Socio-Economic status of Yellapus

Discontinuity of relations in yellapus


The relations with Rajasthan and U.P were lost many centuries ago. Even the relations of central India and Maharastra are also lost. People may not recognize even in Karnataka. Not even with in 200 years, the relations with coastal Andhra Pradesh are also lost. Most of the relations even with the Nalgonda district is also lost and certain people have also joined in other castes. Some Adilabad people have lost relations with Karimnagar district. What are the different reasons for the discontinuity with the previous place people? Let us analyze as follows:
• The migration took place to very distant places. In absences of fast moving vehicles, it become very hard to maintain the relation. Hence, yellapus could not maintain relation with past place.
• The poverty of the past place people and poverty of migrated people may be one of the reasons for the disinterest in continuing the relation. For instance, the yellapus in north coastal area have been leading nomadic lives. The middle class people in telangana are not at all interested in them. Similarly, Rich people of karimnagar have no concern for the poor people of Adilabad district.
• Yellapus migrated along with other castes made them independent of others including past place people. Here maintaining the relations with past people are not required.
• Yellapus have amalgamated with other castes during their migration to different place. For instance, till the vijayanagara period they are identified with telagas. After reaching Bobbili, they maintained relations with velamas till the recent past. Similar, activity would have taken place in other states also, loosing their identity.
• The frequent wars in the olden days would have made them busy and become hurdle in maintaining their relations. Their bravery in protecting the kingdom is reason for this. The loss of lives in the wars also makes them separated from the core people.
• In absence of employment, some yellapus took up robberies,hunting; the society would not accept this kind of relations, which would have diluted relations.


Genetic ailments

Basically yellapus are soldier and always maintained the interest in the hunting. Hence, they are predominantly non-vegetarian eating people with lot angry and hegemony in mind. Usually hunting material ignites diseases such as hyper tension, Diabetes, Cancer, Piles, and Paralysis, etc. The anger and stress always stimulates the hyper tension, and Diabetes. Hence,these diseases are genetic ailments of yellapus.



Assimilation into other castes
The basic reason for assimilation into other caste is that Yellapus easily mix with others locally by forgetting their ancestors from where they are migrated. The migration has started from the surroundings of Delhi after thorough assimilation of different people, as elucidated in my introductory note. So, certainly there may be people in these areas and we cannot recognize them very easily. Only assumption can be made that they may be merged or part of Rajputs, Marwadis and Gujjers.
The migration took place through the Jharkhand and Maharastra. In Jharkhand these people may be again part of Rajputs. In Maharastra, agricultural activities have started among Yellapus.Hence, some people may be amalgamated with agricultural communities and some may be among the Kshatriyas.
After becoming very rich persons and rulers, they have easily mixed with Rajus, Velamas during the period of Kakatiyas.

During the period of Krishnadeva raya, these people are merged with Kapus and telagas.
During their stay in nalgonda it is very much evident that they are mixed with Telagas.

During their stay in Karimnagar it is very much evident that they are mixed with velamas again and some people identify themselves with them only. In Warangal and Nizamabad they are mixed with Munnuru Kapus, as they are strong caste and access more privileges than Yellapus.

Religion

Predominantly these people are Hindhus. Negligible amount of people have converted to Christianity. Most of them follow the vaishnavite traditions in Adilabad district. Lord Venkateshwara is the families God of these people.Due to the influence of Vemulavada, most of the Yellapus are shivites in karimnagar and Warangal districts. A few of these follow the vegetarian. In olden days some of they may be followed the Jainism or Buddhism, which are famous in the lands of Rajasthan (Jainism) and Bihar, U.P (Buddhism).
Occupations
The principle occupation of the Yellapus in the ancient days is Military activity under the kings. They worked under the kakatiyas, vijayanagara, Kalingas,velamas of Bobbili,etc. During their stay in Maharastra, they worked as soldiers. This includes vassals and chief vassals. Some people are believed to be have worked as kings.

In prior to their entry in to Maharastra, there is the elements of business, which is supported by the family names of shetty, ramshetty, puramshetty.

