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Created page with "{{short description|Ethnolinguistic group native to southeastern India}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}} {{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}} {{Redirect|Andhra people|other uses|Andhra (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox ethnic group | group = Telugu people | native_name = '''Teluguvāru'''<br>'''తెలుగువారు ''' | native_name_lang = te | image = File:Telugu talli bomma.JPG | image_caption = Telugu Thalli, the personificatio..."
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#REDIRECT [[Telugu people]]
{{short description|Ethnolinguistic group native to southeastern India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}}
{{Redirect|Andhra people|other uses|Andhra (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group            = Telugu people
| native_name      = '''Teluguvāru'''<br>'''తెలుగువారు '''
| native_name_lang = te
| image            = File:Telugu talli bomma.JPG
| image_caption    = [[Telugu Thalli]], the personification of Telugu language
| population      = '''{{Circa|85 million|lk=yes}}'''<ref name="census india"/><ref name="ethnologue">{{cite news|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/tel|title=Telugu population figure worldwide|date=August 2019|newspaper=[[Ethnologue]]}}</ref>
| region1          = {{flag|India}}
| pop1            = 83,127,740 (2011)
| ref1            = <ref name="census india">{{cite web|title=Scheduled Languages in descending order of speaker's strength - 2011|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/Language-2011/Statement-1.pdf|publisher=[[Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India]]}}</ref>
| region2          = Other
| pop2            = See [[Telugu diaspora]]
| region4          =
| regions          = [[Andhra Pradesh]]<br />[[Telangana]]<br />[[Yanam district|Yanam]]
| langs            = [[Telugu language|Telugu]]
| religions        = '''Majority''':<br />[[File:Om.svg|15px]] [[Hinduism]]<br />'''Minority''':<br />{{hlist|[[File:Star and Crescent.svg|15px]] [[Islam]], [[File:Christian cross.svg|9px]] [[Christianity]], [[File:Dharma Wheel.svg|15px]] [[Buddhism]]}}
| related          = Other [[Dravidian peoples]]:{{hlist|[[Kannadigas]]|[[Tamils]]|[[Malayali]]s|[[Chenchu people|Chenchus]]|[[Gondi people|Gonds]]|[[Kurukh people|Kurukh]]|[[Brahui people|Brahuis]]|[[Radala]]}}
}}
'''Telugu people''' ({{lang-te|తెలుగువారు|Teluguvāru}}), or '''Telugus''', or '''Telugu vaaru,''' are the largest of the four major [[Dravidian peoples|Dravidian]] ethnolinguistic groups in terms of population. Telugus are native to the Indian states of [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Telangana]] and the [[Yanam district]] of [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]]. A significant number of Telugus also reside in the surrounding Indian states of [[Karnataka]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Maharashtra]], [[Gujarat]], [[West Bengal]], [[Chhattisgarh]], [[Kerala]], and [[Odisha]], as well in the [[union territory]] of [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]. Telugus claim descent from the [[Satavahana dynasty|Andhras]], from whom the Telugus inherit their [[ethnonym]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/ancientmedievalh0000ragh|title=Ancient and medieval history of Andhra Pradesh|work=P. Raghunadha Rao|publisher=Sterling Publishers, 1993|year=1993|isbn=9788120714953|page=iv|access-date=9 June 2014|url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=History of Andhra Pradesh|work=[[Government of Andhra Pradesh]]|agency=Associated Press|url=http://www.aponline.gov.in/quick%20links/hist-cult/history.html|url-status=dead|access-date=22 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716182646/http://www.aponline.gov.in/quick%20links/hist-cult/history.html|archive-date=16 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Sailendra Nath Sen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&pg=PA172|title=Ancient Indian History and Civilization|publisher=New Age International|year=1999|isbn=9788122411980|pages=172–176|access-date=29 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170323134904/https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&pg=PA172|archive-date=23 March 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Telugu language|Telugu]] is the [[Languages of India|fourth most spoken language]] in India<ref name="spoken">{{cite news |title=Nearly 60% of Indians speak a language other than Hindi |work=The Times of India |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Nearly-60-of-Indians-speak-a-language-other-than-Hindi/articleshow/36922157.cms}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=What Languages Are Spoken in India? |language=en-US |website=WorldAtlas |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-most-widely-spoken-languages-in-india.html |access-date=2021-02-04}}</ref> and the [[List of languages by total number of speakers|15th most spoken language]] in the world.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ltd |first=Libros Media |title=15 most spoken languages |url=https://www.rocketlanguages.com/blog/the-15-most-spoken-languages-in-the-world |access-date=2021-02-05 |website=Rocket Languages |language=en}}</ref>
 
