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{{Short description|Scheduled Indo-Aryan Tribe of Central and Southern India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2019}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group = Andh
| native_name = आंध <br/> ఆంధ
| flag =
| flag_caption =
| image = Shirral diety of Andh Tribe.jpg
| caption = Deity statue of the Andh tribe at Jodeghat Tribal Museum, Telangana
| population = ~493,450<ref>{{cite web |title=Andh in India (People group profile) |url=https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/16215/IN |website=Joshua Project |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>
| popplace = {{flag|India}}
| region1 = [[Maharashtra]]
| pop1 = 478,000
| ref1 = <ref>{{cite web |title=Andh in India (People group profile) |url=https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/16215/IN |website=Joshua Project |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>
| region2 = [[Telangana]]
| pop2 = 13,000
| ref2 = <ref>{{cite web |title=Andh in India (People group profile) |url=https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/16215/IN |website=Joshua Project |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>
| region3 = [[Karnataka]]
| pop3 = 1,300
| ref3 = <ref>{{cite web |title=Andh in India (People group profile) |url=https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/16215/IN |website=Joshua Project |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>
| region4 = [[Andhra Pradesh]]
| pop4 = ~300
| ref4 = <ref>{{cite web |title=Andh in India (People group profile) |url=https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/16215/IN |website=Joshua Project |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>
| region5 = [[Madhya Pradesh]]
| pop5 = ~300
| ref5 = <ref>{{cite web |title=Andh in India (People group profile) |url=https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/16215/IN |website=Joshua Project |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>
| region6 = [[Gujarat]]
| pop6 = ~200
| ref6 = <ref>{{cite web |title=Andh in India (People group profile) |url=https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/16215/IN |website=Joshua Project |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>
| region7 = [[Delhi]]
| pop7 = ~200
| ref7 = <ref>{{cite web |title=Andh in India (People group profile) |url=https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/16215/IN |website=Joshua Project |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>
| region8 = [[Chhattisgarh]]
| pop8 = ~70
| ref8 = <ref>{{cite web |title=Andh in India (People group profile) |url=https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/16215/IN |website=Joshua Project |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>
| region9 = [[Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu]]
| pop9 = ~40
| ref9 = <ref>{{cite web |title=Andh in India (People group profile) |url=https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/16215/IN |website=Joshua Project |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>
| region10 = [[Kerala]]
| pop10 = ~20
| ref10 = <ref>{{cite web |title=Andh in India (People group profile) |url=https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/16215/IN |website=Joshua Project |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>
| region11 = [[Goa]]
| pop11 = ~20
| ref11 = <ref>{{cite web |title=Andh in India (People group profile) |url=https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/16215/IN |website=Joshua Project |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>
| langs = [[Andh language|Andh]] (Native) <br/> [[Marathi language|Marathi]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]]
| rels = [[Hinduism]]
| related = Other [[Indo-Aryan peoples]]
}}
The '''Andh''' are a designated [[Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes|Scheduled Tribe]] in the Indian states of [[Maharashtra]], [[Telangana]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/ST%20Lists.pdf |pages=19–22 |title=List of notified Scheduled Tribes |publisher=Census India |accessdate=15 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131107225208/http://censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/ST%20Lists.pdf |archivedate=7 November 2013 }}</ref> They are one of the oldest communities in [[India]]. They call themselves Tribals and are relatively well-educated.

