Kanthapura Characters

The commander of the police forces who orders attacks against the villagers and arrests various members of Moorthy’s Gandhian movement. The Police Inspector embodies the merciless, repressive violence of English colonialism.

One of the potters and a trumpet player, Lingayya is a dedicated Gandhian and follower of Moorthy who gets arrested after jumping the fence to cut down trees at Boranna’s toddy grove, and then is never seen again.

A learned, elder brahmin in the village who explains ancient Hindu texts to the others and often serves as the voice of reason during the conflict between Moorthy’s Gandhians and the traditional brahmins who support the caste system (including Bhatta, Venkamma, Rangappa, and Lakshamma).

A famed Harikatha-man whom Moorthy pays to come to Kanthapura in the first chapter. He speaks about Indians’ oppression under colonialism and Gandhi’s promise to liberate the people of India.

A village woman who joins Rangamma’s group of Volunteers. Achakka calls her “Nose-scratching Nanjamma” and seems to consider her clumsy and unintelligent at times.

A merchant in Kanthapura who takes advantage of the constant flow of goods passing through the town and remains loyal to Bhatta and the other pro-government brahmins. Chetty frames a man named Rahman Khan for attempted murder by paying a woman named Dasi to seduce and provoke him.

A village woman and Suryanarayana’s wife, Satamma at first fears caste mixture but eventually joins Rangamma’s group of Volunteer women to resist the colonial government. (Not to be confused with the widowed Satamma mentioned by Achakka at the beginning of the book.)

The village’s priest and effective religious leader, Rangappa leads prayers and ceremonies (such as the procession in Section 12) and remains loyal to the colonial government. His wife is Lakshamma, and he is loyal to Bhatta, who pays him to oppose the Gandhians.

A wealthy and prominent brahmin in the village who supports Bhatta and the colonial government instead of joining the Gandhian movement.

A Kanthapura brahmin and wife to Priest Rangappa who opposes the Gandhians.

A woman who meets Moorthy on the side of the road and asks him to free her from the revenue collector.

A villager, a close friend of Moorthy’s since childhood, and the fifth leader of the Village Congress. He is usually responsible for calling the Volunteers to congregate by ringing a bell or blowing a conch.

An old and experienced coolie at the Skeffington Estate who guides the new coolies through their early days before joining the Gandhian rebellion.

The elder potter who agrees to join Moorthy’s Congress in Section 8.

A coolie at the Skeffington Estate whose child dies of fever when Madanna is too afraid to use the Sahib’s pills. He later leaves the Estate and joins the Kanthapura villagers’ rebellion.

A Karwar lawyer who tries to convince Moorthy to fight his first imprisonment and later helps lead in the rallies for Moorthy’s freedom.

A brahmin in the village.

Owner of the toddy grove that the Kanthapura villagers picket and eventually shut down.

A merchant and Subba Chetty’s brother.

A village brahmin and Bhatta’s wife, Chinnamma debates the implications of Moorthy’s caste-mixing with the other brahmin women.

A brahmin clerk at the Skeffington Estate who helps teach the coolies to read and becomes a prominent member of the Gandhian movement.

A relatively well-off pariah who joins Moorthy’s Gandhian movement.

A wealthy man who visits Kanthapura in his expensive car at the beginning of the book. He tries to marry his daughter to Moorthy, who refuses.

One of Kanthapura’s Gandhian Volunteers, who at times sneaks out of the village to help protestors in other cities.

The Elder weaver who agrees to join Moorthy’s Congress in Section 8.

One of the coolies who is tasked with walking the maistri’s bicycle through the mountains back up to the Skeffington Estate.

The postman who delivers Rangamma’s Blue paper. Not to be confused with the potter also named Subbayya.

A potter who is taken during a protest and beaten in jail by the government.

One of the five potters, sister to Rangamma, and mother to Ratna.

A priest in the village who helps shelter coolies kicked off the Skeffington Estate in Section Six.

A pariah who grumbles at the wealthier villages in Section 12.

An influential villager with a large house, and the son of Venkatalakshamma.

An elderly villager and mother to Suryanarayana who complains that Jayaramachar’s discourse is about Gandhi rather than Hindu religious stories.

Bhatta’s preferred lawyer. Bhatta arranges to have Venkamma’s daughter married to Advocate Seenappa.

A lawyer who informs the Gandhians about the Swami’s intentions, refers them to Sankar, and later gets arrested and worked nearly to death in the British prison.

A brahmin and coolie who refuses to let the new Sahib rape his daughter. The new Sahib promptly murders Seetharam.

A priest in town.

A seven-year-old boy whom the Sahib scares and then offers a peppermint in order to teach the rest of the coolies a lesson.

Runs a khadi-shop in the city of Karwar. Not to be confused with “Chennayya’s Dasappa,” the coolie who dies by snakebite.

A villager and Gandhian whom one of the policeman tries to rape in the bushes outside Kanthapura.

A poet who performs for the brahmins.

A landowner who escorts Bhatta to the river, where Bhatta gives out loans.

An older woman who lives in Kanthapura. She cuts the umbilical cord of Radhamma's baby, when Radhamma gives birth to it while running from the police.

A pregnant woman. She gives birth early, at seven months, while being chased by the police.

An elder brahmin who holds an esteemed position in the town. He is sometimes referred to as the Second Brahmin. He eventually joins with the Ghandhians and is brutally beaten by the police.

A holy man who "had renounced hair and home" and spent his time meditating on the banks of the Vedavathy River.