Velama

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Castes of India
Velama, Velama Dora
Classification Warriors,Zamindars,Some sub castes Peasants
Subdivisions {{{subdivisions}}}
Significant populations in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
Languages Telugu, Tamil
Religions Hinduism
Image:Example.of.complex.text.rendering.svg This article contains Indic text.
Without rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes or other symbols instead of Indic characters; or irregular vowel positioning and a lack of conjuncts.

Velama (Telugu: వెలమ) is one of the older feudal castes or social groups in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. They ruled parts of Andhra Pradesh during 14th and 15th centuries.

Contents

[edit] General Background

The history of Velama's is as old as Telugu bravery. Their military exploits form an important part of Telugu tradition, history and folklore. The battle of Palnadu, battle of Bobbili, Balanagamma Charitra etc speak volumes about their chivalry. They are known to be fearless and battle hardy warriors. The lives of popular velamas such as Thandra Papa Rayudu, Palnati Brahmanaidu and Rani mallamamba are synonyms of bravery. Their heroic traditions such as 'Sati' prove that they are of Aryan descent with extensive inter mingling with other martial races of India.


[edit] Origin of the community

Several conflicting theories have been postulated on origin of the community -

[edit] Leadership

Velama generals worked for different Kakatiya kings who ruled from Warangal. Some of the Padma Nayakas who fought battles along with other Nayakas during Kakatiya rule are:

[edit] Ganapathi Deva Period (1199 – 1262 A.D.)

  • Recherla Rudra, Commander-In-Chief (Senani) of Kakatiya king Ganapathi Deva's army.
  • Recherla Raja Nayaka helped Ganapatideva in conquering parts of Kalinga, Vengi and Bastar.

[edit] Rani Rudrama Devi Period (1259 – 1289 A.D.)

  • Recherla Prasaditya, along with other Reddi and Kayastha Nayaks (Gona Gannaiah, Jannigadeva, Tripurar, Ambadeva) help consolidate the position of Rani Rudrama against nobles and her step-brothers.

[edit] Prataparudra II Period (1289 – 1323 A.D.)

Prataparudra II entrusted the defense of the Warangal predominantly to Velama Nayakas.

  • Recherla Venna, along with other Nayaks (Pothuganti Maili), fought and cut short the expedition of Alauddin Khilji at Upparapalli (now in Karimnagar) in 1303 CE.
  • Recherla Singama Nayaka established his own independent Kingdom with Rachakonda, now in Nalgonda Dist, as his capital.

[edit] Palnadu Battle

Palnadu region is located in Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh. Dodda Nayudu and his son Brahma Nayudu served as ministers under Haihayas kings such as Alugu Raju ruling at Macherla. Brahma Nayudu strived for progressive and egalitarian ideals. Nalagama Raju and Narasinga Raju were ruling at Gurajala, a small town near Macherla. Nagamma, a widow and an orthodox minister, did not relish the progressive ideals of Brahma. In a cock fight, a popular sport of those times, Macherla lost to Gurajala. Brahma and his followers had to live in exile as part of the gamble. Subsequent to the return from exile tensions between both the kings led to the battle of Palnadu (1182 CE) at Karempudi village. Macherla was defeated, a generation of warriors perished and Brahma took to renunciation.[citation needed]

[edit] Rachakonda Kingdom

Recherla Singama Nayaka, the first King of Recherla clan of Velamas, was closely followed by the Devarakonda Chiefs. Stories of his valour are still sung as ballads. His sons Anavota Nayaka and Mada Nayaka carried on his legacy after his assassination by Jallipalli Kshatriyas.

[edit] Devarakonda Kingdom

Eight kings ruled Deverakonda from 1287 to 1475 CE. Some of the kings who ruled Deverakonda Kingdom are:

  • Raja Maada Nayudu II
  • Raja Peda Vedagiri Nayudu (1384 - 1410 CE)
  • Raja Maada Nayudu III (1410 -1425 CE)
  • Raja Lingama Nayudu (1425 - 1475 CE), the last of the eight Kings.

[edit] Velugoti Clan

Recherla chiefs of Rachakonda and Devarakonda served as vassals of Bahmanis after Musunuri Kapaaneedu was killed. Their descendents acquired Zamindaris (Samsthanams) in Mahboobnagar, Kurnool and Raichur Districts.

  • Jetaprolu Samsthanam is a historic Samasthanam in the Nizam dominion in Telangana region. The Jetaprolu family gave rise to Rajas of Bobbili (Vizianagaram district), Pithapuram (East Godavari), Malleshwaram (Krishna District) and Venkatagiri (Nellore District).[citation needed]

[edit] Vijayanagar Empire

Velamas who did not relish serving as vassals to Bahmanis migrated to Vijayanagar empire. As this empire expanded some of the Nayaks were sent to places in southern Tamil Nadu like Madurai and Thanjavur.

[edit] Velugoti Samsthanams

  • Pithapuram
  • Panagal
  • Bobbili
  1. Raja Rao Venkata Gopala Krishna Ranga Rao - Raja of Bobbili of the battle of Bobbili fame
  2. Rani Mallamma Devi, wife of Ranga Rao and sister of Tandra Papa Rayudu. A brave woman, she wanted to fight the battle of Bobbili along with the men, rather than commit suicide or be killed by her own army. However, prevalent Velama customs mandated that she be stabbed by her own body guard as per the orders of her husband Ranga Rao.
  3. Thandra Papa Rayudu[1] was a valiant fighter and brother of Rani Mallamma Devi. He was away at the time of the battle, and avenged the killing of all his relatives by killing Vijaya Rama Raju of Vizianagaram. However, he had to kill himself, as did the two accomplices to his act, after they were surrounded by the combined forces of Vijaya Rama Raju and Busey
  • Sri Kalahasti (Damerla Family)
  • Narsaraopeta (Malraju family)
  • Nuzividu (Meka Family)
  • Venkatagiri Samsthanam
  • Palvancha Samathanam

[edit] Patronage of Telugu literature and culture

Velama rulers patronized several contributors to Telugu literature and culture.