After their entry into Maharastra, some they have started the agricultural activity. Many agricultural terms have entered into the family names of Yellapus.
A few people have also worked as priests. The family name of velpula suggests the same.
Interestingly, after loosing their principle occupation, they have resorted for robberies, mendicants and hunting, which was some of their primitive occupation. The land of valmiki is also matches with the ancestral lands of Yellapus.

In the modern age, these people were mostly agriculturists and hunters. Slowly they entered into the Government jobs. After the reservations are given to these people, the number of persons entered in to the government jobs have increased.But, most of the people are get in to teachers and police jobs.In the recent past software engineers have increased and migrated to U.S.A. and other countries.



Poverty

Poverty amongst the yellapus is more among the rural people. Till the recent past most of them are below poverty line .The level of poverty is relatively higher among the Adilabad district Yellapus. In karimnagar district the percapita availability of lands is higher. In adilabad district yallapus mostly depended on hunting. the persons could not access the lands have migrated to these areas. the so called Jamindars and vatandars are belongs to karimnagar district only. But in adilabad district nobody is a dora, except a few. The family planning was also a late starting in the adilabad district, which stimulated the poverty.

Poverty is also due to loss of their traditional occupations and their inability to fill the gap. Still some people feel prideful and they do not work. There is large scale envy among these people, always results in non-co-operation among these people.
The usual reason of high size of the family, lack of employment opportunities, illiteracy, under employment is also reason for the poverty.
The nomadic living and high prevalence of barter system is the special reasons for the poverty in Adilabad district.
Loss of bread winner, due to genetic ailments and vices are reason for the poverty in some families.
In the recent past, due to reservation, this caste people have accessed the government jobs and mitigated the poverty to certain extent. The people living in rural areas, who could not access the quality education is still in distress. There is no cooperation between these caste people. Hence, there may not be much progress in the lives of rural poor.


Disparities
There are large scale disparities among the Yellapus. It is evident from the fact that Yellapus has worked under the Yellapus as subordinates in olden days. The family names of Lakkam and Lakkakula, Madapati and Madapally, sunkara and sunki,Mahadasu and Narahdasu, Puram and Puramshetty, etc. supports this view. One of the families among the sets is subordinates of the others.


It is also very clear that some families have maintained the rich living and some surnames such as Akireddy,Rapole, Bethi,Chataraju, salvaji,saini supports the same. They either ruled some territories or worked in the premier positions in the army. But it is not ascertained from some of the family names based on the names of the villages.Their ancestral surnames has to be find out and it is most difficult.


It is also clear that some families such as Ramshetty, chetty , puramshetty did their business. Naturally they are rich in terms of cash, properties, etc.Hence, they may be richer than their other caste members leaving disparities among the caste.
There were disparities even in the living styles in terms of Urbanization. The surnames of Palle and puram support this view.

In the present days the disparities still exist for the following reason

• The people in certain villages are continued as vatandars, Zamindars and maintained the forts in certain villages. The system of yellapu servants at their caste people continued leaving the disparities continued.
• The people of karimnagar district accessed the lands from Nizam and their children are still enjoying them. Some people still don’t access even inch of lands.
• The people of Adilabad migrated for want of accessing the forest animals and products, who are naturally poor than Karimnagar Yellapus.

Family set up
Usually family is headed by the male member. Patriarchal systems prevail in the Yellapus. Soon after marriage, bride arrives at groom’s house. In olden days also women was also given priority, as it is believed that women has also maintained the large structure of the body. Some widows head the family. They have enjoyed the respect from the family members.


In the recent past, there are women dominated families, due to continuing vices of men in this caste.

