Komati (caste)

Komati
British Raj-era Komati mother and child, Madras Presidency, 1909
Kuladevi (female)Vāsavi Kanyakā Parameśvari
ReligionsHinduism • Jainism
LanguagesTelugu, Odia(in Kalinga Kumutis)
CountryIndia
RegionAndhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha
SubdivisionsArya Vysya (Ārya Vaiśya), Kalinga Kumuti (Kaliṅga Vaiśya), Thrivarnika Komati (Trivarṇika Vaiśya), Jain Komati (Jaina Kōmaṭi),

The Komati (Kōmaṭi, Kūmūti or Kūmaṭi) is a trading community [1][2] which is a Vaishya community that is currently organised as a caste. They are primarily found in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and in smaller numbers in neighbouring states.[2][3][1] The members of the Komati caste are commonly engaged as moneylenders, businessmen, and shopkeepers.[4][5] The community consists of many sects who are followers of Hinduism, namely the Gomata (Arya Vysya), the Thrivarnika, and the Kalinga, along with the Jaina Komatis who are followers of Jainism. Traditionally, most Komatis are vegetarian due to their belief in ahimsa (nonviolence).[6]

  1. ^ a b Naidu, Thalapaneni Subramanyam (1990). Growth and Development of Tirumala-Tirupati as a Dimension of Indian Civilization. Anthropological Survey of India. p. 63. The Komati (Vaisyas) is numerically a large trading caste in Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, and Karnataka. The Komatis speak Telugu.
  2. ^ a b Murthy, B. E. V. V. Narasimha (1989). Entrepreneurship in Small Towns. Mittal Publications. p. 92. The Komatis are the great trading caste found in almost all districts of Madras Presidency. They are further found in Karnataka and Maharastra states. The Komatis everywhere speak Telugu.
  3. ^ Pandey, Alpana (11 August 2015). Medieval Andhra: A Socio-Historical Perspective. Partridge Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4828-5017-8.
  4. ^ Hiebert, Paul G. (8 February 1971). Konduru: Structure and Integration in a South Indian Village. University of Minnesota Press. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-8166-5787-2. Komatis by tradition are moneylenders, bankers, and shopkeepers.
  5. ^ Census of India, 1961. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 1962. p. 7. For ages, the traditional occupation of Komatis is business and money-lending. The two major sects among the Komati caste are Gavara Komati and Kalinga Komati. The Gavara Komatis are strict vegetarians while the Kalinga Komatis are non-vegetarians.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Annals was invoked but never defined (see the help page).