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Linga Balija

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Linga Balija
Total population
15 Lakhs
Regions with significant populations
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu,
Languages
Telugu, Kannada, Tamil
Religion
Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
Other Balija Subgroups

Linga Balija is a subcaste within the Balija community in India.

The Balija are a Telugu-speaking trading community primarily residing in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and, to a lesser extent, in Telangana and Kerala.[1][2] In Karnataka, they are known as Banajigas.[3]

Linga Balijas, who are traders, are described in the Madras Census Report of 1901 as a Lingayat sub-caste of the Balija community.[4]

Etymology

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Variations of the name used in the medieval era include Balanja, Bananja, Bananju, Banajiga, and Banijiga, with probable cognates such as Balijiga, Valanjiyar, Balanji, Bananji, and Baliga, as well as derivatives like Vani (in Maharashtra).[4] All of these are said to be derived from the Sanskrit term "Vanik" or "Vanij," meaning trader.[5]

Another etymological theory suggests that "Balija" is derived from the Sanskrit word "Bali," meaning a sacrifice made during the 'Yagna' ritual, and "Ja," meaning born. Therefore, "Balija" translates to "born from sacrifice."[6]

Balijas who followed Veerashaivism referred to themselves as Linga Balijas or Linga Vaniks.

Origin

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The following legendary account of the origin of the "Linga Bhojunnalawaru" is given in the Baramahal Records:

Para Brahma, or the great god Brahma, created Pralayakala Rudra, a fierce form of the god Shiva, associated with the day of destruction. Brahma also created four sages, known as the Chatur Acharyulu, named Panditaraju, Yekcoramalu, Murralaradulu, and Somaluradulu, and taught them mantras or prayers, appointing them as his deputies.

At one time, the Asuras (giants) and the Devatas (gods) waged war against each other. In response, Pralayakala Rudra created a being from his nose, whom he named Muchari Rudra. Muchari Rudra had five sons, and together they went to assist the Devatas, enabling them to defeat the Asuras. In recognition of their service, the gods conferred upon Muchari Rudra and his sons several honorary distinctions.

  • A flag with the figure of an alligator (crocodile) portrayed on it.
  • A flag with the figure of a fish portrayed on it.
  • A flag with the figure of a bullock.
  • A flag with the figure of an eagle.
  • A flag with the figure of a bell.
  • A modee ganta, or iron for marking cattle.

The use of burning lamps and flambeaus during their daytime public processions, as well as the use of tents, is attributed to this tradition.

Once, when the god Pralayakala Rudra, along with Mochari Rudra, his five sons, and other celestial attendants, were assembled on Kailāsa Parvata, the mountain of Paradise, the god instructed them to descend to Bhuloka, the earthly world, and to increase and multiply their species. They humbly asked how they could return to the divine presence. He replied, "I shall manifest myself in Bhuloka in the form of the Lingam. Worship me in that form, and you will be permitted to approach me again." They then descended to the earthly regions, and from them, the present castes of Balijawaras trace their origin.[7][8]

History

[edit]

Beginning in the 9th century, inscriptions throughout the Kannada and Tamil regions reference a trading network, sometimes described as a guild, known as the Five Hundred Lords of Ayyavolu. This network facilitated trade links between communities in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.[9]

From the 13th century, inscriptions referring to "Vira Balanjyas" (warrior merchants) began appearing in the Andhra region. The Vira Balanjyas, whose origins are often traced back to the Ayyavolu, were part of long-distance trading networks that employed fighters to protect their warehouses and goods in transit. These traders were identified as nanadesi ("of many countries") and swadesi ("of one's own country").[10] The terms balanjya-setti and balija were also used for these traders, and in later periods, they were referred to as naidu and chetti.[11]

These traders formed collectives known as pekkandru and distinguished themselves from other collectives called nagaram, which likely represented Komati merchants. The pekkandru collectives also included members of other communities with status titles such as reddi, boya, and nayaka.[12] They spread throughout South India, Sri Lanka, and even into some Southeast Asian countries.[13][14]

Velcheru Narayana Rao and others note that the Balijas were first politically mobilized by the Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya.[15] Later, in the 15th and 16th centuries, they colonized the Tamil region and established Nayaka chieftaincies. During this period, the Balijas were leaders of the left-hand section of castes. These Balija warriors were known for their fearlessness, with some accounts describing them as assassinating kings who interfered with their affairs.[15] Cynthia Talbot suggests that in Andhra, the transformation of occupational descriptors into caste-based identifiers did not occur until at least the 17th century.[16]

The classification of people as Balija posed significant challenges for census enumerators during the British Raj era, who sought to simplify a complex social system into a manageable administrative framework using theories of evolutionary anthropology.[a] Early census attempts in the Madras Presidency recorded a wide variety of people claiming to be members of Balija subcastes, who often appeared to have little in common and thus defied the administrative goal of creating a rational and convenient taxonomy.

