Tyagis in most parts of Northern India and the Pushpaka Brahmins of Kerala. For this many of them gave up religious occupations such as priesthood. Today you can see only hand-full of niyogi priests working in some temples. But still as brahmins, they are committed to follow individual/family level rituals required to be followed at their homes, even though they don't choose that as career outside. Hence, the Niyogis never either accept a religious gift or partake of Shraadha food (food given to Brahmins during death related rituals). In spite of living in modern age, most of them never give up their consciousness regarding their vedic heritage, but rather try to follow or understand them radically.

Niyogis depend and emphasize on modern education, administration (Niyogis have traditionally been well represented in the lower cadres of local administration in Andhra Pradesh), management etc. In the past, they were Zamindars, Talukdars, Munsabs, Minor kings, Ministers in the courts of kings and feudatories. Many of them were village accountants/clerks, Karanams (in Andhra) or Patwaris (in Telangana), until recently. A famous saying goes Yendu Niyogimpavalenanna Niyogimpadagina vaadu Niyogi - He who can be trusted for successful completion of task is a Niyogi.

Many of them were village accountants/clerks, karanams (Andhra) or patwaris (Telangana), until recently, as a heritage. However, these positions were abolished by the Telugu Desam Party Government during 1980s. As a result of this and other populist programs such as reservations and quotas for selected castes and tribes, Niyogi Brahmins had become economically weak till a generation back because of the sudden end to their vocation. Things have now changed for much better with the community members doing well and occupying senior positions in private sector and even have their own business establishments.

