Bunt is a Tulu speaking Hindu community found mainly in Southern coastal Karnataka and Kerala. Kannada is another language spoken by Bunts. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... The Indian caste system describes the social stratification and social restrictions in the Indian subcontinent, in which social classes are defined by thousands of endogamous, hereditary groups often termed as jātis or castes. ... Matrilineality is a system in which one belongs to ones mothers lineage; it may also involve the inheritance of property or titles through the female line. ... , Karnataka (Kannada: , IPA:  ) is a state in the southern part of India. ... , Kerala ( ; Malayalam: കേരളം; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... Tulu is one of the minor languages of India with under 2,000,000 speakers. ... “Kannada” redirects here. ... hinduism also involves the exchange of male pun. ... Jain and Jaina redirect here. ... Tulu is one of the minor languages of India with under 2,000,000 speakers. ... , Karnataka (Kannada: , IPA:  ) is a state in the southern part of India. ... , Kerala ( ; Malayalam: കേരളം; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... Kannada - aptly described as sirigannada (known to few as Kanarese) is one of the oldest Dravidian languages and is spoken in its various dialects by roughly 45 million people. ...

Problems and Perspectives of the History and Cultural Anthropology of the Bunt Community

Who are the Bunts? Where do they come from? How did they settle down in the west coast and when?

The origin of Bunts is still a mystery. One has to first settle down on the question of the anthropological origin of the Bunts and then move on to a study that stretches through several centuries to know how they lived and what they did. It also covers details of such mundane things as what the Bunts generally ate, how they dressed, what their houses looked like, how they built their houses, how they acquired and managed their lands, how they worked, traded, invested their money, what kind of family life they had, what gods did they worship, and, most important of all, what role did they play in the polity through the ages.

This may look like a tall order; but it would be worthwhile to go through the first kilometre at least. You know why it is important to take the first step. A people who are ignorant of their origin are condemned to remain faceless.

As we are aware, scientific research takes its first step forward with hypotheses. You then collect data to support or refute the hypotheses, examine and analyse them and come to conclusions.

Four hypotheses: A few hypotheses are listed below to start with. A lot of misinformation (armchair gossip with no backup from scientific research) is circulated among educated groups about the origin and development of Bunts. In order to clear such misinformation, these hypotheses are presented with a negative stance.

1. Bunts were not original inhabitants of the west coast of India. Reason: They do not have the physical features of Dravidians who were the original inhabitants of India. Their features are more akin to the Aryans. In other words, they are proto-Austroloid and not Negrito. They have skeletal features of the Mediterranean people.

Some Bunts also share the Thalasaemia gene of the Mediterranean people. (The geographical association of the gene with the people of the Mediterranean rim was responsible for its naming. Thallasa or thallos is the Greek word for the sea and haina in Greek means blood.) This peculiar genetic trait which is now considered as a disease in medical jargon, according to experts, is common among people who have intra-family marriages. Such marriages within the family were common particularly among the ancient people of the Aegean, the Spartans to be precise.

The Spartans, beginning from the eighth century B.C. to the early years of the Christian era were, like the Bunts, matrilineal. They were a martial race. Women of Sparta looked after the lands while their men went to war and were absent from home for months and years together at a stretch. They wanted the lands to remain in the family, so they preferred intra-family marriages. The Bunts also did the same until the first half of the twentieth century.

Another set of people who lived and disappeared four hundred years before the Spartans were the Minoans of Crete Island in the Aegean Sea. They were worshipers of serpents and spirits and trees. They were also sea-farers and traders. They had trade relations with the west coast of India, according to archaeological evidence. The Mediterranean sea-farers might have come to the west coast of India and set up trading posts (as did the Romans several centuries later). A few of them might have stayed back for good.

2. Bunts were not of Aryan origin. They do not share Aryan values in their religious and social life. This is evident in, among other things, the mode of worship practised by the Bunts and their marriage rituals. Bunts always enjoyed a high social status from ancient times, in spite of being non-brahmin.

Powerful ruling communities in ancient India who had come from foreign lands like Iran and Central Asia were inducted to brahminhood by Brahmin priests. None of the Bunts were ever inducted to brahminism even though the Bunts of the west coast were occupying commanding positions in ancient Indian polity. Jainism, on the other hand, had absorbed a sizable number of Bunts into their fold, as evident in many common cultural and social practices of both the communities.

3. Bunts were not ordinary soldiers; they commanded soldiers. Bunts were, and are still, a powerful minority who always played a leadership role in society. Their social status was far above the common soldiers from backward classes.

4. Bunts were not merely landed gentry; they were traders and moneylenders too. The word ‘gentry’ is a generic term for well-born, high class people. The trading houses (bhandasale) whose remnants are still found in some parts of Udupi and Mangalore districts speak volumes about the trading activities of the Bunts. We have documentary evidence of some leading Bunt families who made their fortune by lending money in the nineteenth century.

Mega Research Project on Bunt History: A pathbreaking research project was launched in early 2005 for construction of the History of Bunts. It is sponsored by the World Bunts Foundation Trust in association with a reputed research organisation called the Govinda Pai Research Centre, M.G.M. College, Udupi. Fieldworkers have collected data on the oral history of Bunts. The Project with a time frame of three years (2005-2008) is headed by the Project Director, Dr K. R. Shetty of Mangalore.

The Research Project on Bunt History follows a timeline divided into five broad sections:

1. Theories on the Origin and Development of Bunts. 2. History of Bunts from prehistoric times up to the end of the Vijayanagara Empire. 3. History of Bunts from the fall of Vijayanagara (1564) through the Keladi Nayakas to the fall of Tippu. (1799). 4. Bunts during the Nineteenth Century (1800 to 1900). 5. Bunts from 1901 to 1947 (Independence) and up to 1966 (Land Reforms in Karnataka).

The socio-economic history of Bunts for the momentous fifty years from the middle of the twentieth century up to the turn of the century is a subject for a separate study in due course.

