The Mulukanadu Brahmins are a sub-group of

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...

-speaking Vaidiki

Smartha The ''Smarta'' tradition (, ) is a movement in Hinduism that developed and expanded with the Puranas genre of literature. It reflects a synthesis of four philosophical strands, namely Uttara Mīmāṃsā, Advaita, Yoga, and theism. The Smar ...

Brahmins. Variations of the name of the community include: Murikinadu, Muluknadu, Mulukanadu, Mulakanadu, Moolakanadu and Mulikinadu.

Etymology

The name ''Mulukanadu'' follows the usual conjoint formulation of

Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

communities: the word ''Naadu'' means "country" in all the

south India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...

n languages; this is suffixed to the country whence the community hails, being in this case "Muluka". Thus, ''Muluka''+''Naadu''=''Mulukanadu'', "people of the Muluka land." Muluka or Mulaka is identified and it is also known as Moolaka or Moolaka desa along with Asmaka in Satavahana regime. T. V. Venkatachala Sastry's study of caste genealogy and sociology titled ''Mulukanadu Brahmanaru'', in Kannada language, traces the genealogy of the Mulukanadu sect and its origins, customs and prevailing cultures. Mulukanadu has been called variously across an assorted array of inscriptions found in the region. The Brahmin community from this sect has an incessant relationship with the Telugu language and it can be deduced that the region corresponding to the origin of this sect is the middle Pennar region which is based entirely in the

Cuddapah Kadapa is a city in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located in the Rayalaseema region, and is the district headquarters of YSR Kadapa district. It is located south of the Penna River. The city is surrounded on three sides b ...

district. The area is itself known under different names during different periods of time. Dommaranandyala plates inscribed by Punyakumara mentions this region as ''Hiranya Rashtra.'' The first inscription that explicitly talks about ''Mulkinadu'' is of the

Rashtrakuta The Rashtrakuta Empire was a royal Indian polity ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the 6th and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing their rule from Manapu ...

king Krishna in Pushpagiri as ''Mulkinadu naidu maharajyam.'' Along with Mulkinadu, various other locations in the vicinity are called ''Renadu, Marjavadi, Pottapinadu, Pedanadu'' and so on. There is another inscription by the king Kayastha

Ambadeva Amba-deva was a 13th-century chief who carved out an independent principality in present-day Andhra Pradesh in southern India. He was a member of the Kayastha family, whose members were vassals to the Kakatiya monarchs. Amba-deva succeeded his e ...

(this is the same king who reigned the southern region of the Andhra Pradesh under the

Kakatiya The Kakatiya dynasty (IAST: Kākatīya) was a Telugu dynasty that ruled most of eastern Deccan region in present-day India between 12th and 14th centuries. Their territory comprised much of the present day Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and p ...

ruler

Rudrama Devi Rudrama Devi (reigned 1262–November 1289), also known by her regnal name Rudra-deva Maharaja, was a Kakatiya Queen regnant who ruled substantial parts of present-day Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in southern India. She was among the few s ...

) dated ''Saka'' 1214 corresponding to 1292 CE. Along with Mulkinadu, he also refers to other regions ''Penavadi, Pulivendla'' (present day

Pulivendula Pulivendula is a town located in the YSR Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is a small town which became 3rd grade municipality in 2008 from nagar Panchayat. It is located in Pulivendula mandal and is the headquarter ...

), ''Sirivodu'' and ''Pottapi.'' Another king of the Kakatiya dynasty

Prataparudra Pratāparudra (r. c. 1289–1323) was the last monarch of the Kakatiya dynasty of India. He ruled the eastern part of Deccan Plateau, Deccan, with his capital at Warangal. Prataparudra succeeded his grandmother Rudramadevi, Rudrama as the Kakat ...

who ruled between 1289 CE and 1323 CE had got inscribed in his ''Chanduvayi inscription'' in the Siddhavatam Taluk of Cuddapah district about the region of Mulikinadu in the year 1319 CE. The fact that these inscriptions also refer to other regions that are close by attests that the region Mulkinadu or Mulukanadu is indeed a region in

district.

References

{{Reflist Telugu Brahmin communities Social groups of Andhra Pradesh

Etymology

See also

References