Goud

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The Goud (Telugu: గౌడ్) are one of the largest backward castes in India. The Goud are the largest community and caste in Andhra Pradesh, constituting roughly 15% of its population. Gouds are chiefly participate in toddy tapping, liquor sales, Ayurveda medicine, and farming.

Contents

[edit] Origins

The Goud caste believe many kings came from their community, such as the Cholas, Chalukya, and Satavahanas kings.

The Gouds originally prospered around the Godavari River. Their way of life depending on products of palm trees (Toddy) is derived from Kerala.

According to Goud legend, they originated from Sage Koundinya, who, they believe, originally invented toddy tapping. They believe in a famous Brahmin king named Koundinya, who founded the Goud Saraswat Brahmins. Goud Saraswat brahmins mainly live in West Bengal, Maharastra and Karnataka.

The Goud community adopted toddy tapping as their trade. The trade is believed to be a gift from God. The people who serve toddy are considered God-like (Somanath, Madhusudhana, and Gandharvas).

Gouds nowaday use the name "Prasad" to represent their affinity for cultivating coconut fields and banana fields.

[edit] Demographics

Gouds are found all over Andhra Pradesh, but they are mainly found in East Godavari, West Godavari, Nalgonda and Karimnagar, Medak, Krishna district, and Warangal districts.

They are the most populous backward caste in the districts Nizamabad, East Godavari, Nalgonda, Karimnagar, Warangal, Krishna, Prakasham, Nellore, Anantapur, West Godavari, Medak, Rangareddy, Mahbubnagar and Hyderabad.

In Nalgonda, Medak and Mahbubnagar they have economic and political status similar to the Reddy caste. In Godavari districts, they are the most populouss caste and have equal politically rights to the Kapu Caste. They have more politcal power than the Telaga and Ontari communities.

They are identified by different names in Andhra, such as:

  • "Edigas" in the Rayalaseema region and South Coastal Andhra.
  • "Setty Balijas" in East Godavari, West Godavari, Visakhapatnam, and Krishna.
  • "Sri Sayanas" in Vishakapatanam, Vizayanagaram, and Srikakulam.

[edit] Legend

The Setti Balijas' and Sri Sayanas' original name was Goud. Their surnames Gudala, Geddada, Gouthu suggests that their original name was Goud. The new name came around the 18th and 19th century. Legend says that a Dommeti Venkat Reddy (who is a Goud), was like a chieftain, and changed their community name to Setti Balija. Dommeti Venkat Reddy lived in The Bodasakurru village near Kakinada of East Godavari Dt.

In Telangana the numerically largest castes are Yadavs, Gouds, Mudiraju, Padmashali, and Munnuru Kapus.

The surnames will have following words.

  • setti or setty - Visakapatnam, Godavari, Khammam and Krishna districts.
  • Ex - Vasamsetti, Koppisetti, Mamidisetti etc
  • Gani or gany - Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore
  • Ex- Anagani, polagani, Bonagani etc
  • Byragoni,Maragoni etc - Telangana
  • Common names - The God names like Madhusudan, Madhu, Suresh, Soma, Somalamma, Gouri, somanath

[edit] Different names

The same caste in Andhra has following names (as per the OBC list of central govt - List no 155)

Gamalla, Nadars, Idiga, Ediga, Eliga, Iliga, Halepaik, Billava, Devar, Malayali Billava, Deevar, Devaramakkalu, Namdhari, Kalal, Goundla, Goondla, Thiyan, Tiyan, Ezhava, Thiyya, Bandaru ( South Indian caste names )

[edit] Politics

Politically, Gouds are equal to Munnuru Kapus and Padmashalis in North Telengana, and to Mudiraju and Yadavs castes in South Telangana.

It comes under BC-B section 4, the following castes are considered as Goud community under AP BC act. List of B.Cs and categorization (As per G.O.Ms. No. 1793 Education Dept., Dt : 23.9.1970 as modified from time to time).