==History==

The Andh people are believed to have originated from the ancient [[Satavahana dynasty]]<ref>{{cite web |title=From which ancient dynasty do the Andh tribe primarily descend? |url=https://www.gktoday.in/question/from-which-ancient-dynasty-do-the-andh-tribe-primarily-descend-503255/ |website=GKToday |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>, also known as the [[Satavahana dynasty|Andhra dynasty]], which ruled parts of [[South India|southern]] and [[central India]] between the third century BCE and the second century CE.<ref>{{cite web |title=Andh Tribe Culture in India |url=https://photofrem.com/andh-tribe-culture-in-india/ |website=Photofrem |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref> At the time of Satavahana rule, the king was considered the owner of the lands and forests, but after the death of the last Satavahana ruler, the [[East India Company]] eventually took control of all lands and forests under its governance, contributing to the Andh becoming isolated and economically stagnant in later centuries.<ref>{{cite web |title=Andh Tribe Culture in India (Part 2) |url=https://photofrem.com/andh-tribe-culture-in-india-2/ |website=Photofrem |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref> It is possible that the name Andh is a corruption of the [[Sanskrit]] "''Andhra"'', a designation given by ancient Aryans to a tribe living in the [[Andhra region]].<ref>{{cite web |title=From which ancient dynasty do the Andh tribe primarily descend? |url=https://www.gktoday.in/question/from-which-ancient-dynasty-do-the-andh-tribe-primarily-descend-503255/ |website=GKToday |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>

The Satavahana clan is said to have established one of the earliest empires in the [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]], and their inscriptions were in the [[Maharashtri Prakrit|Maharashtri variant of Prakrit]] language.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/22010/22010-h/22010-h.htm |website=Project Gutenberg |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref> Even today, the Andhs living in [[Telangana]] (across erstwhile [[Adilabad district]]) speak Marathi and an Indo-aryan language named after themselves called [[Andh language|Andh]]. It can be surmised that Andhs also has its origins in Telangana.<ref>3.Dr. D. Satyanarayana. "Various languages spoken by tribal people of TS". Published in Telangana Today daily on 30.8.2021.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=District Tribal Report (PDF) |url=https://www.scribd.com/document/896294437/District-Tribal-Report |website=Scribd |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref> The Andhs are sometimes described as descendants of the Andhra or Satavahana dynasty, although their political status changed over time as central India faced foreign invasions and shifting regional powers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Andh Tribe Culture in India |url=https://photofrem.com/andh-tribe-culture-in-india/ |website=Photofrem |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref> After the decline of the Satavahana dynasty, many became settled agricultural communities and gradually lost any former royal status.<ref>{{cite web |title=Andh Tribe Culture in India (Part 2) |url=https://photofrem.com/andh-tribe-culture-in-india-2/ |website=Photofrem |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>

==Etymology==

The name "Andh" is possibly derived from the [[Sanskrit]] term "[[Andhra region|Andhra]]," a designation for a tribe historically living in the Andhra region.<ref>{{cite web |title=Andh Tribes Overview |url=https://www.gktoday.in/question/from-which-ancient-dynasty-do-the-andh-tribe-primarily-descend-503255/ |website=GKToday |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>

==Distribution==

The Andh people live primarily in the hills of the [[Adilabad district]] in [[Telangana]]. The Andhs comprise a population of approximately 474,110 according to the 2011 census. The Andh are also distributed in the [[Parbhani district|Parbhani]], [[Nanded district|Nanded]], [[Yavatmal district|Yavatmal]] and [[Akola district|Akola]] districts of [[Maharashtra]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Scheduled Tribes of Maharashtra – Census Details |url=https://maharashtra.pscnotes.com/geography-maharashtra/scheduled-tribes-of-maharashtra/ |website=Maharashtra PSC Notes |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Distribution and Demographic Characteristics of the Andh Tribe |url=https://photofrem.com/andh-tribe-culture-in-india-2/ |website=Photofrem |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref> According to the [[Anthropological Survey of India]], there are over 74,000 Andhs in Maharashtra. Historically, the Andh were concentrated in [[central India]], including the [[Marathwada|Marathwada region]] of Maharashtra and parts of Telangana, reflecting their long-standing presence in the [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]].<ref>{{cite web |title=District Tribal Report (PDF) |url=https://www.scribd.com/document/896294437/District-Tribal-Report |website=Scribd |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>

Aundha is located in the [[Hingoli district]] of [[Maharashtra]] and its [[Aundha Nagnath Temple]] is considered one of the eight important [[Jyotirlinga|Jyotirlingas]] out of the twelve in [[India]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Aundha Nagnath, Hingoli District |url=https://divcomcsn.maharashtra.gov.in/en/places-centres/aundha-nagnath-hingoli/ |website=Divisional Commissioner Office, Maharashtra |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>

