Origin of the Munnuru Kapus

Origin

One of the important activities of the Munnurukapu leaders is to locate their caste from mythology.  They want to give a respectful status and identity to the community.  the theory status that, this farmer community who were the followers of Janakamathrishi, the ruler of Mithila.  The story goes, when the marriage of the Sita was to be performed, the Janaka Maharaj laid the condition that, whoever could lift the Shiva Danasu; he would get the hand of Sita.  To quote it “the three hundred valorous soldiers brought the Shiva Danasu, belonging to Janaka’s caste got this privilege”. 

Incidentally, these people were known as ‘Thrishatha Veeraganamu’ and the Munnurukapus are the descendants.  Subsequently, they migrated from Gangetic valley to South India and settled on the banks of River Godavari.  In the marriage traditions the plough (magli) of ‘syramo’ is custom only used by the bridegroom during the marriages by Munnurukapus. The plough is the symbol of Janakamaharishi.  In this way, they justify their relationship with Janaka Maharaja.

According to some scholars, there is historical evidence also.  The inscription, ‘pedamunnuti’ belonging to 1084 A.D., the daughter of Betinayaka i.e., Jayamma donated lands to Daksharama Bhimeshwara for ‘Deepa Naivedya’.  They also say there was pedamunnuti dynasty and chenna munniti dynasty.  These people belong to Kakatiya era. Some of them had titles such as Arya Naik, Gandaraganda and their spouses had titles Devi, Ambika, Rani, Vonithothama, etc.  These Munnuru kapus were settled in Telangana under Qutubshahi and Asaf jahis and Karnataka area who were known as Baljas Munnuti Kunbis and Maharashtra and in Gujarat as munnerwar and munnurwad.

According to Dr.Pattabhi Seetaramayya, they are soldiers under British and according to Janydyala Subhramanya Sastry; the people belonging to this caste had the name of the nomenclature of Trhishatha.  This word of Thrishatha appears in several places in history such as Kakatiyas.  Jayapa Senani, the senapathi of Ganapathi Deva had the title of ‘Thrishata Anvayudu’.  It clearly demonstrates that these castes produced valorous soldiers and senapati’setc.

According to Chilukuri Veerabhadra Rao ‘there are fourteen farming castes as mentioned by Bhattumurthy, a poet Narwiti Bukkarayulu, who was the Mandaladishwara under Saluva Narasimha Rayalu.  They are: (1) Motati, (2) Pakanati, (3) Gudati, (4) Velanti, (5) Morasu, (6) Panta, (7) Chattapu, (8) Bhomachi, (9) Kunjeti, (10) Munneti, (11) Ayodya, (12) Neerada, (13) Gandikota, (14) Oruganti from this it is known the munneti or Munnuru Kapus basically a farming community. 

Some of the scholars of the community pointed out that the Chalukyas and Rastrakutas also belonging to the Munnuru Kapus.  Another theory which says after the fall of Vijayanagara dynasty, the three hundred families were migrated to Telangana area and settled there.

Whatever is the origin of this caste, they tried to project their caste as belonging to a respectful caste of a courageous and valorous people.  And also they presented as and respectful castes basing on mythology and historical evidence.  They projected themselves as farmers and traders to contradict the various theories which are little them.