CHAPTER - II

CIRCUMSTANCES LEADlNG TO FREEDOM STRUGGLE IN RAVALASEEMA - SOCIO-REblGIBUS-ECOMOPAIG CULTURAL 1 AND POLITICAL FACTORS

1 Social Background

Indian society including Andhra and Payalaseema were still believers and

practioners in caste system and superstitions. The upper caste commurity lhke

Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vysyas were believers of ancient traditions and their

superiority of their birth has been identified assuming pos~tions In the society.

The Sudras comprised of several sub-castes occupy different professions fo i

the~r iivelihooc! In the society. Owing to self-reliance In their respective

professions (small scale cottage industries), they were well off and had enough

earnings which provided them satisfaction in their economical life rather than

identity with social equality.

Even though economic satisfaction by self-reliance, the hierarch~c

construction of the castes gave rise to inequalities among them. Even in matters

of residence, the lower castes were segregated from the higher ones and were

assigned separate quarters of the village or the town for residence. The

untouchables and other lower castes who formed the nether most layers of the

caste ridden Hindu society were further debarred from the right of the using the

public wells and tanks. Hierarchy gradation, social and other inequal~t~es,

endogamy, restrict~ons on dining and the lack of freedom regard~ng the choice

vocation were the principal features of the caste system in Rayalaseema.

The advent o i the Britishers committed a serious mistake by djsruptlng

the social and religious system of Hindu society. The Britishers stopped Sat1

system by Law. This measure which appears so just and reasonable was then

considered by Hiqdus an ouirageous and insultirg to their sacred socio-religious

tradition. The company antagonised the people by Introducing changes in their

laws of inheritance and succession. By a law, the government entitled a Hindu

even after embracing Chrlstlanity to claim his share in his ancestral property.

This was highly resented by the Indian people and had no exception in

Raya!aseerna.

Establishment of Christian Missionaries in Rayaiaseema

The f~rst Christian Missionary activity was established in the year 1597

A.D. when two Jesuit Fathers and a Brother were at the court of Venkata

Rayalu at Chandragiri in Chittoor district. Some of the people from lower

sections (Sudrasi and Chandalas of Telugu people were converted into

Christianity to safeguard their identity rather than the superiority of birth as

insisted by the Hindu hierarchical caste system against untouchability which

prevailed among Hindu society. A widow and her four children embraced

Christianity against Sati system at Punganur. The family probably belonged to

the Velama caste. Thus the beginning of Christianity in Andhra was first made

in Rayalaseema. Punganur thus became cradle of the Telugu ~hr i s t ians . '

Towards the close of the 18th century, Reverend Henry Arnold established a

Christian Missionary at Punganur In Chittoor district. The Roman Catholic

Mlssron was established at Madanapali~, in Ch~ttoor district and Father-Le-Gae

established a Jesuit Miss~on at Krishnapuramvillage in Penugonda taluk. By the

teachings of Father-Le-Gae many Hindu people especially Kapus from

Mudigubba village in Anantapu: district were converted into Christianity. in

add~tion to the Kapus a few lower castes like Goilas and some Kamsaias (local

s~b-castes) were converted into Christianity. By the teachings of Father La

Fountain even the high caste Brahmins and Balijas of the village of Thadimarry

embraced the new faith.2 In Cuddapah district. Karnataka Jesuit Mission which

was a French Mission, formally situated at Pondicherry converted a number of

Hindus into Christlarity. The Nawab of Cuddapah was also influenced by the

priest Joachim a physician.3 According to the reliable sources, Reverend

Mawbey and Gribbles Protestant Missionary activities were reached to

Cuddapah. The other Christian priest like Reverend Howell who was the

surveyor of the public works departments at Cuddapah did great efforts In

converting a number of Hindus into Christianity. Reverend H.O. Nelll wna was

in-charge of the districts of Cuddapah and Kurnool changed great number of

Hindus into Christianity at ~ a n d y a l . ~ In Rayalaseema the Sudra especially the

Chandalas voluntarily embraced Christianity only for equal soclal opportunity.

