Reddy: Difference between revisions

Reddy
Reddy
Classification	Forward caste
Religions	Hinduism
Languages	Telugu;
Country	India
Populated states	Major:; Andhra Pradesh; Telangana; Minor:; Karnataka; Kerala; Odisha; Tamil Nadu; Maharashtra
Region	South India
Kingdom (original)	Reddy Kingdom

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Reddy^[a] (also transliterated as Raddi, Reddi, Reddiar, Reddappa) is a Hindu caste predominantly found in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in South India. They are classified as a forward caste.

The origin of the Reddy has been linked to the Rashtrakutas, although opinions vary. They were feudal overlords and peasant proprietors.^[1]^[2] Historically they have been the land-owning aristocracy of the villages.^[3]^[4]^[5] Traditionally, they were a diverse community of merchants and cultivators.^[1]^[6]^[7] Their prowess as rulers and warriors is well documented in Telugu history.^[8]^{[need quotation to verify]} The Reddy dynasty (1325–1448 CE) ruled coastal and central Andhra for over a hundred years. Today they continue to be a politically and socio-economically dominant group in the Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.^[9]^[10]^[11]^{[additional citation(s) needed]}

Etymology

Origin theories

According to Alain Daniélou and Kenneth Hurry, the Rashtrakuta and Reddy dynasties may both have been descended from the earlier dynasty of the Rashtrikas.^[12] This common origin is by no means certain: there is evidence suggesting that the Rashtrakuta line came from the Yadavas in northern India and also that they may simply have held a common title. Either of these alternate theories might undermine the claim to a connection between them and the Reddys.^[13]

Varna status

The varna designation of Reddys is a contested and complex topic. Even after the introduction of the varna concept to south India, caste boundaries in south India were not as marked as in north India, where the four-tier varna system placed the priestly Brahmins on top followed by the Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras.^{[citation needed]} In south India, on the other hand, there existed only three distinguishable classes, the Brahmins, the non-Brahmins and the Dalits. The two intermediate dvija varnas—the Kshatriyas and Vaishyas—did not exist.^[14]^[15]^[16]^[17]

The dominant castes of south India, such as Reddys and Nairs, held a status in society analogous to the Kshatriyas and Vaishyas of the north with the difference that religion did not sanctify them,^[4]^[18]^[19] i.e. they were not accorded the status of Kshatriyas and Vaishyas by the Brahmins in the Brahmanical varna system. Historically, land-owning castes like the Reddys have belonged to the regal ruling classes and are analogous to the Kshatriyas of the Brahmanical society.^[20]

The Brahmins, on top of the hierarchical social order, viewed the ruling castes of the south like the Reddys, Nairs and Vellalars as sat-Shudras meaning shudras of "true being". Sat-shudras are also known as clean shudras, upper shudras, pure or high-caste shudras.^[21]^[22] This classification and the four-tier varna concept was never accepted by the ruling castes.^[23]^[24]

History

Medieval history

Kakatiya period

During the Kakatiya period, Reddi, together with its variant Raddi, was used as a status title (gaurava-vachakamu). The title broadly represented the category of village headmen irrespective of their hereditary background.^[25]

The Kakatiya prince Prola I (c. 1052 to 1076) was referred to as "Prola Reddi" in an inscription.^[26]^[27] After the Kakatiyas became independent rulers in their own right, various subordinate chiefs under their rule are known to have used the title Reddi.^[28] Reddy chiefs were appointed as generals and soldiers under the Kakatiyas. Some Reddys were among the feudatories of Kakatiya ruler Pratapa Rudra.^{[citation needed]} During this time, some of the Reddys carved out feudal principalities for themselves. Prominent among them were the Munagala Reddy chiefs. Two inscriptions found in the Zamindari of Munagala at Tadavayi, two miles west of Munagala—one dated 1300 CE, and the other dated 1306 CE show that the Munagala Reddy chiefs were feudatories to the Kakatiya dynasty. The inscriptions proclaim Annaya Reddy of Munagala as a chieftain of Kakatiya ruler Pratapa Rudra.^{[citation needed]}

The Reddy feudatories fought against attacks from the Delhi sultanate and defended the region from coming under the Turkic rule.^[29] Eventually, the Sultanate invaded Warangal and captured Pratapa Rudra in 1323.^{[citation needed]}

Reddi kingdom

After the death of Pratapa Rudra in 1323 CE and the subsequent fall of the Kakatiya empire, some Reddi chiefs became independent rulers. Prolaya Vema Reddi proclaimed independence, establishing a "Reddi dynasty" based in Addanki.^[30]^[31]^[32] He had been part of a coalition of Telugu rulers who overthrew the "foreign" Turkic rulers of the Delhi Sultanate.^[32]

The dynasty (1325–1448 CE) ruled coastal and central Andhra for over a hundred years.^[33]^[34]

Vijayanagara period

Vellore fort built by Bommi Reddi in the 16th century

The post-Kakatiya period saw the emergence of Vijayanagara Empire as well as the Reddy dynasty.^[31] Initially, the two kingdoms were locked up in a territorial struggle for supremacy in the coastal region of Andhra. Later, they united and became allies against their common archrivals—the Bahmani sultans and the Recherla Velamas of Rachakonda who had formed an alliance. This political alliance between Vijayanagara and the Reddy kingdom was cemented further by a matrimonial alliance. Harihara II of Vijayanagara gave his daughter in marriage to Kataya Vema Reddy's son Kataya. The Reddy rulers exercised a policy of annexation and invasion of Kalinga (modern day Odisha). However, the suzerainty of Kalinga rulers was to be recognised. In 1443 CE, determined to put an end to the aggressions of the Reddy kingdom, the Gajapati ruler Kapilendra of Kalinga formed an alliance with the Velamas and launched an attack on the Reddy kingdom. Veerabhadra Reddy allied himself with Vijayanagara ruler Devaraya II and defeated Kapilendra. After the death of Devaraya II in 1446 CE, he was succeeded by his son, Mallikarjuna Raya. Overwhelmed by difficulties at home, Mallikarjuna Raya recalled the Vijayanagara forces from Rajahmundry. Veerabhadra Reddy died in 1448 CE. Seizing this opportunity, Kapilendra sent an army under the leadership of his son Hamvira into the Reddy kingdom, took Rajahmundry and gained control of the Reddy kingdom.^{[citation needed]} The Gajapatis eventually lost control after the death of Kapilendra, and the territories of the former Reddy kingdom came under the control of the Vijayanagara Empire.^[35]

Later, Reddys became the military chieftains of the Vijayanagara rulers. They along with their private armies accompanied and supported the Vijayanagara army in the conquest of new territories. These chieftains were known by the title of Poligars.^[36] The Reddy poligars were appointed to render military services in times of war, collect revenue from the populace and pay to the royal treasury. The chieftains exercised considerable autonomy in their respective provinces. The ancestors of the legendary Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy – who led an armed rebellion against the British East India company, were poligars.^[37] Reddys were historically dominant in the Rayalaseema region.^[38]

