History of Kamma Varu

“Myneni varu” belong to “Kamma” Community. Kammas are part of the “Sudras” in South India. In ancient Indian society “Varnasrama” system, a social and religious structure, divided the society into four classes: “Brahmins”, the intellectual and priest class; “Kshatriyas”, the ruling and warrior class; “Vysyas”, the business and cultivating class; and “Sudras”, the working class who served the above three classes. Sudras had no independent existence. As the Vysyas engaged more in trade and industry, some of the Sudras working for them took over the cultivation of land. Among the Sudras, some specialized in cattle breeding and animal husbandry. They were called “Yadavas” and certain rich Yadavas ruled the regions where they were dominant. The cultivating Sudras in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were classified on the caste basis as “Reddy”, “Kapu”, and “Kamma” communities. Over time, the Varnasrama system gradually transformed into the caste system.

There are various accounts regarding the origin of the word “Reddy”. One version is that the word “Reddy” evolved from “Rastrakuta”, the rulers and warriors of North India of 7th century. The word “Rastrakuta” transformed first as “Rasthraka” and into “Rashtrika”, “Rathika”, “Raddy”, and finally into “Reddy”. Some consider that the word “Reddy” evolved from the Sanskrit word “Rattakudi”.

Another account is that some hill-tribes migrated to Khammam plain areas of Godavari river belt and supplied “rellu”, a type of grass used to cover the roofs of houses and “gaddi” which is used to feed cattle. They spread to other places like Kurnool, Kadapa, Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar areas from here. The suppliers of these materials were known as “rellu gaddi varu” and later it took the short form “Reddy” taking “re” from “rellu” and “ddi” from “gaddi”. They were hard working people and the society mostly depended on them .They were respected by all. However, those who stayed in hill areas came to be known as “Konda Reddlu” and were regarded as backward people. But, the migrant Reddys became rich and later they took up agriculture and became landlords. Some of them were appointed as village heads by rulers, and the term “Reddy” evolved into a title.

Other castes such as “Velama,” “Kapu,” “Balija,” “Telaga,” “Munnuru Kapu,” and “Ontari” are part of the same community although they are known by different names in different regions. The word “Velama” consists of two words namely “vel” and “ama”. “Vel” means white or silver in old language and “ama` means lance. They were called “velama’ because of their complexion and because they worked as warriors in the armies of Pallavas and Satavahanas. It was inferred from their surnames that their origins were in Gujarat and Rajasthan. The word “Kapu” means “to protect” in Telugu and a gate, door, or entrance in Turkish. Some warriors who initially protected the rulers later transitioned to protecting crops and paddy fields. These people came to be known as “Kapu” and they mostly settled in Godavari District, acquired lands and became agriculturists. Later some of them migrated to the Vijayanagaram, Vishaka, and Srikakulam Districts of Andhra Pradesh.

There are many versions for the origin of the word “Kamma”. One version considers that the Kamma community belongs to the Dravidian race. After the Aryan invasion around 1500 BC, a Dravidian group settled in the Krishna River valley. They were called “Kamma varu,” and the valley became known as “Kamma Nadu” and “Kamma Rashtram.”

Another version suggests that “Kamma” can be traced back to some Buddhists who migrated, around 300 BC, from the north to escape religious conflicts with Shaivites. They settled in Krishna belt and Buddhism flourished in the area, especially in Dharanikota, Battiprolu, Chodavole etc. The word “Kamma” was derived from “Theravada”, a Buddhist concept of “Kamma”, in Pali language, which is equivalent to “Karma”, in Sanskrit language.

Some historians opined that the word Kamma is probably derived from Kambhoja an ancient Aryan warrior. We find Kamhi, Kumbhi, Kamma castes in ancient inscriptions.

Another version suggests that “Kamma” traces back to Buddhist Kurmis from the Gangetic plains who migrated in large numbers to the Krishna River delta to escape persecution by Pushyamitra Sunga (184 BC). Historians believe that the Sanskrit word “Kurmi” or “Kurma” evolved into “Kamma” in later years.

One more version states that Kammas were indigenous people (Adivasis) or forest dwellers of Krishna Basin who subsisted on food gathered from the surrounding forests. Some among them began making pottery and were called “Kummari varu”. With the wheat revolution and advancements in cultivation techniques, some of these “Kummari” individuals were drawn to agriculture and became known as “Kummars” which eventually evolved into “Kammas”. Among them, some owned large numbers of cattle in their “chavidi” (a cattle shed) and were referred to as “Choudary”. Some Kamma people, due to their rich diet, became stout and bulky and they were referred to as “Lavu” varu (where ‘lavu’ means stout in Telugu). The word ‘lavu’ eventually evolved into ‘Ravu’, and then “Rao”. Most names of Kamma people end with “iah” for males (father) and “amma”(mother) for females. People began adding ‘Rao’, ‘Kumar’, ‘Choudary’, ‘Rayudu’, and ‘Naidu’ as suffixes to their names as status symbols.

