Kuruba () is a Hindu caste native to the Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Etymology
The term
kuruba, meaning
shepherd, is derived from
kuri, meaning
sheep in
Kannada. Shepherding was traditionally their primary occupation
and still is for many, who lead a
lifestyle.
History
Oral traditions of the Kurubas or Kuruma indicate their descent from
Neolithic farming villages in South India which also kept cattle. Oral traditions indicate some of these original cattle-keeping agriculturalists branched off into new habitats and quickly came to rely on sheep pastoralism, absorbing
Mesolithic hunter-gatherers. Rituals associated with hunting presumably came from the integration of these hunter-gatherers into the Neolithic pastoralists. These pastoralists later became almost totally separated from their villager antecedents and interacted with them only based on initial conflict and acculturation. For pastoralists such as the Kurubas, the horse became an important pack animal after the Iron Age and an animal for fighting. Nanjundaiah claimed the Kurubas were the descendants of the
Pallavas. Groups of soldiers from the Kuruba community became important in the armies of
Deccan Plateau powers in the Medieval era.
It is believed that Kurubas are ethnically related to the Kuruvars of Sangam literature. This is also supported by the fact that Kuruvars worshiped
Murugan and his Kuruvar wife, Valli whereas Kurubas worship
Mailara/Mallanna, who represents Murukan, and his Kuruba wife, Kurubattyavva.
There are over 200 evidences saying that the Kurumas or Kurubas founded the Sangama dynasty, the founding dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire.
Subdivisions
They have three divisions, namely Unnikankan, Hattikankan and Hande. Those who subsist on the wool economy wear a
Unnikankan (wool bracelet), while those in agriculture wear a
Hattikankan (cotton bracelet). These bracelets are tied during the marriage ceremony. Hande Kurubas claims a higher position than the other two and prefers to be called Nayakas. They were an important part of the armies of
Hyder Ali and Ankusagari
. Nayakas were military leaders who often became Inamdars.
The priestly class of Kurubas is called Oderu Kuruba. They don't eat meat and wear the lingam, and to that extent they resemble the ' .
In Maharashtra, they are a sub-caste of Dhangar community.
Varna status
By the 1920s, some of the Kurubas had begun to call themselves
Prathama Sudra ('first Sudra') or
Indra Sudra ('chief Sudra'). In
Karnataka, the Kurubas are classified as Other Backward Class in the Indian system of reservation.
Since the community is more dispersed, the Kurubas have been called a non-dominant minority community. The Kuruba community's population in Karnataka is around fifty lakh (five million), which is 8-9% of the total 6.5 crore (65 million) population of the state.
Current situation
The Kuruba community mainly inhabits the eastern parts of Karnataka. The region is mainly plateau broken up by hills, rivers and tanks. The soil in this region is mainly red soils, and red sandy loams, unsuitable for agriculture. The low hills and plains have scrub and rocky country, ideal for pastoral lifestyles.
The Kurubas traditionally practiced Transhumance: moving with large flocks of sheep from one pasture to the other. A secondary source of livelihood was once weaving kamblis, but that had mostly disappeared by the 20th century. With the disappearance of pastureland, they have been settling down to agriculture, some as landlords and other as tenants. Today, the majority of Hattikankan Kurubas practice farming and cattle-breeding, and many Unnikankan Kurubas are also farmers. But some also sell sheep and goats, as well as cow dung, in a symbiotic relationship with local farmers.
Culture
Although the Kurubas are traditionally
Shaivism, they worship a variety of deities.
Mailara,
Mallanna, Mallikarjuna,
Vitthal (in his original Shiva form) and
Beerappa, and Arivamma Aluvelu who all are forms of Shiva, and
Yellamma are some of the important gods of Kurubas. They consider Vitthal and Beerappa as brothers, however, Beerappa has traditionally been their exclusive deity.
Other deities they worship include Batyappa, Irachikappa, Kallu Kambhadappa, Budalappa, Settipalleppa, Karakuappa and
Lakshmi Devi. They worship all
gramadevatas and sacrifice sheep and goats.
Previously, the Kurubas celebrated parashe where the group of Kurubas throughout a region celebrated the festival of their gods. During this time Goravas, an order of saints dedicated to Mailari Devaru, are initiated. During the parashe, the idol of the temple where the parashe takes place is washed in a river, and decorated with hoovu- vibhuti. The worship is conducted by a Kuruba pujari and the Goravas sing songs dedicated to the deity. However, these celebrations were largely gone by the 1920s. The Kurubas also worship Iragaru, men who die unmarried, by building temples and setting up stones for them. They bury their dead.
Notable people
Bibliography
