Papadu

Papadu was a highwayman and bandit of early18th century India who rose from humble beginnings to become a folklore hero. His deeds have been described by historians Barbara and Thomas Metcalf as Robin Hoodlike, while another historian, Richard Eaton, considers him to be a good example of a social bandit.

Papadu was born in the 17th century to a Telugu family of a caste whose occupation was that of toddy tapping. Which of the several Telugu toddytapping castes he may have belonged to is uncertain. It had been suggested, in 1874, that the name Papadu indicated membership of the Kapu or Nayadu communities but Eaton believes that he was a Gamalla or Goundla, and other modern scholars such as the Metcalfs refer only to the occupation. Eaton has noted that numerous castes recite the Papadu folklore and that this infers his later actions and the support for them were not castebased. Eaton also notes that there are versions of the ballad still recited today that suggest his family may have attained positions in society outside those usually assigned to their caste his father may have been headman of a village and his brother a minor commander in an army, whilst his sister married into considerable wealth.

Source: Wikipedia