For instance, those identifying as Chetty were clearly connected through their involvement in trade, while those calling themselves Kavarai were simply using the Tamil term for Balija. However, other groups, such as the Linga Balija, based their claim to Balija status on sectarian identification, the Gazula were bangle-makers by profession, the Telaga had Telugu origins, and the Rajamahendram seemed to base their claim on their geographic origin in the town of Rajahmundry. Subsequent attempts to rationalize the enumeration led to further anomalies and dissatisfaction.[17]

Dynasty

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Rulers

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Linga Balijas of the Hande family from Ananthapur, Bukkarayapatnam, and Dharmavaram.

  • Hande Hanumappa Nayudu (1569–1582)
  • Immadi Hampanaidu (1583–1595)
  • Malakappa Naidu (1595–1619)
  • Hampa Naidu (1619–1631) Hande Malakappa Naidu's (1595–1619) 4th Son
  • Siddappa Naidu (1631–1659)
  • Pavadappa Naidu (1659–1671)
  • Ramakka Naidu (1671–1690)
  • Siddappa Naidu (1690–1696)
  • Prasannappa Naidu (1696–1719)
  • Pavadappa Naidu (1719–1737)
  • Siddappa Naidu (1737–1740)
  • Ramappa Naidu (1740–1745)
  • Tadipatri and Poddatur. Hande Malakappa Naidu's (1595–1619) 1st Son Devappa Naidu and his descendents.
  • Bellari, Kurgodu and Surrounding Districts. Hande Malakappa Naidu's (1595–1619) 2nd Son Chinna Ramappa Naidu and his descendents.
  • Konderpi and Kanakal. Hande Malakappa Naidu's (1595–1619) 3rd Son Lingappa Naidu and his descendents.
  • Shivappa Nayaka (1645–1660)[21]
  • Chikka Venkatappa Nayaka (1660–1662)
  • Bhadrappa Nayaka (1662–1664)[22]
  • Somashekara Nayaka I (1664–1672)
  • Keladi Chennamma (1672–1697)
  • Basavappa Nayaka (1697–1714)[23]
  • Somashekara Nayaka II (1714–1739)
  • Kiriya Basavappa Nayaka (1739–1754)
  • Chenna Basappa Nayaka (1754–1757)
  • Queen Virammaji (1757–1763).[24]

Status

[edit]

In 2019, representatives of the Telangana state Veerashaiva Lingayat Federation petitioned the National Commission for Backward Classes to include Linga Balija and Veerashaiva Lingayat in the central government's list of Other Backward Classes.[25] In 2022, Member of Parliament B. B. Patil met with the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Virendra Kumar Khatik, to discuss the inclusion of these two subcastes in the OBC list.[26]

Other Names

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Family Names

[edit]

Family Names of Lingayat Balijas/Banajigas/Appas/Vanis

Most family names or surnames of Lingayat Balijas/Banajigas are either:

1. Village Headmanship Names:

   - Deshmukh

   - Desais

   - Patils

   - Gowdas

   - Appa (e.g., Jayadevappa, Haralappa, Yedurappa, Mallasarja Desai)

2. Names Based on Villages They Migrated From or Led:

   - Lingadalli

   - Davenagere

   - Shivamogga

   - Hospet

   - Kalaburagi

   - Munagala

   - Rayachoti

   - Kotturi

3. Names Related to Their Business, Trading, or Cultivating Crops:

   - Pogaku

   - Kandi

   - Akula

   - Patti

   - Shetty

   - Bowrshetti

   - Miriyala

   - Nelli

   - Vadla

   - Chatla

   - Aamudaala

   - Doodi

   - Pattu

   - Gurrala

   - Aavula

Maharashtra

[edit]

In Maharashtra, the community is known as Veerashaiva Lingayat Vani. After the Marathas, Lingayat Vanis are seen as a dominant community in both politics and local markets.[31][32] They carry Marathi surnames such as Deshmukh, Devane, Patil, Kalyani, Desai, Gowda, Nandedkar, Eklare, Rao, Appa, Bagmare, Dongre, Falke, Naik, Umre, and Nandkule.[33]

Notable peoples

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Notes

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  1. ^ The Raj theories of evolutionary anthropology, typified by the work of H. H. Risley, are nowadays considered to be scientific racism.

