Kanneganti Hanumanthu was born in Minchalapadu Village, in Durgi Mandal, which is a part of Palnadu in the Guntur District. He was a local peasant of the region. He played a vital role in the freedom struggle and gained recognition for leading the Palnadu rebellion against the tax levied by the British. He was famous for the Pullari satyagraha, against the draconian tax imposed by the British on Peasants for grazing their cattle or gathering wood from the forests.
As a part of the Non-Cooperative movement in Andhra Palnadu, Pullari satyagraha was organized by the people of Macherla Veldurthi, Durgi, Rentachintala, etc. in the Palnadu region who depended on the forest produce. Hanumanthu was supported by local leaders such as K.Rama Koteswara Rao, Bellamkonda Raghavarao, Konda Venkatappayya, etc., during the no-tax movement.
Hanumanthu played an important role in the National movement. He was arrested several times by the British. Under the leadership of Hanumanthu, the Chenchus of Nallamalla Hills fought against the British as a part of Palnadu forest satyagraha in 1921-22. The masses came out in full support of Hanumanthu. All the strategies, well planned by the British against the people, were defended by him. The support of these masses was too strong to cause any impact. So, Rutherford tried bribing Hanumanthu, but he refused.
The following rebellion cry is attributed to Hanumanthu:
Neeru pettava, Natu vesava Kota kosava,
Kuppa nurchava Endhuku kattali ra sisthu?
Finally, on 22.02.1922, some British officials came to Minchalapadu village, the epicenter of the revolt, and warned Hanumanthu that severe consequences would take place if the pullari tax were not paid. On the day of Mahasivarathri at Kotappakonda, Hanumanthu and his followers left to take part in the procession, leaving only women and children. Taking advantage of his absence, the Britishers, Raghavaiah, He is the hero of Palnadu, who fought for the rights of his people. His Palnadu satyagraha is an inspiration for many revolutionary leaders and freedom fighters of that time. Inspectors of durgi, karnam yandavalli, and sadasivayya surrounded the village and began to take away the cattle, forcibly beating up the elder and women with their rifle butts when they tried to protest. Hanumanthu rushed to his village and pleaded with the British to stop harassing the residents. It was the village karanam who betrayed Hanumanthu. The British treated him with cruelty by firing him and preventing the villagers from offering even water to him. He struggled to death for nearly six hours on 26.02.1992. After four days, Hanumanthu’s last rites were performed by his wife and relatives at Minchalapadu.