47-447: Vijayanagara : ( Origin . Empire . Musicological nonet . Medieval city . Military . Haridasa . Battle of Raichur . Battle of Talikota ) Sultanate : Dialects: ( Kundagannada . Havigannada . Arebhashe ) Jainism : ( In Karnataka . In North Karnataka . Jain Bunt ) Vokkaliga (also transliterated as Vokkaligar, Vakkaliga, Wakkaliga, Okkaligar, Okkiliyan)
94-411: A Nūru Mane or "hundred families" arose. Jogi Vokkaligas are mostly found in parts of Chitradurga, Shivamogga, Tumkur and Mandya districts. They worship Bhairava . They were the teachers (mattpati) of Adichunchanagiri matt during its early days. The Jogi are disciples of yoga and traditionally wear saffron-colored clothing. They were residents of the ancient Kingdom of Nonambavadi which was ruled by
141-579: A community of people from Karnataka , India. They are mostly concentrated in the Tumkur , Bangalore , Mysore , Ramanagara , Shivamogga and Chitradurga districts. They are also found in Tamil Nadu . While the Kunchitigas are considered a sub-division of Vokkaligas , they are listed separately by the government. Some Kunchitigas were Veerashaivas who embraced Lingayatism to become
188-685: A separate division. The Kunchitigas are classified under the General/Unreserved Category by the Central Government of India. The Kunchitigas were historically a landholding community of cultivators and merchants. They formed part of the administrative and warrior classes in ancient times. Their chiefs were called " Gowda " and "Nayaka" in Karnataka, and " Gounder " in Tamil Nadu. The origin of
235-619: A vestige of the times when the Gangas followed Jainism. Oral traditions of the people maintain that after the decline of the Ganga power they reverted to Hinduism retaining certain Jain practices. The Gangadikara Vokkaligas have as many as 40 kulas , exogamous clans, known in Kannada as Bedagu . The border regions of Karnataka around modern-day Bangalore, Tumkur and Hosur was known as Morasu-nadu and
282-579: Is a community of closely related castes, from the Indian states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu . As a community of warriors and cultivators they have historically had notable demographic, political, and economic dominance in Old Mysore (region) . It is believed by some historians that the Rashtrakutas and Western Gangas were of Vokkaliga origin. The Vokkaligas occupied administrative positions in
329-529: Is described as a divine ruler born in Warangal that rose to power after the fall of the Kakatiya empire. He is said to have moved south to fulfill his legacy of killing an evil demon king. In his adventure, he meets the 48 clans of the Kunchitigas coming from Dwarka and becomes their leader. Veera Keturaya moves to Vaddagere with the Kunchitigas, conquers Nelamangala by killing the demon king Baicha, and becomes
376-644: Is interpreted to mean "cultivators". This theory is supported with evidence from Kunchitiga settlements and migration patterns, which resemble a mobile army's method of setting up outposts in their conquests. As a community of warriors and cultivators, they were historically associated with the Vijaynagar Empire and the Wodeyars of Mysore, among other rulers. Kunchitigas were the rulers of Sira , Madhugiri , and Koratagere . Kunchitigas are also found in interior parts of Tamil Nadu. Some of
423-715: Is still considered to be their headquarters. There seems to be evidence to link the Kunchitigas with the Seuna dynasty . The Seunas known as Yadavas of Devagiri often proudly claimed their pastoral ancestry. It is believed the Vokkaligas had pastoral origins. The legend of Jaldhi Bapparaya has a clear theme of being chased south by Muslim invaders. The arrival of the Kunchitigas at Nandana Hosur matches with Alauddin Khalji's raid on Devagiri . Alauddin Khalji sent Malik Kafur to recapture Devagiri in 1313; Singhana III
470-463: Is the oldest and second largest Vokkaliga sub-group and are concentrated in Malenadu . They are also called Malava Gowdas. They use the surnames 'Hegde' and 'Gowda'. The Namdharis were Jains who converted to Vaishnavism along with their Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana and are followers of Sri Ramanujacharya . The Hoysalas were possibly of Namdhari Vokkaliga origin. Historians refer to the founders of
