Telugu people (), also called Āndhras, are an
ethno-linguistic group who speak the
Telugu language and are native to the
Indian states of
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
,
Telangana
Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated in the Southern India, south-central part of the Indian subcontinent on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ele ...
and
Yanam district of
Puducherry. They are the most populous of the four major
Dravidian linguistic groups. Telugu is the
fourth most spoken language in India
and the
14th most spoken native language in the world.
[Statistics](_blank)
in A significant number of Telugus also reside in the Indian states of
Karnataka
Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
,
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
,
Orissa, and
Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
. Members of the
Telugu diaspora are spread across countries like
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
,
Mauritius
Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
,
UAE and others.
Telugu is the fastest-growing language in the United States. It is also a protected language in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
.
Andhra is an
ethnonym
An ethnonym () is a name applied to a given ethnic group. Ethnonyms can be divided into two categories: exonyms (whose name of the ethnic group has been created by another group of people) and autonyms, or endonyms (whose name is created and used ...
used for Telugu people since antiquity.
The earliest mention of the Andhras occurs in
Aitareya Brahmana () of the
Rigveda
The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' (, , from wikt:ऋच्, ऋच्, "praise" and wikt:वेद, वेद, "knowledge") is an ancient Indian Miscellany, collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canoni ...
. In the
Mahabharata, the infantry of
Satyaki was composed of a tribe called the Andhras, known for their long hair, tall stature, sweet language, and mighty prowess. They were also mentioned in the Buddhist
Jataka tales.
Megasthenes reported in his
''Indica'' () that the Andhras, living in the
Godavari and
Krishna
Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...
river deltas
A river delta is a landform, wikt:archetype#Noun, archetypically triangular, created by the deposition (geology), deposition of the sediments that are carried by the waters of a river, where the river merges with a body of slow-moving water or ...
, were famous for their formidable military strength, which was second only to that of the
Maurya Empire
The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary source ...
in the entire
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...
.
The first major Andhra
polity
A polity is a group of people with a collective identity, who are organized by some form of political Institutionalisation, institutionalized social relations, and have a capacity to mobilize resources.
A polity can be any group of people org ...
was the
Satavahana dynasty (2nd century BCE–2nd century CE) which ruled over the entire
Deccan plateau
The Deccan is a plateau extending over an area of and occupies the majority of the Indian peninsula. It stretches from the Satpura Range, Satpura and Vindhya Ranges in the north to the northern fringes of Tamil Nadu in the south. It is bound ...
and even distant areas of
western and
central India. They established trade relations with the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
, and their capital city near
Amaravathi was the most prosperous city in India during the 2nd century CE.
Inscriptions in Old Telugu script (Vengi script) were found as far away as
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
and
Myanmar
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
.
In the 13th century,
Kakatiyas unified various Telugu-speaking areas under one realm.
Later, Telugu culture and literature flourished and reached its zenith during the late
Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hinduism, Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belongi ...
.
After the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire, various Telugu rulers called
Nayakas established independent kingdoms across
South India serving the same function as
Rajput warriors clans of northern India.
Kandyan Nayaks, the last dynasty to rule
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
were of Telugu descent. In this era, Telugu became the language of
high culture
In a society, high culture encompasses culture, cultural objects of Objet d'art, aesthetic value that a society collectively esteems as exemplary works of art, as well as the literature, music, history, and philosophy a society considers represen ...
throughout
South India.
[
*
*
*] Vijaya Ramaswamy compared it to the overwhelming dominance of
French as the cultural language of modern
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
during roughly the same era. Telugu also predominates in the evolution of
Carnatic music
Carnatic music (known as or in the Dravidian languages) is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and southern Odisha.
It is o ...
, one of two main subgenres of
Indian classical music
Indian classical music is the art music, classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It is generally described using terms like ''Shastriya Sangeet'' and ''Marg Sangeet''. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as ...
.
