Bhatraju

Bhatraju (Telugu: భట్రాజు) is an Indian caste of Telugu-speaking ballad reciters, panegyrists, and religious musicians.[1][2][3] They are primarily found in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and also in smaller numbers in the neighbouring states. They are also known as Bhatturaju or Bhataraju or Bhatrajulu or Jathikirthulu.[4] The Bhatrajus were originally a caste of court bards, eulogists, and reciters of family genealogy and tradition.[5][6] After the fall of indigenous kingdoms, they switched to singing religious songs and praises of richer communities and their traditions in wedding or death ceremonies.[7] They use Raju as their caste title.[3]

Bhatraju
భట్రాజు
ReligionsHinduism
LanguagesTelugu
CountryIndia
Populated statesAndhra Pradesh, Telangana

Bhatrajus are classified under the Other Backward Classes in most states of Southern India.[8][9][10]

History

Bhatraju population is concentrated in Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh to where they were posited to have migrated from Northern Circars. They were originally attached to the courts of the Hindu princes as bards or professional troubadours, reciting ballads in poetry in glorification of the wondrous deeds of local princes and heroes. They were described as, "having a wonderful faculty in speaking improvisatore, on any subject proposed to them. But their profession is that of chanting the exploits of former days in front of the troops while marshalling them for battle, and inciting them to emulate the glory of their ancestors."[3]

In Madras Census Report, 1871, they were described as, "a wandering class, gaining a living by attaching themselves to the establishments of great men, or in chanting the folklore of the people." Madras Census Report, 1891, describes them as, "being a class of professional bards, spread all over the Telugu districts. They are well versed in folklore, and in the family histories and legends of the ancient Rājahs. Under the old Hindu Rājahs the Bhatrāzus were employed as bards, eulogists, and reciters of family genealogy and tradition. Most of them are now cultivators, and only a few are ballad-reciters."[3] In the present-day, Bhatrajus are also found in smaller numbers in the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.[11][9]

In December 2022, Government of Andhra Pradesh banned the phrase Bhatraju Pogadtalu (transl. Bhatraju paeans) in all spheres including media, film, TV, and political meetings. People using the phrase would be liable to legal action.[12]

Notable people

References
  1. Rajpramukh, K. E. (13 August 2013). Satellite Castes and Dependent Relations: Dalits in South India. Partridge Publishing. p. 38. ISBN 978-1-4828-1057-8. Archived from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  2. Journal of the Indian Anthropological Society. The Society. 1977. p. 134. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
  3. Spurr, Michael James. "Sathya Sai Baba as Avatar: "His Story" and the History of an Idea" (PDF). University of Canterbury. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 November 2017.
  4. Singh, Kumar Suresh (1992). People of India: Andhra Pradesh (3 pts.). Anthropological Survey of India. p. 339. ISBN 978-81-7671-006-0. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2020-09-13.
  5. Singh, Kumar Suresh (1992). People of India: Andhra Pradesh (3 pts.). Anthropological Survey of India. pp. xlii. ISBN 978-81-7671-006-0. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2020-09-13.
  6. Thirumalai, R.; Manoharan, S. (1997). Tamil Nadu. Affiliated East-West Press [for] Anthropological Survey of India. pp. 236–240. ISBN 978-81-85938-88-2. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  7. Singleton, Mark; Goldberg, Ellen (27 November 2013). Gurus of Modern Yoga. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-937495-3. Archived from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  8. Central List of OBCs for the state of Andhra Pradesh Archived 2016-11-30 at the Wayback Machine, p. 4 (64 - Bhataraju)
  9. "Guidance Bureau". Department of Backward Classes - Karnataka. Archived from the original on 2005-04-15.
  10. Central List of OBCs for the state of Tamil Nadu Archived 2015-05-01 at the Wayback Machine, p. 1 (12 - Bhatraju)
  11. Report of the Backward Classes Commission, Tamil Nadu, 1970. Government of Tamil Nadu. 1975. pp. 10, 11, 173. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  12. Rao, Chandrasekhar (21 December 2022). "ఏపీలో ఆ పదం పలకడం నేరం- నిషేధించిన ప్రభుత్వం: సినిమాలు, సీరియళ్లల్లో కూడా..!!". Oneindia (in Telugu). Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  13. Rao, A. Srinivasa. "A phenomenon called Sathya Sai Baba". India Today. Archived from the original on 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  14. Srinivas, Tulasi (2010-06-10). Winged Faith: Rethinking Globalization and Religious Pluralism through the Sathya Sai Movement. Columbia University Press. p. 54. ISBN 978-0-231-52052-2. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
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