Bunts are Nadavas: A word about nomenclature. We talk about Bunts, but who, then, are the Nadavas? Nadavas and Bunts are ethnically a single entity. The term Nadava was in circulation much earlier than the term Bunt. Yet, historical circumstances in the crucial 100 years between 1850 and 1950 popularised the use of the word Bunt to denote both Nadavas and Bunts. For the sake of convenience, we, therefore, use a single term for the community as a whole. When we talk of Bunts, we also talk of Nadavas who are one and the same. The other alternative available to us is a laborious one; we may have to use the words Bunts alias Nadavas or Bunt/Nadava every time. That would be too much to the eye.

Another group of people with similar culture was the Nairs of Tulu nadu. They have disappeared as an entity from Tulu nadu but the inscriptions found in Barkur from the medieval period as well as the Grama Paddathi, which gives the history of Brahmin families in Tulu nadu, have made several references to the Nairs They seemed to have intimate connections with the Brahmins and acted as their protectors, perhaps brought to Tulu nadu by the Kadamba kings in the 8th century. Kadamba king Mayuravarma, who is credited with bringing Brahmins from Ahichatra (from the North), also settled Nairs in Tulu nadu. Yet, there is no written proof for this occurrence and the only mention of the Nairs in the inscriptions comes after the Alupa period (early part of 14th century.) It is postulated that the Nairs were later absorbed into the social stratum of the Nadava community.

It is also postulated that the Nairs of Kerala originally migrated from the Tulu nadu as noted here: Manual of Madras Administration Vol II (printed in 1885) notes that the Nadavas are the same people as the Nairs of Malabar and the Bunts of Southern Tulu nadu. “They appear to have entered Malabar from the North rather than the South and to have peopled first the Tulu, and then the Malayalam country. They were probably the off-shoot of some colony in the Konkan or the Deccan. In Malabar and south of Kanara as far as Kasargod, they are called Nairs and their language is Malayalam. From Kasargod to Brahmavar, they are termed as Bunts and speak Tulu. To the north of Brahmavar, they are called Nadavars, and they speak Kanarese.”

Limitations: The construction of the history of Bunts is a formidable task in view of the paucity of written records. Yet, here we are, treading the first kilometre. We are all too aware of the fact that this is only a modest beginning to break the historical illiteracy regarding the origin and development of the Bunt community. The enquiry must go on for a long time to come. Many more research projects will have to come to grips with the subject matter. This is a matter of vital importance. The past has built our present and the present shall build our future. Those who forget the past do not have much of a future to look forward. The same thing applies to those who do not value their past. A people who do not value their past will not protect it either. It amounts to perpetuation of our historical illiteracy.

So we take the first step to look for the origins of the Bunt community.

Genetic study of Bunts

The search for the origin of Bunts has to be made at three levels, genetics, cultural anthropology and history. It is worthwhile to begin with a quest for the genetic ancestry of Bunts. A hot pursuit of the Mediterranean connection of the Bunts and their North Indian connections is worth the salt.

Cultural anthropologists say that ancient mankind is generally divided into two broad categories on the basis of occupation. They are the food-gathering and food-producing tribes. The so called Aryans (known as North-Indoid, patrilineal people) who descended from the northwestern route and spread out on the Himalayan slopes, Indus delta, Indo-Gangetic plains, down to the Cauvery maidan belt, were the food-gathering tribes. The ancient Indus Valley people (Veddoids following the matrilineal system) were the food-producing tribes. North India was inhabited by Melanoids, Veddoids, Indoids and North Indoids, while South India, peopled by the so called Dravidians, were of Indo-Negroid stock comprising of Meloid and Melanoid subdivisions. Regionwise, Indoids travelled from the north and settled down in the west coast of India including the Karnataka and Malabar coasts. The Meloids took up fishing in the west coast while Indoids-cum-Melanoids took up agriculture. The Dalit tribes of Karnataka were a blend of Naga (Nal culture), Indoid and Melanoid elements. The Kurubas who came to be called Kadambas were Meloids while Pallavas and Cholas were Melanoids. (Melos is an island in the Aegean rim and Melanesia is the West Pacific island group comprising of Fiji, Samoa and Solomon Islands.

Ancient Bunts were predominantly of Indoid stock, with a mixture of Melanoid elements. This points out to the West Asian connection of the Bunts of India.

Advanced techniques in genetic studies could throw light on the ancestry of Bunts. The redeeming feature in the genetic study of Bunts is that unlike many other racial groups, there has been very little racial intermingling of the Bunt community over the ages. This we can claim with some degree of certainty in the light of the fact that until the last decades of the twentieth century, the Bunts in general were not inclined to marry out of caste. This was prompted by the socio-economic circumstances of the Bunt community, centering on the ownership and management of agribusiness. Neither the rites-centered community of brahmins nor the labour-centered castes could fit into the feudal structure of Bunt life. Matrilineal system of land ownership was a crucial factor that totally blocked racial intermingling of Bunts with other castes and communities.

Some families of Bunts in the west coast of India share a genetic trait called Thalassaemia gene. This, in clinical terms, is an inherited condition relating to the red blood cells and, in this sense, it is similar to the sickle cell gene.

Medical research has shown that the sickle cell gene is found in small pockets in the regions of the west coast of India. According to a study, the sickle cell gene is common among descendents of the people of the Mediterranean rim, the upper Africa and the Greek islands of the Aegean Sea. The study postulates that the gene was perpetuated by those who came down to the western and central parts of India as “praetorian guards” for the Indian princes during the medieval period. ‘Praetorian’ is a term used for ancient Roman magistrates below the rank of consul.

The study points out that a single mutation (of sickle cell gene) occurred in neolithic times (3000 to 6000 generations ago) in the then fertile Arabian peninsula. The changing climatic conditions over the millennia resulted in the conversion of the region into a vast desert. This caused people of the peninsula to migrate to eastern Saudi Arabia and to equatorial Africa and to the Indian west coast. This hypothesis is based on the distribution of agricultural practices and other anthropological evidences.

The sickle cell or the Thalassaemia gene is said to be prevalent among communities that supported intra-family marriages. Intra-family marriages were common among ancient matrilineal societies of the landed gentry, like the Spartans in mainland Greece. Men were mostly out on the battlegrounds while women managed the lands with the help of slave labour in Sparta. Women inherited the lands from their mothers. Marriages within the family was an economic necessity for them in order to keep the lands within the family.