The Britishers through Christian Missionaries provided food, shelter, cloth,

educat~on and employment opportunity to the downtrodden among the

hierarchy of Hindu Society. Thereby, the lower sectlons of Hindu society

desired social equality and social justice which indirectly infused them towards

the feeling of the netionalism and ultlmateiy b r o ~ g h t t h e m into :he fold of lndlan

freedom movement.

Spread of Western Education

The spread of Engilsh education in Rayalaseema was the result of the

na:lve and the departmental efforts and mainly because of the educational

activities of the variobs Christian Miss~onaries durlng the 19th century. Three

rnaln Christian agencies were responsible for the spread of modern the

education in India especially Rayalaseema. Among three one was from foreign,

the second from British Government and the third was from progressive Indians.

The Christian Missionaries who did extensive work in the cause of the

spread of the modern education in India, were inspired mainly by a motlve of

proselytizing spirit to speed up the spreading of Christianity among the Indians.

They sincerely believed that their campaign to convert the lndlans was a

civliising Mission. They attacked polytheism, the caste inequalities among

Hindus for Christianity, fundamentally stood for oneness of God besides social

equality. These Misslonaries were pioneers of the modern education in Indla.

Though the Christianity was the part in the process of education, secular

schools were also established to impart secular concept among Indians t o bring

together various caste sections in the lndlan society. According t o the available

sources like the written report of the Cuddapal? district In the year 1825 A.D.

cerlain charity scboois were established in Rayalaseema. In 1830 A.D. the

Native Regimental School was started in Cuddapah cantonmerr. These schools

represent particularly the first impact of western educat~on in Rayaiaseema5.

Boarding school for the orphans was established at Cuddapah in the year 1845

A.D. by the London Visslon which was an evident fact to the earliest activlty

in the field of education in Rayalaseerna. As per the reliable sources, four

vernacular schools were opened by the American Mission at Ch~ttoor In the year

1854 A.D. In 1855 A.D. a school exclusively for women's education was also

opened at Chittoor. Another boarding school for boys was also started as early

as 1855 A.D. at Nandyal. The London Mission started a g~rls school at

Cuddapah in 1860 A.D. Another educational institute at Gooty was established

dur~ng the year 1862-1863 A.D. During 1864.1865 A.D, there were about 25

village schools started by the society in Cuddapah district. Malthus

Mu!tipurpose School was established at Gooty in 1876 A.D. Fathers A.Milius

of the Hermansburg Evangelical Lutheran Mission also opened a secondary

school at Tadipatrl in 1880 A.D. During 1822-1881 A.D, the Roman catholic

Mission also ran an institution within the limits of Anantapur Municipality. The

Church of Scotland built Middle School at Nagari in 1882-1883 A.D. The

sochety for the propagatton of Gospel set up a Middle School in Nandyal in

1884 A.D. Reverend E.Lewis of the London Mission founded a middle school

whth 58 pupils at Adoni In 1887 A.D. Coles Memorial High school was

estabhshed at Kurnool in 1890 A . D . ~

Besides these, a few Anglo - vernacular schools were also started in

Raya,aseema both by the E;ove:nrnent and local bodiesduring sixties, seventees

and eighties of the Pineteenth century. The Municipality of Adoni started a girls

school in 1878 A.D. with 38 pupils. It has been recorded that private

management Girls High School was taken over by the Anentapur Municipality

in 1879 A.D. An Elementary Local Fund i4ormal Schooi at Cuddapah, a local

fund girls high school at Punganur, local fund schools at Alur, Puttur,

Srikalahasti and Kuppam were established by the aid of the British Government.

Similar institutions at Narayanavanam and Chadragiri were also started in 1883

A.D. The Government Middle Schools at Madanapalli and Kurnool were also

established. Like wise, several primary and middle schools were established at

various places in Rayalaseema. Some of the non-Christian private agencies and

Theosophical society of Madanapaili in 1915 A.D. made a land mark in the

deveiopment of collegiate education in ~aya laseema.~

The above educational institutions in Rayalaseema spread knowledge and

English language which led to the narrowing of social-gulf between the

educated and the masses. This education was greatly divorced from the real

life of the people in Rayalaseema and problems viewed from the standpoint of

Indian National progress. I t glorified and idealized the British rule and

depreciated India's past instead of giving a critical scientific appraisal of i t . It

overemphasized the study of the English education and Christianity. It d ~ d not

awake any national pride. All these further promoted an educated lndian to

disorient from the Indian masses to feel himself identified with the ruling nation

and harbour a contemDt for the natives.

