The Golla are a Telugu-speaking pastoral community[1][2] primarily living in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana with smaller numbers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
[3][4][5][6] They are related to other pastoral-herding castes like Gulla, Gullar (in Karnataka), Gollewar, Gavli and Dhangar (in the Marathwada area of Maharashtra State) and are a part of the larger Yadav community.
[14] The community, due to its size, has a great number of sub-castes, including: Yerra, Mushti, Mukti,[15] Masaram, Karine, Pakinati, Puja, Modateetta, Nallasadana, Gujarathi, Gampa, Peyya, Veyya, Kuruma and Sidda.
Then some of the medieval dynasties (c. 1200 A.D.) of Western Deccan-Rastrakutas of Malkhed, Hoyasalas of Dwarasamudram and Yadavas of Devagiri-claim Yadava descent and their contemporaries in Eastern Deccan, who ruled over some parts of Pakanadu (present day Nellore Taluq, Nellore District) and parts of Kammanadu (Ongole, Addanki and Darsi Taluks of Prakasam District) as feudatories.
In the late medieval and precolonial period, some lineages of Gollas emerged as powerful chieftains (Poligars) and they held sway over some parts of Rayalaseema.
Similarly, in 1930, the government of Madras state directed the adoption of the term "Yadava", in place of Golla, Idaiyan, Gopa, Gopi or Gowla, in all official documents.
[23] Some Gavli (Golla) communities of Nanded Marathwada Region of Maharashtra worship Lord Virabhadra of Mukhed as their gotrapurusha and kuladevata.