517-798: The Gollas and Kurubas . The namesake is the best in the far-famed Amrit Mahal cattle. They are also called Servegars as they were chief herdsmen in the Amrit Mahal Department. They use Gowda and Nayak as surnames. Tulu and Arebhase Gowda (Gauda) are the subsect of the Vokkaliga community located primarily in the South Canara District, Kodagu District, Indian state of Karnataka and Bandadka village of Kasaragod, Kerala State. They are said to have 10 Kutumba and 18 Bari as their primordial root families, from which
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#1732780249575564-597: The Hoysala dynasty as natives of Malenadu based on numerous inscriptions calling them Maleparolganda or "Lord of the Male (hills) chiefs" ( Malepas ). Some historians believe Hoysala originated from Sosevuru (Modern Angadi, Mudigere taluk). Hoysalas also strongly supported Kannada language. The early Hoysala chiefs had alliances with the Western Ganga Dynasty and claimed to be heirs to the Gangas. Several of
611-744: The Kongu Vellalars could possibly share a common origin. In fact, the word Konga is the Tamil equivalent for Ganga . The Gangadikaras have two primary sections – the Bujjanige (or Dhaare Shastradavaru) and the Pettige (or Veelyada Shastradavaru) based on differences in rituals performed during the wedding ceremony. They can be Shaiva or Vaishnava in religious affiliation (called Mullu and Dasa sects). Cheluru Gangadikaras (also called Chelaru), another small sub-sect, are said to be strictly vegetarian,
658-672: The Lingayat , called Sadar Lingayats and Hindu faiths. The Hindus worship both Siva and Vishnu, while the Jains worship the Jain Tirthankaras and Hindu Gods as well. The non-Lingayats, are divided into Huvvinavaru ("Those of flowers") and Hongeyavaru ("Those of the Honge Mara "). Sadas had a high social status due to their strict vegetarianism and total abstinence. They have the usual Kattemane form of caste organization. The use
705-637: The Polygars in the Madurai district were Kunchitigas. Wodeyars frequently battled Madurai Nayakars and had briefly won Dindigal and Theni after Chanda Sahib ended the Madurai Nayak dynasty . Some Kunchitigas are believed to have received land grants. They are also associated with the expansion of the Dindigal fort. It is believed that Kunchitigas originally had 101 gotras . Currently, people of
752-615: The Chola Vellala Nattars. The majority of the gavundas were derived from the Vokkaligas; but by the 10th century, the term gavunda also came to denote chiefship of a community or group and was adopted by the heads of other communities assimilated into the early medieval state. The Vokkaligas of Tamil Nadu use Gowdar and Gounder as their surname. The Tamil origins to the word Gounder claim its derivation from kavundan or kamindan (one who watches over). Whether
799-577: The Gowdas (the caste name Vokkaliga was later affixed to it during the British Census), clearly had more families in the ruling classes." Before the 20th century Vokkaligas were the landed gentry and agricultural caste of Karnataka. Despite the community enjoying the status of chieftains and zamindars, there were also a lot of small landholding farmers. They, along with the Lingayats, owned most of
846-513: The Musuku group. The Palegars of Devanhalli, Dodballapur, Yelahanka, Magadi, Hoskote, Kolar, Anekal and Koratagere were Morasu Vokkaligas. The famous Kempe Gowda I , the founder of Bangalore City, was the most distinguished of the Palegars of Magadi. The family of Kempe Gowda migrated from Kanchi in the 15th century. The Devanahalli Fort was built by Malla Bhaire Gowda to immortalise Bhaire Gowda,
893-484: The Mysore, Mandya, Chamarajnagar, Hassan, Bangalore, Ramanagara and Tumkur districts of Karnataka. Gangawadi was the name for the area covering these districts, ruled over by the Western Ganga Dynasty and Gangadikara is a contraction of the term Gangawadikara (A man of Gangawadi). According to Burton Stein and L. K. Iyer the Ganga rulers were Gangadikara Vokkaliga chiefs. The Gangadikara Gowdas claim to be descendants of