Andhra was mentioned in the [[Sanskrit epics]] such as [[Aitareya Brahmana]] (by some estimates c. 800 [[BCE]]). According to [[Aitareya Brahmana]] of the [[Rigveda]], the Andhras left North India from the banks of river Yamuna and migrated to South India.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> They are mentioned at the time of the death of the Mauryan King [[Ashoka]] in 232 BC. This date has been considered to be the beginning of the Andhra historical record. During the rise of [[Āstika and nāstika|Nastika]] Schools of [[Buddhism]] and [[Jainism]] in the region, Telugus, along with most of India, saw a reformation of their traditional high society. [[Mahayana|Mahayana Buddhism]], which would later go on to become the largest [[Schools of Buddhism|Buddhist tradition]] in the world, developed among Telugus in Andhra.<ref>Guang Xing. ''The Concept of the Buddha: Its Evolution from Early Buddhism to the Trikaya Theory.'' 2004. pp. 65–66 "Several scholars have suggested that the Prajñāpāramitā probably developed among the Mahasamghikas in Southern India, in the Andhra country, on the Krishna River."</ref><ref>Williams, Paul. ''Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations 2nd edition.'' Routledge, 2009, p. 47.</ref><ref>Drewes, David, ''Early Indian Mahayana Buddhism I: Recent Scholarship'', Religion Compass 4/2 (2010): 55–65, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-8171.2009.00195.x</ref><ref>"The south (of India) was then vigorously creative in producing Mahayana Sutras"&nbsp;– Warder, A.K. (3rd edn. 1999). ''Indian Buddhism'': p. 335.</ref>
 
Telangani, a term referring to a Telugu or a resident in the land inhabited by Telugus came into common usage during the 14th century CE.<ref>{{citation|last=Parpola|first=Asko|title=The Roots of Hinduism: The Early Aryans and the Indus Civilization|page=167|year=2015|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=978-0190226923|author-link=Asko Parpola}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Rao|first1=Raja M. Bhujanga|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xwXx7LB-ai4C&pg=PA55|title=A History of Telugu Literature|last2=P. Chenchiah|publisher=Asian Educational Services|year=1988|isbn=978-81-206-0313-4|page=55}}</ref><ref>{{citation|last=Brown|first=Charles P.|title=Madras Journal of Literature and Science|volume=X|page=53|year=1839|chapter=Essay on the Language and Literature of Telugus|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZhkYAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA53|publisher=Vepery mission Press.|author-link=Charles Phillip Brown}}</ref><ref>{{citation|last=Caldwell|first=Robert|title=A Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian or South-Indian Family of Languages|url=http://gretil.sub.uni-goettingen.de/gretil_elib/Cdw856__Caldwell_ComparativeGrammarDravidian.pdf|page=64|year=1856|location=London|publisher=Harrison|author-link=Robert Caldwell}}</ref> The [[Telugu diaspora]] has a global presence, especially in the [[Telugu Americans|United States]], [[Burmese Indians|Myanmar]], [[Malaysian Telugu|Malaysia]], [[Indian South Africans|South Africa]],<ref>{{cite web|title=A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ANDHRA PEOPLE IN SOUTH AFRICA|url=http://www.amssa.org.za/about-amssa/history-amssa/|access-date=2021-02-05|website=Andhra Maha Sabha of South Africa|language=en-US}}</ref> [[Indian Australians|Australia]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Indian population in Australia increases 30 per cent in less than two years; now the third largest migrant group in Australia|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/indian-population-in-australia-increases-30-per-cent-in-less-than-two-years-now-the-third-largest-migrant-group-in-australia|access-date=2021-02-05|website=SBS Your Language|language=en}}</ref> and [[Indo-Canadians#Language|Canada]], among other countries of the [[Anglosphere]]. In 16th Century, Italian traveller named Niccolo De Conti visited the Vijaya Nagara Empire. During this trip, he found that the words in Telugu Language ends with vowels just like Italian Language and he referred Telugu as the Italian of the East.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ITALIAN OF THE EAST |url=https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/italian-of-the-east |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=www.speakingtree.in}}</ref>
 