The architecture developed by Andhras in
Krishna
Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...
river valley in early first centuries
CE, called the
Amaravati School of Art, is regarded as one of the three major styles of ancient Indian art and had a great influence on art in
South India,
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
, and
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
.
Mahayana
Mahāyāna ( ; , , ; ) is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, Buddhist texts#Mahāyāna texts, texts, Buddhist philosophy, philosophies, and practices developed in ancient India ( onwards). It is considered one of the three main ex ...
, the predominant
Buddhist tradition in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, and
Korea
Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
and the largest Buddhist denomination in the world, was developed among Telugus in Andhra.
Telugu is one of six languages designated as a
classical language by the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...
. It has been in use as an official language for over 1,400 years
and has an unbroken and diverse
literary tradition of over a thousand years.
Telugu
performing arts
The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...
include the
classical dance form
Kuchipudi, as well as
Perini Sivatandavam, and
Burra Katha Burra may refer to:
Places
*Burra, South Australia, a pastoral centre and historic tourist town in the mid-north of South Australia
**District Council of Burra (1872–1935)
**District Council of Burra Burra (1935–1997)
**Corporate Town of Burra ...
. The Telugu
shadow puppetry tradition,
Tholu Bommalata, dates back to the 3rd century BCE, and is the ancestor of
Wayang, the popular Indonesian art form that has been a staple of Indonesian tourism.
Telugu cinema
Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to the production of Film, motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Based in Film N ...
is the largest film industry in India in terms of box office as well as admissions.
The industry has produced some of India's
most expensive and
highest-grossing films, influencing Indian popular culture well beyond Telugu-speaking regions.
Etymology
Telugu
Speakers of Telugu refer to it as simply ''Telugu'' or ''Telugoo''. Older forms of the name include ''Teluṅgu'' and ''Tenuṅgu''. ''Tenugu'' is derived from the
Proto-Dravidian word ''*ten'' ("south") to mean "the people who lived in the south/southern direction". The name ''Telugu'', then, is a result of an "n" to "l" alternation established in Telugu.
P. Chenchiah and Bhujanga Rao note that Atharvana Acharya in the 13th century wrote a grammar of Telugu, calling it the ''Trilinga Shabdānushāsana (or Trilinga Grammar)''. However, most scholars note that Atharvana's grammar was titled ''Atharvana Karikavali.''
Appa Kavi in the 17th century explicitly wrote that ''Telugu'' was derived from ''Trilinga''. Scholar Charles P. Brown made a comment that it was a "strange notion" since the predecessors of Appa Kavi had no knowledge of such a derivation.
George Abraham Grierson and other linguists doubt this derivation, holding rather that ''Telugu'' was the older term and ''Trilinga'' must be the later
Sanskritisation of it.
If so the derivation itself must have been quite ancient because ''Triglyphum'', ''Trilingum'' and ''Modogalingam'' are attested in ancient Greek sources, the last of which can be interpreted as a Telugu rendition of "''Trilinga''".
Andhra
Andhra is an
ethnonym
An ethnonym () is a name applied to a given ethnic group. Ethnonyms can be divided into two categories: exonyms (whose name of the ethnic group has been created by another group of people) and autonyms, or endonyms (whose name is created and used ...
used for Telugu people since antiquity.
As per
Iravatham Mahadevan, non-Aryan people living beyond the borders of the region inhabited by the
Indo-Aryan speakers were known as the Andhras.
Mahadevan notes that since most
Dravidian-speaking men had names ending with the suffIx ''-(a)nṟ'', the Dravidian
etymon ''-(a)nṟ'' was borrowed as a loanword into Indo-Aryan as ''andha'' and later as ''āndhra'' to denote the name of the neighbouring Dravidian-speaking people.
History
Ancient era
Andhra () was a kingdom mentioned in the epic
Mahabharata.
