Karanam (Telugu: కరణం) orKarnam was an office and title native to the Indian states ofAndhra Pradesh andTelangana. Traditionally, Karanam was an official who maintained the accounts and records of the villages and collected the taxes.[1][2][3] Karanam/Kombattulas were one of the two village-level administrative posts that existed in Andhra along with 'Munasabu' (Munsiff). The Karanam/Kombattulas kept an elaborate system of village accounts.[4]
The post was usually held byNiyogi Brahmins,[5][6] and also sometimes byGolkonda Vyapari Brahmins,Karanas[7] andDeshastha Brahmins.[8][6] In theGodavari districts,Kapus also held the Karanam post sometimes.[9] The titleKaranam is similar toKulkarni inNorth Karnataka andMaharashtra andShanbhaug inKarnataka.[10][1][11][12] In 1985, thenChief Minister of Andhra Pradesh,N. T. Rama Rao, abolished the hereditary office of Karanam and instead replaced it with the Village Revenue Officer (VRO).[13][14][15]
The origin of village officers like Karanam is traceable to the evolution ofZamindari system.[16] Zamindars andJagirdars appointed the village officials who were traditionally known as 'Karanam' and 'Munasubu' (Munsif) in Andhra region. The Munsiff maintained law and order while Karanams maintained land records and collected taxes.[16] Karanams were skilled in writing administrative documents, accounting and file-keeping.[17] Many Karanams were reported to bepolyglots. They possessed knowledge of land use, dispute settlement, and local history. The more successful Karanams became 'Mantris' (ministers).[17] In late medieval era, Niyogi Brahmins dominated as Karanams in Andhra, while in Telangana areas of Golkonda kingdom, Vyapari Brahmins were Karanams.[6]
In 1985, then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh,N. T. Rama Rao (NTR), abolished the hereditary offices of Karanam, Munasubu and instead replaced them with the Village Revenue Officer (VRO).[13][14][15] The move was initiated in pursuance of the recommendations of the Unnitan Committee of 1964 and Narsimha Rao Committee.[16] It was noted that NTR’s decision to abolish the Karanam system in revenue administration was one of the reasons for theOBC communities to rally behind his party,Telugu Desam Party (TDP).[18]
The titleKaranam is similar toKulkarni inNorth Karnataka andMaharashtra andShanbhaug inKarnataka.[10][1][11][12]
Samprati or Sthala Karanam, who was a counterpart of Karanam at higher level, was usually held by Deshastha Brahmins.[19][20] The post of Sthala Karanam, who was the district revenue official was sometimes replaced byDeshpande. Deshpande post was usually held by Deshasthas and also sometimes byVelamas.[21]
Karanam Telugu was avariety ofTelugu language patronized by Karanam writers.[22] There was also thePandit's language which was the language variant used by scholars (Pandits) in literary texts.[23] Both varieties enjoyed similar social status.[24] The language of the Karanams was more suitable for day-to-day affairs. The balance between the two variants was changed when western missionaries started using Pandit's language for printing purposes. Also, instrumental wereParavastu Chinnaya Suri's disciples who monopolised Telugu instructor posts and editor roles at major publishing houses. They preferred Chinnaya Suri's Pandit style, and Karanam Telugu used for writing prose was rejected by them as non-standard.[25] In opposition to this,Gidugu Ramamurthi fought for a language closer to Karanam Telugu (which he calledvyavaharika).[26]
Patwari / Karanam shall be the additional secretary to the gram panchayat for keeping the record concerning lands
Rao and Subrahmanyam also stress that this specific genre of niti texts was composed and read by the group of scholar-bureaucrats whom they refer to broadly as karanam. These were usually Niyogi Brahmins or Kayasthas who worked as ministers or advisers to minor princes or feudatories in Andhra, Karnataka, and Orissa.
The last word has probably come to the North from South India since, in Kannada (language), a peasant is called kul and kulkarni is called karnam.
The term Reddy, though it has a connotation of caste to it, also meant the headman. The Kannada equivalent is Patel or Gauda. Likewise the traditional village accountant, referred to in Telugu as Karnam or as Shanubhog in Kannada, was responsible for all record keeping.
On the basis of English records, he gives an elaborate account of the village officials like Karnam (village accountant), the role of the Deshastha brahmans etc . which can be compared with similar officials and castes in Maratha country.
During the then Chief Minister NT Rama Rao's regime, the nomenclature of 'Karanam' was changed to 'VRO'.