==History==
{{Main|Telugu language}}
 
'''Andhra''' ({{lang-te|<big>ఆంధ్ర</big>}}) was a kingdom mentioned in the epic [[Mahabharata]]. It was a southern kingdom, currently identified as Indian state of [[Andhra Pradesh]] where it got its name from.
 
Andhra communities are also mentioned in the Vayu 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.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wRAhAAAAMAAJ|title=Proceedings of the Andhra Pradesh Oriental Conference: Fourth session, Nagarjuna University, Guntur, 3rd to 5th March 1984|last=Śrīhari|first=R.|date=1987-01-01|publisher=The Conference|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url = https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.98843|title = Journal of Indian History|date = 1949-01-01|publisher = University of Kerala.|language = en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EmIMAAAAIAAJ|title=A Prose English Translation of the Mahabharata: (tr. Literally from the Original Sanskrit Text)|last=Datta|first=Manmathanatha|date=1897-01-01|publisher=H.C. Dass|language=en}}</ref>
 
Andhra was mentioned in the [[Sanskrit epics]] such as [[Aitareya Brahmana]] (by some estimates c. 800 [[BCE]]). According to [[Aitareya Brahmana]] of the [[Rigveda]], the Andhras left North India from the banks of river Yamuna and migrated to South India.<ref name=":1">{{cite book|title=Dance Dialects of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KRz5ykKRVAEC&q=Andhra+Trace+their+history&pg=PA66|work=Ragini Devi|year = 1990|publisher=Motilal Bansarsi Dass|isbn=81-208-0674-3|access-date=2014-06-09}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite web|title=History of Andhra Pradesh|url=http://www.aponline.gov.in/quick%20links/hist-cult/history.html|work=AP Online|publisher=[[Government of Andhra Pradesh]]|access-date=22 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716182646/http://www.aponline.gov.in/quick%20links/hist-cult/history.html|archive-date=2012-07-16|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{cite book|title=Ancient and medieval history of Andhra Pradesh|year=1993|url=https://archive.org/details/ancientmedievalh0000ragh|url-access=registration|work=P. Raghunadha Rao|publisher=Sterling Publishers, 1993|page=iv|access-date=2014-06-09}}</ref> They are mentioned at the time of the death of the great Mauryan King [[Ashoka]] in 232 BC. This date has been considered to be the beginning of the Andhra historical record. Various dynasties have ruled the area, including the [[Satavahana Dynasty|Andhra]] (or [[Satavahana]]), [[Andhra Ikshvakus]], [[Eastern Chalukyas]], the [[Kakatiyas]], the [[Vijayanagara Empire]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Andhra Pradesh - MSN Encarta <!-- BOT GENERATED TITLE --> |url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761580539/andhra_pradesh.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091028105629/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761580539/Andhra_Pradesh.html |archive-date=2009-10-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 
Telugu is a South-Central [[Dravidian languages|Dravidian language]] primarily spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India, where it is the official language. The oldest inscriptions with Telugu words date to 400 B.C.E found at [[Bhattiprolu]] in [[Guntur district]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|date=2007-12-20|title=Telugu is 2,400 years old, says ASI|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/Telugu-is-2400-years-old-says-ASI/article14898202.ece|access-date=2020-10-08|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Other early inscriptions with more refined language were found in Kantamanenivarigudem, [[Guntupalle, West Godavari district|Guntupalli]] in [[West Godavari district|West Godavari]] district and Gummadidurru and [[Ghantasala, Krishna district|Ghantasala]] in [[Krishna district]]. The earliest inscription completely written in Telugu dates to 575 CE were found at Kalamalla village in Kadapa district.<ref name=":0" /> The earliest Telugu literature dates to 11th century CE with [[Nannayya|Nannaya]]'s [[Andhra Mahabharatam]].
 
