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Balija

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Balija
ReligionsHinduism (India), Jainism (India), Buddhism (Sri Lanka)
LanguagesTelugu, Tamil, Kannada
Populated statesAndhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra
Subdivisions
Related groupsKapu,
Notes
‡ Shared by other groups

Balija is a social group spread across the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. Balijas are known as Banajigas in Karnataka.[1][2] In recent times, Balija individuals returned themselves as a division of the Kapu caste in census records and gazetteers in some regions.[3][4]

Origins

Variations of the term Balija or Banajiga in use in the medieval past were Balanja, Bananja, Bananju, Banijiga[5] with probable cognates Balijiga, Valanjiyar, Balanji, Bananji[6] and derivatives such as Baliga[7] all of which are said to be derived from the Sanskrit term, Vanik or Vanij, for a trader.[2][5][6][8]

Various suggested origins of the group include a peasant origin of recent times[3][4] and a merchant-warrior origin of medieval times.[2][5][6] The Banajigas comprised a trade guild, known as the Five Hundred Lords of Ayyavolu in the medieval period.[5][7][9][10]

The term 'Balija' came to include the Boyas, Gollas, Gavaras, and others during the period of the Vijayanagar King, Krishnadevaraya:[11]

Balija branches

There are numerous branches, sub-divisions or social groups which make up the larger Balija social group, many of which are divided based on the trade or occupation. Some sub-divisions are the Kannadiyan, also known as Ravuth, Ravuthan or Rowthan,[12] the Pusala, Rajula, Pula and Swakamanchi.[13]

Some are named after places, such as Gonuguntla Desayi Chettis (named after a village Gonuguntla) and Gandavarapu (Gonuguntla balijas who migrated to Cuddapah); while others had odd names like Mulaka (which is also name of a tribe), Miriyala (pepper traders), Vyasa, and Tota.[14] The Kondeti Balija claim to have migrated from the princely state of Kondaveedu while the Gopathi Balija, who mainly inhabit Chittor and Ananthapur, they are Desai section of Balijas who were commanders and governors during Vijayanagar times.They claimed superior among Balija branches and even Sreekrishna Deva Raya hailed from this branch.[15] Some common sub-divisions are described below:

  • Balija Chettis or(Chetty Balija or Shetty Balija): They have been mentioned in several Vijayanagar accounts as wealthy merchants who controlled powerful trading guilds.[16][17] To secure their loyalty, the Vijayanagar kings made them Desais or "superintendents of all castes in the country".[18] They were classified as right-hand castes.[19][20] David Rudner claims that the Balija Chettis fissioned off as a separate caste from the Balija Nayaks warriors as recent as the 19th century; and accordingly they have closer kinship ties to the Nayak warriors than to Chetti merchants.[21] However, Veera Balingyas or Vira Banajigas, were mentioned in the inscriptions of the Chalukyas of Badami and the Kakatiya dynasty as powerful and wealthy merchants who were known as "Five Hundred Lords of Ayyavolu".[22]
  • Gajula Balija / Kavara Balija / Sugavansi (pure) Balija: Myth is that Siva's wife Parvati did a severe penance in order to look beautiful for Shiva. Himavanta (father of Parvati) sacrificed a bull to Lord Brahma and from the fire emerged a person who brought forth combs, bangles, perfumes, sandals, powder, beads, and colored palf-leaf rolls for the ear for Parvati.[23] Titles found amongst them are Naidu, Nayakkan, Chetti, Setti and Nayak. Kavarai or Gavarai is said to be a corrupt form of Kauravar or Gauravar; as they claim to be the Kurus or Kuru descendents of Mahabharata.[24]
  • Rajamahendravaram Balija [13] or RajaMahendram Balija: A numerically strong group across Andhra Pradesh, they are said to have originally belonged to Rajahmundry where their ancestors were employed in the army.[25]
  • Kambalatars / Thottiyans: The Gollavar, Sillavar and Tokkalavar were the subdivisions of the Raja Kambalattars and functioned as strictly endogamous units.[26] TK Venkatasubramanian states

