Kapu relations of Yellapus

  

Kapus were migrated from Bihar and Utterpradesh. A few of them were also migrated from the other areas including the Rajasthan.Where as yellapus were migrated to south from Rajasthan after migrating to U.P.Some bihar people may be also included in this  community.Hence, there may be historical relations.

The principle occupation of yellapus was soldiers and to work as leaders of soldiers, and business.A few people maintained their own forts and tiny areas.Whoever who maintained the big kingdoms lost their identity as yellapus.

The principle occupation of kapus were protection of villages and Agriculture in olden days.However, many families were invoved in the military activity.many people have taken up business or business classes merged with kapus.Kapus have maintained and established their own kingdoms like musunuri,etc.

Kapus have many sub-divisions among them( in various places) like munnuru kapu, telaga,balija, ontari, turpu kapu,hazari,etc.Some people believe that yellapus are also telagas migrated from the North coastal area.Yellapus in olden days were called in adilabad district as Telagalollu.Here in adilabad district, they are different from Munnurukapus.

However, yellapus maintain close relations with Hazaris of Warangal district.There are matrimonial relations are existing between them.The yellapus in Warangal , Khammam and Nalgonda are thoroughly merged with kapus.However, they maintain the matrimonial relations with yellapus.

Yellapus entered in to Andhra Pradesh during rule of Kakatiyas. Kapus were already there prior to that period. During the kakatiyas , both the Kapus and Yellapus had very good relations with the kingdom.Both of them had fight for the kingdom during the difficult times. Gundam, Recherla , etc. families among the kapus were faithful warriors of kakatiya kingdom. Yellapus were also exhibited faith in the last war of the kingdom with the tughlaqs of Delhi sulthanate.

            
There are historical evidences that most of the Nayakas ,whos includes both kapus and yellapus have fled to Vijayanagara Kingdom after the downfall of Kakatiyas. Also, some  warriors migrated to Rachakonda dynasty, whos includes yellapus and kapus, including Gundam families.Here , Gurjara warriors were also migrated.Subsequently, they merged with both yellapus and Kapus.The surnames present in these caste is one more evidence to my opinion.

            As per the accepted opinion, the vijayanagara kingdom is belongs to Balija naidu caste.This is one of the sub-division of the kapu caste. During this period yellapus enjoyed the confidence of kings, for one reason or other.They have become part of trouble shooting army.During this period, SrikrishnadevaRaya has purposefully motivated matrimonial relations among the warrior classes includes Kapu, Kamma, Gavara and Yellapu. As a part of that yellapus would have established matrimonial relations with telagas.

Krishnadeva raya has sent his armies to Kalinga to defeat the king of kalinga. In his second attempt, he sent his loyal armies ,which include yellapus and telagas.Thus , yellapus have migrated to kalinga area from Karnataka and Rayalaseema areas. In due course of time, due to revolt of father of vishwanathanaika, the loyal armies were sent to tamilnadu, under the leadership of vishwanathanaika.the army consists of different castes, may be due to strategic reasons, which includes kammas, telagas,Gavaras  and yellapus.even now we could see the migrated population in the various districts of tamilnadu.

Due to the historical relations, it is understood that yellapus have merged with telagas and other castes in tamilnadu.However, I have a doubt that yellapus have established their own villages in various districts includes surroundings of Madhurai and Thirunalvelvi.they have also influenced the plant names on the caste name and family names. But, what made yellapus in tamilnadu to lost their identity? Also,  what made them to become scheduled tribes in kerala. These points are to be  worth answered.

By the time of Bobbili, Yellapus and telagas had matrimonial relations with velamas.After the bobbili war, yellapus were pushed to different parts like palakonda, vishakapatnam and Khammam.some migrated with velamas and some people migrated with telagas. Thus, may be continued the matrimonial relations with telagas.Later, yellapus shifted to Warangal and nalgonda.Nalgonda branch has shifted to karimnagar. During this migration kapus also shifted to karimnagar along with yellapus. Though the yellapus were close to velamas in karimnagar district, rural yellapus had matrimonial relations with kapus.Similar was happened in Adilabad.

During my observation in different districts,it revealed certain facts. some of the Telagas in Nalgonda district, who again claim themselves as MunnuruKapus for sake of reservation certificate, even they are vatandars. The family names of Bonagiri, , Kandula, salwadi,Thota, Gandham,Parepally,Mudarapu, Ramishetty, Lakkakula, Mekala, Puppala,Sairi, kotte, Jangeti, Thoom, Palle, puram,etc. amongst the telagas (munnuru kapus) suggests that they are non other than people of yellapus. Here in Nalgonda district the telagas and munnuru kapu has no difference and it is one and same. Only a few people use the suffix of Naidu along with their name amongst the telagas. Unless otherwise these people have the advantage, these people do not reveal that they are telagas.

Another, Important feature that observed among the telagas(kapus) in Nalgonda district is that the surnames of them are similar to that of the Nirmal Kapus, who are believed to have been migrated along with Nimmanaidu from warangal. Hence, the origin of kapus of Nirmal , Nalgonda district and of yellapus are same.All the three have connections with the kakatiyas of Warangal.

For curiosity, i have examined the surnames of telagas of Nalgonda town,which do not match with this. Some family names are corrupted.For instance I mention some surnames matched amongst the kapus of nirmal and Nalgonda district as follows:

Marugonda, Kummari , Anumula, Adumula, Bonagiri, Menga, Poddelli, Koona, Gojja, Aindla, Penta, Munigela, Mallepoola, Arikari, Kotte, Jangiti,Manoori, Thoom, Pathike, Panthike, Akula, Naidi, Sriramraju, Dyavarshetti, Ramolu, Japa, Ravula, Vantala, Palle, Chirutha, Cheruku, Munigela, Kunta, Basetti, Nandedapu,Pogula, Manglarapu, Manda, etc.

Interestingly, the surnames of Sangu, Bahroju, Bahunuthula, Chenchi are of Gurjara- Pratihara origin, who migrated from Rajasthan and part of Telagas of suryapet.Yellapus also have the strong relation/ descent of Gurjara- pratihara dynasty.

Meanwhile , some yellapus were present at Warangal even after the downfall of kakatiyas. Some of them have migrated to nimma kingdom established at Nirmal in adilabad district. But, most unfortunately, the families of Lakkakula, cheruku,Dade,Adapa,Gandhe,Ganta, Jampala, Jangeti, Kandula, Konda, Koppula, Kotte, katakam, padala, pedda,penchala, soini, shetty, sunkiti, thota, and vodnala ,who merged with munnurukapus and livingfrom sargamma temple to Venkatadripet Street and bangal pet areas do not remember that they are of warrior community. But their structure clearly reveals the fact that they are of warrior community. There is on locality called Naiduwada, which is lived by naidis(corrupt form of Naidu).This means they are high born people.I know one Naidi Ramesh, a councillor of that ward previously.In true terms he should be known as Ramesh Naidu, if he remembers his ancestry.Most of them have forgotten that they have migrated with nimma kings. The king Nimmanaidu may be also of the Kapu or yellapu origin, though he is stated as velama by some people.

        
 Similarly, the kapus at Nuzivid has been maintaining matrimonial relationship with Warangal and Nalgonda Yellapus.

            Thus, Yellapus have close relations with the kapus and Telagas.Many of the yellapus merged with kapus and vice versa.Despite of that yellapus maintained individuality in many places.In many districts kapus identify yellapus belongs to their own caste as many yellapus merged with them. A few  yellapu people of karimnagar district ,due to their richness, show aversion to maintain relationship with kapus/telagas.

 References:

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