Famous Niyogis

B.V.N.Rohan Chandra Kashyap
Mahakavi Srinatha Sarvabhoumudu, (1385-1475AD) 14 nth century Great Poet
Akkanna and Madanna , the ministers with Golconda nawabs
Piduru Subbaiah
Piduru Gurunadha Swamy
Piduru Venkata Subba Rao, (1922-2004)
Piduru Guru Prasad
Piduru Devendra Kumar
Piduru Venkata Krishna Kumar
Piduru Madhusudana Rao
Amanchanrla Gangadhar Rao, Retd. High Court Judge
Kancharla Gopanna (Bhakta Ramdass)
Mahamanthri Timmarusu
Tenali Ramakrishnudu
BAPU - Sattiraju Lakshminarayana
Amruthavakkula Sesha Kumar
Nanduri Subbarao- a famous poet who authored Yenki paatalu
Nanduri Prasada Rao- a famous freedom fighter
Gandavarapu Laxman Narayana- a famous freedom fighter from Poondla
Mangal Pandey
Swami Sahajanand Saraswati
Adivi Bapiraju
Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
V V Giri
Basawon Singh Sinha
Yogendra Shukla
Siva Rama Prasad Korlimarla - Executive Director, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited.
Sri Krishna Sinha First Chief Minister of the province of Bihar.
P V Narasimha Rao - Former Prime Minister of India
Sheel Bhadra Yajee
Raya Mantri
Bendapudi Annamantri [General and Administrative Minister in Kakatiya Kingdom]
Turaga venkata kavi
Kandukuri Veeresalingam
Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar'|Ramdhari Singh Dinkar
K L Rao distniguished Civil engineer and Cabinet Minister
Tanguturi Prakasam
Ram Briksh Benipuri
General K. V. Krishna Rao
Sri K Lakshmikanthananda yogi
Ram Sharan Sharma eminent historian
Prof. N.V. Subrahmanyam (Eminent Mathematician)
Prof.N.V.Subba Rao(Professor in Organic Chemistry and Dean of Science,Osmania University)
Ghali Latish Sudheer (Renowned software developer)
Abhayanand promising IPS officer in Bihar.
Mangu Sarathi Krishna
PadmashriChandreshwar Prasad Thakur|Dr. Chandreshwar Prasad Thakur]]
Canchupaty Venkatarao Venkasami Rao - MASTER C.V.V, the founder of new Yoga called Bhrukta Rahita Taraka Raja Yoga.
Pandit Prakash Vir Shastri eminent Parliamentarian and scholar of Sanskrit.
Rameshwar Thakur Present governor of Karnataka.
Kailashpati Mishra Former vice-president of BJP and former governor of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Raghav Sharan Sharma engineer, mountaineer, writer. Editor of Swami Sahjanand Saraswati Rachanawali published by Rajkamal Prakashan.
V. V. S. Laxman- Indian cricketer (Pradhama Sakha Niyogi)
Pawan Kaasiraju - Chairman & Managing Director, Dhatri Advertising Private Limited
Dr.Purnapragnabharathy
Prajapathy Rao Gundavarapu ( Secretary Satavahana college, Vijayawada )
"Vainika Sarvabhouma" Dr.Challapally Chitti Babu (Veena Maestro)
Anil Gandavarapu
Late Dr. D. Sivaramaiah (Erstwhile Principal of college of Technology, OU, Hyd)
Dr.Yellapragada Subbarao
Dr.Subrahmanya Siripurapu, Physician from Vizag
Bhogaraju Pattabhi SitaramayyaFreedom Fighter &(Andhra Bank Founder)
V. Rama Rao Governor of Sikkim
SP Balasubramanyam , a great play back singer
Smt s. Janaki , a play back singer
Smt.P.Susheela, Famous playback singer
Dr.Achanta lakshmipathi
Sridhar Sunkaranam
Chakilam Muralidhar Rao, a promising IFS officer
Dr.B.V.Pattabhiram
U.Subbaraya Sarma
Valluru Sitaramiah
Dammalapati Seshagiri Rao, Peetadhipathi, Bhuvaneswari Peetham, Gannvaram, Andhra Pradesh.
Rajasekharuni Dikshitulu
Mooparthi Sita Rama Rao,Sundarakanda Author(Pradhama Sakha Niyogi)
Munimanikyam Narasimha Rao(kantham kathalu)(Pradhama Sakha Niyogi)
Raj Gollamudi (Aaruvelu Niyogi)( BlueStream Ventures)
Shama Rao
Kandukuri Ramabhadra Rao - Eminent Telugu Poet & Literateur
Dr. Turlapati A.V. Murthy ( Registrar, EFL Hyderabad )
Shri Aluru Lakshmi Narasimha Rao, Chairman & chief Executive, Heavy Water Board.
Pingali Suranna
Pingali Venkayya
Pingali Nagendrarao
Late Sri Chakilam Srinivasa Rao, Ex M.P.Nalgonda
Kodati Narayan Rao, Freedom fighter and Father of AP Library movement.
Pingali Lakshmikantam* Neelamraju Ganga Prasada Rao - Eminent Agriculture Scientist
Komaravolu Chandrasekharan - Emiritus scientist in Mathematics and natural science ( Ref-11)
Late Sri Nanduri Bapiraju -Freedom fighter and A.P High Court Advocate
Sudeep Desaraju - Eminent Lawyer, NSB and Australian Army Reserve Officer cadet
Neelamraju Krishna Kishore Well known Banker and Film Critic
varanasi venkata subba rao-majistrate,director in apcobank,
Budaraju Radhakrishna, Journalist and great telugu writer.
Varanasi Bhanu Murthy Rao(a poet and lyricist)
singer sunitha
sridhar--eenadu cartoonist
kota srinivas rao--actor
Kameswara Rao Pindiproli- Business Man and Philanthropist.
Dr Grandhi Srinu (Intermediate) - CEO sonique solutions. Great man
Veduru Paka GOD Garu, (Vijaya Durga Peethadhi Pathi)
Rangaraju Radhika Rao
Tadakamalla Indu
Dr.Madhav Rangaraju

References

Brahmins of Andhra Pradesh
Pradhamasakha Niyogi Brahmins [1]
Andhra Viprula Gotramulu, Indla Perlu, Sakhalu, by Emmesroy Sastri.
Hindu Castes and Sects, Jogendranath Bhattacharya.
History and Culture of Andhra Pradesh, Rao PR.
Brahmins
Brahmins of Andhra Pradesh
Poverty Stricken Brahmins
Source: Vepachedu Educational Foundation Inc.
Permission

11.http://www.oeaw.ac.at/oeaw_servlet/e_PersonenDetailsGeneric?id=10924 P.Susheela and S.Janaki, Duggaraju Murali Mohan,Bandaru Venkata Pavan Kumar,Bandaru Anannya,Anitha Venkatraman Names to be added to the list of eminent Niyogis...\

Dr.T.S.S.Lakshmi - Principal & Superintendent of Osmania Medical college & General hospital, Andhra pradesh's first lady Dermatologist

Tadinada Krisha Murty - Eminent Chartered Accountant & Director Of National Film Development Corporation (NFDC),Financial advisor to the Governament of Andhra Pradesh.

"Bhimavarapu" initial is comes in to 6000 niyogulu not in pradhamashaka niyogulu

[1] Brahmins of Andhra Pradesh

[2] Brahmin, brahmana, caste, tribe, gotra, rishi, ritual, india, hindu, religion, Mana Sanskriti (Our Culture), Issue 69

[1]

[2]