The study of English language and other social sciences through

educational institutions either by the establishment of Christian Missionaries or

by the British Government or by the native institutions provided an opportunity

to study the social liberation and nationalist philosophical literature. The works

of Herbert Spencer, the profound sociologist, Lock, the great philosopher, John

Stuwart Mill, the implacable foe of all authoritarianism and stalwart exponent

irdividua! liberty and popular sovereignty, Adam Smith, the father of modern

economics, Carlyle and Ruskin, both ruthless cr~tics of social injusticesrampant

in modern society and Gibbon and Burke, both outstanding historians of modern

epoch inspired the Indians t o build up a democratic and rationalistic outlook.

Further, the English language rendered a great service as a medium of

communication for the educated Indians through out India to exchange views,

on national scale on different subjects of social, political and scientific interest.

It proved very valuable as a medium of expression of various national congress

conferences. The progressive role of the introduction of modern education in

India and to the resultant contact with modern culture was strikingly proved by

the fact that practically all leaders of progressive movement, economic,

political, social, religious or cultural, belonged to the educated intelligentsia. The

pioneers and the leaders of the National Movement were the English educated

lnd ia~s .

2. Religious Background

As the natives were the staunch believers of their own religion-Hindu~sm,

the national democratic awakening found expression in the religious sphere.

The concept of social cohesion by the teachings of devotionalism, the

pilgrimage of holy places, :he perineal rivers after the names of Indian gods and

goddesses, national religious festivals I~ke Durgastami [Goddess Durgsi,

Deepavali iVicto:y of God Krishna over evil power) Sri Pama Navami the birth

of god Rama and Ganesa (God Vinayaka) and other religious rituals and

historical episodes of Sivaji and Jhansi Lakshmi Eai uprising naconal unity in

every nook and corner of Hindu society. Payalaseerna in Andhra is no exception

from the spirited nationalism of tne country by the said factor of religious

fervour. The political and religious leaders like Dayananda Saraswati,

Vivekananda, Tilak and Mrs.Annie Besant reminded the people of their religious

past glory ard the superiority of Vedic culture, They also suggested the

methods how best they could be revived.

The pilgrim places of several faiths of Rayalaseema are Tirupati and

Srikalahasti in Chittoor district for Vaishnavism and Saivism, Srisailam,

Mahanandi and Ahobilam in Kurnool district for Saivism, Lepakshi In Anantapur

distr~ct for Easava Saivism, the Mutt of Vira Brahmendra Swamy at

Kandimallayyapaili and Vontimitta in Cuddapah district for Vaishnavism, the

religious festivals like Vijayadasami, Ganesa, Srirama Navami, Sivaratri, Ganga

Jathara (consort of Siva) Deepavali are being performed in every village and

town in Rayalaseerna inspired the feelings of religious oneness paved to the

way the nationalism in Rayalaseema. The rivers like Krishna at Srisailam in

Kurnool district, Tunga Bhadra (after the name of God Veera Bhadra who rose

from the matted hair on the head of God Slva, who trampled (Tunga) and

destroyed the perfo:msnce of Yaga by Daksha] at Sangarneswaram in Kurnool

district, Swarna Mukh: iborn :P the hills of Seshachalam hills of Tirumala of Sri

Venkateswara! w h ~ c h flows the outskirts of Srikalahasti a sacred pilgrim place

of God S~va, gave inspiration to religioirs nationalism in Rayalaseema. The old

deit~es were interpreted in a way suitable for rousing national sentiment and

hopes among the people. This wonderful tra~sfiguration of the deities carrled

the message of new nationalism to the masses of Rayalaseema. The

Bramhasarnaj, under the leadership of Raja Ram Mohan Roy and his followers

in Rayalaseema like Kalluri Subba Rao from Anantapurdistrict. Anantasayanani

lyengar from Chittoor disrict, Mrs.Annie Besant, the founder of the

Theosoph~cal society st Madanapalli in Chittoor district from Rayalaseema

propagated religious reform movement and launched an offensive against caste

system branding ~t as undemocratic, inhuman and anti-national. They crusaded

agalnst child marriages. They stood for the freedom and equal rights of the

women and remarriages for widows.