Some scholars cite stories from Puranas to indicate the source of origin of the “Kammas”. One such story goes like this: Once upon a time, there was a Queen of Devatas and she lost her earring (‘kamma’ in telugu) to a Rakshasa (evil enemy). She prayed to Goddess Lakshmi for help and it is said that a few warriors jumped out of a “gampa” (which means basket). They then fought with the Rakshasas and brought the earring back. The warriors were hence referred to as “Kammas”. Even though it is a tale it indicates that “kamma” varu might have been warriors or soldiers by profession in early days.

The first record of the word Kamma rashtram appeared in Jaggayyapeta inscription of the Ikshvaku King, Madhariputra Purushadatta (3rd century BC), stating that kamma raashtram extended from the Krishna River to Kandukuru (now in Prakasam District). The next record was that of Pallava King Kumara Vishnu II followed by that of Eastern Chalukya King Mangi Yuvaraja (627–696 AD). The subsequent inscriptions of Telugu Cholas or Chodas and Kakatiya dynasty mentioned the above region as “Kammanadu”.

The rulers, warriors and army people of Kammanadu started using the title “Nayaka” from the 10th century onwards. There are about 1200 Kamma surnames (known as “inti peru” in Telugu), which are discernible from this time. The surnames and Gotrams of Kammas were catalogued by Badabanala Bhatta in 1068 AD. Some prominent Gotrams of Kamma varu are: Racharla, Vallutla, Vipparla, Musunulla, Cherukunulla(this is Myneni Vari Gotram), Kancherla, Chennamulla, Konulla, Tatipala, Vahindipala, Pachakula, Pamidikolukula, Kousika, Visvamitra, Ayodhya, Vasistha, Dhanunjaya, and Bharadvaja. The names of the ancestral villages were typically adopted as Gotram. The inscriptions of many Kamma Nayakas mentioned that they belong to the Durjaya clan (vamsam). Durjaya Dynasties Many ruling dynasties, such as, Durjaya Dynasty (between 450AD to 630AD), Velanati Dynasty (from1100 AD to 1206 AD), Kakatiya Dynasty (from 1075 AD to 1323 AD) etc. claim to be descendents of Durjaya (Sanskrit for “difficult to conquer” or “invincible”) clan.

The Deccan plateau was ruled by the Chalukyas from the 6th to the 12th centuries. During the early eleventh century, the Kakatiyas (1083–1323 AD) served as feudatories of the Chalukyas in Andhra. Kamma Nayakas rose to prominence during the Kakatiya dynasty’s reign, holding positions as chieftains. Some Kamma individuals also served as Ayagars under the Kakatiya kings.

Between 1336 and 1650 AD, the Vijayanagar Empire flourished in the Deccan. Krishna Devaraya of the Tuluva (Kamma) dynasty ruled the empire, attracting many Kamma warriors to the kingdom. During his reign, Kammas from thirty-seven Gotras lived in Vijayanagar. Kamma Nayakas formed the core of the Vijayanagara army and were appointed as governors in various parts of the empire. The empire was divided into several Rajyas, further subdivided into Seemas and Gramas. Feudatory kings, known as Nayakas, ruled some areas (seemas) by paying annual tribute and supplying warriors when needed.

In 1565 AD, the combined armies of the Deccan sultanates defeated the Vijayanagar Empire, bringing it under the control of the Sultanate of Golkonda and Bijapur. They employed Velama, Kamma, and Reddy kings to rule various areas, who paid tribute and collected revenue. Many of these regions later became known as Samsthanams or Zamindaries.

In 1686, the Golkonda Empire fell to Deccan Subah, a province of the Mughal Dynasty. The Mughal rule was, however, short-lived. Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah, the Governor of Deccan, declared independence and controlled Andhra, parts of Tamil Nadu, and Orissa. Until 1760 AD, the French and British vied for control of Andhra. Salabat Jung, son of Asaf Jah and fourth Nizam of Hyderabad state, aligned with the French. In 1762, Salabat Jung’s brother Nizam Ali Khan deposed him and became the fifth Nizam of Hyderabad state. He later entered into a Subsidiary alliance with the British East India Company. Thus Hyderabad became a princely state within the British Raj.