In the sixth century BCE, Assaka was one of the Sixteen Mahajanapadas. After the Mauryas, parts of [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Telangana]] were variously ruled by dynasties either ethnically Telugus. It was succeeded by the [[Satavahana dynasty]] (230&nbsp;BCE-220 CE), who built the city of [[Amaravathi, Guntur district|Amaravati]]. The kingdom reached its zenith under [[Gautamiputra Satakarni]]. At the end of the period, the Telugu region was divided into [[Realm|Kingdoms]] ruled by lords. In the late second century CE, the [[Andhra Ikshvaku]]s ruled the eastern region along the Krishna River. The [[Vishnukundina dynasty|Vishnukundina Dynasty]], [[Eastern Chalukyas]], [[Kakatiya dynasty|Kakatiya Dynasty]] and [[Reddy Kingdom|Reddy dynasty]] were some of the many Major Telugu Kingdoms and Dynasties Ruling the Region.
 
During the fourth century, the [[Pallava dynasty]] extended their rule from southern Andhra Pradesh to [[Tamilakam]] and established their capital at [[Kanchipuram]]. 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.
 
Between 1163 and 1323 the [[Kakatiya dynasty]] emerged, bringing the Telugu region under unified rule. During this period, the [[Telugu language]] emerged as a literary medium with the writings of [[Tikkana]], Eranna, Nannaya, Pothana etc., are the converters of the great Hindu epics like Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Bhagavatha etc.,.
 
In 1323 the [[sultan]] of [[Delhi]], [[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 of Warangal (1323)|siege to Warangal]]. The fall of the [[Kakatiya dynasty]] led to an era with competing influences from the Turkic kingdoms of Delhi, the [[Chalukya Chola]] dynasty (1070–1279) in the south 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 Telugu achieved independence under [[Krishnadevaraya]] of the [[Vijayanagara Empire]] (1336–1646). The [[Qutb Shahi dynasty]] of the [[Bahmani Sultanate]] succeeded that empire. The Qutub Shahis were tolerant of Telugu culture from the early 16th to the end of the 17th centuries.
 
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 [[Tribal chief|chief]] and council at [[Visakhapatnam]] obtained the [[Northern Circars]] from [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] emperor [[Shah Alam]]. 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 under [[Mohandas Gandhi]]. [[Potti Sreeramulu]]'s campaign for a state independent of the [[Madras Presidency]] and [[Tanguturi Prakasam]] Panthulu and [[Kandukuri Veeresalingam]]'s social-reform movements led to the formation of [[Andhra State]], with [[Kurnool]] its capital and freedom-fighter Pantullu its first chief minister. A democratic society, with two stable political parties and a modern economy, emerged under the [[Chief Ministership of N. T. Rama Rao]].
 
[[Independence of India|India became independent]] from the United Kingdom in 1947. Although the Muslim [[Nizam of Hyderabad]] wanted to retain independence from India, he was [[Annexation of Hyderabad|forced]] to cede his kingdom to the [[Dominion of India]] in 1948 to form [[Hyderabad State (1948–1956)|Hyderabad State]]. Andhra, the first Indian state formed primarily on a linguistic basis, was carved from the Madras Presidency in 1953. In 1956, Andhra State was merged with the Telugu-speaking portion of [[Hyderabad State]] to create the state of Andhra Pradesh. The [[Lok Sabha]] approved the formation of [[Telangana]] from ten districts of Andhra Pradesh on 18 February 2014.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Menon|first=Amamath K.|date=1 June 2014|title=Telangana is born, KCR to take oath as its first CM|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/telangana-braces-to-celebrate-its-birthday-celebrations-kcr/1/364724.html|magazine=India Today|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111151025/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/telangana-braces-to-celebrate-its-birthday-celebrations-kcr/1/364724.html|archive-date=11 November 2014|access-date=15 September 2016}}</ref>
 
