History
Naidu (also spelt Nayudu or Naidoo) is a title used by various social groups of the Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states of India. It is also used in Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa and Chattisgarh. It is a Telugu derivation of the Sanskrit Nayaka, meaning "protector" or "leader".
The word Naidu is etymologically related to the Kannada Nayakar and Naicker, the Nair of Kerala, the Nayake of Sinhalese people, Marathi Naik and Nayaks (Pattanayak) in Orissa.
* Naidu is the caste name and the caste title used by the people belonging to the Kapu castes and its subcastes Balija / Balija Naidu, Telaga, Munnuru Kapu, Ontari and Turpu Kapu in Andhra Pradesh , Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. They constitute about 25% of the population of Andhra Pradesh.
* Medieval Andhra dynasties like the Vishnukundins and Chalukyas and the recent ones like the Vijayanagara Empire conferred the title Nayaka / Nayakudu to a commander or Danda-nayaka (Army Commander) or a leader of a band of soldiers.
* A title denoting a village or lineage headman.
* The Nayaka title was conferred on individuals (usually warriors) who received land along with the title Nayaka as a part of the Nayankarapuvaram system for services rendered to the court during the Kakathiya dynasty. Nayaka was one among approximately 25 titles used by the Kakatiyas to create a new political infrastructure to undercut the authority of heredity regional elites. [1].
* Other communities like Boyar (caste), Mudirajus, Kammas and Velamas sometimes adopt this title in a few districts in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Nayaka title was originally conferred upon Kapu, Telaga and Balija communities. However, during the expansion of the Vijayanagar kingdom into Southern India, the title was conferred upon other non-Telugu speaking communities who served as Commanders, Barons or Governors under the Vijayanagar emperors in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka—hence the widespread usage of the surname Naidu among many non-Telugu speaking communities in states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Orissa.
The word Naidu is used by the older writers in southern India in several senses, of which the following example given by Yule and Burnell may be cited:
* It denoted a Commander or a Governor.
* Native captain or headman.
* Title of honor among Hindus in the Deccan. "The kings of deccan also have a custom when they will honor a man or recompence their service done, and raise him to dignity and honor. They give him the title of Nayak." -Linschoten
* The general name of the Kings of Vijayanagar.
* Naik, Naickan, Naicker, Nayak or Nayakkan has been used by the Tamil communities like Pallis, Vanniars, Irulas, Vedans, and also by various Kannada castes apart from Telugu speaking Communities.
Though originally not meant to be a heredity title, by modern times, the Naidu title had been inherited by many, although they no longer were governors, army commanders or tax collectors.
Origins
Nayaka's origins can be traced to the expansion of the Western Chalukyas into Andhra country during the 7th Century. The Nayaka / Danda Nayaka term started being used during the Vishnukundina dynasty which ruled from the Krishna and Godavari deltas during the 3rd Century A.D. Little is known about the title usage (or the people who made up this community) prior to that.
[ Tulu
* Mogers in some parts of South Canara prefer the title Naiker instead of the caste title of Marakaleru.
* Some Bunt (community) people have the same title.
Others
* The headman amongst the Lambadis is called Naik.
* Naicker and Naique is a hereditary title in some Brahman families.
* Naik, Naiko, Nayako, Pattanayak appear as the title of various Oriya classes.
* The protector groups in the Afghan Pashtunwali system are called Naiks.
Tamil Nadu
Unlike in Andhra, a lot of communities use the tile Naidu or Naicker. And most of them are sometimes referred to as sub-castes of Kapu which is not right as they are different communities. The title Naidu is used only by people of Telugu origins, whereas Tamil speaking communities, such as in Arcot district, use the title Naicker. But several Balijas and Kammas also have the title Naicker. Both titles carry the same meaning. For example E.V.Ramasami Naicker/ Periyar and Veerapandiya Kattabomman Naicker were Balija Naidus.
According to "The Tribes and Castes of The Central Provinces Of India" (R.V.Russell), "The Castes and Tribes of Southern India" (Edgar Thurston) and "Balija Kula Charithra" (Kante Narayana Desayi) the kings of Vijayanagar, Madurai and Thanjavur belonged to Balija Naidu caste. See more of Nayak dynasty. A 1896 book Balijawaru Puranam by Sri Salem Pagadala Narasimhalu Naidu is also a good reference.
