Giruka

Giruka (also spelt Girika/Jiruka) is a family name used for Balija Naidu(Sub-Caste) clan in Andhra Pradesh state of India. It is also used in Sri Lanka as family name. Commonly, Giri refers to mountain in Sanskrit . Giruka/Girika was referring to the people who stays in the region of hills and the same has been continued today. In the earlier period most of the clans were recognized based on the location where they stay.

History and Origins

There are several stories regarding the origin of the "Munnuru Kapu" and "Balija Naidu":

Munnuru Kapus are primarily concentrated in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh. They are a military branch of the Kapu or Naidu community, who farmed during peace time. "Munnuru" means "three hundred".

Munnuru kapus were part of the Original migration which took place to the Deccan and settled along the banks of the Godavari from Nizamabad to the Delta regions in Coastal Andrra. To support this theory even today most of the Munnuru kapu population can be found in the Northern Telangana Districts of Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam.

Munnuru Kapus are located primarily in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh. They are a military branch of the Kapu community, who farmed during peace time. "Munnuru" means "three hundred". The Munnuru Kapu functioned as interior palace guards or cavalry in kingdoms such as those of the Tanjavore Nayaks, Devarakonda, and Nizam.

The name Munnuru Kapu did not Exist initially during the Medieval Ages but it was a recent adoption by the Kapus/Telagas settled in Telangana because of the following events.

Munnuru Kapus were also referred to as Thota Balijas, Telugus, Telengas, Munnurwar, Telenga Kunbi and Thopatkari in the Ancient days. They apparently moved to Chanda region from Telugu country travelling along Godavari and Pranahitha rivers. They are originally Kapus which is a huge caste. Offlate they prefer to be called as Kapus but not as Munnuru kapu.

There are several stories regarding the origin of the "Munnuru Kapu":

King Ganapati Deva of Kakatiya needed support of agrarian communities from coastal Andhra region during the establishment and expansion of the empire, since he had not established power over the Telugu Chodas (Telaga) and Chalukyas in that region. In order to bring legitimacy to their rule and to strengthen its roots, he requested the migration of three hundred families of Kapu / Telaga soldiers from the Kondavidu region of the current Krishna District. The descendants of those who migrated with three hundred families are called Munnuru Kapu. This migration occurred around about 900 years ago.

Queen Rudrama Devi of Kakateeya wanted to cultivate large tracts of the Telangana region. A large migration of agriculturists from coastal Andhra region came after her alliance with the Chalukyan Prince. Three hundred Kapu / Telaga families were dispatched by the prince to bring these vast Telangana lands under cultivation. These three hundred families are called as Munnuru Kapu.

The Nawab of Hyderabad requested the Tanjavore Nayaks to send a battalion of his best infantry and cavalry for his personal security. The Nayak dispatched three hundred Telaga men and their families from their imperial guard. The descendants of these three hundred families are now called Munnuru Kapu.

The Perika (Puragiri Kshatriya / Perike) community in Rayalaseema, recall fighting a great battle against three hundred Balijas to prove their valor. As there was no community called Munnuru Balija at that time, it was likely to be the Munnuru Kapus who fought this battle

(Kapus are referred to as "Balija Naidu" in Rayalaseema).

According to R.S. Mugali in "The Heritage of Karnataka" the Munnurvar (the three hundred) were among the representatives corresponding to the members of a corporation of the cities in the 12th century A.D in Karnataka. According to the same author "Jagattamunnuru" (the three hundred of the World) was the name given to the village assembly of Niruvara under the Vijayanagar rulers.

A. Vijaya Kumari and Sepuri Bhaskar in their book 'Social Change Among Balijas' recorded (page 3) that the "Balija kings of Madurai and Tanjore claim to be Kshatriyas of Kasyapa gotra, while the Vijayanagar Rais say they are lineal descendents of sage Bharadwaja. Others trace their ancestry to the Kauravas of the Mahabharata.

Balija

Balija (Telugu: బలిజా వారు) is a sub caste of the Kapu or Naidu caste of Andhra Pradesh. They are an Agrarian / Merchant/ Warrior community spread out in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh (concentrated in the Rayalaseema region), Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. They are also referred to by their caste title Naidu and Naicker. Kapus constitute about 25% of the total population of Andhra Pradesh. The Balija Sub-Caste is Classified as an O.C (Forward Caste) by the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

Caste titles

Some Balijas use surnames such as Naidu and Naicker, which share a common root. Nayaka as a term was first used during the Vishnukundina dynasty that ruled from the Krishna and Godavari deltas during the 3rd century AD. During the Kakatiya dynasty, the Nayaka title was bestowed to warriors who had received land and the title as a part of the Nayankarapuvaram system for services rendered to the court. The Nayaka was noted to be an officer in the Kakatiya court; there being a correlation between holding the Nayankara, the possession of the administrative title Angaraksha and the status title Nayaka.^[1]

References

External links

• Giruka's in Sri Lanka
• More about Balija on Wiki