A parallel situation is found among the Bunts of the Indian west coast. For similar reasons as the Spartans, intra family marriages were the order of the day for the Bunts through the ages until the first half of the twentieth century. This could explain the prevalence of the sickle cell gene among Bunts. The incidence of the sickle cell gene among certain families of Bunts is, therefore, a genetic trait inherited from their Mediterranean ancestors.

Mitochondrial DNA is maternally inherited and it enables matrilineal lines of individuals to be traced through genetic analysis. (Genetic researchers refer to the Mitochondrial Eve who lived in East Africa about 150,000 years ago as the most recent common ancestor of all living humans.) If the Bunts could associate themselves with the present genographic project conducted jointly by the National Geographic Society and IBM in the U. S. A., it would help us in understanding the evolutionary and migratory history of the Bunt community as a whole. The researchers of the genographic project ask the respondents to have a mouth swab with a special cheek scraper kit provided to them. The sample is then processed and analysed in a laboratory in America. It can help fix the deep ancestry of the respondents by tracing the path one’s ancestors travelled over history. The respondents are identified by specific groups as defined by a series of genetic markers that are shared by others who carry the same random mutations.

A few Bunt professionals settled in Boston, U.S.A. have also launched a genetic study of Bunts on different parameters on nominal payment from respondents. Their findings may also be eventually subrouted to the NGS-IBM survey to find out the deep ancestry of Bunts.

Are the Bunts a race?

Next part of the study has to focus on the definition of the term Bunt. Who really are the Bunts? Are they a race? Are they a religious group? A few definitions that are often heard are that they are a community of agriculturists settled in the west coast of Karnataka. They are also an ethnic group, a language-culture group and a set of people who have always been on the higher rungs of the social ladder with distinctive leadership qualities. A few misconceptions about the Bunts also need to be cleared. These misconceptions relate to a belief that the Bunts are a community of soldiers and that they are the original settlers of coastal Karnataka. Another misconception about the Bunts is the idea that they are purely agriculturists and not traders.

We have to take into account the limitations of the study of the history of Bunts. We also have to examine the various existing theories on the origins of Bunts, ancient and modern references to the Bunts and other sources. Periods of study will have to demarkated, from ancient through medieval times to the modern. The enquiry has to take note of the feudal structure of the society in which the Bunts have evolved through the ages. We then have a look at the social strata of Bunts who were the right hand men of Jain kings of Canara. The study will have to examine the classification of strata into historical households - Beedu (Boodu), Guttu and Illa. Commoners like Okkelme or Okkelaye also have to come under the scanner as this would help in understanding the social and political obligations of the different strata of Bunts. A study of the topography as well as the plants and animals (flora and fauna) of Canara would be necessary to understand the occupation of the Bunts. It would also help in finding the origins of the Bunt customs and traditions including the harvest festivals and the buffalo races (kambla) which they celebrate with gusto. It would also explain the rationale for the construction of the large manorial houses of the Bunts that still dot the landscape of the Karnataka west coast.

Linguistic references

A study of the origin and development of Tulu language with particular reference to the Bunt Tulu and Bunt Kannada can throw light on the cultural anthropology of the Bunts. The migratory Bunts appear to have adopted the languages of the region where they settled down. Those who pitched their tents in the northern part of the west coast of Karnataka adopted the Kannada language while those who moved further down south adopted the common Tulu language of the region.

Among the four principal variants of Tulu language, the Bunts speak the Common Tulu. They share this language with all other communities in Tulunadu except Shivalli Brahmins, Jains and the Koragas. These three caste groups have their own variants of Tulu. Tulu has an estimated 2.5 million speakers. According to the 1991 Census, there were 306 Tulu speakers for every 10,000 people in Karnataka, while the number of Konkani speakers was 157. Bishop Caldwell describes Tulu as one of the most highly developed of the Dravidian languages. Despite being a stable spoken language of the so called Canara region, Tulu has been overtaken by Kannada in academic and official circles. Yet, in all social interactions in the region, Tulu is used in places outside schools, colleges and universities, law courts and other workplaces. People talk to one another in Tulu whenever there are only Tulu speakers are present. Kannada, however, is a default language when there is even one non-Tulu speaking person in a group.

Malavika Shetty of the University of Texas, Austin, U.S.A. in a study on Language Contact and Maintenance of Tulu Language (2003) observes that in spite of the domination of Kannada in official and academic circles in the predominantly Tulu-speaking areas in Karnataka, Tulu language has retained its character and identity. In other words, there has been little code-switching from Tulu to Kannada. (Code-switching is a term in linguistics referring to alternation between two or more languages or dialects in a single conversation or utterance between people who have more than one language in common.) This, according to Malavika, is due to two important factors. First, there is no greater association of socio-economic benefits and prestige with speaking Kannada. Secondly, a strong sense of identity prevails when a person speaks in Tulu in a Tulu-speaking community. There are no visible social and political motivations for Tulu speakers to switch codes (words and usages) with Kannada. Even when a Tulu-speaking Bunt marries a Kannada-speaking Bunt, their children usually tend to speak Tulu at home.

Bunts on record

The epigraphic evidence of Bunt presence in the west coast of India needs to be studied meticulously. Lithic records of Vijayanagara rulers that speak of Tulu Rajya and Mangalore Rajya have also to be examined in greater detail. References in literary tradition will also have to be scanned through. If more archaeological excavations are conducted in the historical places of Tulunadu, substantial epigraphic evidence on the presence of Bunts in the region is likely to emerge. The target areas for such excavations should be the sites of capital cities of ancient rulers in places like Udyavara, Katapadi, Kaup and Yermal in Udupi district and Mulki and a few other Mangalore suburbs.

Oral History of Bunts

Some amount of proximity of the Common Tulu language to Tamil language has given rise to a theory that the Bunts came from Tamil Nadu in the early centuries of the Christian era and that they were a subcaste of the Vellalars, a dominant community of agriculturists of Tamil Nadu. Vellalars also migrated to parts of Kerala and northern Sri Lanka. A popular Tamil proverb says that dacoits (kallar) who supported the ruling families became soldiers (maravar). In course of time, they became homeowners and landowners (agamudaiyar), and eventually they became respectable as Vellalars. In southern Kerala they were known as Pillais and in upper Kerala, they came to be called Nairs. (Kallar, Maravar, Agamudai-yar mella- mella vanthu Vellalar anarkal).