[edit] Chennai & Coimbatore
Naidu title in Chennai is predominantly used by Kapu caste. In Coimbatore the title is predominantly used by Balija Naidu and Kamma castes. Salem Pagadala Narasimhalu Naidu [1] of Balija Naidu caste is a very well known figure for the development of Coimbatore area on many fronts in the initial stages.
[edit] Kerala
In Kerala there are just about 5000 families spread all over Kerala state. Their ancestors migrated around 200 years back from Madurai region. Some families came from Tirunelveli region.In Kerala, the two major sub-sects of Naidu caste are Balija and Kavara (Gavara) Naidus. The Naidus of Pattipparambu of Kerala can be classified as Balija Naidus. Balija Naidus wear a conical shaped Thali (Mangala sutram), whereas the other sub-sect Kavara (Gavara) Balija wears a pot-shaped Thali (Mangala sutram). However there is no clear distinction between these two subsects in the modern times due to close interaction especially in marriages.[1]
[edit] Usage abroad
In South Africa a variant spelling "Naidoo" is used amongst its Telugu citizens. The usage does not denote Telugu ancestry any longer as intermarriages had diluted such identities. In Sri Lanka, it is used amongst the Hill Country Tamils of Indian origin, and in Mauritius it is a common surname of Tamil populations. In Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, it is a surname of the broader Indian diaspora. In Malaysia it is used by Telugus to denote their Telugu ancestry.
Well Known Naidus
Movies
* S. V. Ranga Rao — Telugu and Tamil actor,producer
* Savitri (actress)— Telugu and Tamil actress,producer: Mother of Telugu cinema
* Chiranjeevi — Telugu actor, Prajarajyam party founder
* Pawan Kalyan — Telugu actor
* Pasupuleti Kannamba — Telugu and Tamil actress and producer
* Dasari Narayana Rao — Telugu director, actor and producer
* Rajanala — actor
* Devika — actress [2]
* G. Varalakshmi — actress
* Krishnaveni (actress) — actress, singer, producer
* Santha Kumari — Telugu and Tamil actress and producer
* Allu Rama Lingaiah — actor
* Kaikala Satyanarayana — actor and producer
* Srihari — actor and producer
* Bhanu Chander —actor
* Nagendra Babu — actor and producer
* Allu Arjun — actor
* Sneha — actress
* Rambha (actress) — actress
* Meena Vyshya — actress
* Vijaya Nirmala — actress
* Jagadeesh Dusanapudi — Upcoming producer
* Kodi Ramakrishna — director
* Sekhar Kammula — director and producer
* Nagesh Kukunoor — director and producer
* V.V. Vinayak — director
* Puri Jagannadh — director
* Krishna Vamsi — director
* Allu Aravind — producer
* A. M. Rathnam — producer
* Chota K. Naidu — cinematographer
* Shyam K. Naidu — cinematographer
* M. R. Radha(Mohan Rajagopala Radhakrishnan Naidu) — Tamil actor
* Raadhika Sarathkumar — Tamil and Telugu actress and producer
* Edida Nageshwara Rao — producer
* Thotta Tharani — art director
* Jayam Ravi — actor
* Ravi Krishna — actor
* Sukumar — director
* N.Shankar—director
* M. S. Narayana — actor
* Ram Charan Teja — actor
* M. Raja — director
* Ananth Sreeram — Lyricist
* Vijayakanth —Actor and Politician
Politics
* Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga — politician
* E.V.Ramasami Naicker — founder of Dravida Kazhagam
* G.Kamatchi Naidu — Founder of Dravida Telugar Munnetra Kazhagam
* Marotrao Kannamwar—Politician,Ex chief minister of Maharashtra
* Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu — Chief Minister of Madras Presidency
* Nalla Reddy Naidu — First MP (1952-57) from Rajamundry Constituency (Socialist Party)
* Grandhi Venkata Reddy Naidu — First Law Minister of Andhra Pradesh
* P. V. Rangaiah NaiduIPS — former Union Minister
* Mallipudi Raju Pallam Mangapati — Union minister
* Chegondi Venkata Harirama Jogaiah — politician and film producer
* Dasari Narayana Rao — Telugu director, actor and producer,Former Union minister
* Ramakrishna Badiga — politician and businessman
* P. Shiv Shankar — former Union minister
* Pappala Chalapathirao — Parliament member
* Dharmapuri Srinivas — PCC chief of A.P
* Botsa Jhansi Lakshmi —Parliament member
* V. Hanumantha Rao — politician
* K. Keshava Rao — politician
* Sai Prathap Annayyagari — politician ,Union minister.
