Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh is the third largest state in India with an area of 275,000 sq. km. A state in the southern region of India, Andhra Pradesh is bordered on the south by Tamil Nadu state, on the west by Karnataka state, on the north and northwest by Maharashtra state, on the northeast by Madhya Pradesh and Orissa states, and on the east by the Bay of Bengal. The northern area of Andhra Pradesh is mountainous. The climate is generally hot and humid. Annual rainfall is 125 cm. The Krishna and The Godavari are the major river systems in the state.
Andhra Pradesh has a very rich cultural background. Historians date life in the area to the Palaeolithic age of some 3,00,000 years ago. Of course, recorded history points to existence of societies as early as the sixth century BC in the Krishna and Godavari valleys.
From such a background emerges the modern day Andhra Pradesh, on the forefront not just alphabetically. Its people are achievers who display a rare hospitality and courtesy. The State is today on the top internationally in regard to information technology and its capital Hyderabad has metamorphosed into one of the best cities in the country.
Starting with a purely Andhra or Telugu culture, the people of the State have over the years imbibed the graces of Persian and Turkish cultures brought in by Muslim rulers. A confluence of such cultures has created an exclusive ‘Deccani’ culture that combines hospitality, grace, appreciation of beauty and a passion to excel.
It is this driving passion that has brought the State to the foremost position today. It already has valuable gifts that nature has endowed it with — a long coastline bordered by clean beaches; hills, forests and a meteorologically and socially pleasant climate.
It is not for nothing that global investors have found Andhra Pradesh ideal for setting up their units. International IT giants were among the first to be taken in by the Hi-tec City near Hyderabad and its environs that form Cyberabad — the IT destination.
Urbanisation of what was known as Andhra Desa covering almost all the present Andhra Pradesh, the Deccan Plateau and peninsular India started as early as the sixth century BC and this is borne out by the accounts of Megasthenes, Greek ambassador in the court of Chandragupta Maurya, in the third century BC. Megasthenes recorded the existence of as many as 30 fortified towns in the region.
It was during this period that Buddhism and Jainism vied with the already established Brahmanism. But it was after the second Buddhist council in 380 BC that Andhra Desa became a Buddhist stronghold with Dhanyakataka, today’s Amaravati in Guntur district, as its centre.
After the fall of the Mauryan empire, the Satavahanas, who had accepted the suzerainty of the Mauryas, united as a single race. Their empire was vast and spread over the peninsula. The rulers were followers of Brahmanism, but the womenfolk practised Buddhism. It was during this period that Buddhism spread from these shores to China, the Far East and to Sri Lanka. The Amaravati school of art developed into a distinctive style. The Satavahanas proclaimed themselves Dakshinapathapatis – monarchs of the South. (Dakshin later came to be described as the Deccan.)
Saintly Successors
After the fall of the Satavahana empire, the Ikshvakus succeeded them in the coastal areas with their capital at Vijayapuri, a valley beside Sriparvata that later came to be called Nagarjunakonda. It was at Sriparvata that Acharya Nagarjuna established a centre of learning and preached the Mahayana form of Buddhism based on the Madhyamika philosophy during the 2nd century AD.
Subsequently came the Vishnukundins and during their reign Telugu became the court language and the area was referred to as Telangana or the Telugu land. During the Ikshvaku rule, Prakrit was replaced by Sanskrit. By the sixth century, Telugu as a language adopted a number of Sanskrit words.
Then came the Chalukyas, the Pallavas and the Kakatiyas. The Kakatiyas established themselves as rulers of a Telugu-speaking people and set up their capital at Hanumakonda. The Chalukyas and Kakatiyas proved themselves to be excellent architects and their contribution to temple architecture is a feast for the eyes even today.
A New Era
The glorious reign of the Kakatiyas came to an end in the 14th century and for the first time Telugus came under a Muslim regime that brought with it a totally different set of customs, language and religion. The Delhi Sultanate defeated the Kakatiyas in 1310. It was during 1347 AD that Allauddin Hasan, claiming lineage to Bahman Shah of Persia, revolted against the Delhi Sultanate and declared himself ruler of the southern part of the territory, comprising mainly the Deccan and Telangana area.
The Bahmanis were a regular source of irritation to the neighbouring Gajapathi and Vijayanagar rulers. Another epochal era was during the reign of Krishna Deva Raya of the Vijayanagar Empire, who joined forces with the Gajapathi rulers of the east coast and consolidated his empire. But after his death in 1529, decay set in on the kingdom with palace feuds.
It was somewhere around this time that the Qutb Shahi dynasty came into being when Sultan Quli, the Bahmani governor of Telangana, became independent and extended the new kingdom of Golconda right upto Machilipatnam on the east coast. Given the title of Qutb-ul-Mulk by the
Bahmanis, Qutb Shah, a descendant of a royal family of Hamadan in Persia, took over the reins and ruled till 1548.
The Birth of Hyderabad
Sultan Quli was murdered by his son Jamsheed but his youngest son Ibrahim managed to escape and take refuge in the neighbouring Vijayanagar Empire under Rama Raya. Seven years in exile, Ibrahim returned
to Golconda after Jamsheed’s death. By then, Ibrahim had married a Vijayanagar princess Bhageerathi and to them was born the builder of Hyderabad, Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah.
The city was named Bhagnagar, after Bhagmati. Subsequently it came to be called Hyderabad, today’s vibrant metropolis that has been transformed into a fitting tribute to the builder of the city.
Hyderabad today hosts some of the best buildings, both heritage and modern. Structures put up centuries ago are still preserved as monuments. Parks or gardens have been revived and the number of water bodies in and around the city rejuvenated to re-create the splendour of a thriving modern city that retains its old heritage with a sense of pride and belonging.
Malls and shopping complexes in multi-storeyed structures abound but the old ambience remains. A special charm is very much there. Amidst all this romantic environment, industries have come up. Some of the multinational companies have set up branches here, a number of State and Indian Government units including prestigious research and development as well as defense establishments have made Hyderabad their home. Their staff, drawn from all parts of the country, feel at home in the new environment and culture.
Andhra Pradesh is now no more just Andhra or Telugu. Though the culture exists, it is now a global destination with little distinction between the visitor and the resident.
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