According to one theory, the word Vellalar is derived from Velanmai which means “to cultivate.” Another one says that it is derived from Vellam, that is, “control of water.” Yet another theory holds that the word is derived from Vel, that is, to win, to control, to take. It also means a lance, an old and archaic weapon of war. This theory postulates that agricultural lands in South Asia were acquired by hunter-gatherers by force and the occupation forces turned virgin lands into crop-yielding fields.

A few leaders who would organize such raids and raise settlements were called Vel. This term was later used for all the farming communities (Ulavars) of Tamil Nadu. Ulavar is the Tamil name for cultivators and in earlier days, only the village headmen or founding chiefs were called by this name. In Tulunadu, Bunts were the only community who were called Ullaya (overlord) by their serfs. Ballala is also a surname of the Bunts signifying an eminent social position. Ballala households of the Bunts were far closer to the ruling Jain dynasties in Canara than any other Bunts. They had over-riding powers over the Guttu and Illa households, which were under the jurisdiction of the Ballalas.

Ulavars, Nayakas and Vellalars: Some common titles of Tamil Ulavars were Pillai, Mudaliyar and Gounder. When the southern parts of Tamil Nadu came under the Telugu Nayaka chieftains, the Vellalars came under the service of the Nayakas. Nayaka or Nayak/ Naik is one of the prominent surnames of the Bunts. Nayaka families are generally found in the proximity of the capitals of the two traditional Tulu regions, the Barkur Rajya and Mangalore Rajya.

The Jain connection

The inter-community relations in Tulunadu with reference to the historical relations between Jains and Bunts need to be taken into account while constructing the history of Bunts. The focus has to be on the role of Bunts in Jain kingdoms of Karnataka. Efforts have also to be made to trace the presence of Bunts under the rule of Kadambas of Banavasi. (Kadambas were originally kurubas.) A Sanskrit work of the Middle Ages called Skanda Purana in one of its chapters entitled Sahyadri Khanda refers to a king called Mayura Varman. As we have no source to fix his identity, we may assume that he was the historical Kadamba king of the same name. During the later Kadamba period, there was some movement of a class of nobility from the Banavasi kingdom of the Kadambas to the southern coast of Karnataka. We have to examine the possible migration of ‘praetorian guards’ from the Banavasi region to the west coast to Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts.

It is on record that the Jain chieftains had marched from the southern parts of Mysore district into the coastal belt of Karnataka some time in the tenth century A.D. They had to contend with fearful local chieftains in the region, particularly the Heggades of Karkala. Who were these Heggades? Were they Bunts, though they were not called so in the records? The Heggades of Karkala have traditionally remained outside the fold of the Bunt community with no intermingling at any point of time. The only thing common between them and the Bunts or Jains is the surname Heggade which only means “head of a village” or chieftain. It doesn’t have communal overtones. Similarly, Bunts and Jains share many other surnames like Shetty, Ballala, Banga, Chowta and Ajila. The surnames usually refer to the status of the concerned persons. It also denotes the office held by the incumbents. This factor is common to the landholders in northeastern India where a surname like Hazarika (one who owns one thousand acres of land) is used by Hindus as well as Muslims.

Bunts during the second millennium (1000 to 2000 A.D.)

It is worthwhile to understand in a broad sweep the role of Bunts in the Middle Ages during the rule of Alupas, Hoysalas, Vijayanagara kings, Hyderali and Tippu.

A study of the political and social conditions in the west coast of India would be relevant to understand the role of Bunts particularly during the period of Hyderali and Tippu (from 1701 to 1799), as it would give a perspective to the transition of Bunts to the Modern Period and their subsequent development. Tippu was inimical to the Christians whom he perceived as stooges of the British establishment. How did he react to the Bunts who were a prominent land-owing community in the coastal belt which he came to rule? And then, the religious conversion of a few prominent Bunt families with surnames such as Alva and Tolar to Christianity during the rule of the British has also to be taken note of.

Bunts under British rule

Bunts were revenue officials (Patels) in villages during the British period. This practice prevailed even after Independence, well through the 1950s and 1960s until the patel system was replaced by the panchayat system of village administration. The Bunt patels were also responsible for law and order in the respective groups of villages under their jurisdiction. The British administrators wooed the Bunt leaders with a view to tighten their hold in the villages. This aspect needs detailed scrutiny.

We also need to examine the role of Bunts in India’s freedom struggle in the early decades of the twentieth century. Simultaneously we have to take note of the fact that the British administrators really tried to divide and rule by a deliberate policy of rewards and punishments. They conferred titles like Rao Bahadur on some prominent Bunt leaders. This policy resulted in the organization of a pro-British political party called the Justice Party. A few prominent Bunt leaders had spearheaded this Party in the undivided South Kanara district. They had also contested polls to provincial assemblies and district bodies. At the same time, an influential section of Bunt leaders had joined the mainstream of India’s Freedom Struggle and cast their lot with Mahatma Gandhi. The details need to be recorded with the help of oral history and legal records. Literary records also need to be examined to collaborate the evidence. Bunts from large landholding families were elected as heads of local bodies like the District Board. An eminent Bunt also became a minister in the then Madras State Government at a time when South Kanara was a part of the Madras State.

Religious leanings of Bunts

Bunts are traditional worshippers of zoomorphic deities called daivas. They share this practice with a few other communities in the region. How and when did they acquire this cultural trait? Bunts are also connected with the management of brahminic temples in Tulunadu from ancient times, at least from the tenth century onwards. They managed temples of both the streams of Hindu religion, the Shaiva and the Vaishnava. Strictly speaking, they were neither Shaivas nor Vaishnavas. Their idols of worship were those of the folk deities. The rituals they conducted in their households and villages were concerned with propitiating their respective folk deities. They carry on with this practice even today. At the same time, they are traditional trustees of a large number of Brahminic Shaiva and Vaishnava temples in the region. This speaks of their leadership role in society. They were donors of lands and money to the Brahminic temples. This may perhaps explain their Shaiva connection and the Vaishnava linkage.