The religious reform movement in Rayalaseema valued the modern

western culture and organized national educational institutions at Madanapall,

Kurnool, Nandyal, Anantapur, Cuddapah, Adoni and Hindupur for inspfration of

nationalism among the people. As such the leaders of Rayalaseema carried out

the liberal democratic culture of the west as admirers of Raja Ram Mohan Roy

They broadcast the freedom of press and criticized the British government for

excluding the Indians from h~gher posts and on the other nand gave new hope

to the down-trodden and ignorant multitudes and led to a new political and

social awareress by developing a sense of seif-respect a ~ d strongly yearning

for the amelioratior of the ills o: the Rayalaseema.

Thus, tne religious movement aiming at national freedom from the Brit~sh

rule and the establishment of ar, Indian society and state on a democratic bass

and also of tne modern economy, became a function of an all-embracing

:eligious movement. Nationalism was expressed in religio terms and clothed in

a religion-myst~cal form and became secular for further development of the

Nationalism.

3. Economic Background

The Nationalism emerged in Rayalaseema due to economlc frustration.

People were well off due to self-sufficiency in their respective fields of

agriculture and small cottage ~ndustries before the advent of the British Raj, The

crafts pursued in Rayalaseema in olden days were s i l ~ and cotton splnning and

weaving, carpentry, bangle making, lacquer work, manufacture of brass and

bronze-ware, earth salt, indigo and dyeing. Iron smelting was also one of the

ancient industries of this region. Kalamkar~ temple cloth paintings of

Srikalahast~, the toy making of Tirupati out of the hard wood of red sandars,

Bachanna ~ornrnalu of Nossam village In Kurnool district earned a name for the~r

exquisite craftsmanshrp. Silk weavlng at Dharmavaram, rug-weaving in the

:aluks of Kalyanadurg. Pattikonda, Dhone and Kurnool and carpet weavlng in

the taluks of Adoni and Yurnool were the other important cottage inoustries of

Rayalaseema. These industr~es particularly spinning and weaving, later suffered

a set-back due to the keen competition faced from the machine-made goods.

A majority of the units in Rsyalaseema were Agro-based. The other

industries such as oil mills, rice mills, cotton ginning, shelling and pressing mills,

tobacco processing, cotton mills, ground nut decortlcating and oil pressing and

silk thread twisting assumed greater importance because they constituted the

small industrial bulk and were supported by agricultural products like oil seeds,

paddy, tobacco, cotton and other grown abundantly in this region. The non-

agrlculturai smaii scale industries like slates Industry at Markapur, Wooden

works, ceramic works, mining and grinding, brick works were flour~sh~ng. These

gave a new impetus to the economy of Rayalaseema. The chief centres of

trade in Rayalaseema of those times were Anantapur, Dharrnavaram, Hindupur,

Guntakal, Cuddapah, Proddatur, Chittoor, Tirupati, Kurnooi, Nandyal,

Yemmlganur and ~ d o n i . '

Britishers destroyed the old order by introducing machine made

consuming goods in mass scale in Rayalaseema. Thus, the Britishers spelt ruin

on the old system which was based on the self-sufficiency of the village. The

Britishers were interested more in their trade and commerce than in the well-

be~ng of rurai lnd~a and its masses. Their intention was t o develop the Indian

market for the goods manufactured in Great Britain and take raw material from

Rayalaseema for their industry. With this object in view, they developed the

railway system in Rayalaseema IPuttur to Renigunta) and framed a suitabletariff

policy. Although the aim of the government was to develop the lndian market

ir. the internet of :he Brltish manufacturer, they could not avoid the raise and

growth of Indian Industry. As an unintended result of the economic policies

pursued by the government a new capitalist class emerged in Rayaiaseema

which played an important roie in the development of lndian nationalism in

Rayalaseema. The birth of the new capitalist class was greatly assisted by the

destruction of the village Industries which was the direct consequence of the

tariff policy of the Brltish Government. The ranks of the new class were

swelled by the large class of land lords who came into existence as a result of

the land revenue policy of the British Government. The village ceased to be the

autonomous economic unit i t had aiways been and became dependent upon the

cities or the external world for industrial goods. A number of ruined artisans,

crafts men, weavers, spinners, tanners, blacksmiths from the village as weil as

the city had no option but to crowd into agr~culture. In this way, Rayalaseema

had no exception transformed from being a region of combined agr~culture and

economy into an agricultural colony of British manufacturing capitalism. The

pressure on land thus increased greatly, and the masses sank into poverty. I t

became one of the objectives of Nationalism in Rayalaseema side by s ~ d e along

with other ~rovinces in lndian subcontinent to alieviate the misery of tile

masses snd improve the~r standard of living.

