Historical and Socio-Economic Profile of Munnuru Kapu

Historical and Socio-Economic Profile

The backward class constitutes the single largest group in Andhra Pradesh, unlike the Scheduled castes and minorities, extreme heterogeneous groups with wide variations of social, economic, and cultural aspects. Among these innumerable groups, it is also observed that some communities have been displaying an upward mobility in the economic and political, social and cultural aspects since independence.

The Andhra Pradesh, nomenclature of castes various from region to region.Thus where as in Telangana,the Kapus are treated as a Backward class under the name ‘Munnurukapu’, In Vishakapatnam,Vizayanagaram, and Srikakulam, they are treated as Backward class under the name ‘Turupu Kapu’. In other parts of coastal Andhra, however,they are considerd as a Forward caste.Anantharaman commission identified different kinds of backward class and divided them in A, B, C, and D categories depending upon the degree of their backwardness, 

Munnurukapu category “D” wherein presently the name is found at serial at No 20. This community is socially, educationally and economically weak. Every community is having own traditional occupation and sometimes their traditional dress which is also used an identity marker Munnurukapu is basically an agricultural community. T.A.Agaiah Varma, a great historian, also says that the Munnurukapus had constructed tanks and cultivated the lands Munnurukapus are those communities who cultivate the land by paying the total labour on ‘mannu or soil’ Thus, the Munnurukapus have become the sons of soil in Telangana region. The chief land-holding and cultivating caste of Telangana whose physical characteristics although difficult of accurate description are decidedly of a Dravidian type.  The Munnuru Kapu means ‘guardian’ which is interpreted in the sense of ‘food producer in as much as members of this caste cultivate land and grow corn, thus contributing to the maintenance of animal life.  They rear milk cattle and bullocks, which are employed in agricultural operations. The congregation of community members are spread over the entire Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Thamilanadu, Orissa and Chattisgarh has given a big boot to the unity and brotherhood and has attempted to cement the missing link for the separated community brethren for over two centuries. Wherever The Munnurukapus go, they are identified with those elves with the local conditions, learnt the local languages, assimilated their culture and tradition and made remarkable advances in education, economic and professional fields of activity. Through the age old distinct customs they tried to keep intact the identity of the community.

Mostly engaged in menial and low jobs and  this community is unreasonably kept in group D–20. The vast majority of Munnnurukapu community people (above 75%) resides in the villages. These villagers don’t have primary education both men and women are illiterates engaged as agricultural coolies / household servant’s labours, factory labours living in most pitiable conditions. In most places in the village people lives in utter poverty and most of them don’t posses accent of land Group ‘D’ consists of 33 castes belonging to other backward communities. This group is the largest among the other three groups in relation to the population. Most of these communities are practicing agriculture, business and many are engaged in agricultural labour and other occupations. Some major communities like Yadava, Munnur Kapu, Turupu Kapus are included in this group. 

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Munneti, Munnuruwad Munnurukapu is a widely diffused cultivating caste in Telangana. Different historians have given various definitions of the word ‘Kapu’.  Two words ‘Kapu’ and ‘Kampu’ appear in the dictionary with different meanings.  For the pronunciation, they sound the same, but in the literary meaning.  They are different.  Kapu means cultivation of crops, pain relict and Kampu means House owner of the agriculturist.  In the Indian epic Mahabharata, the word Kapu is used as saviour powers of craft and saviour of country.  But at present Kapu is applied to a farmer, an agriculturist.

  

Regarding the origin of Munnurukapu community different opinions have been expressed.  In Telugu speaking areas due to the multiplicity of Kingdoms sub-names of places come into existence depending on those kingdoms, viz., Palanadu, Kammanadu, Munnurunadu, Pantanadu, Penadu, Pallenadu, Venginadu, Motatinadu, Valandu and probably Kapu names were originated from these Kingdoms.  That is why Pakaneti kapu, Kommonati kapu, Munneti kapu, Gona Kapu, Ranati kapu and other groups were formed.  Just as Niyagis, who are six thousand in number named as ‘Aruvela Niyogi’s’ Kapus who were given the name Munnuru kapus. Agriculture is said to be the original occupation of the caste and bulk of them still cling to this.  A few are village patels and patwaris and have risen to a higher status of landlords and zamindars, but the majority is ordinary cultivators, holding lands on permanent tenure.  Some of them are landless day-labourers and are employed as menial servants in rich families.