==Culture==
Andh people celebrate [[Dussehra]], [[Diwali]], [[Sankranti]], and Pola<ref>{{cite web |title=Bail Pola Festival |url=https://maharashtratourism.gov.in/festivals/bail-pola/ |website=Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref> ([[Bull worship]]), as they are predominantly [[Hindus|Hindu]]<ref>{{cite book|author1=K. S. Singh|author2=B. V. Bhanu|author3=Anthropological Survey of India|title=Maharashtra|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DEAlCTxJowUC&pg=PA65|accessdate=29 May 2011|year=2004|publisher=Popular Prakashan|isbn=978-81-7991-100-6|page=65}}</ref> and have an agrarian, nature-based social structure. They also follow some ancient traditions, such as the 12 Shivkathi worship, known as Mahadevachi Kathi Puja, which is dedicated to 12 shrines of [[Shiva]]. At the end of the 12 days, amhil (jowar millet amhil) is offered to [[Shiva|Lord Shiva]] for prosperity and agricultural wealth.<ref>{{cite web |title=Andh Tribe Culture in India |url=https://photofrem.com/andh-tribe-culture-in-india/ |website=Photofrem |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Statistical Handbook of Scheduled Tribes of Andhra Pradesh |url=https://repository.tribal.gov.in/bitstream/123456789/74041/1/APTM_2004_0074_Statisticalhandbook.pdf |website=Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation (Government repository) |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=TCR Studies: Andh (Archived) |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721155405/http://www.aptribes.gov.in/html/tcr-studies-eci-andh.htm |website=AP Tribes (Archived via Wayback Machine) |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>

==Social organization==

They are further subdivided into the Vertali and the Khaltali. The Vertali consider themselves superior and avoid marrying the Khaltali.<ref>{{cite web |title=Scheduled tribes of Maharashtra |url=https://maharashtra.pscnotes.com/geography-maharashtra/scheduled-tribes-of-maharashtra/ |website=Maharashtra PSC Notes |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Andh Tribe Culture in India |url=https://photofrem.com/andh-tribe-culture-in-india-2/ |website=Photofrem |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Andh and Sadhu Andh: The Tribes of Andhra Pradesh |url=https://www.auchitya.com/andh-and-sadhu-andh-the-tribes-of-andhra-pradesh/ |website=Auchitya |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Brief Ethnographic profile of Tribes of A.P. (Andh) |url=https://repository.tribal.gov.in/bitstream/123456789/74229/1/APTM_2018_0098_handbook.pdf |website=Tribal Research and Training Institute |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Ethnic Tribal Diversity of Eastern Ghats and Adjacent Deccan Region (Ethnobotany of India) |url=https://api.pageplace.de/preview/DT0400.9781351737661_A41289404/preview-9781351737661_A41289404.pdf |website=PagePlace |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>

==Language==
{{main|Andh language}}
Historically, the Andhs used to speak a [[Dravidian languages|Dravidian language]], but they have since shifted to the [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]] [[Andh language]]. The Andhs of Maharashtra speak Andh and [[Marathi language|Marathi]]. In [[Andhra Pradesh]] and [[Telangana]], about 100,000 Andhs speak [[Telugu language|Telugu]].

==Notable people==

===Social activist===
* [[Sri Sri Sri Sant Paramahamsa Sadhguru Phulaji baba Patnapur, Mungsajee mouli and Kranthi veer Soma Doma Andh]]

===Indian Freedom fighters===
* [[Shomaji Umare]]
* [[Shivajirao Moghe]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}
*https://web.archive.org/web/20110721155405/http://www.aptribes.gov.in/html/tcr-studies-eci-andh.htm

{{Scheduled Tribes in Maharashtra}}{{Social groups of Maharashtra}}

[[Category:Scheduled Tribes of Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Scheduled Tribes of Maharashtra]]

Andh people - Revision history

Jantapost: new basic details more to come