Reddy

For other uses, see Reddy (disambiguation).

Reddy
ClassificationForward caste
ReligionsHinduism
Languages
CountryIndia
Populated statesMajor:
Andhra Pradesh
Telangana
Minor:
Karnataka
Kerala
Odisha
Tamil Nadu
Maharashtra
RegionSouth India
Kingdom (original)Reddy Kingdom

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]


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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Y. Subhashini Subrahmanyam (1975). Social change in village India: an Andhra case study. Prithvi Raj Publishers. p. 75. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  3. ^ David E. Ludden (1999). An Agrarian History of South Asia. Cambridge University Press. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-521-36424-9.
  4. ^ Lohia, Rammanohar (1964). The Caste System. Navahind. pp. 93–94, 103, 126.
  5. ^ Karen Isaksen Leonard (2007). Locating home: India's Hyderabadis abroad. Stanford University Press. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-8047-5442-2.
  6. ^ Stein, Burton (1989). Vijayanagara. Cambridge University Press. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-521-26693-2.
  7. ^ Robert, Bruce L. (1982). Agrarian Organization and Resource Distribution in South India: Bellary District 1800–1979. University of Wisconsin–Madison. p. 88.
  8. ^ Subrahmanyam, Sanjay (2001). Penumbral Visions: Making Polities in Early Modern South India. University of Michigan Press. p. 100. ISBN 978-0-472-11216-6.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ Srinivasulu, K. (January 2007). Caste, Class and Social Articulation in Andhra Pradesh: Mapping Differential Regional Trajectories. Department of Political Science, Osmania University.
  11. ^ Nag, Kingshuk (30 July 2013). "Rayala Telangana is a crude attempt to maintain Reddy dominance". Economic Times. Retrieved 26 July 2023.