The Kambalattar (Kambalaththu Nayakar) are practically extinct. Remnants of their traditional agnates or cognates in the Telugu country are not to be traced. The polegars of Ettayapuram and Panchalamkurichchi belong to this community. Their ancestry is traced to a community of hunters. Being dwellers of quasi-agricultural surroundings they were experts in reclaiming waste lands.[27]

Caste titles

Some Balijas use surnames such as Naidu and Naicker, which share a common root. Nayaka as a term was first used during the Vishnukundina dynasty that ruled from the Krishna and Godavari deltas during the 3rd century AD. During the Kakatiya dynasty, the Nayaka title was bestowed to warriors who had received land and the title as a part of the Nayankarapuvaram system for services rendered to the court. The Nayaka was noted to be an officer in the Kakatiya court; there being a correlation between holding the Nayankara, the possession of the administrative title Angaraksha and the status title Nayaka.[28]

A more widespread usage of the Nayaka title amongst the Balijas appears to have happened during the Vijayanagar empire where the Balija merchant-warriors rose to political and cultural power and claimed Nayaka positions.[29]

Colonial writers such as Edgar Thurston and Robert Vane Russell noted that other castes succeeded in obtaining admission into the Balija caste by way of assuming the title "Naidu". The 1901 Census of India report notes that:[30]

"Caste titles and names are; however, of recent origin and little can be inferred from them, whatever their meaning may be shown to be" and that "wealth is a very potent factor, both in the way of levelling down caste heights and filling up social depths....a wealthy member of the Dhedh caste is actually the Dharmakartha of a Siva temple in Southern India and a Sathani becomes elevated into a Balija often in the course of a few years ; so also a Palli into a Mudaliar"

Dynasties

The Vijayanagar empire was based on an expanding, cash-oriented economy enhanced by Balija tax-farming.[31] Some Balija families were appointed to supervise provinces as Nayaks (governors, commanders) by the Vijayanagara kings, some of which are

Varna status

Velcheru Narayana Rao and Sanjay Subrahmanyam say that the emergence of left-hand caste Balijas as trader-warrior-kings was evidence in the Nayak period as a consequence of conditions of new wealth, produced by collapsing two Varnas, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas into one.[38] In the brahmanical conceptualization of castes, Balijas were accorded the Shudra position.[39] The fourfold Brahmanical varna concept has not been acceptable to Non-Brahmin social groups and some of them challenged the authority of Brahmins who described them as shudras.[40][41]

In Southern India, occupational divisions have existed since the times of Tolkāppiyam.[42] But early southern Indian literature does not mention the Chatur-Varna institution. Elements of caste pre-date varna; and social networks with elements of caste have been in existence since pre-vedic times.[43] Southern India fell outside the region of Āryāvarta where Chaturvarna was followed. Hence, the Southern Indians were outside the Indo-Aryan social organization of the varna system.

Chatur-Varna is first mentioned in a late Vedic text (circa 1000 BC) and by the time of Manusmriti (200 BC - 200 AD), varna and jati (or "caste") co-exist as isomorphically ranked social orders.[44] Based on the usage of the terms Brahmana and Kshatriya in Pali canon it has been suggested that Varna was a theoretical construct tied to upper categories, while a person's identity during the time of Buddhism depended on a person's occupation, kula (lineage) and jati (caste).[45]

The tribal society in a pre-varna era followed a system of clan kinship as tribal social structures are based on totemic clans.[46] The traditional gotra lists, contained in Pravara Prasnas and Ganapatha of Panini, include all types of gotras, both brahmanical (Arsa) as well as non-Brahmanical.[47] Such a list may also indicate a process of assimilation as in the case of Nishada-gotra which has been mentioned in the Ganapatha of Pāṇini. Such an inclusion would not have been possible unless some brahmanas had been adsorbed from non-brahmanical groups or had served non-Brahmins as priests.[48] Village names used as gotras by non-brahmanical groups were not bereft of complexities either. Panini uses the term kula (clan). However Panini's kula was explained by commentators as non-famous Gotras.[49]

A group of related families living homogenously in a given locality were called a kula (clan) ruled over by a kulapati (head of the clan). A group of related kulas formed a grama (also called vis or settlement) presided by a Vispati or Gramani. The terms grama and vis originally denoted a group of kinsfolk related by blood, but later came to mean village or canton, and embraced all the castes and families of the village population, whether related or not.[50]