940-587: The Pallavas up till 10th century A.D. The Pallavas also called themselves as Nonambadhi Raja, Nonamba Pallava, Pallavadhi Raja, etc. This section of the Vokkaligas are Lingayats by faith. In most respects, they follow the same customs as the Gangadhikara Vokkaligas. They are Vokkaligas found chiefly in the Shimoga and Chitradurga Districts. They were originally Jains, though many converted to
987-513: The South" There were essentially three classes: Brahmin, non-Brahmin and Dalit. Vokkaligas were considered non-Brahmin upper-castes. Quoting Gail Omvedt "In addition the three way ' caste division (Brahman, non - Brahman, Untouchable) seems particularly prominent here. There are no recognized 'Ksatriya' jatis anywhere in the south, and the three states (in contrast to the more inequalitarian hierarchies of Tamil Nadu and Kerala) are characterized by
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#17327802495751034-579: The Vijaynagar Empire. They later formed the early rulers of the Nayakas of Keladi . The Vokkaligas had the most families in the ruling classes of the 17th century when the Arasu caste of the Wodeyars was created to exclude them. Under the Kingdom of Mysore they operated autonomously and also served in the army and militia. The Vokkaligas formed the landed-gentry and warrior class of Karnataka. Most subsects of
1081-503: The Vokkaliga community are designated as Forward castes by the Central Government of India. While some subsects in rural areas, are designated as Other Backward Class by the Karnataka Government. Vokkaligas of the Lingayat faith are treated separately. Vokkaligas commonly carry titles such as Gowda , Hegde and Gounder . Vokkaliga is a Kannada -language word found in some of the earliest available literary works of
1128-613: The Vokkaligas, Vellalars and Reddys belonged to the ruling classes and were analogous to the Kshatriyas of the Brahmanical society. "In the 17th Century, Chikkadevaraja created the Urs caste and classified it into 31 clans. Of these, 13 clans were deemed superior, while the remaining 18 were placed lower in the hierarchy. This latter comprised ruling families in the domain he was rapidly expanding. The most populous caste in this region,
1175-603: The caste title Gowda. The varna system of Brahmanic ritual ranking never really took hold in South Indian society. The two intermediate dvija varnas—the Kshatriyas and Vaishyas—did not exist. James Manor said that "Varnas – the four large traditional divisions of Hindu society, which exclude Dalits – have less importance in South India than elsewhere because there are no indigenous Kshatriyas and Vaisyas in
1222-467: The chief's daughter, Unde Yattaraya. While fleeing the Muslim ruler, she was unable to cross an overflowing river (some accounts say Godavari , others say Tungabhadra ) and was helped by a Kuruba Gowda called Jaldhi Bapparaya, who was one of the two divine foundlings (the other being Avinakamaraya). Jaldhi is said to have offered himself as a sacrifice to the river goddess to create an easy passage for
1269-400: The cultivated land in the state. Therefore they were considered forward castes and dominant-majority communities. In 1961, Karnataka passed a new Land Reforms Act under the then Revenue minister and idealist Kadidal Manjappa (a Vokkaliga). This was followed by another Land Reform Act passed in 1973 by Ex-Chief Minister Devaraj Urs . These acts redistributed land from the Vokkaliga landlords to
1316-503: The dominance of large peasant jatis with landholding rights who historically supplied many of the zamindars and rulers but remained classed as 'Shudra' in the varna scheme." Therefore Vokkaligas along with other ruling castes like Bunts and Nairs were classified as "Upper shudra"/"Sat shudra" during the British Raj. This ritual status was not accepted by the Vokkaligas and was misleading as historically, dominant land-holding castes like
1363-695: The erstwhile Ganga rulers. The administrative setup of Gangas vested power in the Ooru Gauda, Nadu Gauda, Pergade (archaic for Hegde, Pergade->Peggade->Heggade) and so on, at various levels of administration and apart from administrative duties, the Gauda was expected to raise militia when called for. The Gangadikaras and other Vokkaligas were considered analogous to the Vellalar Chieftains of Tamil Country. They are Deccan Kshatriyas corresponding to Marathas of Maharashtra. The Gangadikaras and