Once independent, the erstwhile chiefs of the Vijayanagara empire indulged in several internal squabbles for supremacy in their areas. This constant warring between powerful feudal warlords for fiefdoms and power manifests itself even in modern-day Rayalaseema in the form of a brutally violent phenomenon termed as “factionalism”, "factional violence" or simply "faction".^[39]

Modern history

Golkonda period

During this period, Reddys ruled several "samsthanams" (tributary estates)^[40] in the Telangana area. They ruled as vassals of Golkonda sultans. Prominent among them were Ramakrishna Reddy, Pedda Venkata Reddy and Immadi Venkata Reddy. In the 16th century, the Pangal fort situated in Mahbubnagar district of Andhra Pradesh was ruled by Veera Krishna Reddy. Immadi Venkata Reddy was recognised by the Golkonda sultan Abdullah Qutb Shah as a regular provider of military forces to the Golkonda armies.^[41]^{[need quotation to verify]} The Gadwal samsthanam situated in Mahbubnagar includes a fort built in 1710 CE by Raja Somtadari.^[40] Reddys continued to be chieftains, village policemen and tax collectors in the Telangana region, throughout the Golkonda rule.^{[citation needed]}

British period

One of the most prominent figures from the community during the British period is Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy. He challenged the British and led an armed rebellion against the British East India company in 1846. He was finally captured and hanged in 1847. His uprising was one of the earlier rebellions against the British rule in India, as it was 10 years before the famous Indian Rebellion of 1857.^[42]

Reddys were the landed gentry known as the deshmukhs and part of the Nizam of Hyderabad's administration.^[43] The Reddy landlords styled themselves as Desais, Doras and Patel. Several Reddys were noblemen in the court of Nizam Nawabs and held many high positions in the Nizam's administrative set up. Raja Bahadur Venkatarama Reddy was made Kotwal of Hyderabad in 1920 CE during the reign of the seventh Nizam Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII. Raja Bahadur Venkatarama Reddy was the first Hindu to be made kotwal of Hyderabad as in the late 19th and early 20th century, during the Islamic rule of the Nizams, the powerful position of Kotwal was held only by Muslims. His tenure lasted almost 14 years and he commanded great respect among the public for his outstanding police administration.^[44]^[45]

Several Reddys were at the forefront of the anti-Nizam movement. In 1941, communist leaders Raavi Narayana Reddy and Baddam Yella Reddy transformed the Andhra Mahasabha into an anti-Nizam united mass militant organisation and led an armed struggle against the Nizam's regime.^[46]

Reddy States (Zamindaris & Samsthanams)

During the medieval and later feudal/colonial periods, many parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana of the Indian subcontinent were ruled as sovereign or princely states by various dynasties of Reddy community.

Some of the prominent Reddy zamindaris (samsthanams):

Atmakur Amarchinta Samsthanam, Telangana.^[47]^[48]
Domakonda Samsthanam, Telangana.^[49]^[50]
Gadwal Samsthanam, Telangana;^[40] —Raja Somasekhar Ananda Reddy or Somanadri^[40]^[50]
Munagala—Gurlapaty clan^[51] Samsthanam, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Wanaparthy Samsthanam (Originally known as Sugur), Telangana.^[52]^[53]^[54] Founded by Veera Krishna Reddy^[41]^[55]
Sirnapalli Samsthanam, Telangana.^[56]

Modern politics

The Kamma and Reddy castes have been politically dominant prior to the formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956 and afterwards.^[57] Reddys are classified as a Forward Caste in modern India's positive discrimination system.^[58] They are a politically dominant community in Andhra Pradesh, their rise having dated from the formation of the state in 1956.^[59]

Notes

^ Telugu: [ɾeɖːi];