References

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  1. ^ Jakka Parthasarathy, ed. (1984). Rural Population in Indian Urban Setting. B.R. Publishing Corporation. p. 52. ISBN 9788170181392. Balija are the chief Telugu trading caste , scattered ! throughout Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
  2. ^ Kumari, A. Vijaya; Bhaskar, Sepuri (1998). Social Change Among Balijas. MD Publications. p. 12. ISBN 9788175330726.
  3. ^ Thurston, Edgar. Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 4 of 7. p. 232.
  4. ^ a b Francis, W. (1902). Census Of India 1901 Vol.15 (madras) Pt.1 (report). p. 165.
  5. ^ Edgar Thurston, ed. (1909). Castes and Tribes of Southern India. VED from Victoria Institutions. p. 97.
  6. ^ Venkatesa Iyengar, ed. (1932). The Mysore Tribes and Castes. Vol. 2. Mittal Publications. p. 100.
  7. ^ Edgar Thurston, ed. (1998). Social Change Among Balijas: Majority Community of Andhra Pradesh. M.D. Publications Pvt. p. 9. ISBN 978-81-7533-072-6.
  8. ^ Venkatesa Iyengar, ed. (1932). The Mysore Tribes and caste. p. 105.
  9. ^ Stein, Burton; Arnold, David (4 February 2010). A History of India. John Wiley & Sons. p. 120. ISBN 978-1444323511.
  10. ^ Stein, Burton (2010-02-04). A History of India. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-4443-2351-1.
  11. ^ Talbot, Cynthia (2001). Pre-colonial India in Practice: Society, Region, and Identity in Medieval Andhra. Oxford University Press. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-19803-123-9.
  12. ^ Talbot, Cynthia (2001). Pre-colonial India in Practice: Society, Region, and Identity in Medieval Andhra. Oxford University Press. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-19803-123-9.
  13. ^ Sarma, M Somasekhara; Sōmaśēkharaśarma, Mallampalli (1948), History of the Reddi Kingdoms (circa. 1325 A.D. to Circa 1448 A.D.), Andhra University, p. 396
  14. ^ "Guild Inscriptions".
  15. ^ a b Rao, Velcheru Narayana; Shulman, David Dean; Subrahmanyam, Sanjay (1992). Symbols of substance: court and state in Nāyaka Period Tamilnadu. Oxford University Press. pp. 10, 74. ISBN 978-0-19-563021-3. These Balija fighters are not afraid of kings: some stories speak of their killing kings who interfered with their affairs.
  16. ^ Talbot, Cynthia (2001). Pre-colonial India in Practice: Society, Region, and Identity in Medieval Andhra. Oxford University Press. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-19803-123-9.
  17. ^ Baker, Christopher John (1975). "Figures and Facts: Madras Government Statistics 1880-1940". In Baker, Christopher John; Washbrook, D. A. (eds.). South India. Springer. pp. 222–223. ISBN 978-1-34902-746-0.
  18. ^ The quarterly journal of the Mythic society Vol.XI. Bangalore: The Mythic Society, Daly Memorial Hall. 1921. p. 47-48.:”Venkatappa. ruled from 1504 to 1551. His son Bhadrappa died before him. During his reign the Moghals under Ranadullakhan seized Ikkeri and set up a, viceroy there. Then Virabhadrappa Nayaka ascended the Gadi and -retiring to Bidarur ruled over his country more peacefully than before.* His rule lasted for 15 years from 1551 to 1566. During his reign the rule of Vokkaligas came to an end and was replaced by the rule of Banajigas”
  19. ^ Basavaraj S. Naika (2001). Keladi Nayakas - The Rebellious Rani of Belavadi and Other Stories. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. ISBN 9788126901272. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  20. ^ "Rulers of Keladi". Udupi Tourism. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  21. ^ Portuguese Studies Review (ISSN 1057-1515) (Baywolf Press) p.35
  22. ^ The quarterly journal of the Mythic society Vol.XI. Bangalore: The Mythic Society, Daly Memorial Hall. 1921. p. 47-48.:”Venkatappa. ruled from 1504 to 1551. His son Bhadrappa died before him. During his reign the Moghals under Ranadullakhan seized Ikkeri and set up a, viceroy there. Then Virabhadrappa Nayaka ascended the Gadi and -retiring to Bidarur ruled over his country more peacefully than before.* His rule lasted for 15 years from 1551 to 1566. During his reign the rule of Vokkaligas came to an end and was replaced by the rule of Banajigas”
