balija

Balija (Telugu: బలిజ 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.
Castes of India
Balija
Classification Warriors, Merchants, Farmers, Kings,Landlords
Subdivisions Six
Significant populations in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka
Languages Telugu, Tamil, Kannada
Religions Hinduism
Ancient Indian (Bharata) cities and Places(Title and location names are in English.)

* Kapus were the earliest inhabitants of the Deccan region, people who migrated from the north, cleared forests for agriculture and built settlements.[1]

* Kapu are descendants of the Kaampu tribe an Indo-Aryan tribe, that migrated from Kampilya, Mithila and Ayodhya towns of Medieval India situated in the Gangetic Plains of North India.

* This migrant tribe initially settled down along the Banks of the Godavari and cleared forests and started Cultivation that's the reason even till date a heavy concentration of Munnuru Kapu's and Telagas are found on the Banks of Godavari in the North Telangana Districts of Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam and Delta Districts of East Godavari and West Godavari.

* The settlement slowly spread among the Geogreaphical area of the three Shaiva Lingams of Draksharamam (East Godavari district), Srisailam (Kurnool district), and Srikalahasti (Chittor district) [2]. The people living in this area came to be called Telagas and the language spoken by them as Telugu.

* This settlement of Telagas started referring themselves as Balija when the Balijas became quite prominent in Andhra's medieval history with their political and economic Contributions around about 1000 CE.

* Kapus share their origins along with similar Warrior/Agrarian communities like the Kurmis of Bihar and UP and Kunbis/Marathas of Maharashtra and Vokkaliga of Karnataka.

* The Kapus were primarily an Military/Agrarian community who took up military service and were into cultivation during peace time. Consequently the Kapu Subcastes also evolved based on occupation.

* Kapu SubCastes dedicated to military service included Telaga, Munnuru Kapu, Ontaris (who served as Special Forces). Munnuru kapu were a detachment of the Telagas who migrated to the current Telangana Districts and served under the Kakateeyas and Nizams.

* Kapus engaged in trade were referred to as Balija. Balijas who took up Military Service and protected trading caravans were called as Balija Nayakulu or Balija Naidu .

balijaworld

balijaworld