Marriage Method


The marriage among these people is similar with other Hindu people, with a variation of veera pooja. The usual sapthapadi, arundhanti darshanam, mangalya dharana, gauri pooja, etc are quiet common.The priest use to perform the sacred activities.The marriage use to take place in the bride’s village.in view of the convenience, people alow the marriage in grooms village or at some other place also. In olden days they used to serve the non-vegetarian food at the time of marriage and reception too.But, now mostly there is no serving of non-vegetarian at the time of marriage.
The reception is done at grooms house or village or town. Usually non-veg is served. Some people even offer the liquor.
The fist night is usually with out any muhoortham. A few people prefer muhoortham and make it happen on the auspicious day.
The veera puja use to hold before the marriage in the karimnagar district. It is honoring and commemorating their ancestors. There is idol of Veera in the bejjanki mandal. Earlier, all the family members of marrying family use to visit this place and perform the veera puja in very pompous way. But at present there is no time to these family members even to participate full day in a marriage and the tradition of veera puja is not celebrative. Simply, they are sending their servant or dependent to carry out veera puja.
The similar veera pooja is continuing in Nalgonda district in the erstwhile warrior families. The difference is that Nalgonda people use to carry out these pooja after marriage. The bride and groom along with their relatives visit the idol of the veera. One man is also dressed like veera painted in yellow color on his total visible body.I presume that it may be similar in olden days among Yellapus.

But, the Yellapus in Adilabad has discontinued the veera pooja . They use to perform the pochamma pooja, a village mother goddess. On this day important relatives are invited. The non-veg are served along with liquor.

Love marriages: There are love marriages among these people in the parts of karimnagar district. In Adilabad district, it is near to abysmal. There is a kind of acceptability in the family members after marriage at least.

Widow marriages: Only a few young widows are seen in these families. So, the question of considering the widow marriages may not be discussed among these people.
Divorce: The foreign habit of offering the divorce has started in these families, but in a very few marriages, for various reasons. The issue of divorce is in karimnagar district only, as Adilabad and nizamabad is not so westernized.

Divorcee remarriage: The remarriage of divorcee is acceptable. The most important aspect of these marriages is that they held as inter- caste marriages.



Social status

These people are respected wherever they stay as most of them are benevolent in nature, easily mingling with others. A few people are called dora and patella. It is highly exaggeration to say that all the Yellapus are of highly privileged class.

Due to disunity among the Yellapus and as they are minority among all others in the democratic system,they could not access political power. Hence, only a few members have been enjoyed the political power. Astonishingly, the political power is more enjoyed in Adilabad district than Karimnagar district. It is because the Yellapus of karimnagar, Nizamabad (on the borders of Karimnagar) district get the opposition from the Backward classes and scheduled castes for the hegemony of Yellapus.However,in the recent past sri.Naradasu Laxman Rao has become M.L.C. from T.R.S.party.
In the contrary, in Adilabad district, a few people have won the hearts of poor people. Some people enjoyed the continuous faith of the people. A few to quote be Rachakonda Krishna Rao, former Municipal Chairperson, Mancherial. Some people have enjoyed the district level nominated posts.A few to quote be Mahender Rao of Rachini and Bonagiri Ganga Ram of Khanapur. Thus, they enjoyed the respect but lacked the political power.
Due to the early receiving of the education the fruits are reaped by the people of karimnagar district Yellapus. Large number of people has gained the higher status like professors, lecturers. Many numbers of people have got the teacher jobs and clerk jobs.
In the recent past many people have become software engineers, doctors and lawyers. The impetus of becoming the software engineers have been given by the sri.Bhasker Lakkakula, who initially worked hard to stabilize him self in that field.

In the contrast, there was large scale illiteracy in Adilabad district. Till 20 years ago there was no gazette officer in these families. Most of the people have joined either as teachers or police. It is told by the elders is that family heads have hated to be worked under others as servants.

In the recent past nobody is interested in Government jobs, except a few. Many people have left to foreign countries for education and employment. The early action was initiated by the chinthapandu families in Adilabad district. Still the majority of people becoming the teachers have not been ended.
Economically, no Yellapu is a billionaire. Only a few people are millioners. Most of them is middle class in nature. But, they feel prideful for their past and don not compromise for belittling them.
So, to conclude, Yellapus use to enjoy the respect usually, but with out much status. Socially, they enjoy the good status.Many people bear the suffix of Rao. But, in Adilabad district they have left their suffixes by bearing the names of God, for instance Gangadhar and Srinivas. In the recent past many young left their suffix Rao from their name.