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Research Paper | Social Science | India | Volume 12 Issue 1, January 2023
Genealogy & Mirasi System in Pichiguntala Nomadic Tribes in India
Abstract: Pichiguntalas are the heirs of ancient medieval period?s Kunti Malla Reddy of Srisailam in the present day Andhra Pradesh. Kunti Malla Reddy was a appointed Kula Guru for the cultivating Reddy & Kapu Communities by erstwhile Rashtrakutas and Kakathiyas during 12th & 13th Century AD, to carry out the Genealogical services on Kula-Gothra-Vamshavali (Genealogy); and was engaged to carry out the Census works. Kunti Malla Reddy was a Lame Person (without one leg and one hand) and he was given with alms for the genealogical services rendered to the cultivating community, so he was also referred to as Biksha Kunti (Lame person begging for alms); it become Pichikuntla to Pichiguntala by a housename to a present day Caste name. The heirs of Kunti Malla Reddy were presently called as Pichiguntala or Vamsharaju or Reddla Kunti Mallareddy in Telugu, Helava or Helavaru in Kannada, Helave or Helwi or Pangal in Marathi, Kudipanai or Vardhana Kapu or Pinchguntar in Tamil, etc., based on their geographic locations and distributions. Their genealogical services are being continued since more than 1000 years; the records which contains the family trees, house names, birth, deaths, marriages, heirships, etc., that of Reddy, Kapu and Golla are under threat of wear and tear, damage due to non-availability of preservative living conditions of these people. These people do live a nomadic living, move from place to place, village to village, have no permanent settlements, no proper housing-sanitation-hygiene and nor avenues for education of their children. These Pichiguntalas are confined to the southern parts of India; do not have biological links or lineages to that of Bards and Charans of northern India; or that of any foreign country. There exist many sub-sects of these Pichiguntalas based on their type of genealogical and non-genealogical assignments; moving places and migrations, immigrations, work cultures and occupations, etc. These groups are treated as Rarest of the Rare.
Keywords: Genealogy, Pichikuntla, Pichiguntla, Pichiguntala, Vamsharaj, Vamshraj, Helava, Mirasi, Gavara, Nomadic, Denotified, Tribe, Community, Vamshavali, Vanshavali, Bards, Charans, Reddy, Kuntimallareddy
Edition: Volume 12 Issue 1, January 2023,
Pages: 439 - 448