* C. Ramachandraiah — politician
* Balashowry Vallabhaneni — politician
* Ponnala Laxmiah — State Minister of Irrigation, Andhra Pradesh
* Kamichetty Venougopala Rao Naidou — Grand Old Man of Yanam, Pondicherry
* Kamichetty Sri Parassourama Varaprassada Rao Naidu — Speaker of Pondicherry
* Bezawada Bapa Naidou —Politician,!st mayor of Yanam
* E. V. K. Sampath — Politician (Nephew of Periar)
* K.Veeramani — Politician (Nephew of Periar)
* M R Seetharam — Ex MLA, Karnataka
* E.V.K.S. Elangovan — central minister
Freedom fighters
* Veerapandiya Kattabomman — freedom fighter
* Kaneganti Hanumanthu—freedom fighter
Arts
* Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu — musician
* Devi Sri Prasad — music director and singer
* Ramana Gogula — music director and singer
* Chakri — music director and singer
* Master Venu — music director
* Ramesh Naidu — music director
* Jikki —singer [3]
* Shobha Naidu — Kuchipudi dancer [4]
* Tamil Star Dhanush
* Cinema Director Selvaraghavan
* Cinema Director Kasthuri Raja
Sports
* C. K. Nayudu — first Captain of Indian Cricket
* Kodi Rammurthy Naidu — bodybuilder and wrestler
* Venugopal Rao — cricketer
* Ambati Rayudu — cricketer
Business
* Vikram Akula — founder of SKS Microfinance
* D. K. Audikesavulu Naidu — politician, industrialist and founder of educational institutes
* Srini Kopollu — Microsoft India
* Euvin Naidoo Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum; Opening Speaker, TED Global 2007
* R. Kasturi Naidu — Leading Educational Consultant; Times Consultancy Services, Dehradun
Salem Pagadala Narasimhalu Naidu[5]—writer and industrialist
* Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty—Great Business man,Philonthropist,Social reformer
Naidu (also spelt Nayudu or Naidoo) is a title used by various social groups of the Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states of India. It is also used in Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa and Chattisgarh. It is a Telugu derivation of the Sanskrit Nayaka, meaning "protector" or "leader".
The word Naidu is etymologically related to the Kannada Nayakar and Naicker, the Nair of Kerala, the Nayake of Sinhalese people, Marathi Naik and Nayaks (Pattanayak) in Orissa.
* Naidu is the caste name and the caste title used by the people belonging to the Kapu castes and its subcastes Balija / Balija Naidu, Telaga, Munnuru Kapu, Ontari and Turpu Kapu in Andhra Pradesh , Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. They constitute about 25% of the population of Andhra Pradesh.
* Medieval Andhra dynasties like the Vishnukundins and Chalukyas and the recent ones like the Vijayanagara Empire conferred the title Nayaka / Nayakudu to a commander or Danda-nayaka (Army Commander) or a leader of a band of soldiers.
* A title denoting a village or lineage headman.
* The Nayaka title was conferred on individuals (usually warriors) who received land along with the title Nayaka as a part of the Nayankarapuvaram system for services rendered to the court during the Kakathiya dynasty. Nayaka was one among approximately 25 titles used by the Kakatiyas to create a new political infrastructure to undercut the authority of heredity regional elites. [1].
* Other communities like Boyar (caste), Mudirajus, Kammas and Velamas sometimes adopt this title in a few districts in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Nayaka title was originally conferred upon Kapu, Telaga and Balija communities. However, during the expansion of the Vijayanagar kingdom into Southern India, the title was conferred upon other non-Telugu speaking communities who served as Commanders, Barons or Governors under the Vijayanagar emperors in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka—hence the widespread usage of the surname Naidu among many non-Telugu speaking communities in states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Orissa.
The word Naidu is used by the older writers in southern India in several senses, of which the following example given by Yule and Burnell may be cited:
* It denoted a Commander or a Governor.
* Native captain or headman.
* Title of honor among Hindus in the Deccan. "The kings of deccan also have a custom when they will honor a man or recompence their service done, and raise him to dignity and honor. They give him the title of Nayak." -Linschoten
* The general name of the Kings of Vijayanagar.