References

^ ^a ^b Frykenberg, Robert Eric (1965). Guntur district, 1788–1848: A History of Local Influence and Central Authority in South India. Clarendon Press. p. 275.
^ Y. Subhashini Subrahmanyam (1975). Social change in village India: an Andhra case study. Prithvi Raj Publishers. p. 75. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
^ David E. Ludden (1999). An Agrarian History of South Asia. Cambridge University Press. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-521-36424-9.
^ ^a ^b Lohia, Rammanohar (1964). The Caste System. Navahind. pp. 93–94, 103, 126.
^ Karen Isaksen Leonard (2007). Locating home: India's Hyderabadis abroad. Stanford University Press. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-8047-5442-2.
^ Stein, Burton (1989). Vijayanagara. Cambridge University Press. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-521-26693-2.
^ Robert, Bruce L. (1982). Agrarian Organization and Resource Distribution in South India: Bellary District 1800–1979. University of Wisconsin–Madison. p. 88.
^ Subrahmanyam, Sanjay (2001). Penumbral Visions: Making Polities in Early Modern South India. University of Michigan Press. p. 100. ISBN 978-0-472-11216-6.
^ Xiang, Biao (2007). Global "Body Shopping": An Indian Labor System in the Information Technology Industry. Princeton University Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-691-11852-9.
^ Srinivasulu, K. (January 2007). Caste, Class and Social Articulation in Andhra Pradesh: Mapping Differential Regional Trajectories. Department of Political Science, Osmania University.
^ Nag, Kingshuk (30 July 2013). "Rayala Telangana is a crude attempt to maintain Reddy dominance". Economic Times. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
^ Daniélou, Alain; Hurry, Kenneth (2003). A Brief History of India. Inner Traditions / Bear & Co. p. 114. ISBN 978-0-89281-923-2.
^ Chopra, Pran Nath (2003). A Comprehensive History of Ancient India. Vol. 3. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 202. ISBN 978-81-207-2503-4.
^ Jalal, Ayesha (1995). Democracy and Authoritarianism in South Asia: A Comparative and Historical Perspective. Cambridge University Press. p. 204. ISBN 978-0-521-47862-5.
^ Bernard, Jean Alphonse (2001). From Raj to the Republic: A Political History of India, 1935–2000. Har Anand Publications. p. 37. ISBN 9788124107669.
^ Joseph, M. P. (2004). Legitimately Divided: Towards a Counter Narrative of the Ethnographic History of Kerala Christianity. Christava Sahitya Samithi. p. 62. ISBN 978-81-7821-040-7.
^ Raychaudhuri, Tapan; Habib, Irfan; Kumar, Dharma (1982). The Cambridge Economic History of India: c.1200–c.1750. Cambridge University Press Archive. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-521-22692-9.
^ M. P. Joseph (2004). Legitimately divided: towards a counter narrative of the ethnographic history of Kerala Christianity. Christava Sahitya Samithi. p. 62. ISBN 978-81-7821-040-7.
^ Shah, Ghanshyam (2004). Caste and Democratic Politics in India. Anthem Press. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-84331-086-0.
^ Richman, Paula (2001). Questioning Rāmāyaṇas: a South Asian tradition. University of California Press. p. 176. ISBN 978-0-520-22074-4.
^ D. Dennis Hudson (2000). Protestant origins in India: Tamil Evangelical Christians, 1706–1835. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 77. ISBN 978-0-8028-4721-8.
^ Ayres, Alyssa; Oldenburg, Philip (2002). India Briefing: Quickening the Pace of Change. M.E. Sharpe. p. 138. ISBN 978-0-7656-0813-0.
^ G. Krishnan-Kutty (1999). The political economy of underdevelopment in India. Northern Book Centre. p. 172. ISBN 978-81-7211-107-6.
^ Krishnan-Kutty, G. (1986). Peasantry in India. Abhinav Publications. p. 10. ISBN 978-81-7017-215-4.
^ Talbot, Pre-colonial India in Practice 2001, pp. 55, 59.
^ Diskalkar, D. B. (1993), Sanskrit and Prakrit Poets Known from Inscriptions, Anandashram Samstha, p. 122 Quote: "Balasarasvati, author of an inscription dated S. 1135 [c. 1057 CE] had lived at the court of Prola Reddi, ruler of the same Kakatiya [dynasty]."
^ Archaeological Survey of India (2000). Indian Archaeology: A Review. Archaeological Survey of India. p. 123.
^ Talbot, Pre-colonial India in Practice 2001, p. 98.
^ Dikshit, Giri S.; Srikantaya, Saklespur; Pratiṣṭhāna, Bi. Eṃ. Śrī. Smāraka (1988). Early Vijayanagara: Studies in its History & Culture: Proceedings of S. Srikantaya Centenary Seminar. B.M.S. Memorial Foundation. p. 131.
^ K. V. Narayana Rao (1973). The emergence of Andhra Pradesh. Popular Prakashan. p. 4. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
^ ^a ^b P. Sriramamurti (1972). Contribution of Andhra to Sanskrit literature. Andhra University. p. 60. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
^ ^a ^b Amaresh Datta; Mohan Lal (1992). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Sasay-Zorgot. Sahitya Akademi. p. 4637. ISBN 9780836422832.
^ Pran Nath Chopra (1982). Religions and communities of India. Vision Books. p. 136. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
^ Mallampalli Somasekhara Sarma; Mallampalli Sōmaśēkharaśarma (1948). History of the Reddi kingdoms (circa 1325 A.D. to circa 1448 A.D.). Andhra University. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
^ Kulke, Hermann; Rothermund, Dietmar (2004). A history of India. Routledge. p. 189. ISBN 978-0-415-32919-4.
^ A. Ranga Reddy (2003). The State of Rayalaseema. Mittal Publications. pp. 215, 333. ISBN 978-81-7099-814-3.
^ Andhra Pradesh (India). District Gazetteers Dept (1992). Andhra Pradesh District Gazetteers: Kurnool. State editor, District Gazetteers. p. 55.
^ Subrata Kumar Mitra (2004). Political parties in South Asia. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 105. ISBN 978-0-275-96832-8.
^ Balagopal, K. (23 July 1994). "Seshan in Kurnool". Economic and Political Weekly. 29 (30): 1905. JSTOR 4401511.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 12, page 121 -- Imperial Gazetteer of India -- Digital South Asia Library". dsal.uchicago.edu.
^ ^a ^b Benjamin B. Cohen (2002). Hindu rulers in a Muslim state L: Hyderabad, 1850–1949. University of Wisconsin–Madison. p. 78. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
^ D. P. Ramachandran (October 2008). Empire's First Soldiers. Lancer Publishers. p. 121. ISBN 978-0-9796174-7-8.
^ Vasudha Chhotray (2011). The Anti-Politics Machine in India: State, Decentralization and Participatory Watershed Development. Anthem Press. p. 96. ISBN 978-0-85728-767-0.
^ Basant K. Bawa (1992). The last Nizam: the life and times of Mir Osman Ali Khan. Viking. pp. 120–121. ISBN 9780670839971. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
^ "Raja Bahadur Venkatarama Reddy | Hyderabad Police online portal". Archived from the original on 6 February 2015.
^ Puccalapalli Sundarayya (2006). Telangana People's Struggle and Its Lessons. Foundation Books. p. 12. ISBN 978-81-7596-316-0.
^ "Atmakur Amarchinta Samsthan".
^ "Samsthans | Mahabubnagar District, Telangana | India".
^ "Telangana University". www.telanganauniversity.ac.in.
^ ^a ^b Kandavalli Balendu Sekaram (1973). The Andhras through the ages. Sri Saraswati Book Depot. p. 34.
^ Gordon Mackenzie (1990). A manual of the Kistna district in the presidency of Madras. Asian Educational Services. pp. 9, 10, 224-. ISBN 978-81-206-0544-2.
^ "History | Wanaparthy District | India".
^ "Wanaparthy History".
^ "Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 24, page 355 -- Imperial Gazetteer of India -- Digital South Asia Library". dsal.uchicago.edu.
^ Andhra Pradesh (India); Bh Sivasankaranarayana (1976). Andhra Pradesh district gazetteers. Printed by the Director of Print. and Stationery at the Govt. Secretariat Press. p. 39,40.
^ ""Our cooking was influenced by Muslim culture" - Times of India". The Times of India.
^ PrincetonPIIRS (13 November 2013), Dominant Caste and Territory in South India, archived from the original on 13 December 2021, retrieved 11 August 2016
^ "Castes - Andhra (AP) Elections: News & Results". Archived from the original on 4 January 2012.
^ Srinivasulu, K. (September 2002). "Caste, Class and Social Articulation in Andhra Pradesh: Mapping Differential Regional Trajectories" (PDF). London: Overseas Development Institute. p. 3. Retrieved 30 March 2013.

Bibliography

Talbot, Cynthia (2001), Pre-colonial India in Practice: Society, Region, and Identity in Medieval Andhra, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19803-123-9