It was a southern kingdom, currently identified as Indian state of
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
where it got its name from. Andhra communities are also mentioned in the
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
,
Skanda,
Markandeya and
Matsya Purana. In the Mahabharata the infantry of
Satyaki was composed by a tribe called ''Andhras'', known for their long hair, tall stature, sweet language, and mighty prowess. They lived along the banks of the
Godavari river. Andhras and Kalingas supported the Kauravas during the Mahabharata war. Sahadeva defeated the kingdoms of Pandya, Andhra, Kalinga, Dravida, Odra and Chera while performing the
Rajasuya Yajna. Buddhist references to Andhras are also found.

Andhra was mentioned in the Sanskrit sources such as
Aitareya Brahmana (). According to Aitareya Brahmana of the
Rigveda
The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' (, , from wikt:ऋच्, ऋच्, "praise" and wikt:वेद, वेद, "knowledge") is an ancient Indian Miscellany, collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canoni ...
, the Andhras left
North India from the banks of river
Yamuna
The Yamuna (; ) is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of Bandarpunch peaks of the Low ...
and migrated to
South India.
They were also mentioned in the
Mahabharata and Buddhist
Jataka tales.
In the seventh century BCE,
Asmaka was one of the sixteen
Mahajanapadas
The Mahājanapadas were sixteen Realm, kingdoms and aristocracy, aristocratic republics that existed in ancient India from the sixth to fourth centuries BCE, during the History of India#Second urbanisation (c. 600 – 200 BCE), second urbanis ...
. Andhras were mentioned by
Megasthenes in his
''Indica'' () as being second only to
Mauryans in military strength in the entire
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...
. They had 30 fortified towns along the Godavari River and an army of 1,00,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalry and 1,000 elephants.
They are mentioned at the time of the death of the great Mauryan King
Ashoka
Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka ( ; , ; – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was List of Mauryan emperors, Emperor of Magadha from until #Death, his death in 232 BCE, and the third ruler from the Mauryan dynast ...
in 232 BCE.
The first major Andhra
polity
A polity is a group of people with a collective identity, who are organized by some form of political Institutionalisation, institutionalized social relations, and have a capacity to mobilize resources.
A polity can be any group of people org ...
was the
Satavahana dynasty (2nd century BCE–2nd century CE) which ruled over the entire
Deccan plateau
The Deccan is a plateau extending over an area of and occupies the majority of the Indian peninsula. It stretches from the Satpura Range, Satpura and Vindhya Ranges in the north to the northern fringes of Tamil Nadu in the south. It is bound ...
and established trade relations with the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
.
The kingdom reached its zenith under
Gautamiputra Satakarni. Their capital city,
Amaravati
Amaravati ( , Telugu language, Telugu: ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Guntur district on the right bank of the Krishna River, southwest of Vijayawada. The city derives its name from the nearby his ...
was the most prosperous city in India in 2nd century CE.
At the end of the Satavahana rule, the Telugu region was divided into
Kingdoms ruled by lords. In the late second century CE, the
Andhra Ikshvakus ruled the eastern region along the Krishna River. During the fourth century, the
Pallava dynasty extended their rule across southern Andhra Pradesh and
Tamilakam
Tamilakam () also known as ancient Tamil country as was the geographical region inhabited by the ancient Tamil people, covering the southernmost region of the Indian subcontinent. Tamilakam covered today's Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, La ...
and established their capital at
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: '; ), also known as Kanjeevaram, is a stand alone city corporation, satellite nodal city of Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, from ...
. Their power increased during the reigns of
Mahendravarman I (571–630) and
Narasimhavarman I (630–668). The Pallavas dominated the southern Telugu-speaking region and northern Tamilakam until the end of the ninth century. Later, various dynasties have ruled the area, including the
Salankayanas,
Cholas,
Vishnukundinas and
Eastern Chalukyas.