  23. ^ A journey from Madras through the countries of Mysore, Canara, and Malabar Vol 111 – 1807 – Francis Buchanan -from page 254 "[1]"
  24. ^ Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707–1813 by Jaswant Lal Mehta p.458
  25. ^ "Include Balija caste in OBC list, demand Lingayats". The Hans India. July 9, 2019.
  26. ^ "Make Lingayat, Balija castes part of OBC Category: Zaheerabad MP". Telangana Today. September 13, 2022.
  27. ^ "Census Of India 1951" (PDF). Tamil Digital Library.
  28. ^ "Definition Kapu". Wisdom Library. October 25, 2021.
  29. ^ "Census Of India 1951" (PDF). Tamil Digital Library.
  30. ^ "Details Internet".
  31. ^ Rajendra Vora (2009). Christophe Jaffrelot; Sanjay Kumar (eds.). Rise of the Plebeians?: The Changing Face of the Indian Legislative Assemblies (Exploring the Political in South Asia). Routledge India. p. 217. ISBN 9781136516627. [In Maharashtra]The Lingayats, the Gujjars and the Rajputs are three other important castes which belong to the intermediate category. The lingayats who hail from north Karnataka are found primarily in south Maharashtra and Marthwada while Gujjars and Rajputs who migrated centuries ago from north India have settled in north Maharashtra districts.
  32. ^ Glushkova, I. P.; Vora, Rajendra (1999). Home, Family and Kinship in Maharashtra. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-564635-1.
  33. ^ Singh, K. S. (1996). Communities, Segments, Synonyms, Surnames and Titles. Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN 978-0-19-563357-3.
  34. ^ "NDTV.com: Who is Shivraj Patil?". 2012-03-19. Archived from the original on 2012-03-19. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  35. ^ "1 year in office earns CM a snub". indiatoday. 2005. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  36. ^ "BJP president Nitin Gadkari refuses to yield BS Yeddyurappa over Karnataka leadership". economictimes. 25 February 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  37. ^ "The Tripwire Setters". Outlookindia. 6 April 2009. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  38. ^ Nels Anderson, ed. (1969). Studies in Multilingualism I of VII. p. 134.
  39. ^ The Indian Journal of Political Science. 1987. p. 583.
  40. ^ "Which way now for the Lingayats?". indiatoday. 8 March 2004. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  41. ^ Alessandro Monti; Marina Goglio; Esterino Adami, eds. (2005). Feeding the Self, Feeling the Way in Ancient and Contemporary South Asian Cultures. L'Harmattan Italia. p. 91. ISBN 978-88-7892-006-4.
  42. ^ Sameeksha Trust, ed. (1997). Economic and Political Weekly, Volume 32. p. 2348.
  43. ^ "J H Patel stoops, yet may not conquer". rediff. 2004. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  44. ^ "Rebel gives J H Patel a contest to remember". rediff. 3 September 1999. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  45. ^ "NewsKarnataka". NewsKarnataka. Archived from the original on 2019-08-26. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
  46. ^ Thomas Blom Hansen; Christophe Jaffrelot (2001). The BJP and the compulsions of politics in India. p. 176. The Lingayat votes had been important to the Janata Dal since 1978. Without Veerendra Patil (a member of the Banajiga jati), the long-standing difficulties of the national party president S. R. Bommai in appealing to voters beyond his Sadar jati (which has represent of other jatis gaining disproportionate share of spoils) became especially serious
  47. ^ Sameeksha Trust (1992). Economic & Political Weekly. p. 1270. Veerendra Patil belongs to Lingayat Banajiga
  48. ^ Bansy Kalappa; Naushad Bijapur (2019). "Stormy season ahead for BJP over rebel Karnataka MLA Umesh Katti's exclusion". New Indian Express.
  49. ^ Rishikesh Bahadur Desai (2019). "Decoding the political clout of Shettar". The Times of India.
  50. ^ Parliament mourns death of B.D. Jatti, adjourns. 2002. Sri Basappa Danappa Jatti Born in a Kannadiga Lingayat Banajiga family at Savalgi in Jamkhandi Taluk of Bijapur district, Jatti entered politics as a Municipality member at Jamakhandi in 1940 and later became its President. He was eventually elected to the Jamakhandi State Legislature
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