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Dravidian · Brahui · Gondi · Kalinga · Kannadiga · Malayali · Tamilian · Tuluva |
The Telugu people or Telugus are an ethnic group of India. They are the native speakers of the Telugu language, the most commonly spoken language in India after Hindi and Bengali. They are mostly native to Andra Pradesh, with significant populations in Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Orissa.
Tamils, in their Sangam literature in the beginning of Christian era, called Telugu people Vadugu, Vadagu, Vadugar etc., meaning "northerners". Jayagondar’s work called Kaldlingattupparindni used words like Telungaru and Vadugu to describe Telugus [2].
Most of Andhras follow the Aryan Vaishnavite religion ( cf. the Tirupati temple ), in contrast to the Dravidians, who are Shaivite[3]. Telugu is the most commonly spoken language in India after Hindi and Bengali. Telugu are spread throughout India and abroad, but the state of Andra Pradesh is their homeland. The most significant populations outside of Andhra Pradesh are found in Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Orissa.
Contents |
History
Antiquity
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It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article titled Andhras. (Discuss) |
The Andhras were nomads for several centuries. Some tribes migrated and others did not and remained in their older settlements. Apastamba Rishi states that around 700 BC some Andhra tribes inhabited the Salva Kingdom (Salva Desa) on the banks of the Yamuna River. Apastamba sutra has been widely practiced among Andhra Brahmin families and continues to be followed even today. A single Rishi was the teacher (acharya) of each tribe. Apastamba was one such teacher. Apastamba wrote these rules in Salva Desam on the banks of the Yamuna river. After Apastamba's death the Andhra tribes crossed the Vindhya mountains, reached the south, and merged with the other Andhra tribes. The Atreya Brahmana says that the Andhras lived on the south side of Vindhya Range along with the Pundras, Pulindas, Sabaras and Mootibas.
The Sanskrit epics mention the Andhra Kingdom, named for the Aryan tribe of the Andhras.[4][5] They are mentioned again 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), Shakas, Ikshvakus, Eastern Chalukyas, the Vijayanagar Kingdom, the Qutb Shahis of Golconda, and the Nizams (princes) of Hyderābād.[6]
Sanskrit writings from the 7th century BC describe the Andhra people as Aryans from the North who migrated South of the Vindhya Range and mixed with non-Aryans. They are mentioned again 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. [7]
The term Kalinga (India), has been historically relevant to this region, incorporating north-east Andhra Pradesh and modern day Orissa. People from the Kalinga region were responsible for colonizing Sri Lanka, spreading Buddhism and are ancestors to a large portion of the Sinhalese population. The inhabitants of Southern Andhra Pradesh are predominantly descendants of the Dravidian people, with mild admixture from the Aryan race.
Andhras and Kalingas supported the Kauravas during the Mahabharata war. Sahadeva defeated the kingdoms of Pandya, Dravida, Odra, Chera, Andhra, and Kalinga while performing the Rajasuya yajna. Chanoora was killed by Krishna in Mathura. Hari Vamsa Purana corroborates the fact that Chanoora was the king of Karoosa Desa (to the North of the Vindhyas and on the North Bank of the Yamuna river) and was an Andhra. Buddhist references to Andhras are also found.[8]
The Andhras were nomads for several centuries. Some tribes migrated and others did not and remained in their older settlements. Apastamba Rishi states that around 700 BC some Andhra tribes inhabited the Salva Kingdom (Salva Desa) on the banks of the Yamuna River. Apastamba sutra has been widely practiced among Andhra Brahmin families and continues to be followed even today. A single Rishi was the teacher (acharya) of each tribe. Apastamba was one such teacher. Apastamba wrote these rules in Salva Desam on the banks of the Yamuna river. After Apastamba's death the Andhra tribes crossed the Vindhya mountains, reached the south, and merged with the other Andhra tribes. The Atreya Brahmana says that the Andhras lived on the south side of Vindhya Range along with the Pundras, Pulindas, Sabaras and Mootibas.