Medieval era

Between 1163 and 1323 the
Kakatiya dynasty
The Kakatiya dynasty (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Kākatīya) was a Andhras, Telugu dynasty that ruled most of eastern Deccan Plateau, Deccan region in present-day India between 12th and 14th centuries. Their ter ...
emerged, bringing the distinct upland and lowland cultures of Telugu lands, which brought into being a feeling of cultural affinity between those who spoke the
Telugu language
Telugu (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it is also the official language. Spoken by about 96 million people (2022), Telugu is the most widely spoken member of ...
.
Kakatiya era also saw the development of a distinct style of architecture which improved and innovated upon the existing modes. Most notable examples are the
Thousand Pillar Temple in
Hanamkonda,
Ramappa Temple in Palampet,
Warangal Fort,
Golconda Fort and
Kota Gullu in
Ghanpur.
During this period, the
Telugu language
Telugu (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it is also the official language. Spoken by about 96 million people (2022), Telugu is the most widely spoken member of ...
emerged as a literary medium with the writings of Nannaya,
Tikkana,
Eranna,
Pothana etc. are the translators and poets of the great Hindu epics like ''
Ramayana
The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...
'', ''
Mahabharatha'', ''
Bhagavatha'' etc.
Telingana, a term referring to the land inhabited by Telugus, was first used during the 14th century CE. In 1323 the
sultan
Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...
of
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
,
Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq, sent a large army commanded by Ulugh Khan (later, as
Muhammad bin Tughluq, the Delhi sultan) to conquer the Telugu region and lay
siege to Warangal. The fall of the
Kakatiya dynasty
The Kakatiya dynasty (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Kākatīya) was a Andhras, Telugu dynasty that ruled most of eastern Deccan Plateau, Deccan region in present-day India between 12th and 14th centuries. Their ter ...
led to an era with competing influences from the Turkic kingdoms of Delhi and the Persio-Tajik sultanate of central India. The struggle for Andhra ended with the victory of the
Musunuri Nayaks over the Turkic
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate or the Sultanate of Delhi was a Medieval India, late medieval empire primarily based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for more than three centuries. .
The Telugus achieved independence under
Krishnadevaraya of the
Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hinduism, Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belongi ...
(1336–1646). The
Qutb Shahi dynasty of the
Bahmani Sultanate
The Bahmani Kingdom or the Bahmani Sultanate was a late medieval Persianate kingdom that ruled the Deccan plateau in India. The first independent Muslim sultanate of the Deccan, the Bahmani Kingdom came to power in 1347 during the rebellio ...
succeeded that empire. The
Qutub Shahis were tolerant of Telugu culture from the early 16th to the end of the 17th centuries.
[Richard M. Eaton (2005), A Social History of the Deccan, 1300-1761: Eight Indian Lives, Vol. 1, Cambridge University Press, 142-143]
Modern era
The arrival of Europeans (the French under the
Marquis de Bussy-Castelnau and the English under
Robert Clive) altered polity of the region. In 1765, Clive and the
chief and council at
Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam (; List of renamed places in India, formerly known as Vizagapatam, and also referred to as Vizag, Visakha, and Waltair) is the largest and most populous metropolitan city in the States and union territories of India, Indian stat ...
obtained the
Northern Circars from
Mughal emperor
Shah Alam
Shah Alam (, from Persian language, Persian, meaning "king of the world") is a city and the state capital of Selangor, Malaysia which is situated within the Petaling District and a small portion of the neighbouring Klang District. Shah Alam rep ...
. The British achieved supremacy when they defeated Maharaja Vijaya Rama Gajapati Raju of Vizianagaram in 1792.
Andhra's modern foundation was laid in the struggle for Indian independence.
India became independent from the United Kingdom in 1947.
