History of Andhra Pradesh
Domain overview
History of Andhra Pradesh connects dynastic history with the modern Telugu movement and state formation. The exam tests Satavahana and Kakatiya administration, temple and tank irrigation, social reform, and the sequence from Andhra Mahasabha to the 1953 Andhra State and 1956 Andhra Pradesh.
Core concepts
- Satavahanas: Prakrit inscriptions, trade with Rome, Amaravati stupa, metronymic names in some records.
- Ikshvakus: Nagarjunakonda and Buddhist patronage.
- Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi; Kakatiyas of Warangal: tank irrigation, Ramappa temple, Kakatiya state formation.
- Vijayanagara and Qutb Shahis: Golconda, diamond trade, Asaf Jahi successor state.
- Modern: Andhra Mahasabha (1913, Bapatla), Sri Bagh Pact (1937), Potti Sriramulu's fast, Andhra State (1953), States Reorganisation (1956), Telangana bifurcation (2014).
Worked example
Why did Andhra State come into being in 1953, three years before the linguistic reorganisation of 1956? Answer: the Telugu-speaking movement had built organisation through the Andhra Mahasabha and the Sri Bagh Pact; Potti Sriramulu's death during a hunger strike in December 1952 forced Nehru to announce a separate Andhra State. Reasoning: 1953 created Andhra from Madras Presidency districts; 1956 added Telangana and created Andhra Pradesh under the States Reorganisation Act. Keep the two dates distinct.
Traps
- Saying 1956 alone created Andhra Pradesh with its pre-2014 boundaries.
- Confusing the Andhra Mahasabha with the Andhra Pradesh state.
- Attributing Kuchipudi to Tamil Nadu; it is a Telugu classical dance form.
- Ignoring the Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi layers in Deccan history.