History

Earliest accounts of the region, dates back to the time of Ashoka in the 3rd century BC, and they used to refer the people as the Andhras. Then came the Satavahana dynasty, also known as the Andhras and they controlled the central and southern India from their second capital at Amaravati on the Krishna. They enjoyed extensive international trade with both eastern Asia and Europe and were great patrons of Buddhism. Later the Pallavas from Tamil Nadu, the Chalukyas from Karnataka and the Cholas, all of these ruled the Andhra. By the 13th century, the Kakatiyas of Warangal were under constant threat from the Muslim incursions, while later on, after the fall of their city at Hampi, the Hindu Vijayanagars transferred operations to Chandragiri near Tirupati.

The next significant development was in the mid 16th century, with the rise of the Muslim Qutb Shahi dynasty. In 1687, the son of the Moghul emperor Aurangzeb seized Golconda. Five years after Aurangzeb died in 1707, the viceroy of Hyderabad declared independence and established the Asaf Jahi dynasty of the Nizams. In return for allying with the British against Tipu Sultan of Mysore, the Nizams were allowed to retain a certain degree of autonomy even after the British had come to dominate the entire India.

During the struggle for independence, harmony between Hindus and Muslims in Andhra Pradesh disintegrated. Partition brought matters to a climax, as the Nizams desired to join other Muslims in the soon-to-be-created state of Pakistan. In 1949, the capital erupted in riots, the army was brought in and Hyderabad state was admitted to the Indian Union. Andhra Pradesh state was created in 1956 from the Telugu-speaking regions (although now, Urdu is a widely spoken dialect in Hyderabad) that had previously formed part of the Madras Presidency on the east coast and the princely state of Hyderabad to the west.

Today, beautiful crafts, vibrant religious festivals, a varied cuisine and the sonorant mother tongue, Telugu, are some of the indelible impressions of this state. Kuchipudi is the famous classical dance form of Andhra Pradesh. Tribal dances contribute in equal measure to the artistic heritage of Andhra Pradesh. Tholubommalaata, a shadow puppetry theatre is a fascinating folk art. Now, almost 90% of the population is Hindu, with Muslims largely concentrated in the capital. In 2004, Congress regained control of the state government, easing any lingering sectarian tensions, although the minority TRS party is pushing for northwestern Andhra Pradesh, known as Telangana, to split off as a separate state.

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