  • Goud
  • Ediga
  • Gouda (Gamalla)
  • Goundla
  • Settibalija of Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna Districs & Srisayana (Segidi) (G.O.Ms. No. 63, BCW (M1) Dept., dt.11.12.96)

There are other communities which have a similar name to Goud, but they do not belong to Goud community. They are:

  • Gandla (Oil pressing) who are BC-B section 6
  • Goondla (Fisher man) BC-A section 1
  • Gavara BC-D section 6
  • Godaba BC-D section 7
  • Settibalija(Kapu) of Rayalaseema district is Forward caste.

[edit] Traditional occupations

Liquor is called as Soma in Sankrit. It is also called Amrit, Sura, or Madhu. Traditionally, Gouds made thier living from Palm tree products. Today they support themselves by farming and business. In Telangana, they are mainly in the liquor businesses.

When the caste was formed, ther following trades were common:

  • Brahmin - Religious or Poetic people
  • Raju - Mainly Kings
  • Bhatraju - Soldiers for Kings
  • Vysya - Trading community
  • Mangali - Barber
  • Padmasali - Cloth Weaving
  • Yadav - Cow herders, milk men or Gopala
  • GangaPutra - Fisherman, Fish Business

The above communities all lived in the same villages and towns. Over time, the communities separated based on the trade they followed; thus we can see communities like Viswa Brahmin, Nai Brahmin, Goud Brahmin, Raju Brahmin, and Yadava Brahmin emerging.

The following communities are non-trading in nature. They came up over the last 2000 years, based on their tribe name. The communities like Reddy, Kamma, Kapu, Velama, Balija, Telaga, Ontari, Munnuru, and Turpu gave up their traditional occupation of producing different food products to become agricultural land owners and local leaders.

[edit] Famous Gouds

  • Sardhar Sarvai Papanna (Famous King)www.goudsinfo.com
  • Theegula Sambiah Goud (First Mayor of Secunderabad & Founder of A.P Backward Class)
  • Bonala Naveen Kumar Goud (President of AGA)
  • K. Saroja (Mayor Kakinada)
  • B.S.A. Swamy (Retired High Court Judge)
  • Bhandi Narsa Goud (A.P Toddy association Leader)
  • Devender Goud (Former Home Minister, TDP)
  • K.E. Krishna Murthy (Former MP from Kurnool)
  • K.E. Prabhakar (Former mininster in TDP from Kurnool)
  • Gouthu Shyam Sundar Shivaji (Former minister from Srikakulam)
  • Yaskhi Madhu Goud (MP from Nizamabad)
  • Bala Goud T. (Former MP from Nizamabad)
  • Malik Arjun M. (Former central minister from Ranga Reddy Dist)
  • Mukesh Goud M. (MLA from Maharajgunj in Hyderabad)
  • Bathina Brothers (are Famous for their Fish Medicine for Asthma Patients)
  • Gouthu Lachanna (Freedom Fighter)
  • Darma Biksham (Communist Leader)
  • Laxma Goud (Internationally recognised Artist from Nizampur, Andhra Pradesh)
  • Haradeep bathina (famous scientist)
  • Mamindla Rama Goud (famous Poet)
  • Shankar (famous Cartoonist)
  • K Sandeep Goud (Aditya Birla Scholar,Bitspilani) [1]

[edit] Present politicians

  • Saroja K. (Mayor, Kakinada, Congress(I))
  • Madhu Goud Yaskhi (MP, Congress(I), Nizamabad)
  • Gouthu Shyam Sunder Sivaji (Ex Minister, TDP, Sompeta, Srikakulam)
  • Dommeti Venkateswarlu (MLA, Congress(I), Tallarevu, East Godavari Dt)
  • Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose (MLA, Congress(I), Ramachandrapuram, East Godavari Dt)
  • Kudupudi Chittabbai (MLA, Congress(I), Amalapuram, East Godavari Dt)
  • Pithani Satya Narayana (MLA, Congress(I), Penugonda, West Godavari Dt)
  • M. Mukesh Goud (MLA, Congress(I), Maharaj Gunj, Hyderabad)
  • T. Devendar Goud (Ex Home Minister, TDP, Medchal, Ranga Reddy Dt)
  • T. Padma Rao, MLA ,secunderabad, TRS