==Culture==
[[File:A Kuchipudi dance by two Hindu girls.jpg|thumb|Two Kuchipudi dancers from Andhra Pradesh, 2011]]
{{Main|Culture of Andhra Pradesh|Culture of Telangana}}
 
===Literature===
{{Main|Telugu literature}}
 
===Arts===
Kuchipudi is a famous Classical Indian dance from Andhra Pradesh.
* [[Kuchipudi]]
* Vilasini Natyam
* [[Perini Sivatandavam]]
* [[Oggu Katha]]
* [[Burra katha|Burra Katha]]
* [[Andhra Natyam]]
* [[Telugu cinema|Telugu Cinema]]
* [[Kalamkari|Kalankari]] - The art [[Kalamkari]] is pronounced as Kalankari (కలంకారి) in Andhra Pradesh
 
===Clothing===
* '''Masculine'''
# Uttareeyam ([[Uttariya]]) or Pai Pancha ([[Angvastra]]m or veil)
# Pancha ([[Dhoti]])
# Jubba ([[Kurta]]) The top portion
# [[Lungi]] (Casual dress)
* '''Feminine'''
# [[Langa voni]] (Half [[sari]])
# [[Pattu pavada]]
# [[sari|Cheera]] (sari)
 
===Festivals===
{{See also|List of festivals in Andhra Pradesh}}
Important festivals celebrated by Telugu people include:
* [[Makar Sankranti|Bhogi, Makara Sankranti, Kanuma]] in January. (The exact date may vary as per the [[Hindu calendar]].)
* [[Maha Shivaratri|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]].)
* [[Vaikuntha Ekadashi|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 [[Navratri]].
* [[Vijayadashami|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]] date may vary as per the [[Hindu calendar]].)
* [[Nagula Chavithi]] is in October/November. (The exact date may vary as per the [[Hindu calendar]].)
* [[Ramadan]], [[Eid al-Adha]], [[Eid al-Fitr]], [[Muharram]], [[Vesak Day]], [[Easter]], [[Thanksgiving]] and [[Christmas]] are among the minorities.
 
==Population==
===Distribution===
 
Telugu is the fourth most spoken language after [[Hindi]], [[Bengali language|Bengali]] and [[Marathi language|Marathi]] in India.<ref name="spoken"/> [[Andhra Pradesh]] and [[Telangana]] are the principal resident states for Telugu people.
 
Telugu people form the majority speakers in South India with over 75 million speakers in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This is followed by 3.7 million in [[Karnataka]] and 4.2 million in [[Tamil Nadu]] making them the second largest language groups in those neighbouring states.<ref name="toi">{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-04-15/chennai/27759074_1_telugus-punjabis-bengalis |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111113162926/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-04-15/chennai/27759074_1_telugus-punjabis-bengalis |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-11-13 |title=Kannadigas outnumber Malayalis 2:1 in Tamil Nadu |date=2008-04-15 |work=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=2018-03-06}}</ref>
 
In [[Tamil Nadu]], Telugu people who migrated during the [[Vijayanagara]] period have spread across several northern districts and constitute a significant percentage of the population in [[Chennai]] city. In [[Karnataka]], Telugu people are predominantly found in the border districts with majority in [[Bengaluru]] city.
In [[Maharashtra]], the Telugu population is over 1.4 million, followed by 0.7 million in [[Odisha|Orissa]]. Other states with significant populations include West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat with 200,000, 150,000 and 100,000 respectively.<ref name="toi"/>
 
The overseas Telugu [[diaspora]] numbers more than 400,000 in the United States, with the highest concentration in Central New Jersey, Texas, and California.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}}
 