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{short description|Hindu agrarian caste from South India}}
+{{short description|Hindu agrarian caste in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana}}
 {{Other uses}}
-{{pp-protected|small=yes}}
+{{pp|small=yes}}
 {{Use British English|date=December 2012}}
 {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
 {{Infobox caste
 |caste_name= Reddy
@@ Line 10: / Line 9: @@
 |country= [[India]]
 |region= [[South India]]
-|populated_states= Major:<br />[[Andhra Pradesh]]<br />[[Telangana]]<br />Minor:<br />[[Karnataka]]<br />[[Kerala]]<br />[[Odisha]]<br />[[Tamil Nadu]]
+|populated_states= Major:<br />[[Andhra Pradesh]]<br />[[Telangana]]<br />Minor:<br />[[Karnataka]]<br />[[Kerala]]<br />[[Odisha]]<br />[[Tamil Nadu]]<br/>[[Maharashtra]]
 |religions = [[Hinduism]]
 | languages = {{unbulleted list| [[Telugu language|Telugu]]
 }}
 |original_kingdom = [[Reddy dynasty|Reddy Kingdom]]
- }}
+}}
-'''Reddy''' (also [[transliterated]] as ''Raddi'', ''Reddi'', ''Reddiar'', ''Reddappa'', ''Reddy'') is a caste that originated in India, predominantly settled in [[Andhra Pradesh]] and [[Telangana]]. They are classified as a [[forward caste]].
+'''Reddy'''{{efn|{{IPA-te|ɾeɖːi|lang|}};}} (also [[transliterated]] as ''Raddi'', ''Reddi'', ''Reddiar'', ''Reddappa'') is a [[Hindu]] [[Caste system in India|caste]] predominantly found in the states of [[Andhra Pradesh]] and [[Telangana]] in [[South India]]. They are classified as a [[forward caste]].
+The origin of the Reddy has been linked to the [[Rashtrakuta dynasty|Rashtrakutas]], although opinions vary. They were feudal overlords and peasant proprietors.<ref name="Frykenberg1965">{{cite book |first=Robert Eric |last=Frykenberg |title=Guntur district, 1788–1848: A History of Local Influence and Central Authority in South India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IUs1AQAAIAAJ |year=1965|publisher=Clarendon Press |page=275}}</ref><ref name="Subrahmanyam1975">{{cite book|author=Y. Subhashini Subrahmanyam|title=Social change in village India: an Andhra case study |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JiruAAAAIAAJ|access-date=25 July 2011|year=1975|publisher=Prithvi Raj Publishers|page=75}}</ref> Historically they have been the land-owning aristocracy of the villages.<ref name="Ludden1999">{{cite book|author=David E. Ludden|title=An Agrarian History of South Asia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PPXMdM0FShUC&pg=PA245 |year=1999 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-36424-9 |page=91}}</ref><ref name="Lohia1964">{{cite book |first=Rammanohar |last=Lohia |title=The Caste System |url=https://books.google.com/books?ei=7isSTpjDDInsrAfbz_SHBA |year=1964 |publisher=Navahind |pages=93–94, 103, 126}}</ref><ref name="Leonard2007">{{cite book|author=Karen Isaksen Leonard|title=Locating home: India's Hyderabadis abroad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HQCvgavbQjgC&pg=PA131|year=2007|publisher=Stanford University Press|isbn=978-0-8047-5442-2|page=131}}</ref> Traditionally, they were a diverse community of merchants and cultivators.<ref name="Frykenberg1965"/><ref>{{cite book |first=Burton |last=Stein |author-link=Burton Stein |title=Vijayanagara |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OpxeaYQbGDMC&pg=80 |year=1989 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-26693-2 |page=80}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Bruce L. |last=Robert |title=Agrarian Organization and Resource Distribution in South India: Bellary District 1800–1979 |url=https://books.google.com/books?ei=pRctTrjxL4fsrQe6l4SyDQ |year=1982 |publisher=University of Wisconsin–Madison |page=88}}</ref> Their prowess as rulers and warriors is well documented in Telugu history.<ref>{{cite book|first=Sanjay |last=Subrahmanyam |title=Penumbral Visions: Making Polities in Early Modern South India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Ju6z8PbTuAC&pg=PA100 |year=2001 |publisher=University of Michigan Press |isbn=978-0-472-11216-6 |page=100}}</ref>{{request quotation|date=July 2020}} The [[Reddy dynasty]] (1325–1448 CE) ruled [[Coastal Andhra|coastal]] and central Andhra for over a hundred years. Today they continue to be a politically and socio-economically dominant group in the Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last=Xiang|first=Biao|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0gri8CnmiUwC&pg=PA31|title=Global "Body Shopping": An Indian Labor System in the Information Technology Industry|date=2007|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-0-691-11852-9|pages=31|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Srinivasulu |first1=K. |title=Caste, Class and Social Articulation in Andhra Pradesh: Mapping Differential Regional Trajectories |date=January 2007 |publisher=Department of Political Science, [[Osmania University]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Nag |first1=Kingshuk |date=2013-07-30 |title=Rayala Telangana is a crude attempt to maintain Reddy dominance |newspaper=[[The Economic Times|Economic Times]] |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/et-commentary/rayala-telangana-is-a-crude-attempt-to-maintain-reddy-dominance/articleshow/21475176.cms |access-date=2023-07-26}}</ref>{{Additional citation needed|date=April 2023|reason=[[WP:EXTRAORDINARY]] claim}}
+==Etymology==
-The origin of the Reddy has been linked to the [[Rashtrakuta dynasty|Rashtrakutas]], although opinions vary. They were feudal overlords and peasant proprietors.<ref name="Frykenberg1965">{{cite book |first=Robert Eric |last=Frykenberg |title=Guntur district, 1788–1848: A History of Local Influence and Central Authority in South India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IUs1AQAAIAAJ |year=1965|publisher=Clarendon Press |page=275}}</ref><ref name="Subrahmanyam1975">{{cite book|author=Y. Subhashini Subrahmanyam|title=Social change in village India: an Andhra case study |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JiruAAAAIAAJ|access-date=25 July 2011|year=1975|publisher=Prithvi Raj Publishers|page=75}}</ref> Historically they have been the land-owning aristocracy of the villages.<ref name="Ludden1999">{{cite book|author=David E. Ludden|title=An Agrarian History of South Asia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PPXMdM0FShUC&pg=PA245 |year=1999 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-36424-9 |page=91}}</ref><ref name="Lohia1964">{{cite book |first=Rammanohar |last=Lohia |title=The Caste System |url=https://books.google.com/books?ei=7isSTpjDDInsrAfbz_SHBA |year=1964 |publisher=Navahind |pages=93–94, 103, 126}}</ref><ref name="Leonard2007">{{cite book|author=Karen Isaksen Leonard|title=Locating home: India's Hyderabadis abroad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HQCvgavbQjgC&pg=PA131|year=2007|publisher=Stanford University Press|isbn=978-0-8047-5442-2|page=131}}</ref> Traditionally, they were a diverse community of merchants and cultivators.<ref name="Frykenberg1965"/><ref>{{cite book |first=Burton |last=Stein |author-link=Burton Stein |title=Vijayanagara |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OpxeaYQbGDMC&pg=80 |year=1989 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-26693-2 |page=80}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Bruce L. |last=Robert |title=Agrarian Organization and Resource Distribution in South India: Bellary District 1800–1979 |url=https://books.google.com/books?ei=pRctTrjxL4fsrQe6l4SyDQ |year=1982 |publisher=University of Wisconsin–Madison |page=88}}</ref> Their prowess as rulers and warriors is well documented in Telugu history.<ref>{{cite book|first=Sanjay |last=Subrahmanyam |title=Penumbral Visions: Making Polities in Early Modern South India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Ju6z8PbTuAC&pg=PA100 |year=2001 |publisher=University of Michigan Press |isbn=978-0-472-11216-6 |page=100}}</ref>{{qn|date=July 2020}} The [[Reddy dynasty]] (1325–1448 CE) ruled [[Coastal Andhra|coastal]] and central Andhra for over a hundred years.
