Search results
The Indian army invaded and annexed Hyderabad State in 1948. From 1948 to 1956, Telangana remained as part of Hyderabad State, and then it was merged into Andhra Pradesh, a state created for Telugu people.
On 2 June 2014, the area was separated from the northwestern part of United Andhra Pradesh as the newly formed state of Telangana, with Hyderabad as its capital. Telugu, one of the classical languages of India, is the most widely spoken and the primary official language of the state.
Jun 2, 2024 · June 2 is Telangana Formation Day and this year marks a decade since India’s youngest state was carved out of Andhra Pradesh. The ruling Congress government in Telangana celebrated the event while emphasising the party’s role in the state formation process.
- 153
- Overview
- History of Telangana
Sanskrit writings dating to about 1000 bce mention that “Andhra” people were living in the region now occupied by Telangana state, but historical references begin only with the Mauryan dynasty (late 4th to early 2nd century bce) to the north. The great Mauryan emperor Ashoka (reigned c. 265–238 bce) sent Buddhist missions to the Andhras in the south. The Buddhist Satavahana (or Satakarni) dynasty of the Andhras assumed power in about the 1st century ce and came to control nearly all of the Deccan. They were patrons of diverse religions, and they also were great builders; their principal city, Amaravati (now in Andhra Pradesh), contained Buddhist monuments that inaugurated a new style of architecture. Some of the renowned paintings in the Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra have been linked to the Andhra painters of that period. Buddhism prospered under the Andhras, and in their capital flourished the great Buddhist university of antiquity, where Nagarjuna (c. 150–250 ce), the founder of the Mahayana school of Buddhism, taught. The ruins of the university are at Nagarjunakonda in Andhra Pradesh.
The Andhras remained in power until the 11th century, when the eastern Chalukya dynasty unified most of the Andhra area. Under the Hindu Chalukyas, the first of the Telugu poets, Nannaya Bhatta, began translating the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata into Telugu, thus inaugurating Telugu as a literary medium. During the 12th and 13th centuries the dynasty of the Kakatiyas of Warangal extended Andhra power militarily and culturally, including expanding its commercial activities toward Southeast Asia.
Meanwhile, Muslims had established themselves in the north and then invaded the south. Warangal fell in 1323, but the rise of the Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar, southwest of Warangal, kept Muslim expansion in check for some time. Vijayanagar, one of the greatest kingdoms in Indian history, reached a peak under King Krishna Deva Raya (reigned 1509–29). His rule was noted for military conquest, economic prosperity, good administration, and artistic splendour. Telugu literature flourished during his rule. However, an alliance between the various neighbouring Muslim principalities ultimately led to the fall of Vijayanagar in 1565, leaving the Muslims in control of the Telangana region. The Quṭb Shāhī kingdom, centred on Golconda (near Hyderabad), was conquered in 1687 by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
By the 17th century, European traders had become involved in Indian politics. In Telangana, successive nizams (rulers) of the princely state of Hyderabad sought to consolidate their kingdom against rivals by obtaining first French and later British support. Nizam ʿĀlī accepted British ascendancy in Hyderabad in 1767, and by 1798 another ruler, Nizam ʿĀlī Khan, had been forced to enter into an agreement that placed Hyderabad under British protection, although he maintained his independence on internal matters.
Britannica Quiz
Discover India
Sanskrit writings dating to about 1000 bce mention that “Andhra” people were living in the region now occupied by Telangana state, but historical references begin only with the Mauryan dynasty (late 4th to early 2nd century bce) to the north. The great Mauryan emperor Ashoka (reigned c. 265–238 bce) sent Buddhist missions to the Andhras in the south. The Buddhist Satavahana (or Satakarni) dynasty of the Andhras assumed power in about the 1st century ce and came to control nearly all of the Deccan. They were patrons of diverse religions, and they also were great builders; their principal city, Amaravati (now in Andhra Pradesh), contained Buddhist monuments that inaugurated a new style of architecture. Some of the renowned paintings in the Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra have been linked to the Andhra painters of that period. Buddhism prospered under the Andhras, and in their capital flourished the great Buddhist university of antiquity, where Nagarjuna (c. 150–250 ce), the founder of the Mahayana school of Buddhism, taught. The ruins of the university are at Nagarjunakonda in Andhra Pradesh.
The Andhras remained in power until the 11th century, when the eastern Chalukya dynasty unified most of the Andhra area. Under the Hindu Chalukyas, the first of the Telugu poets, Nannaya Bhatta, began translating the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata into Telugu, thus inaugurating Telugu as a literary medium. During the 12th and 13th centuries the dynasty of the Kakatiyas of Warangal extended Andhra power militarily and culturally, including expanding its commercial activities toward Southeast Asia.
Meanwhile, Muslims had established themselves in the north and then invaded the south. Warangal fell in 1323, but the rise of the Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar, southwest of Warangal, kept Muslim expansion in check for some time. Vijayanagar, one of the greatest kingdoms in Indian history, reached a peak under King Krishna Deva Raya (reigned 1509–29). His rule was noted for military conquest, economic prosperity, good administration, and artistic splendour. Telugu literature flourished during his rule. However, an alliance between the various neighbouring Muslim principalities ultimately led to the fall of Vijayanagar in 1565, leaving the Muslims in control of the Telangana region. The Quṭb Shāhī kingdom, centred on Golconda (near Hyderabad), was conquered in 1687 by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
By the 17th century, European traders had become involved in Indian politics. In Telangana, successive nizams (rulers) of the princely state of Hyderabad sought to consolidate their kingdom against rivals by obtaining first French and later British support. Nizam ʿĀlī accepted British ascendancy in Hyderabad in 1767, and by 1798 another ruler, Nizam ʿĀlī Khan, had been forced to enter into an agreement that placed Hyderabad under British protection, although he maintained his independence on internal matters.
Britannica Quiz
Discover India
- Encyclopaedia Britannica
People also ask
When did Telangana become a state?
What happened to Telangana after Indian independence?
Is Telangana part of Andhra Pradesh?
What is the history of Telangana?
Jun 2, 2023 · Telangana, the newest state of India, has a complex history. Pre-Independence, it was a part of the princely state of Hyderabad. While there were talks of statehood in the 1950s, the region was eventually merged with the adjoining Andhra State to form Andhra Pradesh.
- 153
Jun 1, 2016 · On November 1, 1956, Telangana merged with the State of Andhra, carved out of erstwhile Madras, to form Andhra Pradesh, a united state for the Telugu-speaking populace.
2 days ago · The area of what is now Telangana constituted the north-central and northeastern portions of Andhra Pradesh for almost six decades, but on June 2, 2014, that territory was calved off to form a separate state. The capital of Telangana is Hyderabad, in west-central Telangana.