There are around 300,000 [[Malaysian Telugu|Telugu people in Malaysia]].<ref>{{ cite journal | title = Proceedings of the Indian History Congress Vol. 69 : Telugu Diaspora in South East/West Asia, 1871-1990 | first = Adapa | last = Satyanarayana | year = 2008 | publisher = Indian History Congress}}</ref>

Revision as of 15:41, 9 December 2022


"Andhra people" redirects here. For other uses, see Andhra (disambiguation).
Telugu people
Teluguvāru
తెలుగువారు
Telugu Thalli, the personification of Telugu language
Total population
c. 85 million[1][2]
Regions with significant populations
Andhra Pradesh
Telangana
Yanam
 India83,127,740 (2011)[1]
OtherSee Telugu diaspora
Languages
Telugu
Religion
Majority:
Hinduism
Minority:
Related ethnic groups
Other Dravidian peoples:

Telugu people (Telugu: తెలుగువారు, romanized: Teluguvāru), or Telugus, or Telugu vaaru, are the largest of the four major Dravidian ethnolinguistic groups in terms of population. Telugus are native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and the Yanam district of Puducherry. A significant number of Telugus also reside in the surrounding Indian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, and Odisha, as well in the union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Telugus claim descent from the Andhras, from whom the Telugus inherit their ethnonym.[3][4][5] Telugu is the fourth most spoken language in India[6][7] and the 15th most spoken language in the world.[8]

Andhra was mentioned in the Sanskrit epics such as Aitareya Brahmana (by some estimates c. 800 BCE). According to Aitareya Brahmana of the Rigveda, the Andhras left North India from the banks of river Yamuna and migrated to South India.[9][10][11] They are mentioned at the time of the death of the Mauryan King Ashoka in 232 BC. This date has been considered to be the beginning of the Andhra historical record. During the rise of Nastika Schools of Buddhism and Jainism in the region, Telugus, along with most of India, saw a reformation of their traditional high society. Mahayana Buddhism, which would later go on to become the largest Buddhist tradition in the world, developed among Telugus in Andhra.[12][13][14][15]

Telangani, a term referring to a Telugu or a resident in the land inhabited by Telugus came into common usage during the 14th century CE.[16][17][18][19] The Telugu diaspora has a global presence, especially in the United States, Myanmar, Malaysia, South Africa,[20] Australia,[21] and Canada, among other countries of the Anglosphere. In 16th Century, Italian traveller named Niccolo De Conti visited the Vijaya Nagara Empire. During this trip, he found that the words in Telugu Language ends with vowels just like Italian Language and he referred Telugu as the Italian of the East.[22]

History

Main article: Telugu language

Andhra (Telugu: ఆంధ్ర) was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It was a southern kingdom, currently identified as Indian state of Andhra Pradesh where it got its name from.

Andhra communities are also mentioned in the Vayu 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.[23][24][25]

Andhra was mentioned in the Sanskrit epics such as Aitareya Brahmana (by some estimates c. 800 BCE). According to Aitareya Brahmana of the Rigveda, the Andhras left North India from the banks of river Yamuna and migrated to South India.[9][10][11] They are mentioned at the time of the death of the great Mauryan King Ashoka in 232 BC. This date has been considered to be the beginning of the Andhra historical record. Various dynasties have ruled the area, including the Andhra (or Satavahana), Andhra Ikshvakus, Eastern Chalukyas, the Kakatiyas, the Vijayanagara Empire.[26]

Telugu is a South-Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India, where it is the official language. The oldest inscriptions with Telugu words date to 400 B.C.E found at Bhattiprolu in Guntur district.[27] 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.[27] The earliest Telugu literature dates to 11th century CE with Nannaya's Andhra Mahabharatam.

In the sixth century BCE, Assaka was one of the Sixteen Mahajanapadas. After the Mauryas, parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana were variously ruled by dynasties either ethnically Telugus. It was succeeded by the Satavahana dynasty (230 BCE-220 CE), who built the city of Amaravati. The kingdom reached its zenith under Gautamiputra Satakarni. At the end of the period, 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. The Vishnukundina Dynasty, Eastern Chalukyas, Kakatiya Dynasty and Reddy dynasty were some of the many Major Telugu Kingdoms and Dynasties Ruling the Region.