In the beginning, the British allowed the old kingdoms to retain arms on the condition that they support the British Empire during wars. During this period, rich and influential Kammas became Zamindars (rulers). By 1788, the British had control over Andhra from the Golkonda Nawabs. In 1802, under a permanent Revenue Settlement, the British government recognized the ruling owners but abolished their right to bear arms, allowing only tax collection powers. Until the 18th century, the Kamma Nayakas supported whichever ruler was in power. After the fall of major kingdoms, Kammas began to control the most fertile lands in Andhra and Tamil Nadu.

Notable Kamma Zamindaries under British rule in Andhra included:

1. Challapalli (or Devarakota) of 130 villages — Yarlagadda dynasty

2. Muktyala — Vasi Reddy clan

3. Chintapalli (Amaravati) — Vasi Reddy dynasty (ruled from 1761 to 1950)

4. Undrajavaram — Mullapudi clan

5. Kapileswarapuram — Balusu family

6. Rangapuram — Adusumalli clan

Some small ruling Kamma Rajas between 1400–1950 AD included:

Kaja, Yalamanchi, Koneru, Regula, Pinnamaneni, Jesta, Parvataneni, Kodali, Mandava, Dasari, Karlapudi, Mullanki, Tammareddy, Chalasani, Boppana, Lingam, Virapaneni, Maganti, Kalagara, Kamineni, Kommineni, Kurapati, Uppalapati, Devabaktuni, Sagi, Vakkalagadda, Dulipalla, Ravuri, Paruchuri, Mannam, Madala, Kotha, Anchu, Nalla, Chodi, Namburi, Ubbatla, Pepalla, Duggina, Guntur, Kakarla, Nadendla, Pacha, Muppalla, Pullela, Ramineni, Ravula, Gaddipati, Chilukuri, Gudipudi, Mikkilineni, Ravella, etc.

Kamma Doralu clans that ruled some areas included:

Mullapudi, Pendyala, Chitturi, Kottapalli, Karaturi, Gogineni, Kalluri, Chirumamilla, Sakhamuri, Adusumalli, Chunduri, Sammeta, Payyavula, Bolla, Nandigama, Talluri, Varshanadu, Kotta, Gollapudi, Yalamati, Chava, Nallamotu, Najandla, Narvaneni, Kosaraju, Kakani, Parchuri, Vadlamudi, Vunnava, etc.

According to the British India census of 1891, there were six divisions of Kammas:

1. Pedda Kamma (Illu vidani Kamma)

2. Chinna Kamma (Illu vide Kamma)

3. Gandikota Kamma

4. Godavari Kamma

5. Gampa Kamma

6. Bangaru Kamma

These divisions have since vanished. It is estimated that the Kamma population exceeds one crore in South India, predominantly in Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, West Godavari, East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Nellore, Chittoor, and Anantapuram districts of Andhra Pradesh; Khammam and Nizamabad districts of Telangana; Bellary and Kolar of Karnataka; and Vellore, Arkot, Chengalpattu, Hosur, Krishnagiri, Erode, Salem, Tanjore, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore, Madurai, Ramanathapuram, and Tirunelveli districts of Tamil Nadu.

After the decline of major kingdoms, Kammas controlled large fertile lands in Andhra and Tamil Nadu as a legacy of their martial past. They also possessed cattle wealth (oxen) for cultivation and transportation of their products. Kammas are credited with introducing modern agricultural techniques, attributed to their entrepreneurial nature, hard work, and diligence. An admirable trait of Kammas is their recognition and belief in the dignity of labor, as they attend to fieldwork themselves. There are many Telugu proverbs about Kammas, such as “Kamma variki bhumi bhayapadutundi” (The earth fears the Kammas) and “Kamma varu mattini bangaram chestaru” (Kammas turn mud into gold). Their association with land and agriculture is legendary, and they are experts in growing both commercial and food crops.

In recent times, Kammas from Krishna and Guntur districts migrated to other regions, such as Nizamabad in Telangana, Raichur and Bellary in Karnataka, and Raipur in Chhattisgarh, and Sambalpur in Odisha, enriching these lands through cultivation. The British rulers recognized their administrative abilities, appointing them as Munasiffs of villages.

With their wealth, Kammas invested in education, establishing schools and colleges. Among non-Brahmin communities, Kammas were among the first to pursue education in large numbers. With their knowledge, education, and innovative talent, Kammas now play prominent roles in business and industry, arts and movies, science and technology, and politics. They have also made significant contributions to literature and art. In recent years, many Kammas have migrated to the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and African countries, contributing to the economies of these nations.