Linga Balija

Linga Balija is a subcaste of the Indian Balija caste.

The Balija are a Telugu-speaking trading community primarily living in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and in smaller numbers in Telangana and Kerala. Balijas are known as Banajigas in Karnataka.

Linga Balijas (traders) are summed up in the Madras Census Report, 1901, as a Lingāyat sub-caste of Balija.

Etymology
Variations of the name in use in the medieval era were Balanja, Bananja, Bananju, Banajiga and Banijiga, with probable cognates Balijiga, Valanjiyar, Balanji, Bananji, Baliga and derivatives such as Vani(in Maharashtra) all of which are said to be derived from the Sanskrit term Vanik or Vanij, for trader.

Another etymological theory states that Balija is derived from the Sanskrit word Bali, a sacrifice made during 'Yagna' ritual and Ja meaning born. Therefore, Balija means "born from sacrifice".

Balijas who followed Veerashaivism or Lingayatism called themselves Linga Balijas.

Origin
The following legendary account of the origin of the "Linga Bhojunnalawaru " is given in the Baramahal Records. Para Brahma or the great god Brahma created the god Pralayakala Rudra or the terrific at the day of destruction, a character of the god Shiva, and he created the Chatur Acharyulu or four sages named Panditaraju, Yekcoramalu, Murralaradulu, and Somaluradulu, and taught them mantras or prayers, and made them his deputies. On a time, the Asuras and Devatas, or the giants and the gods, made war on each other, and the god Pralayakala Rudra produced from his nose a being whom he named Muchari Rudra, and he had five sons, with whom he went to the assistance of the devatas or gods, and enabled them to defeat the giants, and for his service the gods conferred upon him and his sons the following honorary distinctions: —


 * A flag with the figure of an alligator (crocodile) portrayed on it.
 * A flag with the figure of a fish portrayed on it.
 * A flag with the figure of a bullock.
 * A flag with the figure of an eagle.
 * A flag with the figure of a bell.
 * A modee ganta, or iron for marking cattle.

The use of burning lamps and flambeaus in their public processions during the day. The use of tents. " On a time, when the god Pralayakala Rudra and Mochari Rudra and his five sons, with other celestial attendants, were assembled on the Kailāsa parvata or mountain of Paradise, the god directed the latter to descend into the Bhuloka or earthly world, and increase and multiply these species. They humbly prayed to know how they were again to reach the divine presence. He answered 'I shall manifest myself in the Bhuloka under the form of the Lingam or Priapus; do you worship me under that form, and you will again be permitted to approach me.' They accordingly descended into the earthly regions, and from them the present castes of Balijawaras deduce their origin.

History
Beginning in the 9th century, references are found in inscriptions throughout the Kannada and Tamil areas to a trading network, which is sometimes referred to as a guild, called the Five Hundred Lords of Ayyavolu that provided trade links between trading communities in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. From the 13th century, inscriptions referring to "Vira Balanjyas" (warrior merchants) started appearing in the Andhra country. The Vira Balanjyas, whose origins are often claimed to lie in the Ayyavolu, represented long-distance trading networks that employed fighters to protect their warehouses and goods in transit. The traders were identified as nanadesi (of 'many countries') and as swadesi ('own country'). The terms balanjya-setti and balija were also used for these traders, and in later times naidu and chetti. These traders formed collectives called pekkandru and differentiated themselves from other collectives called nagaram, which probably represented Komati merchants. The pekkandru collectives also included members of other communities with status titles reddi, boya and nayaka. They spread all over South India, Sri Lanka, and also some countries in the Southeast Asia.

Velcheru Narayana Rao et al. note that the Balijas were first mobilised politically by the Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya. Later, in the 15th and 16th centuries, they colonised the Tamil country and established Nayaka chieftaincies. At this time, Balijas were leaders of the left-hand section of castes. These Balija warriors were noted as fearless and some stories speak of them assassinating kings who interfered with their affairs. Cynthia Talbot believes that in Andhra the transformation of occupational descriptors into caste-based descriptors did not occur until at least the 17th century.