The family deities of the Bunts have many names like kodmanthaya, panjurli and so on. They were all zoomorphic deities in contrast to the anthropomorphic deities of the Brahmins. It was a duty of the Bunt households to perform the annual rituals to propitiate the household deities (daivas) to ward off divine reprisal. Separate land grants were allotted to meet the expenses of such rituals. However, these lands passed on to the tenants in the wake of the land reforms in 1966, leaving the Bunts to manage the annual rituals from their own personal income. This has become a strain on many families who have actually moved far away from their ancestral houses. As a result, some households have done away with the rituals altogether, while some others are carrying them on reluctantly, spending money from their own pockets. The unshakable faith in the deities of the surviving elderly lady members of the families as well as those of the backward class tenants-turned-owners of Bunt lands in the villages is the compulsive factor behind the performance of these rituals nowadays. Some of them still think that if the deities are not propitiated in the appropriate traditional manner, ill luck would visit them. However, the tradition is dying.

Family life of Bunts in medieval times

A study of the family life of Bunts would throw light on the evolution of Bunts through the ages. The joint family system of the Bunts prevailed for several centuries until the latter part of the twentieth century. Economic conditions in the wake of land reforms in Karnataka forced the Bunts to opt for nuclear families. It is of immense sociological interest to know how the joint family system of the Bunts worked for a very long time. The branching out of the joint families into several factions or branches commonly known as “Kavarus” provides ample material for understanding the family structure of traditional Bunt families. It also throws light on the delicate inter-relationship between the many “Kavarus” of a joint family. Almost all members of the so-called “Kavarus” converge in the old family house on special occasions warranting their presence, like marriages, births and deaths in the family, and ritual functions like kola and kambla and tambila. There is more of religious compulsion to come together in such cases. The “Kavaru” system also opened up the floodgates of legal disputes within the joint families. It took a long time to settle property disputes in courts. This also led the way to the slow but sure disintegration of the Bunt joint family system. As a sidelight of the study, it is worthwhile to take note of the way the Bunts dressed and what they ate in the normal course of the day and on ceremonial occasions. Another aspect of the study has to focus on how the Bunts retained their leadership role in society through several centuries until modern times.

Bunt Diaspora

Migration of Bunts from South Kanara to other parts of India in the nineteenth century was rare. However, a few enterprising fishermen did venture to go to Mumbai in dhows (fishing boats). Some of them chose to settle down in the big city after they took up small jobs in business houses. A few able-bodied among them even opted for casual employment in the British Royal Navy as cleaners. During World War I, a few such men sailed in warships across the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf and touched the Persian port of Basra (now in Iraq). But in the wake of the First World War, the Canara region saw a steady migration of the third rung of Bunts to Mumbai in search of new opportunities. Migration of Bunts to Mumbai was limited to some sections of Bunt small farmers. The boys who migrated to Mumbai were ready to take up any work offered to them. Most of them took up jobs in second class Mumbai hotels. These boys showed an exceptional ability for development. They learnt the tricks of the trade in the hotel industry and as they grew up to adulthood, they set up their own hotels. They extended an open invitation to boys in their homeland to come to Mumbai to work under them. In the process, not only Bunt boys but also boys of other poor classes also migrated to Mumbai.

The Mumbai Chalo movement gave rise to a phenomenon called “Money Order Economy” in the undivided Dakshina Kannada district, as cashflow from Mumbai saw the economic prosperity of many poor Bunt families.

Another significant outcome of the Mumbai Chalo movement was the rise of the “new rich” Bunts whose prosperity was due to the enormous success of Bunt hotel owners of Mumbai. This class of the New Rich Bunts wanted to seek marital alliances from noble Bunt families of Dakshina Kannada. The impoverished minor branches (“Kavarus”) were too willing to offer their sons and nephews in marriage to the daughters of the New Rich Bunts of Mumbai, of course, in return for fat dowry in hard cash. The adverse effect of this trend percolated deep into the Bunt community as a whole, resulting in Bunt boys everywhere demanding high dowry in cash. The impact of this trend has always been negative and counter-productive. No law nor social activism could counteract the evil of the dowry system among the Bunts until today. An offshoot of this evil system is the slow but sure increase in dowryless inter-caste marriages of Bunt boys and girls, a trend started in the late 1990s, as more and more Bunt boys and girls pursued higher education and became prosperous engineers and doctors.

It also marked the beginning of an era of NRI Bunts, mostly engineers and doctors, spread mainly over England and America. The Bunt diaspora thus became global.

Land Reforms and Bunts

Land Reforms in Karnataka which were enacted in 1964 and enforced in 1966 onwards had a far-reaching impact on the economic condition of the Bunts in the undivided Dakshina Kannada district. The carpet was pulled off the feet of the landowning Bunts who were left with no worthwhile alternative to carry on their traditional way of life. The effect of losing their hereditary land holdings to tenants was traumatic for the affected Bunt families. A detailed study of this aspect of recent Bunt history is of immense sociological interest.

The immediate response of the Bunt families who lost their lands was to meet the challenge through other means. They became more inclined towards higher education and acquisition of technical skills. Many Bunt young men also became successful entrepreneurs. In a way, the land reforms posed a challenge to the Bunts. They responded to it in highly productive ways. Bunts in Politics and Business

Having been endowed with natural qualities of leadership, many Bunt young men and women plunged into the freedom struggle in the early decades of the twentieth century and carved out a niche for themselves in national and local politics. Some became ministers and some others became heads of district level and village level representative bodies.

Trading in foodgrains was common to the Bunts from ancient times. Trading houses were set up by them at several places in the undivided Dakshina Kannada district whose remnants are seen even today.

Bunts in Professions

Elite Bunt families encouraged their bright young men to go for higher education, beginning from the closing decades of the nineteenth century. The young men went to Madras (Chennai) city, the state capital to study law, medicine and engineering. They came out in flying colours and took up their respective professions with all earnestness. They were the pioneering Bunts in their respective fields and they had to make a name. In course of time they made their presence felt in their respective fields as they became highly successful and prosperous lawyers, doctors and engineers.