+{{Empty section|date=August 2023}}
 ==Origin theories==
@@ Line 24: / Line 27: @@
 ==Varna status==
-The [[Varna (Hinduism)|varna]] designation of Reddys is a contested and complex topic. Even after the introduction of the varna concept to [[south India]], caste boundaries in south India were not as marked as in [[north India]], where the four-tier varna system placed the priestly [[Brahmin]]s on top followed by the [[Kshatriyas]], [[Vaishyas]], and [[Shudras]]. In south India, on the other hand, there existed only three distinguishable classes, the [[Brahmins]], the non-Brahmins and the [[Dalit]]s. The two intermediate [[dvija]] varnas—the Kshatriyas and Vaishyas—did not exist.<ref>{{cite book |first=Ayesha |last=Jalal |title=Democracy and Authoritarianism in South Asia: A Comparative and Historical Perspective |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GNJHlFTPBT0C&pg=PA204 |year=1995 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-47862-5 |page=204}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Jean Alphonse |last=Bernard |title=From Raj to the Republic: A Political History of India, 1935–2000 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dP9tAAAAMAAJ |year=2001 |publisher=Har Anand Publications |page=37|isbn=9788124107669 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=M. P. |last=Joseph |title=Legitimately Divided: Towards a Counter Narrative of the Ethnographic History of Kerala Christianity |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fNLYAAAAMAAJ |year=2004 |publisher=Christava Sahitya Samithi |isbn=978-81-7821-040-7 |page=62}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first1=Tapan |last1=Raychaudhuri |first2=Irfan |last2=Habib |author-link2=Irfan Habib |first3=Dharma |last3=Kumar |title=The Cambridge Economic History of India: c.1200–c.1750 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L-s8AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA26 |year=1982 |publisher=Cambridge University Press Archive |isbn=978-0-521-22692-9 |page=27}}</ref>
+The [[Varna (Hinduism)|varna]] designation of Reddys is a contested and complex topic. Even after the introduction of the varna concept to [[south India]], caste boundaries in south India were not as marked as in [[north India]], where the four-tier varna system placed the priestly [[Brahmin]]s on top followed by the [[Kshatriyas]], [[Vaishyas]], and [[Shudras]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2023|reason= The four-tier varna system wass contested everywhere in India by brahmins}} In south India, on the other hand, there existed only three distinguishable classes, the [[Brahmins]], the non-Brahmins and the [[Dalit]]s. The two intermediate [[dvija]] varnas—the Kshatriyas and Vaishyas—did not exist.<ref>{{cite book |first=Ayesha |last=Jalal |title=Democracy and Authoritarianism in South Asia: A Comparative and Historical Perspective |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GNJHlFTPBT0C&pg=PA204 |year=1995 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-47862-5 |page=204}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Jean Alphonse |last=Bernard |title=From Raj to the Republic: A Political History of India, 1935–2000 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dP9tAAAAMAAJ |year=2001 |publisher=Har Anand Publications |page=37|isbn=9788124107669 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=M. P. |last=Joseph |title=Legitimately Divided: Towards a Counter Narrative of the Ethnographic History of Kerala Christianity |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fNLYAAAAMAAJ |year=2004 |publisher=Christava Sahitya Samithi |isbn=978-81-7821-040-7 |page=62}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first1=Tapan |last1=Raychaudhuri |first2=Irfan |last2=Habib |author-link2=Irfan Habib |first3=Dharma |last3=Kumar |title=The Cambridge Economic History of India: c.1200–c.1750 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L-s8AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA26 |year=1982 |publisher=Cambridge University Press Archive |isbn=978-0-521-22692-9 |page=27}}</ref>
 The [[dominant caste]]s of south India, such as Reddys and [[Nair]]s, held a status in society analogous to the Kshatriyas and Vaishyas of the north with the difference that religion did not sanctify them,<ref name="Lohia1964"/><ref name="Joseph2004">{{cite book|author=M. P. Joseph|title=Legitimately divided: towards a counter narrative of the ethnographic history of Kerala Christianity |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fNLYAAAAMAAJ|year=2004|publisher=Christava Sahitya Samithi|isbn=978-81-7821-040-7|page=62}}</ref><ref name="Shah2004">{{cite book |first=Ghanshyam |last=Shah |title=Caste and Democratic Politics in India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aX-ZAEit4fgC |year=2004 |publisher=Anthem Press |isbn=978-1-84331-086-0 |page=83}}</ref> i.e. they were not accorded the status of Kshatriyas and Vaishyas by the Brahmins in the Brahmanical varna system. Historically, land-owning castes like the Reddys have belonged to the regal ruling classes and are analogous to the Kshatriyas of the Brahmanical society.<ref name="Richman2001">{{cite book |first=Paula |last=Richman |title=Questioning Rāmāyaṇas: a South Asian tradition |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7RW6MrAiJ-0C&pg=PA176 |year=2001 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-22074-4 |page=176}}</ref>
@@ Line 32: / Line 35: @@
 ==History==
-===Medieval history===
+==Medieval history==
+===Kakatiya period===
-[[File:Kondavid-drug. Signed 'W.R.'.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1|Water colour painting&nbsp;– Kondavidu fort, Reddy Kingdom]]
+[[File:Kondavid-drug. Signed 'W.R.'.jpg|thumb|upright=1|Water colour painting&nbsp;– Kondavidu fort, Reddy Kingdom|left]]
-====Kakatiya period====
 During the [[Kakatiya dynasty|Kakatiya period]], ''Reddi'', together with its variant ''Raddi'', was used as a status title (''gaurava-vachakamu''). The title broadly represented the category of village headmen irrespective of their hereditary background.{{sfn|Talbot, Pre-colonial India in Practice|2001|pp=55,&nbsp;59}}
 The [[Kakatiya dynasty|Kakatiya]] prince Prola I (c. 1052 to 1076) was referred to as "Prola Reddi" in an inscription.<ref name="Diskalkar1993">{{citation|last=Diskalkar|first=D. B.|title=Sanskrit and Prakrit Poets Known from Inscriptions|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S_gHAQAAMAAJ|year=1993|publisher=Anandashram Samstha|page=122}} Quote: "Balasarasvati, author of an inscription dated S. 1135 [c. 1057 CE] had lived at the court of Prola Reddi, ruler of the same Kakatiya [dynasty]."</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Archaeological Survey of India |author-link=Archaeological Survey of India |title=Indian Archaeology: A Review |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y_9tAAAAMAAJ |year=2000|publisher=Archaeological Survey of India |page=123}}</ref> After the Kakatiyas became independent rulers in their own right, various subordinate chiefs under their rule are known to have used the title Reddi.{{sfn|Talbot, Pre-colonial India in Practice|2001|p=98}} Reddy chiefs were appointed as generals and soldiers under the Kakatiyas. Some Reddys were among the feudatories of Kakatiya ruler Pratapa Rudra.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}} During this time, some of the Reddys carved out feudal principalities for themselves. Prominent among them were the [[Munagala]] Reddy chiefs. Two inscriptions found in the [[Zamindar]]i of Munagala at Tadavayi, two miles west of Munagala—one dated 1300 CE, and the other dated 1306 CE show that the Munagala Reddy chiefs were feudatories to the Kakatiya dynasty. The inscriptions proclaim Annaya Reddy of Munagala as a chieftain of Kakatiya ruler Pratapa Rudra.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}}