* Naik, Naickan, Naicker, Nayak or Nayakkan has been used by the Tamil communities like Pallis, Vanniars, Irulas, Vedans, and also by various Kannada castes apart from Telugu speaking Communities.
Though originally not meant to be a heredity title, by modern times, the Naidu title had been inherited by many, although they no longer were governors, army commanders or tax collectors.
Origins
Nayaka's origins can be traced to the expansion of the Western Chalukyas into Andhra country during the 7th Century. The Nayaka / Danda Nayaka term started being used during the Vishnukundina dynasty which ruled from the Krishna and Godavari deltas during the 3rd Century A.D. Little is known about the title usage (or the people who made up this community) prior to that.
[ Tulu
* Mogers in some parts of South Canara prefer the title Naiker instead of the caste title of Marakaleru.
* Some Bunt (community) people have the same title.
Others
* The headman amongst the Lambadis is called Naik.
* Naicker and Naique is a hereditary title in some Brahman families.
* Naik, Naiko, Nayako, Pattanayak appear as the title of various Oriya classes.
* The protector groups in the Afghan Pashtunwali system are called Naiks.
Tamil Nadu
Unlike in Andhra, a lot of communities use the tile Naidu or Naicker. And most of them are sometimes referred to as sub-castes of Kapu which is not right as they are different communities. The title Naidu is used only by people of Telugu origins, whereas Tamil speaking communities, such as in Arcot district, use the title Naicker. But several Balijas and Kammas also have the title Naicker. Both titles carry the same meaning. For example E.V.Ramasami Naicker/ Periyar and Veerapandiya Kattabomman Naicker were Balija Naidus.
According to "The Tribes and Castes of The Central Provinces Of India" (R.V.Russell), "The Castes and Tribes of Southern India" (Edgar Thurston) and "Balija Kula Charithra" (Kante Narayana Desayi) the kings of Vijayanagar, Madurai and Thanjavur belonged to Balija Naidu caste. See more of Nayak dynasty. A 1896 book Balijawaru Puranam by Sri Salem Pagadala Narasimhalu Naidu is also a good reference.
[edit] Chennai & Coimbatore
Naidu title in Chennai is predominantly used by Kapu caste. In Coimbatore the title is predominantly used by Balija Naidu and Kamma castes. Salem Pagadala Narasimhalu Naidu [1] of Balija Naidu caste is a very well known figure for the development of Coimbatore area on many fronts in the initial stages.
[edit] Kerala
In Kerala there are just about 5000 families spread all over Kerala state. Their ancestors migrated around 200 years back from Madurai region. Some families came from Tirunelveli region.In Kerala, the two major sub-sects of Naidu caste are Balija and Kavara (Gavara) Naidus. The Naidus of Pattipparambu of Kerala can be classified as Balija Naidus. Balija Naidus wear a conical shaped Thali (Mangala sutram), whereas the other sub-sect Kavara (Gavara) Balija wears a pot-shaped Thali (Mangala sutram). However there is no clear distinction between these two subsects in the modern times due to close interaction especially in marriages.[1]
[edit] Usage abroad
In South Africa a variant spelling "Naidoo" is used amongst its Telugu citizens. The usage does not denote Telugu ancestry any longer as intermarriages had diluted such identities. In Sri Lanka, it is used amongst the Hill Country Tamils of Indian origin, and in Mauritius it is a common surname of Tamil populations. In Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, it is a surname of the broader Indian diaspora. In Malaysia it is used by Telugus to denote their Telugu ancestry.