Potti Sreeramulu's campaign for a state independent of the
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency or Madras Province, officially called the Presidency of Fort St. George until 1937, was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India and later the Dominion of India. At its greatest extent, the presidency i ...
and
Tanguturi Prakasam Panthulu and
Kandukuri Veeresalingam's social-reform movements led to the formation of
Andhra State, with
Kurnool
Kurnool is a city in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It formerly served as the capital of Andhra State (1953–1956). The city is often referred to as "The Gateway of Rayalaseema". Kurnool is also famous for Diamond hunting as diamonds ca ...
as its capital and freedom-fighter Prakasam Pantulu as its first chief minister. Andhra, the first Indian state formed primarily on a linguistic basis, was carved from the Madras Presidency in 1953. Although the Muslim
Nizam of Hyderabad
Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State ( part of the Indian state of Telangana, and the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka). ''Nizam'' is a shortened form of (; ), and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I wh ...
wanted to retain independence from India, he was
forced to cede his kingdom to the
Dominion of India in 1948 to form
Hyderabad State. In 1956, Andhra State was merged with the Telugu-speaking portion of
Hyderabad State (the Telangana region) to create the state of
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
. The
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...
approved the formation of
Telangana
Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated in the Southern India, south-central part of the Indian subcontinent on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ele ...
from ten northwestern districts of Andhra Pradesh on 18 February 2014.
Culture
Cuisine
Different regions of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana all produce distinctive variations of Telugu cuisine. Telugu cuisine is generally known for its tangy, hot, and spicy taste. Andhra Pradesh is the leading producer of red chili and rice in India. The concentration of red chili production in Andhra Pradesh has led to the liberal use of spices in Andhra cuisine. Rice is the staple in Telugu culture along with Ragi (రాగి) which is popular in Rayalaseema and Palnadu regions.
Language
Telugu is a South-Central
Dravidian language primarily spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it is also the official language. The oldest inscriptions with Telugu words date to 400 BCE found at
Bhattiprolu in
Guntur district
Guntur district is one of the twenty six districts in the Coastal Andhra region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The administrative seat of the district is located at Guntur, the List of urban agglom ...
.
Other early inscriptions with more refined language were found in Kantamanenivarigudem,
Guntupalli in
West Godavari district and Gummadidurru and
Ghantasala in
Krishna district. The earliest inscription completely written in Telugu dates to 575 CE were found at Kalamalla village in Kadapa district.
Literature
Telugu has an unbroken and diverse
literary tradition of over a thousand years.
The earliest Telugu literature dates to 11th century CE with
Nannaya's
Andhra Mahabharatam. The language experienced a golden age under the patronage of the
Vijayanagara
Vijayanagara () is a city located in Vijayanagara district of Karnataka state in India.[Vijayanagara](_blank) king-poet
Krishnadevaraya.
Performing arts
Kuchipudi, originating from the
eponymous
An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...
village in
Krishna district, is of the eight major
Indian classical dances.
It is a dance-drama performance, with its roots in the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text of
Natya Shastra
The ''Nāṭya Shāstra'' (, ''Nāṭyaśāstra'') is a Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts. The text is attributed to sage Bharata, and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE, but estimates vary b ...
.
It developed as a religious art linked to traveling bards, temples and spiritual beliefs, like all major classical dances of India.
Other Telugu
performing arts
The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...
include:
*
Andhra Natyam
* Vilasini Natyam
* Nava Janardhanam
*
Perini Sivatandavam
*
Oggu Katha
*
Burra Katha Burra may refer to:
Places
*Burra, South Australia, a pastoral centre and historic tourist town in the mid-north of South Australia
**District Council of Burra (1872–1935)
**District Council of Burra Burra (1935–1997)
**Corporate Town of Burra ...
*
Tholu Bommalata
Architecture
Amaravati School of Art
Amaravati School of Art is an ancient Indian art style that evolved in the region of
Amaravati
Amaravati ( , Telugu language, Telugu: ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Guntur district on the right bank of the Krishna River, southwest of Vijayawada. The city derives its name from the nearby his ...
(then known as Dhānyakaṭaka) from 2nd century BCE to the end of the 3rd century CE.
It is also called the Andhra School or Vengi School.