-The Reddy feudatories fought against attacks from the [[Delhi sultanate]] and defended the region from coming under the Turkic rule.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Giri S. |last1=Dikshit |first2=Saklespur |last2= Srikantaya |first3=Bi. Eṃ. Śrī. Smāraka |last3=Pratiṣṭhāna |title=Early Vijayanagara: Studies in its History & Culture: Proceedings of S. Srikantaya Centenary Seminar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZGZuAAAAMAAJ&q=reddy |year=1988 |publisher=B.M.S. Memorial Foundation |page=131}}</ref> Eventually, the Sultanate invaded [[Warangal]] and captured Pratapa Rudra in 1323.
+The Reddy feudatories fought against attacks from the [[Delhi sultanate]] and defended the region from coming under the Turkic rule.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Giri S. |last1=Dikshit |first2=Saklespur |last2= Srikantaya |first3=Bi. Eṃ. Śrī. Smāraka |last3=Pratiṣṭhāna |title=Early Vijayanagara: Studies in its History & Culture: Proceedings of S. Srikantaya Centenary Seminar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZGZuAAAAMAAJ&q=reddy |year=1988 |publisher=B.M.S. Memorial Foundation |page=131}}</ref> Eventually, the Sultanate invaded [[Warangal]] and captured Pratapa Rudra in 1323.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}
-====Reddi kingdom====
+===Reddi kingdom===
-{{Main|Reddi kingdom}}
+{{Main|Reddi Kingdom}}
 [[File:Upstairs at the palace, Kondapalli, Kistna District.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1|Palace ruins, Kondapalli fort, Reddi Kingdom]]
-After the death of Pratapa Rudra in 1323 CE and the subsequent fall of the [[Kakatiya dynasty|Kakatiya empire]], some Reddi chiefs became independent rulers. [[Reddi kingdom#Prolaya Vema Reddi|Prolaya Vema Reddi]] proclaimed independence, establishing a "Reddi dynasty" based in [[Addanki]].<ref name="Rao1973">{{cite book|author=K. V. Narayana Rao|title=The emergence of Andhra Pradesh |url=https://archive.org/details/emergenceofandhr00nara|url-access=registration|access-date=9 July 2011|year=1973|publisher=Popular Prakashan|page=[https://archive.org/details/emergenceofandhr00nara/page/4 4]}}</ref><ref name="Sriramamurti1972">{{cite book|author=P. Sriramamurti|title=Contribution of Andhra to Sanskrit literature |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GagPAAAAMAAJ |access-date=28 August 2011|year=1972|publisher=Andhra University|page=60}}</ref><ref name="DattaLal1992">{{cite book|author1=Amaresh Datta|author2=Mohan Lal|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Sasay-Zorgot |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hc5jAAAAMAAJ|year=1992|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|page=4637|isbn=9780836422832}}</ref> He had been part of a coalition of [[Telugu language|Telugu]] rulers who overthrew the "foreign" ruler (Turkic rulers of the Delhi Sultanate).<ref name="DattaLal1992"/>
+After the death of Pratapa Rudra in 1323 CE and the subsequent fall of the [[Kakatiya dynasty|Kakatiya empire]], some Reddi chiefs became independent rulers. [[Reddi kingdom#Prolaya Vema Reddi|Prolaya Vema Reddi]] proclaimed independence, establishing a "Reddi dynasty" based in [[Addanki]].<ref name="Rao1973">{{cite book|author=K. V. Narayana Rao|title=The emergence of Andhra Pradesh |url=https://archive.org/details/emergenceofandhr00nara|url-access=registration|access-date=9 July 2011|year=1973|publisher=Popular Prakashan|page=[https://archive.org/details/emergenceofandhr00nara/page/4 4]}}</ref><ref name="Sriramamurti1972">{{cite book|author=P. Sriramamurti|title=Contribution of Andhra to Sanskrit literature |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GagPAAAAMAAJ |access-date=28 August 2011|year=1972|publisher=Andhra University|page=60}}</ref><ref name="DattaLal1992">{{cite book|author1=Amaresh Datta|author2=Mohan Lal|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Sasay-Zorgot |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hc5jAAAAMAAJ|year=1992|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|page=4637|isbn=9780836422832}}</ref> He had been part of a coalition of [[Telugu language|Telugu]] rulers who overthrew the "foreign" Turkic rulers of the Delhi Sultanate.<ref name="DattaLal1992"/>
 The dynasty (1325–1448 CE) ruled coastal and central Andhra for over a hundred years.<ref name="Chopra1982">{{cite book|author=Pran Nath Chopra|title=Religions and communities of India |url=https://books.google.com/books?ei=QQkKTszVGoPevwPmhZGWAw|access-date=4 July 2011|year=1982|publisher=Vision Books|page=136}}</ref><ref name="SarmaSōmaśēkharaśarma1948">{{cite book|author1=Mallampalli Somasekhara Sarma|author2=Mallampalli Sōmaśēkharaśarma|title=History of the Reddi kingdoms (circa 1325 A.D. to circa 1448 A.D.) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=diYLAQAAIAAJ&q=reddi|access-date=8 July 2011|year=1948|publisher=Andhra University}}</ref>
-====Vijayanagara period====
+===Vijayanagara period===
-[[File:Vellorefort.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1|Vellore fort built by Bommi Reddi in the 16th Century]]
+[[File:Vellorefort.jpg|thumb|upright=1|Vellore fort built by Bommi Reddi in the 16th century|left]]
 The post-Kakatiya period saw the emergence of [[Vijayanagara Empire]] as well as the Reddy dynasty.<ref name="Sriramamurti1972"/> Initially, the two kingdoms were locked up in a territorial struggle for supremacy in the coastal region of Andhra. Later, they united and became allies against their common archrivals—the [[Bahmani Sultanate|Bahmani sultans]] and the Recherla Velamas of Rachakonda who had formed an alliance. This political alliance between Vijayanagara and the Reddy kingdom was cemented further by a matrimonial alliance. [[Harihara II]] of Vijayanagara gave his daughter in marriage to [[Reddy dynasty#Kataya Vema Reddy|Kataya Vema Reddy]]'s son Kataya. The Reddy rulers exercised a policy of annexation and invasion of [[Kalinga (historical region)|Kalinga]] (modern day [[Odisha]]). However, the [[suzerainty]] of Kalinga rulers was to be recognised. In 1443 CE, determined to put an end to the aggressions of the Reddy kingdom, the [[Gajapati Kingdom|Gajapati]] ruler [[Kapilendradeva|Kapilendra]] of Kalinga formed an alliance with the Velamas and launched an attack on the Reddy kingdom. [[Reddy dynasty#Veerabhadra Reddy|Veerabhadra Reddy]] allied himself with Vijayanagara ruler [[Deva Raya II|Devaraya II]] and defeated Kapilendra. After the death of Devaraya II in 1446 CE, he was succeeded by his son, [[Mallikarjuna Raya]]. Overwhelmed by difficulties at home, Mallikarjuna Raya recalled the Vijayanagara forces from Rajahmundry. Veerabhadra Reddy died in 1448 CE. Seizing this opportunity, Kapilendra sent an army under the leadership of his son Hamvira into the Reddy kingdom, took Rajahmundry and gained control of the Reddy kingdom.{{Citation needed|date=May 2012}} The Gajapatis eventually lost control after the death of Kapilendra, and the territories of the former Reddy kingdom came under the control of the Vijayanagara Empire.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Hermann |last1=Kulke |author-link1=Hermann Kulke |first2=Dietmar |last2= Rothermund |author-link2=Dietmar Rothermund |title=A history of India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TPVq3ykHyH4C|year=2004|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-32919-4|page=189}}</ref>