The destruction of the economic self-sufficiency of the viliage and the

development of a nationai economy for a country as a ,whole were the logicai

result of the economic polictes of the British poiicies. The birth of the national

economy was indeed of greathelp to generate nascent nationalism In

Rayalaseema. Thus, the Britishers in a systematic way managed to ruln Indian

trade and native industries. The Maslin cloth which had been a good export

item in Rayalaseema was glven a death blow by the East lndia Company so as

to create market for British textiles which were manufactured in lancshire and

Liverpool, Import duty on English made cloth was removed in order to keep the

wheels of English textile mills running. ~s'pecially Rayalaseema wealth began to

f low to the west resulting in the poverty of the people. The selfish commercial

Engiish company paid no heed to improving the lot of the cultivators.

The land revenue poiicy ofthe British Government in lndia had disastrous

effects so far as the well being of the peasant was concerned consigned. It

became a target for the scathlng attacks of thenationalists. Since, the revenue

was collected In cash, the peasant found it very difficult to pay during lean

years. The peasant was forced to borrow from the money-lender at high rates

of interests. He thus sank deeper and deeper into the morass of poverty. The

land revenue policy was directly responsible for the increasing poverty among

the people and it convibuted a lot towards the growth of national awakening.

Miseries of Famine

The crops of Rayalaseema depended upor rains. In the later half of the

19th century the Kurnooi-Cuddapah canal provided water to the crops of that

region. lt was a major irrigation project taken up as early as 1860 A.D. and

completed during 1871 - 1872 A.D. by the Madras Irrigation and Canal

Company Limited. The canal takes off anicut built across the Tunga Bhadra

between the village of Sunkesula in Kurnool district and Razole in Alampur taluq

of Mahaboob Nagar district. Of its entire length of 306 Kms. 225.40 Kms lies

in Kurnool district. The canal was originally designed to irrigate an extent of

1.30 lakh hectors of land with a discharge capacity of 3,000 cusec. Wells,

tanks and streams also constitute the major source of irrigation in

~ a y a l a s e o m a . ~ However, i f the monsoon failed, agriculture used to be a mere

gamble w ~ t h rain. It caused famines in Rayalaseema very frequently. Famine

was the kind of terrors. Crops could not grow, the grass was burnt by the heat

of the sun and the cattle starved.'' Not fewer than eleven famines occurred in

~ayalaseema" and people were suffered greatly during the worst famine of

1876-78 A.D. popularly known as Doccala Karuvu. The agricultural families of

Cuddapah, Kurnool, Madanapalli, Punganur, Chittoor were the worst affected

farn~ne. Collectors and special commissioners drewthe attention of the Madras

Government to this sorry state of affairs affecting the large majority of the

people. As a result of the famines, the population decreased in Rayalaseema

special!^ in Cuddapah and Kurnool districts. Some of the families In these areas

were converted into Christianlty by foreign Christ~an Missionaries who opened

famine relief camps.12

Under these circumstances the Strachey Commission of 1880 A.D. itself

commented that the positioq of the British had not created any sense of general

obligation to give relief to the people. Except some emergency measures to

provide relief measures like suspending taxes, distribution of food, medicines,

and ~ rov id lng work, there was no policy on a notional level as a precautionary

measure in times of natural calamities. On the basis of the recommendat~ons of

the Stretchy Commission, Famine Relief and Insurance Fund was created.