Art historians regard the art of Amaravati as one of the three major styles or schools of ancient Indian art, the other two being the
Mathura style, and the
Gandharan style.
Amaravati school flourished under the local Sada rulers, Satavahanas, and
Andhra Ikshvakus till 325340 CE.
Amaravati Stupa
Amarāvati Stupa is a ruined Buddhism, Buddhist Stupa, stūpa at the village of Amaravathi, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India, probably built in phases between the third century BCE and about 250 CE. It was enlarged and new sculptures rep ...
is the most famous monument of this style, and it was for some time "the greatest monument in Buddhist Asia", and "the jewel in the crown of early Indian art". Apart from Amaravati, the style is also found in
Nagarjunakonda and
Chandavaram Buddhist site.
Largely because of the maritime trading links of the East Indian coast, the Amaravati school of sculpture had great influence on art in
South India,
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
, and
South-East Asia.
Buddha image in sculptures which later on became the prototype of images in different Buddhist countries was standardised here.
[Ramachandran, A. "Amaravati Buddhist Images in Srilanka and Southeast Asia." ''Proceedings of the Indian History Congress'', vol. 53, 1992, pp. 686–91. ''JSTOR'', . Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.] The Amaravati style of Buddha image retained its popularity in Sri Lanka till the 12th century.
Kakatiya architecture

Kakatiya era also saw the development of a distinct style of architecture which improved and innovated upon the existing modes. It is a fusion of
Dravidian architecture and
Nagara Bhumija styles in which
sandbox technology is used to construct
Vimana—horizontal stepped tower. Most notable examples are the
Thousand Pillar Temple in
Hanamkonda,
Ramappa Temple in Palampet, and
Kota Gullu in
Ghanpur.
Ramappa Temple, also known as the Rudreswara temple, is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
located in
Mulugu.
Cinema
Telugu cinema
Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to the production of Film, motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Based in Film N ...
is the largest film industry in India in terms of box-office as well as admissions.
The industry has produced some of India's
most expensive and
highest-grossing films of all time over the years.
Clothing
* Masculine
# Uttareeyam (
Uttariya) or Pai Pancha (
Angvastram or veil)
# Pancha (
Dhoti)
# Jubba (
Kurta
A ''kurta'' is a loose collarless shirt or tunic worn in many regions of South Asia, (subscription required) Quote: "A loose shirt or tunic worn by men and women." Quote: "Kurta: a loose shirt without a collar, worn by women and men from South ...
) The top portion
#
Lungi (Casual dress)
* Feminine
#
Langa voni (Half
sari)
#
Cheera (sari)
Festivals
Important festivals celebrated by Telugu people include:
*
Bhogi, Makara Sankranti, Kanuma in January. (The exact date may vary as per the
Hindu calendar
The Hindu calendar, also called Panchangam, Panchanga (), is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes ...
.)
*
Maha Sivaratri in February/March. (The exact date may vary as per the Hindu calendar.)
*
Ugadi or the Telugu New Year in March/April. (The exact date may vary as per the Hindu calendar.)
*
Sri Rama Navami celebrated in March/April, 9 days after Ugadi. (The exact date may vary as per the Hindu calendar.)
*
Bonalu celebrated in
Ashada masam (July/August). (The exact date may vary as per the Hindu calendar.)
*
Hanuman Jayanti in March/May/June. (The exact date may vary as per the Hindu calendar.)
*
Vaikunta Ekadasi in December /January. (The exact date may vary as per Hindu calendar.)
*
Varalakshmi Vratam in August. (The exact date may vary as per Hindu calendar.)
*
Krishna Janmashtami in August. (The exact date may vary as per Hindu calendar.)
*
Vinayaka Chaviti in August. (The exact date may vary as per the Hindu calendar.)
*
Bathukamma celebrated for nine days during
Durga Navaratri.
*
Dasara in September/October. (The exact date may vary as per the Hindu calendar.)