@@ Line 59: / Line 61: @@
 Once independent, the erstwhile chiefs of the Vijayanagara empire indulged in several internal squabbles for supremacy in their areas. This constant warring between powerful feudal warlords for fiefdoms and power manifests itself even in modern-day Rayalaseema in the form of a brutally violent phenomenon termed as “[[Rayalaseema#Factionism|factionalism]]”, "factional violence" or simply "faction".<ref>{{cite journal |title=Seshan in Kurnool |first=K. |last=Balagopal |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |volume=29 |issue=30 |date=23 July 1994 |page=1905 |jstor=4401511 }}</ref>
-===Modern history===
+==Modern history==
-====Golkonda period====
+===Golkonda period===
-During this period, Reddys ruled several "samsthanams" (tributary estates)<ref name="dsal.uchicago.edu" /> in the [[Telangana]] area. They ruled as [[vassal]]s of [[Golkonda]] sultans. Prominent among them were Ramakrishna Reddy, Pedda Venkata Reddy and Immadi Venkata Reddy. In the 16th century, the Pangal fort situated in [[Mahbubnagar]] district of Andhra Pradesh was ruled by Veera Krishna Reddy. Immadi Venkata Reddy was recognised by the Golkonda sultan [[Abdullah Qutb Shah]] as a regular provider of military forces to the Golkonda armies.<ref name="Cohen2002">{{cite book|author=Benjamin B. Cohen|title=Hindu rulers in a Muslim state L: Hyderabad, 1850–1949|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5qBrAAAAMAAJ&q=immadi+qutb+shah|access-date=20 July 2011|year=2002|publisher=University of Wisconsin–Madison|page=78}}</ref>{{qn|date=November 2014}} The [[Gadwal|Gadwal samsthanam]] situated in [[Mahbubnagar]] includes a fort built in 1710 CE by Raja Somtadari.<ref name="dsal.uchicago.edu">{{Cite web|url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V12_127.gif|title=Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 12, page 121 -- Imperial Gazetteer of India -- Digital South Asia Library|website=dsal.uchicago.edu}}</ref> Reddys continued to be chieftains, village policemen and tax collectors in the Telangana region, throughout the Golkonda rule.{{citation needed|date=July 2013}}
+During this period, Reddys ruled several "samsthanams" (tributary estates)<ref name="dsal.uchicago.edu" /> in the [[Telangana]] area. They ruled as [[vassal]]s of [[Golkonda]] sultans. Prominent among them were Ramakrishna Reddy, Pedda Venkata Reddy and Immadi Venkata Reddy. In the 16th century, the Pangal fort situated in [[Mahbubnagar]] district of Andhra Pradesh was ruled by Veera Krishna Reddy. Immadi Venkata Reddy was recognised by the Golkonda sultan [[Abdullah Qutb Shah]] as a regular provider of military forces to the Golkonda armies.<ref name="Cohen2002">{{cite book|author=Benjamin B. Cohen|title=Hindu rulers in a Muslim state L: Hyderabad, 1850–1949|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5qBrAAAAMAAJ&q=immadi+qutb+shah|access-date=20 July 2011|year=2002|publisher=University of Wisconsin–Madison|page=78}}</ref>{{request quotation|date=November 2014}} The [[Gadwal|Gadwal samsthanam]] situated in [[Mahbubnagar]] includes a fort built in 1710 CE by Raja Somtadari.<ref name="dsal.uchicago.edu">{{Cite web|url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V12_127.gif|title=Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 12, page 121 -- Imperial Gazetteer of India -- Digital South Asia Library|website=dsal.uchicago.edu}}</ref> Reddys continued to be chieftains, village policemen and tax collectors in the Telangana region, throughout the Golkonda rule.{{citation needed|date=July 2013}}
-====British period====
+===British period===
-One of most prominent figures from the community during the British period is Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy. He challenged the British and led an armed rebellion against the [[East India Company|British East India company]] in 1846. He was finally captured and hanged in 1847. His uprising was one of the earlier rebellions against the British rule in India, as it was 10 years before the famous [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]].<ref name="Ramachandran2008">{{cite book|author=D. P. Ramachandran |title=Empire's First Soldiers |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Q7EiZmcMPMC&pg=PA121|date=October 2008|publisher=Lancer Publishers|isbn=978-0-9796174-7-8|page=121}}</ref>
+One of the most prominent figures from the community during the British period is Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy. He challenged the British and led an armed rebellion against the [[East India Company|British East India company]] in 1846. He was finally captured and hanged in 1847. His uprising was one of the earlier rebellions against the British rule in India, as it was 10 years before the famous [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]].<ref name="Ramachandran2008">{{cite book|author=D. P. Ramachandran |title=Empire's First Soldiers |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Q7EiZmcMPMC&pg=PA121|date=October 2008|publisher=Lancer Publishers|isbn=978-0-9796174-7-8|page=121}}</ref>
 Reddys were the [[landed gentry]] known as the [[deshmukh]]s and part of the [[Nizam of Hyderabad|Nizam of Hyderabad's]] administration.<ref name="Chhotray2011">{{cite book|author=Vasudha Chhotray|title=The Anti-Politics Machine in India: State, Decentralization and Participatory Watershed Development |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kx1N6tyVXtwC&pg=PA96|year=2011|publisher=Anthem Press|isbn=978-0-85728-767-0|page=96}}</ref> The Reddy landlords styled themselves as ''Desais'', ''Doras'' and ''Patel''. Several Reddys were noblemen in the court of Nizam [[Nawab]]s and held many high positions in the Nizam's administrative set up. Raja Bahadur Venkatarama Reddy was made [[Kotwal]] of [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]] in 1920 CE during the reign of the seventh Nizam [[Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII]]. Raja Bahadur Venkatarama Reddy was the first Hindu to be made kotwal of Hyderabad as in the late 19th and early 20th century, during the Islamic rule of the Nizams, the powerful position of Kotwal was held only by Muslims. His tenure lasted almost 14 years and he commanded great respect among the public for his outstanding police administration.<ref name="Bawa1992">{{cite book|author=Basant K. Bawa|title=The last Nizam: the life and times of Mir Osman Ali Khan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h45uAAAAMAAJ&q=raja+bahadur+reddy |access-date=21 July 2011|year=1992|publisher=Viking|pages=120–121|isbn=9780670839971}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hyderabadpolice.gov.in/Main/AboutUs.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206002744/http://hyderabadpolice.gov.in/Main/AboutUs.htm |url-status=dead |title=Raja Bahadur Venkatarama Reddy &#124; Hyderabad Police online portal|archive-date=6 February 2015}}</ref>
@@ Line 78: / Line 80: @@
 During the [[Medieval India|medieval]] and later feudal/[[British India|colonial]] periods, many parts of [[Andhra Pradesh]] and [[Telangana]] of the [[Indian subcontinent]] were ruled as sovereign or [[princely state]]s by various dynasties of Reddy community.
-;Main Reddy States of British India and [[Hyderabad State]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sakshieducation.com/POC/Story.aspx?nid=117579 |title=Telangana lo Mukhyamaina Samsthanalu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fdaytalk.com/samsthanas-in-hyderabad-state-study-guide-mcq-bits/|title=Hyderabad state Samsthans Ruler &#124; Study Material &#124; MCQ Bits|date=8 October 2018}}</ref>