The classification of people as Balija was one of many challenges for the census enumerators of the British Raj era, whose desire was to reduce a complex social system to one of administrative simplicity using theories of evolutionary anthropology. Early Raj census attempts in Madras Presidency recorded a wide variety of people claiming to be members of Balija subcastes but who appeared to share little in common and thus defied the administrative desire for what it considered to be a rational and convenient taxonomy. Those who claimed to be Chetty had an obvious connection through their engagement in trade and those who called themselves Kavarai were simply using the Tamil word for Balija but, for example, the Linga Balija based their claim to Balija status on a sectarian identification, the Gazula were bangle-makers by occupation, the Telaga had Telugu origins and the Rajamahendram also appeared to be a geographic claim based on their origins in the town of Rajahmundry. Subsequent attempts to rationalise the enumeration merely created other anomalies and caused upset.

Dynasty

 * Later Keladi Nayakas

Rulers
Ananthapur, Bukkarayapatnam, Dharmavaram Linga Balijas of Hande Family.
 * Hande Hanumappa Nayudu (1569–1582)
 * Immadi Hampanaidu (1583–1595)
 * Malakappa Naidu (1595–1619)
 * Hampa Naidu (1619–1631) Hande Malakappa Naidu's (1595–1619) 4th Son
 * Siddappa Naidu (1631–1659)
 * Pavadappa Naidu (1659–1671)
 * Ramakka Naidu (1671–1690)
 * Siddappa Naidu (1690–1696)
 * Prasannappa Naidu (1696–1719)
 * Pavadappa Naidu (1719–1737)
 * Siddappa Naidu (1737–1740)
 * Ramappa Naidu (1740–1745)
 * Tadipatri and Poddatur. Hande Malakappa Naidu's (1595–1619) 1st Son Devappa Naidu and his descendents.
 * Bellari, Kurgodu and Surrounding Districts. Hande Malakappa Naidu's (1595–1619) 2nd Son Chinna Ramappa Naidu and his descendents.
 * Konderpi and Kanakal. Hande Malakappa Naidu's (1595–1619) 3rd Son Lingappa Naidu and his descendents.
 * Shivappa Nayaka (1645–1660)
 * Chikka Venkatappa Nayaka (1660–1662)
 * Bhadrappa Nayaka (1662–1664)
 * Somashekara Nayaka I (1664–1672)
 * Keladi Chennamma (1672–1697)
 * Basavappa Nayaka (1697–1714)
 * Somashekara Nayaka II (1714–1739)
 * Kiriya Basavappa Nayaka (1739–1754)
 * Chenna Basappa Nayaka (1754–1757)
 * Queen Virammaji (1757–1763).

Status
In the year 2019, representatives of the Telangana state Veerashaiva Lingayat Federation petitioned the National Commission for Backward Classes to include Linga Balija and Veerashaiva Lingayat in the central government's list of Other Backward Classes. In 2022, Member of Parliament B. B. Patil met with the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar Khatik to discuss the two subcaste's inclusion in the OBC list.

Other Names

 * Lingadhari Jangamar
 * Lingadhari Pandaram
 * Lingangatti Pandaram
 * Linga Pandaram
 * Linga Vadugar
 * Lingayat Vadugar
 * Lingayath
 * Lingayath Naidu
 * Lingayath Nayaka
 * Lingayath Kapu
 * Linga Kapu
 * Lingayat Vani(veerashaiva)
 * Lingayath Gajula
 * Lingayath Balija
 * Veerashaiva Balija
 * Veerashaiva Lingayath Balija
 * Linga Banajiga
 * Lingayath Banajiga
 * Veerashaiva Banajiga
 * Veerashaiva Lingayath Banajiga
 * Sivachar Kavarai
 * Jangamar
 * Jangam.

Family Names
Family Names of Linga Balijas

Notable peoples

 * B. S. Yediyurappa Chief Minister of Karnataka
 * S. Nijalingappa Chief Minister of Karnataka
 * J. H. Patel Chief Minister of Karnataka
 * S. R. Kanthi Chief Minister of Karnataka
 * Veerendra Patil Chief Minister of Karnataka
 * Jagadish Shettar Chief Minister of Karnataka
 * B. D. Jatti Chief Minister of Karnataka