Well Known Naidus
Movies
* S. V. Ranga Rao — Telugu and Tamil actor,producer
* Savitri (actress)— Telugu and Tamil actress,producer: Mother of Telugu cinema
* Chiranjeevi — Telugu actor, Prajarajyam party founder
* Pawan Kalyan — Telugu actor
* Pasupuleti Kannamba — Telugu and Tamil actress and producer
* Dasari Narayana Rao — Telugu director, actor and producer
* Rajanala — actor
* Devika — actress [2]
* G. Varalakshmi — actress
* Krishnaveni (actress) — actress, singer, producer
* Santha Kumari — Telugu and Tamil actress and producer
* Allu Rama Lingaiah — actor
* Kaikala Satyanarayana — actor and producer
* Srihari — actor and producer
* Bhanu Chander —actor
* Nagendra Babu — actor and producer
* Allu Arjun — actor
* Sneha — actress
* Rambha (actress) — actress
* Meena Vyshya — actress
* Vijaya Nirmala — actress
* Jagadeesh Dusanapudi — Upcoming producer
* Kodi Ramakrishna — director
* Sekhar Kammula — director and producer
* Nagesh Kukunoor — director and producer
* V.V. Vinayak — director
* Puri Jagannadh — director
* Krishna Vamsi — director
* Allu Aravind — producer
* A. M. Rathnam — producer
* Chota K. Naidu — cinematographer
* Shyam K. Naidu — cinematographer
* M. R. Radha(Mohan Rajagopala Radhakrishnan Naidu) — Tamil actor
* Raadhika Sarathkumar — Tamil and Telugu actress and producer
* Edida Nageshwara Rao — producer
* Thotta Tharani — art director
* Jayam Ravi — actor
* Ravi Krishna — actor
* Sukumar — director
* N.Shankar—director
* M. S. Narayana — actor
* Ram Charan Teja — actor
* M. Raja — director
* Ananth Sreeram — Lyricist
* Vijayakanth —Actor and Politician
Politics
* Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga — politician
* E.V.Ramasami Naicker — founder of Dravida Kazhagam
* G.Kamatchi Naidu — Founder of Dravida Telugar Munnetra Kazhagam
* Marotrao Kannamwar—Politician,Ex chief minister of Maharashtra
* Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu — Chief Minister of Madras Presidency
* Nalla Reddy Naidu — First MP (1952-57) from Rajamundry Constituency (Socialist Party)
* Grandhi Venkata Reddy Naidu — First Law Minister of Andhra Pradesh
* P. V. Rangaiah NaiduIPS — former Union Minister
* Mallipudi Raju Pallam Mangapati — Union minister
* Chegondi Venkata Harirama Jogaiah — politician and film producer
* Dasari Narayana Rao — Telugu director, actor and producer,Former Union minister
* Ramakrishna Badiga — politician and businessman
* P. Shiv Shankar — former Union minister
* Pappala Chalapathirao — Parliament member
* Dharmapuri Srinivas — PCC chief of A.P
* Botsa Jhansi Lakshmi —Parliament member
* V. Hanumantha Rao — politician
* K. Keshava Rao — politician
* Sai Prathap Annayyagari — politician ,Union minister.
* C. Ramachandraiah — politician
* Balashowry Vallabhaneni — politician
* Ponnala Laxmiah — State Minister of Irrigation, Andhra Pradesh
* Kamichetty Venougopala Rao Naidou — Grand Old Man of Yanam, Pondicherry
* Kamichetty Sri Parassourama Varaprassada Rao Naidu — Speaker of Pondicherry
* Bezawada Bapa Naidou —Politician,!st mayor of Yanam
* E. V. K. Sampath — Politician (Nephew of Periar)
* K.Veeramani — Politician (Nephew of Periar)
* M R Seetharam — Ex MLA, Karnataka
* E.V.K.S. Elangovan — central minister
Freedom fighters
* Veerapandiya Kattabomman — freedom fighter
* Kaneganti Hanumanthu—freedom fighter
Arts
* Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu — musician
* Devi Sri Prasad — music director and singer
* Ramana Gogula — music director and singer
* Chakri — music director and singer
* Master Venu — music director
* Ramesh Naidu — music director
* Jikki —singer [3]
* Shobha Naidu — Kuchipudi dancer [4]
* Tamil Star Dhanush
* Cinema Director Selvaraghavan
* Cinema Director Kasthuri Raja
Sports
* C. K. Nayudu — first Captain of Indian Cricket
* Kodi Rammurthy Naidu — bodybuilder and wrestler
* Venugopal Rao — cricketer
* Ambati Rayudu — cricketer
Business
* Vikram Akula — founder of SKS Microfinance
* D. K. Audikesavulu Naidu — politician, industrialist and founder of educational institutes
* Srini Kopollu — Microsoft India
* Euvin Naidoo Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum; Opening Speaker, TED Global 2007
* R. Kasturi Naidu — Leading Educational Consultant; Times Consultancy Services, Dehradun
Salem Pagadala Narasimhalu Naidu[5]—writer and industrialist
* Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty—Great Business man,Philonthropist,Social reformer