1410-404: The exact origins of the community are disputed to date, there are legends describing the migration of the community from the north to the south of India. It is believed that the Kunchitigas were originally from North India and were forced to migrate south due to various circumstances in that region. In most legends concerning this migration a Muslim ruler is involved, who is said to have coveted
1457-670: The fall of their dynasty. According to Edgar Thurston , the Vokkaligas claimed to be descendants of the Ballāl Rājah of Ānēgundi. The Hoysalas or Ballāl Rājas were contemporaries of the Seūnas of Devagiri. An alternate version of the history of Kunchitigas and the traditions of Unde Yattaraya is recorded in the Nandana Hosur Copper Plate, but its reliability is doubted. A legend follows Veera Keturaya, his son Veera Nagappa, and daughter-in-law Veera Nagamma. Keturaya
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1504-493: The family/clan level is strictly controlled by using the idiom of Mane Devaru (the patron god of the given exogamic clan) which dictates that the followers of same Mane Devaru are siblings and marriage is thus forbidden, allowing marital alliances only with another clan and not within. The Gangadikara Vokkaligas, also known as the Gangatkars are numerically the largest among the Vokkaliga. The Gangadikaras are mostly found in
1551-557: The fleeing people. Unde Yattaraya is said to have given her daughter to marry Jaldhi Bapparaya's corpse, who was then revived by divine grace. Unde Yattaraya, Jaldi Bapparaya, and Avinakamaraya are ranked among the progenitors of the Kunchitigas. After crossing the river, the Kunchitigas settled in Vijaynagar first, before moving further south to Nandana Hosur in Chitradurga District, where they migrated to Sira , which
1598-699: The following 48 gotras are found in the Karnataka region. The archaeological department found a stone inscription in Nandana-hosuru, Chitradurga District, with information about the 48 gotras. Endogamous marriages within the same gotra are forbidden. According to various inscriptions that were found on the copper plates and palm leaves in South Indian archives, the 48 gotras were named after their characters and physiques. Among them, Avinavaru, Baduvanavaru, Basalenavaru, Emmenavaru, Dasalenavaru, Danyadavaru, Undenavaru, Jaldhinavaru, and Janakallinavaru married girls of Shri Krishna Kula Nagakanni sect of Yadavas, and
1645-622: The headman of one of the seven clans that migrated from Kanchi . Burton Stein noted a link between Morasu Vokkaligas and the Thondaimandala Vellala . Kunchitigas are concentrated mostly in Tumkur, Chitradurga, Bangalore and Mysore. They are also found in Salem, Coimbatore and Theni districts of Tamil Nadu. They were traditionally agriculturists and were known for being a successful and enterprising group. The Namdhari Vokkaliga
1692-541: The inscriptions of Karnataka. The Epigraphia Carnatica is replete with references to land grants, donations to temples, hero-stones ( Veeragallu ), stone edicts and copper plates dating back to the age of the Western Ganga Dynasty (est. 350 CE) and earlier. The Gavundas were landlords that collected taxes and rendered military service to the Kings. Noboru Karashima says the Gavundas had functions corresponding to that of
1739-485: The king of Penukonda . He is succeeded by Nagappa. Nagappa's unexpected death at the hands of enemy forces brings Nagamma‘a youthful marriage to an end. She is disappointed in Shiva for failing to protect her husband and ends her life by performing sati . Shiva, displeased with the turn of events, revives her. The Kunchitigas worship Mahasati Devi Veera Nagamma as Shiva's daughter, who through her pure and sincere devotion
1786-630: The landless and land-poor. Vijayanagara Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.237 via cp1104 cp1104, Varnish XID 200305957 Upstream caches: cp1104 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:50:49 GMT Kunchitiga The Kunchitigas (also known as Kunchatiga, Kanchitiga, Kanchitigar, Kunchitigar, Kunchidigar, Kunchigar, Kunchu Okkaliga, Kunju Okkaliga, Kurichigar, Kunchiliyan, Kappiliyan) are