Despite professing gotras based on kula (clan) and vis (settlement), south Indian social structures largely ignored the four-varna system; for there is no evidence of a chaturvarna system during the tribal states. A transitional state began during the time of Satavahana dynasty when Varna terms penetrated Southern-Indian society.[51] Although the transitional character of the society is clearly observed historically, yet it was noted that there was little relevance for varna status among various professional groups.[51] It has been argued that varna divisions were never functioning groups of social order and varna structures offered upward and downward mobility.[52] The principal points of social interaction had remained families (vamsa), lineages (gotra), clans (kula) and jatis (occupations), without the usage of varnas.[52]

The presence of Buddhism and Jainism may have overshadowed and stymied the presence and progression of a Varna system, during and after the Satavahana dynasty. The earliest historical monuments of Andhra are Buddhist,[53] with Buddhism having reached Andhra Desa during the lifetime of Gautama Buddha (563 BC – 483 BC) himself.[54] Extant literary and archeological evidences demonstrate that Andhra was one of the earliest recipients of Jainism as well.[55] The earliest Andhra writers were Jainas and several Jain caves and inscriptions have been found across Andhra Desa.[56] Both Buddhism and Jainism enjoyed prevalence and popularity on an equal scale.[57] Historically several dynasties which ruled in Andhra were Buddhist or Jain or a mix of both, such as the Andhra Ikshvakus, Eastern Chalukyas (Jain),[55] Rashtrakuta Kingdom (Jain) and Ganga dynasty (Jain);[58] while others such as Satavahana dynasty were partly Hindu and partly Buddhist.

The process of peasantisation of tribals (conversion of hunter-gatherers into peasants) and state formation of tribal communities continued unhindered until in some place it was hindered by Mughal invasions.[59] Several kingdoms that arose from tribal states claimed Dvija status over time. The many forms of the integration of tribal groups into Hindu society are discussed by Kulke (1976 and 1984) and Kosambi (1962 and 1996). As tribal chiefs became Hindu rajas, tribal deities became state gods, and sustained royal patronage of those gods, as is seen in the case of Gajapati chiefs and the Jagannatha temple of Orissa.[60]

While seeking a Kshatriya varna position in the Census of 1901, a reference was made to the Srimad Bhagavatham, Vishnu Puranam and Brahmanda Puranam to seek classification as Somavanshi Kshatriyas.[61][62]

