About History
EVOLUTION & PROGRESS OF KAMMA COMMUNITY
Everybody in our community, especially the younger generation, should know about the community, its history, and ethos. A brief recap is presented for quick reading. The name “Kamma” for the people in the Krishna valley traces back to the Theravada Buddhist concept of Kamma or Karma, influenced by the region’s ancient identity known as Kammanadu. Historically linked to the Aryan warrior clan Kambhoja, Kammas have a notable presence in Southern India. The medieval region of Palnadu, now Palanadu, was once called Kammanadu, indicating our longstanding presence in the region.
Kammas rose to prominence during the Kakatiya reign, leading to our empowerment of the Vijayanagar kingdom there by influencing half of Indian lands. Despite the decline of major kingdoms, Kammas maintained dominance in villages by embracing education and becoming pioneers in establishing schools and libraries. In addition, being landowners and agriculturists, Kammas played a significant role in introducing modern agricultural techniques.
Known for hard work and grit, Kammas diversified into various fields, including business, arts, medicine, and high technology, with roles spanning from to small business entrepreneurs large-scale industrialists. Some of the most efficient and professional educational institutions in Southern India are run by our community. Our progressive outlook, hardworking nature, and contributions to modern agriculture mark us as a prominent and influential community in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and parts of Karnataka and Odisha.
We are also known as Kamma Naidus or Kammavar Naidus in Tamil Nadu and Choudharys in coastal Andhra Pradesh. In the late decades of the 1900s, many Kammas migrated to other parts of the world, particularly to the US, Canada, UK and other European countries, Australia and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The earliest known conglomeration of Kammas known as “Kamma Mahajana Sangham,” was held in 1910 in the tranquil village of Kautavaram, situated in the Krishna district. This historic establishment was formed with a noble and overarching objective—to actively support and advance the interests of the Kamma community in areas such as education, business, and overall welfare. The establishment of Kamma Mahajana Sangham is a significant milestone that marks the collective commitment of the community to uplift its members and work towards their comprehensive development.
A small 5% population of Kammas has achieved so much over the years and wield power or control in all facets of corporate, political, and social lives. This even piqued the interest of Western researchers and historians, who travelled to the Southern India to conduct in-depth research on what distinguishes the Kammas from other people communities in achieving such enormous and widespread success.
Profound observations andn research on how Kammas evolved over centuries to achieve today’s successful subsistence level revealed intriguing characteristics. Kammas have always retained power over agrarian resources, such as land and water, a tradition that has helped the community prosper politically, economically, and socially. Kammas, being primarily a village-centric community, and having the advantage of position as landlords exerted considerable power over the village economy.
The emphasis placed on agriculture during the original five-year plans, as well as the Government of India’s emphasis on the Green Revolution following independence, gave a shot in the arm for the Kammas, allowing them to further cement their agricultural skills. More than any other agrarian group, the Kammas have a legitimate and justified claim to be recognized for pioneering contemporary state-of-the-art agricultural technologies and processes.
However, the type of influence they have is quite disproportionate to their small population size. Their hardworking character, willingness to take risks, and progressive ideals, as well as the focus placed on education, culture, and the arts over time, add value to their strength and might. The priority Kammas place on education has allowed them to gradually diversify into a variety of vocation such as commerce, art, sports, trading, transport, publishing, media, entertainment, real estate, construction, engineering, pharma, healthcare, technology, politics and others. There are a very few communities in India that have such a diverse exposure.
Economic reforms in the early 1990s and the entry of Information Technology into the global corporate environment, opened avenues for Indian engineers. The Kammas, once again, enjoyed the first mover advantage since they never compromised when it came to their children’s education. Most families, regardless of their financial resources, encouraged their children to pursue further education after the 1980s, and the majority of them chose engineering or medicine. As private engineering collegs were not introduced yet in Andhra Pradesh, students had to join various institutions in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Engineers from the Kamma community took full advantage of the increased prospects in information technology and landed positions in both India and overseas. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the majority of Telugu people in the United States are from the Kamma group. Those who have migrated to other nations have not only achieved their ambitions but are also helping their relatives back home and doing a lot of good work in their villages and birthplaces. They are assisting their families and friends in selecting appropriate educational options and obtaining employment.