 Some of the prominent Reddy [[zamindar]]is (samsthanams):
+*[[Atmakur, Wanaparthy|Atmakur]] Amarchinta Samsthanam, Telangana.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telangana360.com/2016/11/atmakur-amarchinta-samsthan.html|title=Atmakur Amarchinta Samsthan}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mahabubnagar.telangana.gov.in/history/samsthans/|title=Samsthans &#124; Mahabubnagar District, Telangana &#124; India}}</ref>
-*[[Alampur, Jogulamba Gadwal district|Alampur]] Samsthanam, Telangana.
-* [[Amarchinta]]<ref name="(India)Sivasankaranarayana1976"/>
-*[[Atmakur, Wanaparthy|Atmakur]] Amarchinta Samsthanam, Telangana.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telangana360.com/2016/11/atmakur-amarchinta-samsthan.html|title=Atmakur Amarchinta Samsthan}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mahabubnagar.telangana.gov.in/history/samsthans/|title=Samsthans &#124; Mahabubnagar District,Telangana &#124; India}}</ref>
 * [[Domakonda]] Samsthanam, Telangana.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.telanganauniversity.ac.in/abouttu_originhistory_nizamabadcity.html|title=Telangana University|website=www.telanganauniversity.ac.in}}</ref><ref name="Sekaram1973"/>
 *[[Gadwal Samsthanam]], Telangana;<ref name="dsal.uchicago.edu"/> —Raja Somasekhar Ananda Reddy or Somanadri<ref name="dsal.uchicago.edu"/><ref name="Sekaram1973">{{cite book|author=Kandavalli Balendu Sekaram|title=The Andhras through the ages|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dzduAAAAMAAJ|year=1973|publisher=Sri Saraswati Book Depot|page=34}}</ref>
 * [[Munagala]]—Gurlapaty clan<ref name="Mackenzie1990">{{cite book|author=Gordon Mackenzie|title=A manual of the Kistna district in the presidency of Madras |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=430nAMZz8LwC&pg=PA10|year=1990|publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=978-81-206-0544-2|pages=9,10,224-}}</ref> Samsthanam, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
 *[[Wanaparthy Samsthanam]] (Originally known as Sugur), Telangana.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wanaparthy.telangana.gov.in/history/|title=History &#124; Wanaparthy District &#124; India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telangana360.com/2016/11/wanaparthy-history.html|title=Wanaparthy History}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V24_361.gif|title=Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 24, page 355 -- Imperial Gazetteer of India -- Digital South Asia Library|website=dsal.uchicago.edu}}</ref>  Founded by Veera Krishna Reddy<ref name="Cohen2002"/><ref name="(India)Sivasankaranarayana1976">{{cite book |author1=Andhra Pradesh (India)|author2=Bh Sivasankaranarayana|title=Andhra Pradesh district gazetteers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qDJuAAAAMAAJ|year=1976|publisher=Printed by the Director of Print. and Stationery at the Govt. Secretariat Press|page=39,40}}</ref>
+*Sirnapalli Samsthanam, Telangana.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/our-cooking-was-influenced-by-muslim-culture/articleshow/22855717.cms|title="Our cooking was influenced by Muslim culture" - Times of India|website=The Times of India}}</ref>
-Rekulapalli Samsthanam, Nizamabad, Telangana.
-*[[Papannapet Samsthanam]], Telangana.
-*Sirnapalli Samsthanam, Telangana.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/our-cooking-was-influenced-by-muslim-culture/articleshow/22855717.cms|title="Our cooking was influenced by Muslim culture" - Times of India|website=The Times of India}}</ref>
-*Boravelli Samsthanam, Telangana.
-*[[Gopalpeta]] Samsthanam, Telangana.
-*[[Buchireddypalem]] Samsthanam, Andhra Pradesh.
-*Nossam Samsthanam, Andhra Pradesh.
-*Narayanapuram ([[Rajapet]]) Samsthanam, Telangana.
-*Donthi Samsthanam, Telangana.
-*Kondur Samsthanam, Andhra Pradesh.
-*[[Karvetinagar]] Samsthanam (initially), Andhra Pradesh.
-*Dubbak Samsthanam, Telangana.
-* Rekulapalli Samsthanam, Nizamabad, Telangana.
 ==Modern politics==
-Kammas and Reddys are politically dominant castes prior to the formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956 and after.<ref>{{Citation|last=PrincetonPIIRS|title=Dominant Caste and Territory in South India|date=2013-11-13|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vBvExh7-QY&feature=youtu.be |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/_vBvExh7-QY |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|access-date=2016-08-11}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Reddys are classified as a Forward Caste in modern India's [[Reservation in India|positive discrimination]] system.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.andhraelections.in/castes/ |title=Castes - Andhra (AP) Elections: News & Results |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104215109/http://www.andhraelections.in/castes |archive-date=2012-01-04}}</ref> They are a politically dominant community in Andhra Pradesh, their rise having dated from the formation of the state in 1956.<ref>{{cite web |title=Caste, Class and Social Articulation in Andhra Pradesh: Mapping Differential Regional Trajectories |first=K. |last=Srinivasulu |date=September 2002 |publisher=Overseas Development Institute |location=London |url=http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/odi-publications/working-papers/179-caste-class-social-articulation-andhra-pradesh-india.pdf |access-date=30 March 2013 |page=3}}</ref>
+The [[Kamma (caste)|Kamma]] and Reddy castes have been politically dominant prior to the formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956 and afterwards.<ref>{{Citation|last=PrincetonPIIRS|title=Dominant Caste and Territory in South India|date=2013-11-13|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vBvExh7-QY&feature=youtu.be |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/_vBvExh7-QY |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|access-date=2016-08-11}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Reddys are classified as a Forward Caste in modern India's [[Reservation in India|positive discrimination]] system.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.andhraelections.in/castes/ |title=Castes - Andhra (AP) Elections: News & Results |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104215109/http://www.andhraelections.in/castes |archive-date=2012-01-04}}</ref> They are a politically dominant community in Andhra Pradesh, their rise having dated from the formation of the state in 1956.<ref>{{cite web |title=Caste, Class and Social Articulation in Andhra Pradesh: Mapping Differential Regional Trajectories |first=K. |last=Srinivasulu |date=September 2002 |publisher=Overseas Development Institute |location=London |url=http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/odi-publications/working-papers/179-caste-class-social-articulation-andhra-pradesh-india.pdf |access-date=30 March 2013 |page=3}}</ref>
+{{Clear}}
+==Notes==
+{{notelist}}
 ==References==
 {{Reflist}}
-{{Portal|India}}
 ==Bibliography==
@@ Line 114: / Line 102: @@
 ==Further reading==
-*{{cite book |title=A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagara |first=K. A. Nilakanta |last=Sastri |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1958}}
+*{{cite book |title=[[A History of South India: From Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar]] |first=K. A. Nilakanta |last=Sastri |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1958 |isbn=0195606868}}
 [[Category:Agricultural castes]]
@@ Line 124: / Line 112: @@
 [[Category:Telugu society]]
 [[Category:Titles in India]]
+[[Category:South Indian communities]]