have happened during the Vijayanagara empire where the Balija merchant-warriors rose to political and cultural power and claimed Nayaka positions. Dynasties The Vijayanagara empire was based on an expanding, cash-oriented economy enhanced by Balija tax-farming. Some Balija families were appointed to supervise provinces as Nayaks (governors, commanders) by the Vijayanagara kings, some of which are: Madurai Nayaks Tanjavur Nayaks Gingee Nayaks / Senji / Chenchi Nayakas, Thundeera Chandragiri:Kasturi Nayadu and Peda Koneti Nayudu of the Vasarasi family belonged to the Balija caste. Varna status Velcheru Narayana Rao and Sanjay Subrahmanyam say that the emergence of left-hand caste Balijas as trader-warrior-kings was evidence in the Nayak period as a consequence of conditions of new wealth, produced by collapsing two varnas, Kshatriya and Vaishya, into one. Based on the brahmanical conceptualisation of caste during the British Raj period, Balijas were accorded the Shudra position. The fourfold Brahmanical varna concept has not been acceptable to non-Brahmin social groups and some of them challenged the authority of Brahmins who described them as shudras. See also Sanskritisation Notes References Further reading Caste politics in the North, West and South India before Mandal Konduru: structure and integration in a South Indian village, Paul G. Hiebert, pp. 21–22. The Warrior Merchants, Mittison Mines Religion and Public Culture, John Jeya Paul Social groups of Tamil Nadu Indian castes Social groups of Andhra Pradesh Social groups of Karnataka