Rupees 15 million were always to be provided in the Budget to be used for the

construction of the protective works like railways and canals. Under the Act

of 191 9 A.D. agriculture was put on the transferred list and provincial

governments were asked to contribute a fixed sum for expenditure over famine

relief. Though such steps were taken in the records of fam~ne history (1899-

1900 A.D.1 a heavy toll of life took away in Rayalaseema. All these

developments show one thing that the implications of a governmental

responsibility to the natural calamities like famines were not realised in all

seriousness by the British till at the fag-end of their rule. Gruelling poverty and

devastating fawines were mainly due to the selfish economic policy that

dislocated the economic life of the people in Rayalaseema.

4. Role of Press

The press piayed a vital role in airing the public opinion among the

educated Indians. Some Indian owned papers supported the introduction of

English education in lndia and also some benevolent programmes to Indians by

the British by which those papers were not only denounced but dubbed as anti-

nationalists. In due course, newspapers in native languages came into existence

and began to criticise the policies and doings of the Britlsh Raj. The

administrators fe!t embarrassed with hostile attitude of the vernacular press.

Consequently, i t imposed restrictions on the press in 1878 A.D. by vernacular

press ACT. Which provoked a much heat both in lndia and England and hence

revoked after four years. But soon the British Government took measures to

stifle the freedom of thought and speech to the native people. Such h ~ g h

handedness of the British Government in india intensified the anti-Br~t~sh

campaign by the national leaders. The period between 1858-1 885 A.D saw the

growth of several vernacular newspapers and journals and literary associations

sprung up throughout the country. Rayalaseema also echoed the same

thoughts. The first Telugu newspaper Satyaduta was published by the Christian

Association of Bellary for the propagation of Christianity, as a counter to this.

Veda Samaj of Madras p~bl ished a Telugu News Paper Tatvabodhini In 1864

A.D. Veeresaiingam Pantuiu the mighty social reformer started Vivekavardhini

in 1874 A.D in Rajahrnundry for introducing reforms in the social and llterary

fields. Later on, he also started separate journals like Satihitabodhini, Hasya

Sanjivlni and Satya Samvardhini. The first two were exctusiveiy ior the cause

and uplift of the women while the other two were for the cause of removal of

sociai evils like child marriage, caste system, dowry and the institution of

prostitution as sn integral part of the H~ndu caste system. The other journals

like Sasirekha and Krishnapatrika threw iight on the evils of Brltlsh

administration and criticised the government's defective public welfare

activities. The press n fact helped in spreading wide new ideas of Nat~onallsm,

Democracy and social change in ~aya laseema. '~ The press played a vital role

in airing and infiuencing the public opinion among the peopie in Rayalaseerna.

In Madras presidency, the Telugu press played a key role during the time of

National Movement. Ka~pa Subramanyam Sastri and Mahanandayya both being

influenced by National Movement desired to start a newspaper named Swarajya

Udayam. On the advice of Pappuri Rama Charyulu, the great freedom fghter

from Anantapur, they named it Sri Pinakini Patrika after the river Pinakini. Thus.

the first issue of Sri Pinakini Patrika appeared on 16th September 1922 A.D.

Pappuri Ramacharyuiu was one of its founding partners and was also the

~ d i t o r . ' ~ Then P.Ramacharyulu left the Sri Pinakini patrika as some differences

had cropped up and he started Independently Sri Sadhana Patrika in 1926 A.D.

Gadicherla Harisarvo:hama Rao published Matruseva from Sadipatri and then

shifted to Naidyal. These papers, however, focused attention on the public

grievances of ~ a ~ a i a s e e m a l ~ , because of the transport faciiity of the first

railway line was const:ucted in Rayalaseema between Puttur and Ren~gunta In

1862 A.D.. which was in fact the first railway line in ~ n d h r a . "

5. Role of Associations

A number of publlc Associat!ons began to bring political awareness

among the people. Rayalaseema also took part in it. As a result Gajula Lakshmi

Narasu Serty (1806-69 A.D.1 organised Chennapatnamswadesh~ Sangham and

founded the first lnd~an owned newspaper In Madras called the Crescent in

1844 A.D." In 1852 A.D. the Madras Native Association was started by some

of the leading citizens of both Andhra and Madras. It was first affiliated to the

British Indian Association of Calcutta but subsequently became independent of

it. The s a ~ d association submitted petitions and memoranda to the Br~tish

Parliament, and other authorities concerned played an important role for some

years.18

The Madras Mahajana Sabha, another political organisation, was started

on May 16, 1884 A.D. with P. Rangaiah Naidu as the President and P.