During the fourth century, the Pallava dynasty extended their rule from southern Andhra Pradesh to Tamilakam and established their capital at Kanchipuram. 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.

Between 1163 and 1323 the Kakatiya dynasty emerged, bringing the Telugu region under unified rule. During this period, the Telugu language emerged as a literary medium with the writings of Tikkana, Eranna, Nannaya, Pothana etc., are the converters of the great Hindu epics like Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Bhagavatha etc.,.

In 1323 the sultan of Delhi, 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 led to an era with competing influences from the Turkic kingdoms of Delhi, the Chalukya Chola dynasty (1070–1279) in the south 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 Telugu achieved independence under Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire (1336–1646). The Qutb Shahi dynasty of the Bahmani Sultanate succeeded that empire. The Qutub Shahis were tolerant of Telugu culture from the early 16th to the end of the 17th centuries.

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 obtained the Northern Circars from Mughal emperor Shah Alam. 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 under Mohandas Gandhi. Potti Sreeramulu's campaign for a state independent of the Madras Presidency and Tanguturi Prakasam Panthulu and Kandukuri Veeresalingam's social-reform movements led to the formation of Andhra State, with Kurnool its capital and freedom-fighter Pantullu its first chief minister. A democratic society, with two stable political parties and a modern economy, emerged under the Chief Ministership of N. T. Rama Rao.

India became independent from the United Kingdom in 1947. Although the Muslim Nizam of Hyderabad wanted to retain independence from India, he was forced to cede his kingdom to the Dominion of India in 1948 to form Hyderabad State. Andhra, the first Indian state formed primarily on a linguistic basis, was carved from the Madras Presidency in 1953. In 1956, Andhra State was merged with the Telugu-speaking portion of Hyderabad State to create the state of Andhra Pradesh. The Lok Sabha approved the formation of Telangana from ten districts of Andhra Pradesh on 18 February 2014.[28]

Culture

Two Kuchipudi dancers from Andhra Pradesh, 2011
Main articles: Culture of Andhra Pradesh and Culture of Telangana

Literature

Main article: Telugu literature

Arts

Kuchipudi is a famous Classical Indian dance from Andhra Pradesh.

Clothing

  • Masculine
  1. Uttareeyam (Uttariya) or Pai Pancha (Angvastram or veil)
  2. Pancha (Dhoti)
  3. Jubba (Kurta) The top portion
  4. Lungi (Casual dress)
  • Feminine
  1. Langa voni (Half sari)
  2. Pattu pavada
  3. Cheera (sari)

Festivals

See also: List of festivals in Andhra Pradesh

Important festivals celebrated by Telugu people include:

Population

Distribution

Telugu is the fourth most spoken language after Hindi, Bengali and Marathi in India.[6] Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are the principal resident states for Telugu people.

Telugu people form the majority speakers in South India with over 75 million speakers in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This is followed by 3.7 million in Karnataka and 4.2 million in Tamil Nadu making them the second largest language groups in those neighbouring states.[29]

In Tamil Nadu, Telugu people who migrated during the Vijayanagara period have spread across several northern districts and constitute a significant percentage of the population in Chennai city. In Karnataka, Telugu people are predominantly found in the border districts with majority in Bengaluru city.