The trend continues even now, as a large number of Bunt families encourage their offspring to pursue higher education.

Modern Bunts and the Paradigm Shift

A significant development in the Bunt Community during the post-Independence era is the paradigm shift. The traditional way of life of the Bunts which was centered on the joint family system received a big jolt in the mid-50s of the twentieth century. Tenants would rarely pay their rental dues fully and in time. Income from that traditional source started drying up.

Bunts were forced to look for alternatives in order to survive. A change in their traditional outlook on life became inevitable. It was epochal as it changed their way of thinking and their way of life. It was a kind of paradigm shift that happens very rarely in the evolution of human societies.

The paradigm shift has occurred in several areas of Bunt social life. It relates to their family life and their social life. It is showing itself in the manner in which old values are cast off and new values are adopted. The shift is more in evidence among the NRI Bunts than others. On the home front, Bunts who were traditionally in favour of intrafamily marriages opened up for intracommunity marriages. Bunt men married Nadava girls and vice versa. The integration of Nadavas and Bunts thus became complete. As more and more Bunt boys and girls got higher education, there was an increased turnout of professionals like doctors and engineers in the community. This factor also coincided with the social mobility of Bunt young men and women – the so called Bunt diaspora. It opened up avenues for intercaste marriages. In a way, this trend was a fitting reply to the growing evil of senseless dowry system that was eating into the roots of the Bunt social and economic life. The far-reaching effects of this paradigm shift among the Bunts need to be studied from several angles, the economic, sociological and psychological. It forms the stuff of the modern history of the Bunts.

Etymology

The word Bunta in Kannada implies soldier This is derived from the Sanskrit word Bhata again meaning 'powerful man' or 'a soldier'. The Tulu equivalent is Bunte or Bunter(plural). Sanskrit ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ...

Geographic distribution

Bunts are mostly found in the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka, the Kasaragod district of Kerala and in Mumbai. They share Tulu Nadu with other prominent religious, communities and ethnic groups like the Dalits, Billavas, Mogaveeras, Brahmins, Konkanis, Catholics, Muslims and Jains. The southern Bunts inhabiting Dakshina Kannada, northern Kasaragod and Udupi and Karkala taluks of Udupi districts are Tuluvas. Bunts in Kundapura speak a dialect of Kannada called kundagannada. Location of Dakshina Kannada district with respect to the other districts of Karnataka. ... , For other uses, see Udupi (disambiguation). ... , For the district with the same name, see Kasaragod district. ... , Kerala ( ; Malayalam: കേരളം; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... , Bombay redirects here. ... In South Asias caste system, an untouchable, dalit, or achuta is a person outside of the four castes, and considered below them. ... Mogaveeras(also written as Mogavira) are the major fishing community in coastal Karnataka, India. ... Young Indian brahmachari Brahmin A Brahmin (less often Brahman) is a member of the Hindu priestly caste. ... Konkani is a term used to refer both to a language and to an Indian ethnic group. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... JAIN is an activity within the Java Community Process, developing APIs for the creation of telephony (voice and data) services. ... , Karkala is a town and also the headquarters of Karkala Taluk in Udupi district of Karnataka, India, and is located about 38 km from Udupi and about 480 km from Bangalore. ... , For other uses, see Udupi (disambiguation). ... The Tuluvas (Tulu: ತುಳುವ) are speakers of the Tulu language. ... , Kundapura is a town in Udupi district in the Indian state of Karnataka. ...

Subdivisions

The Bunts community is made up of several subcommunities. The chief among them include Yadav, Bantaru, Nadavaru, Jain Bunts, Masaadika, Parivaara, Setru, Halarusetru, Baraga, Ullaye, Dokkaludethi, Boyaru, Kartharu, Palavaru and Ikkelakalu.

• Maasaadika Bunts are Tulu-speaking Bunts settled in the southern part of Tulu Nadu (Udupi, Mangalore and Kasargod).

• Naadavas or Nadabunts are Kannada-speaking Bunts settled in the northern parts of Tulunadu, i.e from Brahmavar to Shiroor. They are also known as Badakayeedagulu in Tulu.

• Parivaara Bunts are similar to remaining Bunts, but do not marry outside the subcommunity and they have surname Naik.

• Jain Bunts are Bunts who still follow Jainism. They share surnames such as Hegde, Ajila, Ballal with other Bunts. Many of them are associated with the ruling dynasties of the region, like the Chowtas.

This article, image, template or category belongs in one or more categories. ...

Society

Bunts are part of unique culture of coastal Karnataka. These cultural aspects along with the dialect of Tulu spoken are common to many non-Brahmin communities in this region.

Rituals and Worship

Bunts usually follow the Tulu (also, found in Kerala) traditional rituals of Bhuta Kola or the spirit worship and Nagaradhane or snake-worship. Bunt households in the villages had earmarked spaces for Bhootada Gudi or the rest space for spirits, literally translated it means Spirit House. During Bhuta Kola, the eldest male member of the family will be called by name by the Darshan Paathri (the person who invokes the spirit), in the presence of villagers and prasadam will be given. , Kerala ( ; Malayalam: കേരളം; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... Bhuta Kola or spirit worship is an ancient form of worship prevalent among the Tulu-speaking community in Udupi, Dakshina Kannada districts in Karnataka and Kasargod district in Kerala. ... Nagaradhane or snake worship, along with Bhuta Kola is one of the unique traditions, prevalent in coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in Karnataka. ... Bhuta Kola or spirit worship is an ancient form of worship prevalent among the Tulu-speaking community in Udupi, Dakshina Kannada districts in Karnataka and Kasargod district in Kerala. ...

