Kamma is a largely Hindu caste from South India. The community of Kammas is believed to have originated from agriculturists of the Kammanadu region of the erstwhile Guntur district and Ongole division in Andhra Pradesh. Quote: "Next to birth and profession, it was region which accounted for sectarian sub-divisions in all the castes like those of Kammanadu being called Kamma-Brahmana, Kamma-Kapu, Kamma-Sresthi and so on." Quote: "The modern Kamma sect of people in Andhra desa is originally of the Kapu families hailing from Kamma nadu or Kamma rashtra of the medieval period." Propelled by their military activity in the Vijayanagara Empire, Kammas are believed to have spread out from the region during the Vijayanagara period, followed by some in-migration during the British period and out-migration again during the twentieth century. : "These waves of military migration towards the South of the Indian peninsula from the fifteenth century onwards explain the significant presence of Kammas in Tamil Nadu, where they again turned into agriculturalists in times of peace." : "Interestingly, their population in the Krishna delta in the 1872 census was one-fourth of their total strength in the entire Madras Presidency, but had increased by 1921 to about 47 per cent." : "The post-independence territorial recompositions provided them with new opportunities for investment in Telangana, where they bought land in the proximity of irrigation projects." Today they are regarded as the richest group in Andhra Pradesh and are a dominant caste from Coastal Andhra with socio-economic and political prominence throughout the Telugu-speaking regions of India (the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana).;
They also have a notable, albeit smaller, presence in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. In recent times, a sizeable number of Kammas have migrated to the United States.
Origins
The modern community of Kammas is believed to have originated from agriculturists of the Kammanadu region in coastal Andhra Pradesh.: "their actual dominance was originally limited to two districts on the lower banks of the Krishna River, namely Krishna and Guntur districts." The region, lying between the Gundlakamma River and the Krishna River in the erstwhile Guntur district (which included the three subdistricts later transferred to the Ongole district in 1970), had an identity dating back to ancient times.
Historical Epigraphy and Evolution The administrative roots of Kammanadu trace back to the Satavahana period, during which the empire was divided into units known as Aharas and Rashtras. The lower Krishna valley, encompassing modern day Guntur and Prakasam, was organised as a Rashtra, a framework later inherited by the Ikshvakus and Pallavas. Historically, the agricultural wealth of this district is noted for fuelling the construction of the Amaravati Stupa, with the region eventually becoming known as Karma rashtra.
The identity of the Kammanadu region is well attested through a series of historical grants spanning over a millennium. The region was originally known in Sanskrit as Karma-rashtra, first appearing in 3rd-century Ikshvaku inscriptions at Jaggayyapeta. This was followed by the Mayidavolu Grant (c. early 4th century AD), issued by the Pallava prince Sivaskandavarman from Kanchipuram to his officials in Dhanyakataka (Amaravati). This grant is significant for establishing early Pallava sovereignty over the Guntur region, which they referred to at the time as Andhrapata.
Shortly thereafter, the Mattepad Grant of King Damodaravarman (Ananda Gotrikas dynasty) referred to the area as Kammaka-rattha, a Prakrit variation. Under the Pallava dynasty, the region's administrative status was solidified through charters such as the Chendalur Grant of Kumara Vishnu II and the Omgodu Grant of Vijaya Skandavarman II, both of which describe the Guntur-Ongole territory as Karmma-rashtra. Following the 7th century, under the influence of the Eastern Chalukyas and later the Telugu Chodas, the Sanskrit name transitioned into the local Telugu form, Kammanadu. This transition is finalised in 12th-century records, such as the Konidena inscriptions, which formally identify the region as Kammanadu with its capital at Katyadona (modern Konidena).
Etymology and Migration The term "kamma" either referred to the two rivers that formed the boundaries of the region,: "Here, Kamma indicates a stream. Cf: Gundlakamma: Prakasam District; Perakamma: a big Kamma, River Krishna" or to the Buddhist monastic institutions called sanghakammas believed to have been once prevalent in the region.: According to epigraphical records, the Krishna delta area was known as Kammanadu during the Chola empire—a toponym that probably came from the Buddhist monastic institutions called sanghakammas.
As the people of the region migrated to other parts, they were often referred to as the Kamma community (kamma-kula). Terms such as kamma-brahmana, kamma-komati, kamma-sreshti and kamma-kapu are attested in inscriptions as descriptions of people. The migration was apparently quite extensive, and was made by possible by the Kammanadu's strategic location with access to the Deccan Plateau as well as to the regions in the south and southwest.: "Its historical prominence, however, derived from the fact that it opened into the extensive Deccan plateau." By 1872, only one-fourth of their total population was living in the original region. But the migrants retained links to the homeland and returned to it whenever the situation was favourable.: "their population in the Krishna delta in the 1872 census was one-fourth of their total strength in the entire Madras Presidency, but had increased by 1921 to about 47 per cent."
Medieval history
Post-Kakatiya period The tradition holds that the Kammas, along with Velamas and Reddis, evolved out of the community of Kapus (cultivators) in the post-Kakatiya period. A popular legend collected by Edgar Thurston narrates that Kammas originated from the youngest son of a certain Belthi Reddi, who managed to recover his mother's ear-ornament (called "kamma" in Telugu) that had been appropriated by Emperor Prataparudra's minister. The other sons of Belthi Reddi are similarly said to have given rise to the other prominent caste communities of the Telugu people.