References

  1. ^ L Krishna Anantha Krishna Iyer; Hebbalalu Velpanuru Nanjundayya (1935). The Mysore Tribes and Castes, Volume 2. University of Mysore. pp. 99–123.
  2. ^ a b c LKA Iyer (2005). The Mysore Tribes and Castes. Mittal Publication. p. 99:. Banajigas are a trading people found all over the Mysore state. The caste is known by various names, one of which is 'Balija'. It appears to be a later form of Banajiga, and is very popular with the Telugu division. The term Banajiga is derived from the Sanskrit Vanik, signifying a tradesman, but different derivations are however given to the word 'Balija' or 'Balaja' which seems to be another form of the same name. Some say it means 'Born of Bali or sacrifice.. {{cite book}}: More than one of |pages= and |page= specified (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  3. ^ a b Census of India. Vol. 9. 1961. p. 21. The bulk of the Balijas are now engaged in cultivation and this accounts for so many having returned Kapu as their main caste for kapu is also a common Telugu word used for a ryot
  4. ^ a b "Madras District Gazetteers". pp. 164–165. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |part= ignored (help) Cite error: The named reference "MDG" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c d Muddachari, B (1982). Economic history of Karnataka: Vijayanagara Period. Udaya Prakashana. p. 22:. Dr. Barnett says about them : "There was a vast organisation of associated traders which about the twelfth and thirteenth centuries had spread a net work over the greater part of southern India and Ceylon, and perhaps even farther, and which beginning with simple commerce and then developing an elaborate social and semi-military system strikingly recalls our East India Company. There were the Vira Banajus as they were called in Kanarese. The name signifies 'valiant merchants'. They claimed to have come from Ahicchatra but their central body was at Ayyavole, the modern Aihole which was the seat of their Board of Directors consisting of a council of 500 members". Dr.Fleet says "Balanja is another form of bananja or bananju, the modern banajiga or banijiga which must be the original or a corruption of the Sanskrit banija, beijika, merchant, trader"{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  6. ^ a b c Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar; Archaeological Survey of India (1983). Epigraphia Indica. Vol. 18. p. 335:. ISSN 0013-9572. LCCN sa66006469. As regards the derivation of this word, the late Mr Venkayya says:- In Kanarese banajiga is still used to denote a class of merchants. In Telugu the word balija or balijiga has the same meaning. It is therefore probable that the words valañjiyam, valanjiyar, balañji, banañji, banajiga and balija are cognate, and derived from the Sanskrit vanij{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  7. ^ a b Nanjundappa KS (1982). "Industries and Commerce in Karnataka during the Vijayanagara period (1336 To 1565 A.D.)" (PDF). Indian ETD Collection, Vidyanidhi Digital Library, University of Mysore. Retrieved 18 Dec 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  8. ^ Sundaram K (1968). Studies in economic and social conditions of medieval Andhra, A, Parts 1000-1600. Triveni Publishers. p. 69:. About the word "Balanja" Dr.Fleet, editing a record of these merchants, remarks thus: "Bananju" is the modern Banajiga, Bananjiga or Banijiga which though given in Sanderson's dictionary as a pure Canarese word, must be original or tadbhava corruption of the Sanskrit "Vanija, Vanijika, merchant or trader" {{cite book}}: More than one of |pages= and |page= specified (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  9. ^ Bhasker Anand Saletore (1934). Social and political life in the Vijayanagara empire (A.D. 1346-A.D. 1646). BG Paul & Co. pp. 98–99.
  10. ^ Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (1999). Footprints of enterprise: Indian business through the ages. Oxford University Press. p. 28. ISBN 0-19-564774-2, 9780195647747. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); More than one of |pages= and |page= specified (help)
  11. ^ Velcheru Narayana Rao (1992). "Symbols of substance: court and state in Nāyaka Period Tamilnadu". Oxford University Press. p. 74. ISBN 0-19-563021-1. These left-Sudra groups — often referred to by the cover-title 'Balija', but also including Boyas, left-hand Gollas, Gavaras, and others - were first mobilized by Krishnadevaraya in the Vijayanagara heyday...These Balija fighters are not afraid of kings: some stories speak of their killing kings who interfered with their affairs" {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ Castes and Tribes of South India, Vol VI, P.247
  13. ^ a b Andhra Pradesh District Gazetteers: Anantapur, Vol 2, p.116
  14. ^ Census of India, 1961, Volume 9, Part 6, Issue 29. India, Office of the Registrar General, p.21
  15. ^ Kumar Suresh Singh (1998). People of India: Volume 4, p.219-223
  16. ^ Vijayanagara, Volume 1, Burton Stein, p.87
  17. ^ Brimnes, Niels (1999). Constructing the Colonial Encounter: Right and Left Hand Castes in Early Colonial South India. Routledge. p. 3. ISBN 9780700711062.
  18. ^ Brimnes, Niels (1999). Constructing the Colonial Encounter: Right and Left Hand Castes in Early Colonial South India. Routledge. p. 20. ISBN 9780700711062.
  19. ^ Madras: the growth of a colonial city in India, 1780-1840, page 224
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  22. ^ Archaeological Survey of Mysore, Annual Reports: 1910-1911
  23. ^ Government of Madras Staff, Gazetteer of the Nellore District: brought up to 1938, page 105.
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  58. ^ Sailendra Nath Sen. (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization, p.380 mentions that: Many of the Rashtrakuta emperors like Amoghavarsha I, Krishna II Indra III and Indra IV were staunch patrons of Jain religion…Many of the feudatories and officers of Rashtrakutas were Jains…Gangas were also Jain..Most of the Rashtrakuta rulers were patrons of Jainism.
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  62. ^ Thurston E and Rangachari K (1909). Castes and tribes of southern India: Volume 1, p.134-135

Further reading

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