Matrilineal System

Main article: Aliya Kattu

Bunts historically follow a matrilineal system. This system was common to many communities in coastal Karnataka and Kerala. It was called Aliya-Sanatana and as well Aliya Kattu. The Gotras or bari were passed from mother to children. In Aliya-Santana, inheritance is passed through the matrilineal family. The brother managed the land on behalf of his sister. His sister's son in turn would inherit the management of the matrilineal family land. There are many Bunt households, each with their own name. In addition, each matrilineal household had a surname associated with it, and the children would take their matrilineal family surname. Traditionally, a Bunt would put the name of his matrilineal household in front of his name and his matrilineal surname at the end. Aliya Kattu(ಅಳಿಯ ಕಟ್ಟು in Kannada) (Nephew lineage) in Tulu/Kannada or Marumakkatayam in Malayalam was, a matrilineal system of property inheritance practiced by many communities in coastal Karnataka and Kerala. ... Matrilineality is a system in which one belongs to ones mothers lineage; it may also involve the inheritance of property or titles through the female line. ... , Karnataka (Kannada: , IPA:  ) is a state in the southern part of India. ... Aliya Kattu(ಅಳಿಯ ಕಟ್ಟು in Kannada) (Nephew lineage) in Tulu/Kannada or Marumakkatayam in Malayalam was, a matrilineal system of property inheritance practiced by many communities in coastal Karnataka and Kerala. ... A gotra is the lineage or clan assigned to a Hindu at birth. ...

Paād-danāas

Paād-danāas are songs rendered in Tulu language, describing the origin and the deeds of the holy spirits. Paād-danāas are an integral part of Tulu culture and are sung during the Bhuta Kola ceremony. Some of the well known spirits worshipped by the Bunts include Panjirlu, Jumādi, Pilichāndi, Ullalthi, Vishnümurthy etc. Bhuta Kola or spirit worship is an ancient form of worship prevalent among the Tulu-speaking community in Udupi, Dakshina Kannada districts in Karnataka and Kasargod district in Kerala. ...

Bunts Nature

Bunts/Shettys in general are supposed to be brave and have a fierce image.They are very hard working and have a passion of amassing wealth.Due to which lots of "Rags to Riches" stories can be heard about many Multi-Millionaires Bunts.Bunts carry the famous "Anna" tag.Bunts are generous by nature and always honor goodwill or assistance of any person.They are supposed to be masters in hospitality management which clearly shows their success in Hotel and any service industry.They have a good "Attitude" along with being humorous.Bunt like to live life wholeheartedly and socialize in family event.Incase of a brawl or a fight,Bunt can very tough and threatening to deal with.So dont take "Panga" with Bunts.

Cuisine

The cuisine of Bunts is famous all over Tulu Nadu. Bunts specialise both in vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Among non-vegetarian dishes, Kori Rotti ,neer dose,and Kane Gasee are well known. Vegetarian dishes include Gullāa Chutney and Pāthrode.The Bunt's Community are spread widely in hotel and catering business all over the world.They are known for their culinary and management /administration skills. Kori rotti is a popular Mangalorean dish, a combination of red chili-based chicken curry and crispy crackling dry bread made from rice flakes. ...

Typical last names

Main article: List of Bunt last names

Bunts have more than ninety surnames: Alva, Adappa, Ajila, Ballal, Shetty, Hegde and Rai are widely found among them. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Names of Bunt Households

A:Ajiladi, Anjaar, Adekela,Adimar Guthu.

B:Badilaguthu, Baggediguthu, Bajaalbeedu, Bakrabail, Bambran, Bolluruguthu, Biyyar, Bajjal,Bellipady,Beladi Perla Guttu

C:Chavadi

D:

E:

F:

G:Gandabettu Guttu H:Havanje, Halageri Kelamane

I:

J:Jeppu Goddeguthu

K:Kukehalli Doddabeedu, Kelakunjalu Padubettu, Kenjar Mane, Kakwaguthu, Kandavara, Kankanaguttu, Kodialguthu, Kolkebail,Koriyarguttu, Kula-Kundadga, Kundarbeedu, Kunjarga Guttu, Kuppila Guthu, Kaup Kothwalguthu,Kolnadu Pademane,'KulavoorGuttu"Kelakunjalu Padubettu".

L:

M:Marimarguthu, Mavanthur, Mallar, Malarya Bail, Mundala Guttu,Mijar Guttu,

N:NonalGuttu,Noojady, Nadibailubeedu, Narya Mudoor Guthu, Nandradi Guthu,Nitte guttu

O:Onimajalu House

P:Pavoor Guthu, Palaje, Panne, Paradi, Perara Bettu Guthu, Puthigeguthu, Pattori Vokel

Q:

R:

S:Santheriguthu, Satvaadi, Sithamogeru, Shiriyara Melmane, Sooda, Sowkur Bhandaramane, Sujeer Guthu, Santya Guthu

T:Tantradi Metkalmane,Tibhar Guthu

U:Ullipady

V:Vonthibettu

W:

X:

Y:Yermal Garadi Mane,Yedthare

Z:

Business Establishments By Bunts

Banks:Vijaya Bank,UAE Exchange
Industrialist : Ajit Shetty-CEO of Janssen Pharmaceutica(Belguim),RN Shetty-Murudeshwargroup, CN Shetty-Shankaranarayana Group, BR Shetty-NMC Group($2-3 Billion),Shashikiran Shetty-Allcargoglobal($400 million) Manmohan Shetty-Adlabs($200 million)
Builders Nitesh shetty,31(Youngest Millionaire Entrepreneur)-Niteshestates(Bangalore).
Other companies owned by bunts are - Confidental equipments, Fouress engg, Suprajit engg, SM-India, Shirt company, Haldyn glass, BCPL Conductors, Unitopgroup, Unitedrubber, Eastind, Shetron Group, Lamina group, AJ Shetty Group, Multiplex group, Mysore Mercantile, Southfield paints, Sugama Tourist.Anil shetty,president,sharegiant wealth advisory pvt ltd..
Vijaya Bank was founded on 23rd October 1931 by the late Shri A.B.Shetty and other enterprising farmers in Mangalore, Karnataka. ... Ajit Shetty Ajit Shetty is an Indian/Belgian businessman, who was born in Bangalore, India. ...