Vijayanagara period
Kammas served as ministers, military generals, and governors in the Vijayanagara Empire. During the reign of Krishnadevaraya, Kammas are said to have formed the bulwark of the Vijayanagara army. Their role in protecting the last great Hindu kingdom of India was significant. Krishnadevaraya's court had a significant presence of Kamma officers, and they entered into matrimonial alliances with the royal family. It's possible that the influence of Kamma generals led to the importance of the Telugu language in Vijayanagara and the rise of Telugu colonies in Tamil Nadu. Some of the notable Kamma Nayak clans of Vijayanagara include the Pemmasanis, Sayapanenis, and Ravellas.
Of the Pemmasani Nayaks, they controlled parts of Rayalaseema and had large mercenary armies that were the vanguard of the Vijayanagara Empire in the sixteenth century.: "Controlling numerous villages and many large towns, these powerful chiefs commanded large mercenary armies that were the vanguard of Vijayanagara forces during the sixteenth century." Pemmasani Ramalinga Nayudu was a leading military commander under Krishnadevaraya, and Rama Raya and the Aravidus rose to power following a civil war largely because of the support of Pemmasani Erra Timmanayudu. Pemmasani Pedda Timmaraja was the minister of Sriranga I and later for Venkata II, the latter of whom oversaw the revival of the Vijayanagara Empire. It is also known that a Pemmasani Nayak, Timmanayudu, had court poets and ministers of his own, such as Channamaraju. Pemmasani Timmanayudu also assisted Venkata II in putting down a rebellion by the Nandyala Chiefs led by Krishnamaraja in 1580. The Pemmasani Nayaks are associated with Gandikota, where they started as commandants and later gained control of Gandikota Seema from the Nandyala Chiefs. Numerous Hindu temples, such as Bugga Ramalingeshwara Swamy Temple and Chintalarayaswamy Temple, were constructed and patronized by the Pemmasanis.
The Sayapaneni Nayaks started in service of Vijayanagara when Krishnadevaraya granted administrative control of the Dupadu Region to Shayappanayadu, a twenty-year old from the family. According to the Dupati kaifiyat, this area was consolidated by Vengala Nayudu and Venkatadri Nayudu, who are Shayappa Nayudu's descendants, and their rule is presented as a peaceful epoch. Although modest actors in the Deccan, their main strength lay in their ability to shift allegiances, facilitated by Niyogi Brahmins, as seen with their initial allegiance to the Vijayanagara Empire and later to the Qutb Shahis and the Nizams after Vijayanagara's demise.
The Ravella Nayaks were another prominent clan that served the Vijayanagara Empire militarily and administratively since the Sangama Dynasty, and they exercised control (on behalf of Vijayanagara) over Srisailam, Udayagiri, Podili, and Kochcherlakota Seemas (regions) at various periods. The exploits of this clan are described by the poet Ratnakaram Gopala Kavi in Sovgandhika Prasavapaharanamu, including mentions of defeating the Qutb Shahis, Gajapatis, and recapturing forts like Adoni. Noted individuals in the Ravella Nayaks include Ravella Linga II, who is surmised to be one of the chief generals of the Vijayanagara Army during the reign of Rama Raya.
When the Vijayanagara Empire was troubled after the Battle of Tallikota in 1565, the Pemmasani Nayaks, Ravella Nayaks and Sayapaneni Nayaks helped the Aravidu Dynasty in keeping the Muslims at bay. It took another 90 years to consolidate the Muslim power in Andhra country with the capture of Gandikota in 1652 and the defeat of Pemmasani Timmanayudu by Mir Jumla. Following the Battle of Talikota, many Kamma Nayaks either migrated to the dominions of the Madurai and Thanjavur Nayaks where they governed villages and supplied military officers or obtained favours from the Qutb Shahis and Mughals and settled in Telugu regions as local military chiefs.
Qutb Shahi and Nizam period Kammas were also in service of the Qutb Shahis.Chapter III: Economics, Political, Economic, and Social Background of Deccan 17th–18th Century, p. 57 https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/25652/10/10_chapter%203.pdfhttps://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/25652/10/10_chapter%203.pdf Their roles included serving as the regional aristocracy, revenue officers and military commanders. During the reign of the Qutb Shahis and Nizams, the Sayapaneni Nayaks (1626–1802) ruled a block of territory between the Krishna River and Nellore as vassals. It was also in the Qutb Shahi period that the Vasireddy clan of Vasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu received the deshmukhi of the Nandigama pargana in 1670. Vasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu, a Kamma zamindar, controlled 551 towns and villages in the Guntur and Krishna Districts, had a retinue of several thousand men, and became known for his patronization of Hindu religious rituals, festivals, temples, and Brahmins. The Kamma Yarlagadda zamindars of Challapalli obtained their zamindari in 1596 and deshmukhi jurisdiction in 1640, and they assisted the Muslim rulers in their military expeditions and collection of land taxes. This conferred on the Yarlagaddas the privileges of maintaining their own military force and control over the inhabitants in their area.