Karanam

Karanam (Telugu: కరణం) or Karnam was an office and title native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Traditionally, Karanam was an official who maintained the accounts and records of the villages and collected the taxes.^[1][2][3] Karanam was one of the two village-level administrative posts that existed in Andhra along wtih 'Munasabu' (Munsiff). The Karanam kept an elaborate system of village accounts.^[4] In 1985, then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. T. Rama Rao, abolished the hereditary office of Karanam and instead replaced it with the Village Revenue Officer (VRO).^[5][6][7]

The post was usually held by Niyogi Brahmins^[8][9] and also sometimes by Deshastha Brahmins.^[10] In late medieval era, Niyogi Brahmins dominated as Karanams in Andhra, while in Telangana areas of Golkonda kingdom, Vyapari Brahmins were Karanams.^[9] The title Karanam is similar to Kulkarni in North Karnataka and Maharashtra and Shanbhaug in Karnataka.^{[11][1][12][13]}

History

The origin of village officers like Karanam is traceable to the evolution of Zamindari system.^[14] Zamindars and Jagirdars appointed the village officials who were traditionally known as 'Karanam' and 'Munasubu' (Munsif) in Andhra region. The Munsiff maintained law and order while Karanams maintained land records and collected taxes.^[14] Karanams were skilled in writing administrative documents, accounting and file-keeping.^[15] Many Karanams were reported to be polyglots. They possessed knowledge of land use, dispute settlement, and local history. The more successful Karanams became 'Mantris' (ministers).^[15] In late medieval era, Niyogi Brahmins dominated as Karanams in Andhra, while in Telangana areas of Golkonda kingdom, Vyapari Brahmins were Karanams.^[9]

In 1985, then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. T. Rama Rao (NTR), abolished the hereditary offices of Karanam, Munasubu and instead replaced them with the Village Revenue Officer (VRO).^[5][6][7] The move was initiated in pursuance of the recommendations of the Unnitan Committee of 1964 and Narsimha Rao Committee.^[14] It was noted that NTR’s decision to abolish karanam system in revenue administration was one of the reasons for the OBC communities to rally behind his party, Telugu Desam Party (TDP).^[16]

Karanam Telugu

Karanam Telugu was a variety of Telugu language patronized by Karanam writers.^[17] There was also the Pandit's language which was the language variant used by scholars (Pandits) in literary texts.^[18] Both varieties enjoyed similar social status.^[19] The language of the Karanams was more suitable for day-to-day affairs. The balance between the two variants was changed when western missionaries started using Pandit's language for printing purposes. Also, instrumental were Paravastu Chinnaya Suri's disciples who monopolised Telugu instructor posts and editor roles at major publishing houses. They preferred Chinnaya Suri's Pandit style, and Karanam Telugu used for writing prose was rejected by them as non-standard.^[20] In opposition to this, Gidugu Ramamurthi fought for a language closer to Karanam Telugu (which he called vyavaharika).^[21]

References

1. Community Development and Panchayati Raj Digest, Volumes 3-5. National Institute of Community Development. 1971. p. 334. Patwari / Karanam shall be the additional secretary to the gram panchayat for keeping the record concerning lands
2. Andhra Pradesh District Gazetteers. Government of Andhra Pradesh. 2000. pp. 185, 186.
3. Brown, Charles Philip (1903). "A Telugu-English Dictionary" (2nd ed.). Retrieved 9 April 2023 – via Digital South Asia Library.
4. "Karanam, Munisif system to return: CM YS Jagan Mohon Reddy". The Hans India. 30 November 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
5. Jaffrelot, Christophe; Kumar, Sanjay (2012). Rise of the Plebeians?: The Changing Face of the Indian Legislative Assemblies. Routledge. p. 294. ISBN 978-1-136-51661-0.
6. Kumar, Ashutosh (2016). Rethinking State Politics in India: Regions Within Regions. Taylor & Francis. pp. 341, 371. ISBN 978-1-315-39145-8.
7. "MROs' power to reduce under new Revenue Act". The New Indian Express. 17 August 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2023. During the then Chief Minister NT Rama Rao's regime, the nomenclature of 'Karanam' was changed to 'VRO'.
8. Partha Chatterjee (29 November 2011). Lineages of Political Society: Studies in Postcolonial Democracy. Columbia University Press. pp. 56–. ISBN 978-0-231-52791-0. Rao and Subrahmanyam also stress that this specific genre of niti texts was composed and read by the group of scholar-bureaucrats whom they refer to broadly as karanam. These were usually Niyogi Brahmins or Kayasthas who worked as ministers or advisers to minor princes or feudatories in Andhra, Karnataka, and Orissa.
9. Pandey, Alpana (2015). Medieval Andhra: A Socio-Historical Perspective. Partridge Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4828-5017-8.
10. Bhavani Raman (2007). Document Raj: Scribes and Writing Under Early Colonial Rule Madras, 1771-1860. University of Michigan. p. 85.
11. Trimbaka Nārāyaṇa Ātre (2000). The Village Cart: Translation of T.N. Atre's Gaav Gada. Popular Prakashan. p. 49. ISBN 9788171548637. The last word has probably come to the North from South India since, in Kannada (language), a peasant is called kul and kulkarni is called karnam.
12. Ruedi Baumgartner; Ruedi Hogger (10 August 2004). In Search of Sustainable Livelihood Systems: Managing Resources and Change. SAGE Publishing India. p. 530. ISBN 9789352802661. The term Reddy, though it has a connotation of caste to it, also meant the headman. The Kannada equivalent is Patel or Gauda. Likewise the traditional village accountant, referred to in Telugu as Karnam or as Shanubhog in Kannada, was responsible for all record keeping.
13. A. Rā Kulakarṇī (1996). Marathas and the Marathas Country: Medieval Maharashtra. Books & Books. p. 28. ISBN 9788185016481. On the basis of English records, he gives an elaborate account of the village officials like Karnam (village accountant), the role of the Deshastha brahmans etc . which can be compared with similar officials and castes in Maratha country.
14. Eashvaraiah, P. (1985). "Abolition of Village Officers: Revolutionary on the Surface". Economic and Political Weekly. 20 (10): 393–395. ISSN 0012-9976.
15. Blackburn, Stuart H.; Dalmia, Vasudha (2004). India's Literary History: Essays on the Nineteenth Century. Orient Blackswan. pp. 149, 150. ISBN 978-81-7824-056-5.
16. Gali Nagaraja (2 November 2022). "2024 AP polls: Jagan woos OBCs to counter TDP's Kamma-Kapu caste coalition". The Federal. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
17. Bhushan, Nalini; Garfield, Jay L. (2017-05-26). Minds Without Fear: Philosophy in the Indian Renaissance. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-067299-7.
18. Raman, Bhavani (2007). Document Raj: Scribes and Writing Under Early Colonial Rule Madras, 1771-1860. University of Michigan. p. 118.
19. Raveendran, P. P. (2023). Under the Bhasha Gaze: Modernity and Indian Literature. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-269944-2.
20. Blackburn, Stuart H.; Dalmia, Vasudha (2004). India's Literary History: Essays on the Nineteenth Century. Orient Blackswan. pp. 153–155. ISBN 978-81-7824-056-5.
21. Blackburn, Stuart H.; Dalmia, Vasudha (2004). India's Literary History: Essays on the Nineteenth Century. Orient Blackswan. pp. 161, 162. ISBN 978-81-7824-056-5.