Anandacharyulu of Chittoor in Rayalaseema as the Secretary. The aim of the

Madras Mahajana Sabha was to give proper directions to the growing national

consciousness among the people. They played a major role in the public

awaken~ng in Madras These associations provided the ililterates

wi th information and knowledge about current political conditions and an

opportunity for the illiterate to become enlightened. The establishment of the

lndian National Congress in 1885 A.D. a;so gave further impetus to the

formation of District Associations in Andhia and the first such District

Association was Krishna District Associaiion formed in 1891 A.D. out of the

twenty one districts of Madras presidency. In due course of time, such

associations were also formed in Cuddapah, North Arcot and several other

districts. Besides. Gooti Kesava Pillai started People's Association at Gooty in

Anantapur during the year 1882 A.D. It fostered political activity and

represented grievances to the British ~overnrnent", through discussions in the

sessions of the Madras Legislative Assembly. In addition to local associations,

Agriculture Association was started by the people of Penugonda In Anantapur

district in the year 1907 A.D. to discuss Agricultu:al as well as polit~cal issues.

I t gained name as the first of its kind in the Madras ~ r e s i d e n c y . ~ '

By the guidance of retired civil servant A.O.Hume, a foreign Nationalist,

the native patriots started the Indian National Congress (INS). Soon it became

popular throughout India had its maiden session in Bombay In 1885 A.D under

the presidentship of Umesh Chandra Banerjee. It gained name and fame as a

prestigious organisation. Rayalaseema people fairly represented in the first

session of lndian National Congress. The famous nationalists from Rayalaseerna

were P. Anandacharyulu, S.N.Narasimhulu Naidu from Chittoor district and

Gooty Kesava Piliai from Anantapur attended the session on behalf of

Rayalaseema. The second session of lndian National Congress was held at

Calcutta in 1886 A.D. and Andhra sent 21 delegates had ~ t s represen:ation.

Rayaiaseema gotthe credit by P. Anandacharyulu because he presided over the

lndian National Congress session at Nagpur in 1891 A.D. Other Andhra

nationalists like A.P.Parthasarathi Maidu and Nyapathi Subba Rao attended the

debates of the session.'* The early leaders known as moderates of lndian

National Movement believed in theconcept of prayer and petition, but in course

of time they also gradually lost thelr faith in the British, i t gave scope for the

use of extremists who took lead in the Vandemataram and Home Rule

Movements till 1916 A.D. The southern people met the people of north by

actively participating in the National Movement and the spirit of Nationalism

received greater impetus in due course of time. So a large majority advocated

Swadeshi and boycott of foreign commodities not only as an instrument of

political warfare but also as the essential meansfor the economic and industrial

revival of the country.23 ln several regions, the leaders launched and

part~cipated in regional movements in the form of offering solutions to the

problems of the regions concerned and joined the main stream of National

Movement.

Gooty Kesava Pillai was very much associated with the lndian National

Congress from its inception.24 Through the press media and public meetings

he highlighted the case of Hampanna who sacrificed his life in defending the

honour of two indian women against some European soldiers near Guntakal.

This event professed the atrocities of Britishers on the Indians at various

localities In the country.25 In fact, many political and social organisations

affiliated to the lndian National Congress played a s ig~i f icant role as platform

to enumerate and inculcate the concept of National Unity and t o bargain

concessions from the British. The Congress Progiamme from 1885 - 1905 A.D

was modest in nature. While moderates demanded constitutional reforms,

economic relief, administrative reorganizations and protection of civil rights,

rather than the demana for independence. Owing to the circumstances, it is

clear that the intention of the moderates was not-self-rule-swaraj but

administrative reforms. They adopted a resolution to seek political

representation in legislatures, local self-institutions, high posts in administration

and army, restriction of military expenditure, simultaneous examination of the

Indian Civil Service in England and India, Agriculturai Development and

protection of native Industries. Thus, the period from 1885 to 1905 A.D. in

Indian history was regarded as the period of moderate appeals and petitions and

redress. The same tendency was conspicuous in Rayalaseema too where the

people participated wholeheartedly in the annual sessions of lndian National

Congress and voiced their grievances. The burden of revenue taxes was too

heavy and so discontent prevailed among the people. The Britishers exploited

natural resources and paid no heed to irr~gation facilities for crops, medical care

