History

The history of the race of the Andhras dates back to the Pre-Christian era. Andhras are mentioned even in the Aithareya Brahmana. The earliest of dynasties to have ruled over the Telugus was the Satavahana dynasty, also called the Salivahanas.

Among the other notable rulers were the Kakatiyas in the 13th century A.D. Literature, temple art and fine arts reached their heights of glory during the rule of the Kakatiyas, who also brought most of the Telugu speaking areas under their control. Following the decline of the Kakatiyas in the 14th Century, the Vijayanagar empire was founded. The Andhra region under these kings spread from Cuttack to Cape Comorin. Agriculture, commerce and fine arts flourished in the Vijayanagar empire, which lasted till the 16th century.

After the fall of the Vijayanagar empire, the Telugus had their heyday under the Golkonda kings. This was the Qutub Shahi dynasty under whose rule the one bright feature was the achievement of the Hindu-Muslim unity. Telugu officials had a prominent place in the court. The Golconda kings patronised the culture of the Telugu-speaking people. They even encouraged the study of the Vedas. The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb invaded and annexed the Golconda kingdom towards the end of the 17th century.

Asaf Jahis in the south declared themselves independent too. Asaf Jahis was the last royal dynasty that ruled the Telugu land. Their rule extended from the Narmada to Karnatak in the south and from the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian sea. Slowly, however, their power went on declining as first the French and then the British took an upper hand in the matters of the land.