[edit] Pithapuram

The kings of Pithapuramu established literary organizations like the 'Andhrasahitya Parishattu'. Devulapalli Subbarayasastri, whose work included Ramarayavilasamu, Kumara Satakamu and who co-authored Ravuvamsamuktavali in Sanskrit and Telugu with Devulapalli Venkatakrishnasastri, was from Pithapuramu.

Other writers, and their work, included:

  • Vakkalanka Veerabhadrakavi : Vasavadattaaparinayamu.
  • Kuchimanchi Jaggakavi : Subhadraaparinayamu.
  • Kuchimachi Gangana : Satakanttharamayanamu.

[edit] Bobbili

Scholarly families like Kotra, Kotikalapudi, Mandapaka, Mandavemula and Susarla flourished in this kingdom. Sir Venkateswarachalapatirangarao (1862-1926) supported many poets and funded the printing of several books.

  • Kotra Balakavi : Vimalangi Parinayamu and Bhallanacharitramu.
  • Kotikelapudi Venkatakrishna Somayaji: Tarakabrahmamu, Dilipacharitramu, Prabodhachandrodayamu and Meghasandesamu
  • Mandapaka Peraya: Nirdoshtyadasaradhi Satakamu, Kumudvati Parinayamu and Indumati Parinayamu.
  • Mandapaka Parvateeswarasastri: Krishnabhyadayamu and Radhakrishna Samvadamu.
  • Mandavemula Venkataramaya: Kriyayogasaramu.

[edit] Venkatagiri

  • Returi Rangaraju: Bhanumati Parinayamu.
  • Mudumbi Ayyappadikshitulu: Vishnupuranamu.
  • Velugoti Kumarayachendrulu: Sabharanjani, Manssakshyam.
  • Gopinadha Venkata: Srimadramayanamu, Brahmavaivartapuranamu, Krishnajanmakhandamu and Brahmananda Satakamu,
  • Tarkabhushanamu Venkatacharylu: Sringarakalpavalli.
  • Tirumalasetti Jagnnadha: Halasya Mahatmyamu.

The great "Poleramma Jathara" held from 19th century. Many Families of Vekatagiri from all over the world are participated in this famous Jathara. Every year it commence on Wednesday and Thrusday after three weeks of Ganesh Chavathi.

[edit] Sri Kalahasti

  • Damerla Vengalabhupaludu : Bahulasva Charitramu.
  • Damerla Ankabhupaludu: Ushaparinayamu.
  • Lingaraju (Kumara Dhurjati): Kalhatimahatmyamu and Dvipada Bhagavatamu.
  • Sishtu Sarvasastri: Amarukamu and Jnanaprasunambika Satakamu
  • Kalatturi Vikrala Raghavacharylu: Vedasamrajyamu, Suryasiddhantamu and Vyakhyanamu.
  • Damerla Venkatabhupaludu: Setukhandamu.

The great "Poleramma Jathara" held from 19th century. Many Families of Vekatagiri from all over the world are participated in this famous Jathara. Every year it commence on Wednesday and Thrusday after three weeks of Ganesh Chavathi.

[edit] Nuzividu

  • Venkatacharyudu: Indumati Parinayamu.
  • Anivilla Venkatasastri Apparaya: Yasaschandrodayamu and Alankarasudhasindhumaheswara.
  • Dittakavi Ramayogi: Rajgopala Satakamu and Mahisasuramardani Satakamu.
  • Madabhushi Venkatacharya: Bharatabhyudayamu, Pushpabanavilasamu, Ramavadhuti Taravali.
  • Venkatadri Apparao Bahaddur Ramadasu: Jyotirleela, Govardhanoddharanamu and Andhrashtapadulu.
  • Duriseti Venkataramacharyulu: Anarkali.
  • Venkat

[edit] Narasaraopeta

  • Ahobila: Kavisirobhushanamu and Kalindikanya Parinayamu.
  • Pattabhiram: Malarajugudanarayanopakhyanamu, Vajrapanjara Satakamu and Syamantakopakhyanamu.
  • Dittakavi Narayana: Rangaraya Charitramu.

[edit] Primary references

  1. Katten, Michael; Making Caste In Nineteenth-Century India: A History of Telling the Bobbili Katha & Velama Identity, University of California at Berkeley, USA
  2. Roghair, Gene H; 1982, The epic of Palnadu: a study and translation of Palnati virula katha, a Telugu oral tradition from Andhra Pradesh, India, Oxford University Press
  3. Talbot, Cynthia; 2004, Precolonial India in Practice: Society, Region, and Identity in Medieval Andhra (Hardcover), Oxford University Press
  4. Prasad, Durga; 1988, History of the Andhras Till 1565 A.D., Durga Prasad, PG Publishers, Guntur
  5. A History of Telling the Bobbili Katha & Velama Identity, Michael Katten, University of California at Berkeley

[edit] Other references

  1. ^ B. M. G.. The Tiger of Bobbili. The Hindu. Retrieved on 2007-03-28.

[edit] External links