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Banajiga

Total population
15 Lakhs
Regions with significant populations
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu,
Languages
Telugu, Kannada, Tamil
Religion
Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
Balija

Banajigas are a Kannada speaking mercantile community primarily living in the Indian state of Karnataka. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana they are known as Balijas.

Banajiga (vanik, tradesman) are Canarese traders, many of whom are Lingayats.

Etymology

Variations of the name in use in the medieval era were Balanja, Bananja, Bananju, Banajiga and Banijiga, with probable cognates Balijiga, Valanjiyar, Balanji, Bananji and derivatives such as Baliga, all of which are said to be derived from the Sanskrit term Vanik or Vanij, for trader.

Origin

Beginning in the 9th century, references are found in inscriptions throughout the Kannada and Tamil areas to a trading network, which is sometimes referred to as a guild, called the Five Hundred Lords of Ayyavolu that provided trade links between trading communities in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. From the 13th century, inscriptions referring to "Vira Balanjyas" (warrior merchants) started appearing in the Andhra country. The Vira Balanjyas, whose origins are often claimed to lie in the Ayyavolu, represented long-distance trading networks that employed fighters to protect their warehouses and goods in transit. The traders were identified as nanadesi (of 'many countries') and as swadesi ('own country'). The terms balanjya-setti and balija were also used for these traders, and in later times naidu and chetti. These traders formed collectives called pekkandru and differentiated themselves from other collectives called nagaram, which probably represented Komati merchants. The pekkandru collectives also included members of other communities with status titles reddi, boya and nayaka. They spread all over South India, Sri Lanka, and also some countries in the Southeast Asia.

Branches

• Balija

• Balajiga/Banajiga/Gowda Banajiga

• Naidu

The Nayudu Banajigas claim that they 
are Kshatriyas by origin

• Linga Balija/Linga Banajiga/Lingayat

Balija/Lingayat Banajiga

• Telaga Balija/Telaga Banajiga

• Setty Balija/Setty Banajiga/Banajiga

Setty

The Setti Banajigas are Bangle 
sellers

• Dasara Balija/Dasara Balajiga/Dasara

Banajiga/Dasa Banajiga

Dasa Banajigas call themselves Jaina 
Kshatriya Ramanuja Dasa Vaniyas. It 
is said that they were formerly 
Jaina Kshatriyas and were converted 
to Vaishnavism by Sri Ramanujacharya

• Munnur/munnar/Munnur Kapu

• Balegara/Bale Banajiga/Bale

Balajiga/Bale chetty/Banagara

• Reddy(Balija)

• Janappan

• Uppar(Balija)

• Tyler (Balija)

• Ele Banajiga

Ele Banajigas are betel gardeners.

References

1. "Tamil Nadu Bench - National Commission for Backward Classes". ncbc.nic.in.
2. "Castes and Tribes of Southern India". Wikisource.
3. Epigraphia Indica. Vol. 4. Manager of Publications. 1896. p. 296. In the Telugu word balija or balijiga has the same meaning . It is therefore probable that the words vaļañjiyam , vaļañjiyar , balañji , baṇañji , baṇañjiga and balija are cognate and derived from the Sanskrit vanij
   • Quarterly Journal of the Andhra Historical Research Society. Vol. 11. Andhra Historical Research Society. 1938. p. 54.
4. Burton Stein, ‎David Arnold, ed. (2010). A History of India. John Wiley & Sons. p. 120.
5. K. Sundaram, ed. (1968). Studies in Economic and Social Conditions of Medieval Andhra, A. D. 1000-1600. Triveni Publishers. p. 69.
6. Kambhampati Satyanarayana, ed. (1975). A Study of the History and Culture of the Andhras: From stone age to feudalism. People's Publishing House. p. 334.
7. Sakkottai Krishnaswami Aiyangar, ed. (1941). Ancient India and South Indian History & Culture: Papers on Indian History and Culture; India to A.D. 1300. Oriental Book Agency. p. 801.
   • The quarterly journal of the Mythic society (Bangalore). Mythic Society. 1991. p. 88-91.
8. A. Satyanarayana, Mukkamala Radhakrishna Sarma, ed. (1996). Castes, Communities, and Culture in Andhra Desa, 17th & 18th Centuries, A.D. Osmania University. p. 105. .
   • S.S. Shashi, ed. (2000). Encyclopaedia Indica: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh. Vol. 106. Anmol Publications. p. 86.
9. "Guild Inscriptions".
10. {{cite web|url=https://gazetteer.karnataka.gov.in/storage/pdf-files/Mandya1967Chapter3Pdf.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjZ-djw7a6KAxX6xjgGHayyCzgQFnoECCcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1dHueVxSVAOoFt7Umry_Nt%7Ctitle=Population}}

• Indian castes
• Social groups of Karnataka
• Social groups of Andhra Pradesh
• Social groups of Telangana