Since it is a large, diverse and geographically well spread with multiple divisions there is no one root or origin but the most prevalent theories of their origin are mentioned below.

Kapu seem to be the earliest inhabitants of the Deccan region who migrated from the North and cleared Forests for Agriculture and built Towns in the Deccan. They are considered to be the Original Aryan Descendants who migrated to South India.

Kapu Community are believed to be the descendants of migrants of the Kaampu tribe from Kampilya (near Ayodhya) and were one of the earliest inhabitants of South India who took to clearing the forests and starting agriculture in the Deccan and of the current day Andhra Pradesh.

Kapu Community are also referred to as the Kaampu tribe in the Ancient Texts, which was also referred to as the Kossar tribe, who some historians believe established the Satavahanas and other ancient dynasties.

Kapu Community shares a similar history to the Kurmi, kunbis and Maratha castes.

Brief Notes

Some of the very common Gothrams found in the Kapu community are Janakula, Mahipala, Paidipaala, Raghukula, Kasyapa, Dhanunjaya, Athreya, Achyuta to name a few and there are lots of other Gotrams.

• Naidu in Andhra refers to the Kapu/ Telaga/ Balija/ Ontari/ Turpu Kapu community.
• Balijas have the title Naidu and Setty
• In Tamil Nadu and Karnataka they are called Balija Naidu.
• In Southern T.N Districts Balijas have the title Naicker.
• Munnuru Kapu’s have the title Rao and Reddy in Telangana.
• Kapu/Balija/Telaga/Munnuru Kapu communities have the title Setty in their Surnames who served as Traders during the Kakateeya and Viajayanagar Empires..
  (Indicating their Ancestors established Powerful Trading Guilds Surnames like Bandreddy, Ramiesetty, Polisetty, KaliSetty, Muthamsetty, Kamisetty, Tirumalasetty, Rangisetty, Singamasetty, Chennamsetty etc)
• Telaga/Kapu Community also has the title Reddy in their Surnames in Coastal Andhra Region.(Indicating some of their ancestors were village heads. Maddireddy, Muthareddy, Kunapareddy, Katreddy, kasireddy, rayapureddy, Siddireddy, dharapureddy, peddireddy etc.
• Some Kapu/Telaga Surnames end with the title Neni which is a derivation of Senani.(Indicating the Ancestors of these families served as Commanders under the Kakateeya Dynasity. Samineni, Lakkineni, Padalaneni, Vallabhaneni, Chitikineni, Kasineni etc)
• Kapu and Telaga community have the title Rayudu in Coastal and Rayalseema Regions which is a legacy of the communities association with the Vijayanagar Empire.
• Chola-Chalukyas used titles Udayar or Odeyar for certain period of time.

Occupation

Kapu Community primarily served as Protectors of villages from Bandits in the Medieval Ages who later took to other Professions like Village heads and Farmers during times of peace.

During times of war they also served as Soldiers, Governors (Nayaks), Commanders in many of the Andhra Dynasties.

Hence the term Nayaka/Naidu becamse synonymous with the community

Modern day Kapu Community is predominantly are an Agrarian community diversified into Business, Industry, Films, Academia, and IT etc.

Note

Kapu in the Pre Kakatiyan period referred to soldiers and agriculturists.

Some of the occupations or responsibilities that “Kapus” had in the medieval period:

• Village defence committees (Kapu)
• Administration (Pedda Kapu)
• People responsible for protecting the farms from bandits and those protecting livestock were (Panta Kapu).
• The term Kapu has become synonymous with Agriculturists.

Hence Reddys are called Kapu in Telangana & Rayalaseema of Andhra Pradesh. Genetics of the Communities of A.P.