Reddy its word: Origin In the history of many races and castes got great regard for their remarkable services rendered services in education religion and literature and fine arts. One among such castes is ”Reddy”. No other word in India has got such a detailed and convincing history as the word ”Reddy”. Reddy’s are farmers, they are Kings, they are Journalists, they are Poets, they are Patriots who stood in front row in the freedom fight, and they are Writers, Politicians. If you question your self what they are not? Answer will be they are everything and they are in every field. Several patriots from REDDY community caring very less for their properties and participated in freedom fight and lost their lives for the Independence of India.
Eminent historians like Dr.Beryl and Dr.Mallampally Somasekhara Sharma proved on the basis of inscriptional evidence that The present word ‘REDDY’ has traveled several thousands of years changing its name several times to reach the present day. It was RATTAGUDI in 7th Century and was RATTOTI in the years 894. It was RADDHODI And RATHOD, and RATTADI in 10th century. It has then changed its Communities name As RATTAJIKAMU in1100, RADRIKAMU in 1153, RADI in 1238, and RADDI, and then Finally Settled as “REDDY”.
Early History
The Rashtrakutas were initially the elite troops of the Chalukyas. They founded an empire after the Badami Chalukyas faded from the scene. After the Rashtrakutas declined we find inscriptions of the succeeding Kalyani Chalukya’s in Andhra Pradesh, in which Reddys were mentioned (900 CE). They were soldiers appointed as Chieftains of villages in Medak district by the Kalyani Chalukyas. Some of the names mentioned are Mini Raddi and Kati Raddi. The inscription mentions the name of the appointee, the authorized appointer, the important personages of the areas and surrounding villages. Ratnagiri fort was built by potu sri chenna reddy and was captured by Muslim rulers in maharastra . Ratnagiri reddy”s migrated to Adilabad and karim nagar in early 19th century.
Kakatiya Period
After the decline of Kalyani Chalukyas at the beginning of the 12th century, Prola II (1110-1158 CE) declared himself independent from the Chalukyas and established the Kakatiya dynasty. Prola used the title of Reddi[3] in his inscriptions. Early inscriptions by the Kakatiyas indicated that they arose from the Chaturavarna. Rudramma Devi”s daughter married a Chalukya prince or a Kota prince, her grandson was the famous Pratapa Rudra. Only since his birth did the Kakatiyas claim to be Warriors. By the early 14th century the Kakatiya Empire was under threat from the Delhi Sultanate. Kakatiya emperor Pratap Rudra agreed to pay tribute, but then withheld the payment and this provoked the final and fatal attack in 1323 CE. King Pratap Rudra was captured and committed suicide by drowning himself in the river Narmada while being taken to Delhi. The Telugu country was plundered and subjugated. This marked a watershed in the history of the Reddys. The Reddys who had been predominant in the Telangana region migrated to the coastal areas after the fall of Warangal. The brother of Pratap Rudra escaped to the Orissa region and founded a kingdom in Bastar. The royal family of Bastar claims descent from Kakatiya Annam Deo.
Reddy Dynasty
The Reddy dynasty ruled some parts of the coastal Andhra Pradesh about 60years. Andhrula Sanghika Charitra, Suravaram Pratapa Reddy, Reddys became independent after the martyrdom of Musunuri Kapaya Nayak at the hands of Recherla Velama kings in the battle of Bhuvanagiri (Bhongir in Telangana region). Komati Prolaya Vema Reddy was the first king of the Reddy dynasty.
The capital of the kingdom was Addanki which was moved to Kondavidu and subsequently to Rajahmundry. His reign was characterized by restoration of peace, patronage of arts and literature, and all round development. Errana, the translator of Ramayana, lived during this period.
The dynasty declined due to the wars with Recherla chiefs and Gajapathis of Orissa. In later years, Reddys had to be content as vassals of Golconda Muslim kings.
Vijayanagara Period
The post-Kakatiya period saw the emergence of the Reddy kingdom (established in 1325 CE) and the Vijayanagara Empire (established in 1336 CE).Initially, the rising kingdoms of Vijayanagara and the Reddy kingdom 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 of Rajahmundry exercised a policy of annexation and invasion of Kalinga (modern day Orissa). However, the suzerainty of Kalinga rulers was to be recognized. 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 of Rajahmundry. 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, the Gajapati ruler Kapilendra sent an army under the leadership of his son Hamvira into the Reddy kingdom, took Rajahmundry and gained control of the Reddy kingdom. The Gajapatis eventually lost control of coastal Andhra after the death of Kapilendra. The territories of the Reddy kingdom eventually came under the control of the Vijayanagara Empire.
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. 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. The famous Vellore Fort was built in the 16th century by Bommi Reddi who was a chieftain of the Vijayanagara ruler Sadasiva Raya. Reddys were historically dominant in the province of Rayalaseema – part of modern day Andhra Pradesh. By the end of the 16th century, during the regime of the Vijayanagara King Aliya Ramaraju, when the Vijayanagara empire was declining, several poligar chieftains from Rayalaseema declared their independence and continued to rule over their territories.
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”. Thus the origin of factionalism in Rayalaseema can be traced to the Poligar chieftains of the medieval period.
Golkonda Period
The Reddys continued to be Chieftains, village policemen, tax collectors and farmers in the Telangana region, throughout Turkish rule and under the Nizams. The Reddy landlords styled themselves as Desais , Doras and Patel. Several Reddys were noblemen in the court of Nizam Nawabs. During the communist led Telangana people”s movement against the Nizam state in the 1940s many Reddys actively took part in the struggle.
During this period, Reddys ruled several “samsthanams” (tributary estates) 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. The Gadwal samsthanam situated in Mahbubnagar includes a fort built in 1710 CE by Raja Somtadari.Reddys continued to be chieftains, village policemen and tax collectors in the Telangana region, throughout the Golkonda rule
British Period
Reddys in general and especially the ones in Nellore and Chittoor districts took to modern forms of agriculture early, helping them to increase their wealth and also were one of the first communities to place importance in education because of their proximity to Madras (Modern Chennai).
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.
Reddys were the landed gentry known as the deshmukhs and part of the Nizam of Hyderabad’s administration. 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.
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
Recent history
Their recent history is quite distinguished as you can tell from the list of prominent members. Their political preeminence is being challenged from other castes but are still an influential component of Telugu society and politics. In addition to their traditional farming occupation large sections have taken up various professions including industry, business, real estate, construction and films.
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.
- Domakonda Samsthanam, Telangana.
- Gadwal Samsthanam, Telangana: —Raja Somasekhar Ananda Reddy or Somanadri
- Munagala—Gurlapaty clan Samsthanam, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
- Wanaparthy Samsthanam (Originally known as Sugur), Telangana. Founded by Veera Krishna Reddy
- Sirnapalli Samsthanam, Telangana.