In Maharashtra, the Telugu population is over 1.4 million, followed by 0.7 million in Orissa. Other states with significant populations include West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat with 200,000, 150,000 and 100,000 respectively.[29]

The overseas Telugu diaspora numbers more than 400,000 in the United States, with the highest concentration in Central New Jersey, Texas, and California.[citation needed]

There are around 300,000 Telugu people in Malaysia.[30]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Scheduled Languages in descending order of speaker's strength - 2011" (PDF). Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
  2. ↑ "Telugu population figure worldwide". Ethnologue. August 2019.
  3. ↑ Ancient and medieval history of Andhra Pradesh. Sterling Publishers, 1993. 1993. p. iv. ISBN 9788120714953. Retrieved 9 June 2014. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  4. ↑ "History of Andhra Pradesh". Government of Andhra Pradesh. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  5. ↑ Sailendra Nath Sen (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization. New Age International. pp. 172–176. ISBN 9788122411980. Archived from the original on 23 March 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Nearly 60% of Indians speak a language other than Hindi". The Times of India.
  7. ↑ "What Languages Are Spoken in India?". WorldAtlas. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  8. ↑ Ltd, Libros Media. "15 most spoken languages". Rocket Languages. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Dance Dialects of India. Motilal Bansarsi Dass. 1990. ISBN 81-208-0674-3. Retrieved 9 June 2014. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "History of Andhra Pradesh". AP Online. Government of Andhra Pradesh. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Ancient and medieval history of Andhra Pradesh. Sterling Publishers, 1993. 1993. p. iv. Retrieved 9 June 2014. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  12. ↑ Guang Xing. The Concept of the Buddha: Its Evolution from Early Buddhism to the Trikaya Theory. 2004. pp. 65–66 "Several scholars have suggested that the Prajñāpāramitā probably developed among the Mahasamghikas in Southern India, in the Andhra country, on the Krishna River."
  13. ↑ Williams, Paul. Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations 2nd edition. Routledge, 2009, p. 47.
  14. ↑ Drewes, David, Early Indian Mahayana Buddhism I: Recent Scholarship, Religion Compass 4/2 (2010): 55–65, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-8171.2009.00195.x
  15. ↑ "The south (of India) was then vigorously creative in producing Mahayana Sutras" – Warder, A.K. (3rd edn. 1999). Indian Buddhism: p. 335.
  16. ↑ Parpola, Asko (2015), The Roots of Hinduism: The Early Aryans and the Indus Civilization, Oxford University Press, p. 167, ISBN 978-0190226923
  17. ↑ Rao, Raja M. Bhujanga; P. Chenchiah (1988). A History of Telugu Literature. Asian Educational Services. p. 55. ISBN 978-81-206-0313-4.
  18. ↑ Brown, Charles P. (1839), "Essay on the Language and Literature of Telugus", Madras Journal of Literature and Science, vol. X, Vepery mission Press., p. 53
  19. ↑ Caldwell, Robert (1856), A Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian or South-Indian Family of Languages (PDF), London: Harrison, p. 64
  20. ↑ "A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ANDHRA PEOPLE IN SOUTH AFRICA". Andhra Maha Sabha of South Africa. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  21. ↑ "Indian population in Australia increases 30 per cent in less than two years; now the third largest migrant group in Australia". SBS Your Language. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  22. ↑ "ITALIAN OF THE EAST". www.speakingtree.in. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  23. ↑ Śrīhari, R. (1 January 1987). Proceedings of the Andhra Pradesh Oriental Conference: Fourth session, Nagarjuna University, Guntur, 3rd to 5th March 1984. The Conference.
  24. ↑ Journal of Indian History. University of Kerala. 1 January 1949.
  25. ↑ Datta, Manmathanatha (1 January 1897). A Prose English Translation of the Mahabharata: (tr. Literally from the Original Sanskrit Text). H.C. Dass.
  26. ↑ Andhra Pradesh - MSN Encarta. Archived from the original on 28 October 2009.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Telugu is 2,400 years old, says ASI". The Hindu. 20 December 2007. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  28. ↑ Menon, Amamath K. (1 June 2014). "Telangana is born, KCR to take oath as its first CM". India Today. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 "Kannadigas outnumber Malayalis 2:1 in Tamil Nadu". The Times of India. 15 April 2008. Archived from the original on 13 November 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  30. ↑ Satyanarayana, Adapa (2008). "Proceedings of the Indian History Congress Vol. 69 : Telugu Diaspora in South East/West Asia, 1871-1990". Indian History Congress. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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