Languages Telugu | Populated states Andhra Pradesh | |
Telaga is a community concentrated primarily in Coastal Andhra Pradesh, India. It is regarded as a subcaste of Kapu.
K. Srinivasulu describes Kapu as a "dominant peasant caste" and Telaga as a "backward peasant caste". However, the official government classifications rarely distinguished the Telagas from the other Kapu sub-castes. All Kapus were classified as forming a backward caste in 1915 by the British government of the Madras Presidency, which remained in force even after the formation of Andhra Pradesh until 1956. In that year, the government of Andhra Pradesh removed Kapus from the list of backward castes. Even though various governments have since made efforts to include them again, the efforts have not been successful.
Selig S. Harrison points out that, in the 1955 Andhra Pradesh legislature, the Telagas had 16 legislators, next only to the Reddis and Kammas. He states that they formed a "newly active political force". However, despite their strength, the Telagas did not hold any ministerial posts.