The following are candidates contested for M.P and M.L.A posts, but lost the election. There may be another 10 M.L.A’s contested from different constituencies, but not prominently.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
  • VANGALA SWAMY GOUD M.P TDP Miryalaguda Nalgonda
  • KAMBALAPADU EDIGA KRISHNAMURTHI M.P ( Ex M.P) TDP Kurnool Kurnool
  • KAMBALAPADU EDIGA PRABHAKAR M.L.A Ex Minister TDP Dhone Kurnool
  • GUTHULA VENKATA SATYAVANI M.LA TDP Sampara ( Kakinada rural) East Godavari
  • Kagita Venkata Rao M.L.A TDP Malleswaram Krishna
  • VUPPUNOOTHULA MURALIDHAR GOUD M.L.A BJP Kamareddy Medak
  • JANARDHAN GOUD BOGUDAMEEDI M.L.A Independent Yallareddy Medak
  • V.SATYA NARAYAN GOUD M.L.A TDP Nirmal Nizamabad
  • PONNAM PRABHAKAR GOUD M.L.A Independent Karimnagar Karimnagar
  • KODURI SATYANARAYANA GOUDU M.L.A Congress(I) Choppadandi Karimnagar
  • KATIKAM SATHAIAH GOUD M.L.A TDP Nakrekal Nalgonda

Sudagani Rajalu Goud Freedom Fighter Vavilala Jangon Warangal

There many prominent personalities like B.S.A Swamy who is an Ex-High Court Judge from East Godavari District. Bala goud who is an ex-MP from Mahbubnagar district, Bikshapathi goud who is an Ex-MP from Nalgonda district. Reddy Subramanyam from Kothapeta constituency of east godavari district is also an active member of this community.

Last not but least, right on Top is young Mr. Burra Venkatesham, (IAS) present Collector of Medak.

[edit] In Neighboring States

In neighboring states there may be a lot more politicians, as Kerala was considered be the origin of the Goud or Ezhava community as early as Ramayana and Mahabharata times. In those days, people's main food was liquor (toddy, Fruit juices), fruits, milk and meat. Cultivation was much less common and very few people (not communities) were farmers.

Liquor (Amrutham) is considered a life-saving food, giving energy and saving people from tremendous pains. The living conditions of people were very poor; when bitten by insects and snakes, the Gouds would resort to liquor. It used to act as a medicine as well as an anaesthetic. During the last 300 years toddy or liquor has come to be considered unhealthy, and so the development of people supporting themselves by the production of Toddy has also stopped.

Gouds are known as Idigara or Deevaru in Karnataka. Bangarappa and Matinee Idol Rajkumar are from this community. Known as Billavas in South Coastal Karnataka, famous billava Veerappy Moily and Janardhan Poojary are from this area. The Ezhava caste in kerala has famous members such as VS achuthanandan (CM of kerala), R. Shankar (Former CM of kerala), and many leaders. It is the most powerful caste in Kerala. The Nadar caste is a similar caste in Tamil nadu and has famous leaders like Kamaraj and Shiv Nadar. The Jaiswal community in the Northern India too falls in the same sect, they too are in the liquor business.

Nadars, Graminis, Gouds, Idigas, Thiyyas, Billavas, Swarnis, Poojaris, Ezhavas, Shanars are the names given to same community of different areas. Sibu Lal, who is a co founder of Infosys, is from the Goud community of kerala. Kamaraj Nadar is the famous CM of Tamilnadu, and Shiva Nadar who is the founder of HCL technologies is also from South tamilnadu. [2]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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