*
Atla Tadde 3rd day in bright half of
Ashviyuja month (falls in September/October in Gregorian calendar). However, the exact date may vary according to the Hindu calendar.
*
Deepavali
Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual ...
(date may vary as per the Hindu calendar.)
*
Nagula Chavithi is in October/November. (The exact date may vary as per the Hindu calendar.)
*
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
,
Easter
Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...
,
Ramzan,
Eid al-Fitr
Eid al-Fitr () is the first of the two main Islamic holidays, festivals in Islam, the other being Eid al-Adha. It falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide becaus ...
,
Eid al-Adha,
Muharram
Al-Muharram () is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is banned. It precedes the month of Safar. The tenth of Muharram is known as Ashura, an important day of commemoration in ...
,
Vesak are among the minorities.
Sport
Population
Castes and communities
The Telugu people are subdivided into several castes and communities. Some of them include:
Yadav
Yadavs are a grouping of non-elite, peasant-pastoral Quote: "The Yadavs were traditionally a low-to-middle-ranking cluster of pastoral-peasant castes that have become a significant political force in Uttar Pradesh (and other northern states l ...
,
Reddy
Reddy (also Hunterian transliteration, transliterated as Reddi or Raddi; also known as Reddiar or Reddappa) is a Telugu people, Telugu Hindu Caste system in India, caste predominantly found in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in Sou ...
,
Kapu/
Balija,
Kamma,
Brahmin
Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...
,
Raju
The Raju are a Telugu caste found mostly in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
Etymology and Early references
''Raju'' is a Telugu language variant of the Sanskrit title ''Raja'', a term for a monarch or princely ruler. Cynthia Talbot des ...
,
Komati,
Boya,
Devanga,
Padmasali,
Bhatraju,
velama,
Goud,
Mala,
Madiga,
Jangam,
Kuruba,
Relli and
Vaddera
Distribution
Telugu is the third most common language in India, right behind Bengali. Telugu is predominantly spoken in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, although it’s also the official language of several other states like
Andaman and Nicobar,
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
,
Karnataka
Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
,
Orissa,
Kharagpur of West Bengal,
Bellary Of Karnataka. It is a part of the Dravidian language family, which has been around for about 2000 years. Outside
Telugu states the largest number of Telugu speakers are found in Karnataka (3.7 million) and Tamil Nadu, making them the second largest language groups in those neighbouring states.
In Karnataka, Telugu people are predominantly found in the border districts with majority in
Bengaluru
Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
city and
Bellary city. In
Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
, the Telugu population is over 1.4 million, followed by 0.7 million in
Orissa. Other states with significant populations include
West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
,
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (; ) is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in Central India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the List ...
and
Gujarat
Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...
with 200,000, 150,000 and 100,000 respectively.
Members of the overseas
Telugu diaspora are spread across countries like
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
,
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
in the
Anglosphere
The Anglosphere, also known as the Anglo-American world, is a Western-led sphere of influence among the Anglophone countries. The core group of this sphere of influence comprises five developed countries that maintain close social, cultura ...
;
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
,
Myanmar
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
,
Mauritius
Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
,
Fiji
Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
;
UAE,
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
,
Kuwait
Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
in the
Arabian Gulf.
Telugu speakers number more than 1,000,000 in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, with the highest concentration in Central New Jersey, Texas, and California. There are around 300,000
Telugu people in Malaysia, and 200,000 in
Myanmar
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
.
Notable Telugu people
See also
*
Telugu states
*
List of people from Andhra Pradesh
*
List of people from Telangana
*
Telugu development
*
Telugu cuisine
*
Telugu cinema
Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to the production of Film, motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Based in Film N ...
References
Bibliography
*
* Harle, J.C., ''The Art and Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent'', 2nd edn. 1994, Yale University Press Pelican History of Art,
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Telugu People
Ethnic groups in India
Telugu-language literature
*
Dravidian peoples
Ethnic groups in Kerala