for the poor, education and social welfare for middle class society. The decline

of small-scale industries commenced with the introduction of rnach~ne made

producl;ons. Hence, the people of Rayalaseema raised their voice of d~scontent

in the annual sessions of the indian National Congress which took the shape of

resolutions and later became the petitions to the British for redressed. The

delegates from Rayalaseema region regularly participated in the annual sessions

of the lndian National Congress. Gradually, they lost confidence in the prayer

and petition method and slowly moved towards the demand for Swarajya or

Self-rule for natives within the British empire on the model of the self-governing

colonies of Australia and Canada. The demand was first pronounced by Gopala

Krishna Gokhale in 1905A.D. at Banaras and later explicitly stated by Dadabhai

Nauroji in 1906 A.D. a t Calcutta. The moderates steered the lndian National

Congress upto 1919 A.D which was an era of advent of Gandhiji into lndian

pol~tics. In every major course of lndian Nat~onal struggle, according to lndian

National Congress, the entire Rayalaseema plunged into the movement and

carried on the programmes env~saged by the National leaders. In this way

Rayalaseema, followed in the foot steps of Gandhiji and was connected the

movement w ~ t h main streams of National Movements in North India and their

reflections over Rayalaseema from 1905 t o 1947 A.D. will be discussed in the

following chapters.

REFERENCES

1. Rarnakrishna. V, Social Reforms in Andhra 1848-?999, New Delhi, 1983 p p 49-53.

2. Sivasankara Narayana, B.H. iedi. OP. Cit.. pp.124-125

3. Ibid., pp.143-144

4. Gribb!e. J.D.6 : A Manual of the District of Cuddapah in the Presidency of Madras, Madras, 1875, p.351.

5. Sivasankara Narayana, B.H. led), OP. Cit.. p.596.

6. Ibid., pp.637-698.

7. Rarnesan, ied), Andhra Pradesh districts gazetteers. Chittoor, Hyderabad, 1979, p.156.

8. Siva Sankara Narayana, B.H, (Ed) Andhra Pradesh District Gazeneers : Anantapur Gazetteer, Hyderabad, 1970, pp.307-349.

9. Rajagopal, M.V., (Edi Andhra Pradesh District Gazetteers : Kurnool, Hyderabad, 1974, p.75.

10. Sivasankara Narayana, B.H., Op.Cit., p. 251

11. Narayana Rao, K.V., The Emergence of Andhra Pradesh, Bornbay 1973, pp.7-17.

12 Extracts from Native News Paper Reports for the Fortnight Ending 30, November, 1891, Para 65, (TNSA)

13. Gopal B.R. : History of Andhra Pradesh, Part-I, Mysore, Maithili Prakasana, 1987, pp.62-163.

14. Sreeramulu, R. : Pratibhashali (Biography) of Pappuri Rarnacharyulu in Telugul, Anantapur, 1986, pp.14-15.

15. Ibid., pp.14-15

16. Rarnana Rao, A.V. : Economic Development of Andhra Pradesh. 1776-1957, Bombay, 1958, pp.250-157.

Anil Seal : The Emergence of lndian Nationalism, New Delhi, 1982, pp.197-198.

Venkata Rangaiah, M. : The Freedom Struggle in Andhra Pradesh. Vol.11, Hyderabad, Government of A.P., 1965, pp.86-87.

Government of Madras Public Department, Proceedings Mo.3443, Dated 10.07.1886.

Damodaram P~llai, D. : Gooty Mesava Pillai, 1860 - 1933, Biography in Telugu), Hyderabad, Government of A.P., 1978, p.7.

The Hindu, dated January, 24, 1907.

Gopal B.R. : Op.Cit., pp.163-164

Ghoshe, P.C.: History ai Indian National Congress, 1892-1909.

Pattabhi Sharamayya, B. : The History of the Indian National Congress, Vol.1, Bombay, 1946, p . l lO .

Venkata Rangaiah, M and lnnaiah, N : Andhralo Swatantra Samaram, Hyderabad, Government of A.P., 1972, p.10.