1833-654: The language, such as the Kavirajamarga , Vikramarjuna Vijaya , and Mangaraja's Nighantu . Generally, the term has come to mean an agriculturist though various etymological derivations are available: According to historian Suryanath U. Kamath , the word Gowda derives from Gavunda . The German Indologist Gustav Oppert opined that the root of ‘Gowda’ is a Dravidian word meaning "mountain". The term "Gowda" and its archaic forms in Old Kannada such as Gamunda , Gavunda , Gavuda , Gonda , appear frequently in
1880-603: The major feudatories of the Hoysalas were Vokkaligas. Many Vokkaligas migrated into Tamil Nadu under Hoysala rule. Some of the Malenadu Vokkaligas took to Lingayatism. The Keladi Nayakas were Malava Gowdas of Veerashaiva faith. Hallikkar Vokkaligas or Pallikar Vokkaligas are a subsect of Vokkaligas. They were mainly engaged in the rearing of cattle. According to M. N. Srinivas , the Hallikar were related to
1927-510: The name Gauda/Gowda is an allusion to the Gauḍa region or not has not been conclusively proved. The term Vokkaliga was used to refer to Canarese cultivators. Vokkaliga community has several sub-groups within its fold such as Gangadhikara, Namdhari Vokkaliga, Morasu Vokkaliga, Kunchitiga , Halikkar(Palikkar) Vokkaliga, Reddy Vokkaliga, Gounder, Tulu Gowda . etc. Lingayat converts of the various Vokkaligas are categorised as Lingayats. Exogamy at
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1974-681: The rise of the Vijayanagara Empire . After ruling Warangal for 12 years, Keturaya settles down in Varapura, Tumkur. The poet Kempananjaiah praises Keturaya in his yakshagana plays. The story of Veera Nagamma in Vaddagere, Tumkur, and the movement of the Kunchitigas from the north to south form the basis that Kunchitigas were Yadavas who moved towards Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Some believe Kunchitigas were Chalukya or Rashtrakuta warriors. Historian S. C. Nandinath proposed that
2021-618: The word Chalukya originated from Salki or Chalki , which is a Kannada word for an agricultural implement. Some of the Rashtrakuta inscriptions found in the Banavasimandala carry the depiction of a plough at the top, the symbol of the Vokkaliga. There is a view that the Rashtrakutas were originally prosperous cultivators, who later dominated the political scene. Some of the inscriptions refer to them as Kutumbinah, which
2068-458: The word Kunchitiga is uncertain, and there are two speculative theories about it. The first is that the word kunchiti is a combination of two words: kuncha (referring to the brush-like crest on a soldier's helmet) and iti (spear), describing soldiers with spears. The other is that a Kuruba , Jaldhi Bapparaya, held a kuncha , a brush used by Kuruba weavers. Unde Yattaraya is said to have named his community Kunchitiga in his honour. While
2115-410: Was able to overcome death. Keturaya is said to have ruled a part of the Warangal's Kakatiya kingdom in the 12th century, which is approximated by archaeological evidence like a copper inscription. He was a contemporary of Penukonda's ruler Jagaraya or Jaga Devaraya. The Penukonda rulers dominated parts of South India roughly during and after the fall of Kakatiya dynasty of Warangal, and much before
2162-766: Was dominated by Morasu Vokkaligas. The Morasu Vokkaliga have four endogamous groups, namely the Morasu Vokkaligar, the Hosa Devara Vokkaligar, the Bellu Kodu Vokkaligar and the Musugu Vokkaligar. They speak both Kannada and Telugu . Telugu is restricted to the two sections of Reddy and Palyada Sime. The usual caste titles are Gowda for the Kannada section and Reddy for the Telugu section. Many Palegars belonged to
2209-520: Was killed in the ensuing battle and Khalji's army occupied Devagiri. Seunas were once the feudatories of the Rashtrakutas who were dispatched to rule the northern regions and later became feudatories of the Western Chalukyas. Further epigraphic evidence suggests that the Seuna dynasty likely emerged from a Kannada-speaking background. Many Seuna rulers had Kannada names and titles such as Dhadiyappa, Bhillama, Rajugi, Vadugi, Vasugi, and Kaliya Ballala. Kunchitigas could be Yadavas that migrated south with
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