Ballal

Ballal (also spelt as Ballala) is a surname from coastal Karnataka in India. It is found among Hindu Bunt and Jain communities.[1][2]

History

Thurston mentions that the origin of the title Ballal is explained by a proverb which goes when a Bunt becomes powerful he becomes a Ballal and that it reflects a claim of descent from the Hoysala Ballal kings.[3] The Hoysalas had matrimonial relations with the Alupa royal family of coastal Karnataka. In the Book Prachina Tulunadu (Ancient Tulu nadu), The writers N.S. Kille and N.A Sheenappa Heggade state that following the decline of Alupas, the coastal region of Karnataka came under the sway of powerful local Bunt-Jain feudal families who established feudatory states or chiefdoms. These Feudal lords and petty kings were generally referred to as Bunt Ballals and later owed allegiance to the Vijayanagara Empire.[4] Due to Brahmanization some small kings in the southern regions of erstwhile South Canara and North Kerala sought to establish their high prestige and separate royal identity from the castes of their origin. The Samantha and Varma Ballal kings were therefore descendants of the Bunt-Nadava caste.[5]

Various Ballal families are frequently mentioned in Tulu folk songs called Pardana. The Folk epic of Koti and Chennayya for example describes a battle between three Bunt Ballal princes namely the Ballal of Padumale, the Ballal of Panja and the Ballal of Yenmoor.[6]

Following the chaos that followed the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire, The Nayakas of Keladi took control of the area and seem to have subdued a confederacy of the various Ballal families that held sway in the coastal region of Karnataka. The Ballals of Guedumardady, Manipary, Doltady, Kulur, Panambur, Pedanar, Mudibidri, Yerumal, Kapu, Katpadi, Nidambur, Chittupadi, Belor, Konnara, Mudradi, Hebri, Hiretor, Tomboso, Anaji, Tagrette, Herar, Gololer, Agumbe, Muttur, Malor, Modicar, Adolly, Muloly and Vitla were said to have been subdued and they were forced to pay annual tributes.[7]

The title Ballal in its feminine form Ballalthi also appears to have been born by females. This was possible as the matrilineal culture of the Bunts allowed women to take family titles and enjoy ownership of land. An inscription from 1673 C.E states that one Sankara Devi Ballalthi possessed ownership of a land called Kambala gadde in Sullia.[8] Some women bearing the title are known to have established ancient temples as well. Ammu Devi Ballalthi was associated with establishing the Dharmasthala Temple and the Ballalthi of Moodubelle is said to have established the Mahalingeshwara temple in Belle, Udupi[9]

Notable people

See also
  • Banga Arasa, another historical title used in present-day Karnataka

References
  1. Appadurai, Arjun; Korom, Frank J.; Mills, Margaret A. (1991). Gender, Genre, and Power in South Asian Expressive Traditions. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 0-8122-1337-8.
  2. "For Veerendra Heggade, to serve is divine". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  3. Thurston, Edgar; K. Rangachari (1909). Castes and Tribes of Southern India Volume 1.Pg. 145 Madras: Government Press
  4. Kiile, N. S. and N. A. Sheenappa Heggade (1954). Prachina Tulunadu (Ancient Tulunadu). Universal Printers and. Publishers Limited.
  5. Ethnographic and Folk-Culture Society (Uttar Pradesh, India) (1977). The Eastern Anthropologist, Volume 30. Ethnographic and Folk Culture Society. p. 154. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  6. Günther-Dietz Sontheimer (2005). In the Company of Gods: Essays in Memory of Günther-Dietz Sontheimer. Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts [in association with] Manohar. pp. 145–152. ISBN 9788173045912. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  7. Bhagamandala Seetharama Shastry (2000). Goa-Kanara Portuguese Relations, 1498-1763. Concept Publishing Company. p. 147. ISBN 9788170228486.
  8. The Quarterly Journal of the Mythic Society (Bangalore, India)., Volume 74. Mythic Society (Bangalore, India). 1983. p. 151.
  9. "Moodubelle Mahalingeshwara Temple". Udayavani. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
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