Bunts in the Entertainment Industry

Manmohan Shetty of Adlabs is considered to be one of the influential person in Bollywood and his company has produced many films.
Actress:Aishwarya Rai,Shilpa Shetty,Shamita Shetty,Anoushka Shetty(Tollywood Actress)
Actor:Legendary "FIGHTER SHETTY",Sunil Shetty,Prakash Rai,Vinod Alva,Daya Shetty(C.I.D),Late Kannada Sunil Shetty
Director:Hruday Shetty,Rohit Shetty(Golmaal),
Music:Sandeep Chowta,Gurukiran ,Sujit shetty
Choreographer:Ganesh Hegde(G-mix),Pratap Shetty
Action:Ram Shetty,Amar Shetty,Harish Shetty,Surendra Shetty ETC ETC />
Others:Mahendra Shetty,R Verman,Sadanand Shetty Aishwarya Rai (Kannada: ಐಶ್ವರ್ಯಾ ರೈ, IPA: ; born November 1, 1973) is an Indian actress. ... Shilpa Shetty (Tulu: ಶಿಲ್ಪ ಶೆಟ್ಟಿ) (born 8 June 1975 in Tamil Nadu, India) is an award-winning Indian film actress and model. ... Shamita Shetty (born 2 February 1979) is an Indian actress. ... Sunil Shetty (born 11 August 1961) is an Indian actor. ... Prakash Rai or Prakash Raj (Kannada: ಪ್ರಕಾಶ್ ರೈ, Tamil: பிரகாஷ்ராஜ், Telugu: ప్రకాశ్ రై)born 1957 is a famous actor and producer in the Telugu and Tamil film industries (Tollywood and Kollywood respectively). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... GuruKiran is a talented music director of Kannada film industry. ...

Sports-Sathisha Rai, Fashion-Rahul Dev Shetty(Bangalore)

Hotels Owned By Bunts

Gulf:Ramee Group,Arabudupi,Lotus Group(NMC);
Mumbai/Pune :Tunga group($175 million),Peninsula Group,Payyade Group,Mischief Restaurants(Sunil Shetty,Actor),Chakra(Andheri),Le- ROYCE(4-star Pune),Sadanand Regency(4 star Hotel,Pune),Arzees(Surat),prakrutiresorts etc.
Bunts are the pioneer of "Udupi Restaurants" in Mumbai,pune,gujrat and rest of India.They dominate entire hotel industry in Mumbai,pune and own close to massive 8000 Hotels,Pubs,Bars Lodges,4-star Hotels.
Karnataka/Southkanara:NAVEEN HOTELS,Maurya,Ashokaresidency,Goldfinch Hotels,ElectronicsInn, Staynwork,Saivishram,Poonja,Motimahal,Abhimaan, Pentagon,Sriram,Durga,Swadesh,Rukmini,Sharada,Trivikram,Sadanand Goa:Fidalgo,Supreme
Bunts own lot of hotels around the world in North America,New-Zealand,U.K,canada.Above mentioned are few among them. Binomial name Carduelis tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) The Eastern or American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) is a typical North American seed-eating member of the finch (Fringillidae) family, averaging 11 cm in length. ...

Successful Bunt Medical Doctors

Dr Devi Prasad Shetty(One of most respectable heart surgeon in india,CEO Narayana Hospitals)
Dr K R shetty( CEO Cumballahill hospital,Mumbai)
Dr Sadanand Shetty(Heart Specialist)
Dr Harish Shetty(Famous Psychiatrist)
Along with Hotel Industry,Bunts are successful in Medical field with numerous specialist Doctors around the world. An editor has expressed a concern that the tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for an encyclopedia. ...

Successful Bunt Lawmakers

Justice K.S Hegde(Honorable first Supreme court judge of Independent India)
Santosh Hegde
Jagannath shetty,P Vishwanath shetty

Bunt Education Institution

NITTE group of Education institutions
AJ SHETTY foundation
DR MV SHETTY institutions
SHREEDEVI group,CITY institutions,BHANDARY foundation,MITE Moodbidri,
RNS institutes,MOODLAKATTE engg,ALVAS education,MUNIYALS ayurveda,GOLDFINCH education
BAILUR education,NARAYANA HRUDAYALAYA institutes,JIRSM&SVEI Mysore
BUNTSSANGHA institutions and more

Private Hospitals By Bunts

Narayana Hospitals, Narayana Nethralaya,Sanjeevini Hospital, Kshema, AJ Hospital, City Hospital,Tejaswini, MV Shetty, Padmavathi, Alvas, Muniyals, Prakruti, RNS Hospital, Vinaya Hospital, Devi Eye Hospital, Cumballahill hospital(K R Shetty), NMC Hospitals, Abhudabhi medical center ..etc

Notorious Bunts

Muthappa Rai-Bangalore(Now in bidadi,Bangalore). Late Sharad Shetty(Dubai,Kaup)- A close associate of Dawood Ibrahim(Right Hand). Late Sadu Shetty-Killed in encounter(Mumbai,Mangalore). "Shetty Gang"-Operates in Mumbai. They are numerous Bunts who have connection with underworld but bunts have realized the problem and are slowly dis-associating with them. Mokhovoye (Russian: ; German: ; Lithuanian: ) is a settlement in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located at the south-western corner of the Curonian Lagoon, near Zelenogradsk. ... Dawood Ibrahim (Urdu: , Hindi: ), b. ... , Bombay redirects here. ... , Mangalore (Kannada: ಮಂಗಳೂರು, Mangalooru; Tulu: ಕುಡ್ಲ, Kudla; Konkani: ಕೊಡಿಯಾಲ್, Kodial; Beary: ಮೈಕಾಲ, Maikala)   is the chief port city of the state of Karnataka, India. ...

External links

• http://www.buntsworld.com
• http://www.buntsforacause.com
• http://www.buntssanghabombay.org/-Bunts Asso Mumbai(Official)
• http://www.buntsyouth.com/-Bunts Asso Mumbai(Youth)
• http://www.punebunts.com/-Bunts Asso Pune
• http://www.buntsanghablr.com/-Bunts Asso Bangalore
• http://www.buntsmathrsangha.net
• http://www.buntsbahrain.com/-Bunts Asso Bahrain
• http://www.bunts.org.uk/- Bunts Asso U.K
• http://www.bana.org/-Bunts Asso North America
• http://www.buntskuwait.com/- Bunts Asso Kuwait
• http://www.boloji.com/places/0022.htm
• http://www.buntscommunity.com/
• http://www.mybunts.com - Bunts Family Tree
• http://www.gulfvarthe.com

Edited By Bipin Shetty,bipin.inn@gmail.com