Some of those Andhras who came to the south of the Vindhya mountains settled in the regions north of present-day Hyderabad. Another tribe crossed the Eastern Ghats to Orissa and reached the Kalinga Desam. Serivanijo Jataka tale explains that the Andhras built the Andhaka-puram on the banks of Tel river.
The Jataka Tales were written during 200-250 BC. The Tel river is a Tributary of the Mahanadi in Orissa. The tribe in this region were called Kalingas. The books cited above describe the Andhras and Kalingas as two different branches of a single tribe. Sometimes these two words (Andhras and Kalingas) are used as synonyms.
Andhra tribes established relationships with Naga, Yaksha, and Dravida tribes of the Vindhya mountains who were already living there. A tribe called Tailang in Burma is proposed to be related to Telugu people.[1]
Satavahanas
The first great Andhra empire was that of the Satavahanas,[9] who came to power when the last Kanva emperor Sisuman, was assassinated by his prime minister Sipraca, of the Andhra tribe. They reigned for 450 years and the last was Puliman or Puloma the pious, who after conquering India put an end to his life by drowning himself in the holy waters of the Ganga river, after the example of his grandfather. Because of this king, India was called Poulomeun-koue, the country of Puliman by the Chinese. While in the west the inhabitants of the Gangetic provinces were denominated Andhra Hindus[citation needed]. The Satavahana rulers are said to have been held in the highest veneration all over India[citation needed]; and their fame was extended to the Malay Archipelago, the Maharajas of India being a favorite subject of Malayan poetry[10].
Language
Telugu is a heavily Sanskritized Dravidian language which developed during the medieval period. Early inscriptions date from around the 6th century, and literary texts from the 11th century, written in a Telugu script adapted from the Bhattiprolu script of the early inscriptions.
Culture
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The lists in this article may contain items that are not notable, encyclopedic, or helpful. Please help out by removing such elements and incorporating appropriate items into the main body of the article. (September 2009) |
Literature
- Padya Sahithyam and Gadya Sahithyam
- Bhagavatam by Sri Bammera Pothana
- Ramayanam by Rayana Baskara
- Ramayanam by Kummari Molla
- Maha Bharatam by KaviTrayam (Nannaya, Yerrapragada and Tikkana)
- Sataka Sahityam by Vemana, Baddena, Marana Venkana, Yenugu Lakshmana Kavi, Seshappa Kavi, Dhoorjati, and Bhakata Ramdas
- Telugu Chatu Padhyalu
- Tenali Ramalinga Kavi
- Kavi Sarvabhouma Srinathudu
- Telugu Vaggeya Karulu
- Annamayya
- Tyagaraju
- Kshetrayya
Food
Some common Telugu foods are:
- Paravannam
- Aavakaaya Pachadi
- Maagaya Pachadi
- Chintakaya Pachadi
- Gongoora pachchadi
- Korivi Karam
- Vankaya Kura
- Pootha Rekulu
- Madata Kajalu
- Gor Meetilu
- Ariselu
- Boorelu
- Gaarelu
- Bobbatlu (bhakshaalu in Rayalaseema)
- Jentikalu
- Chakkilaalu
- Ulava Chaaru
- Pacchi Pulusu
- Bommidaila Pulusu
- Vadiyalu
- Attu
- Pappu
- Rasamu
- Charu
- Sambaru (Tamil Sambar)
- Pulihora
Traditional Dress
- Male
- Uttareeyam (Angavastram or veil)
- Pancha (Dhoti)
- Jubba (Kurta) The top portion
- Lungi (Casual or Worker dress)
- Women
- Cheera (Sari)
- Girls
See also
- Satavahana Dynasty
- Kakatiya dynasty
- Vijayanagara Empire
- List of people from Andhra Pradesh
- Andhra Pradesh
- List of Telugu people
- Telugu language
- Andhra cuisine
References
- ^ Top 30 languages
- ^ "Andhra-Telangana". http://www.vepachedu.org/Andhra-Telangana.html.
- ^ "Southern Indo-Aryan Languages". http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/1335/Lang/prakrit.html#decc.
- ^ "Andhra Pradesh". http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761580539/andhra_pradesh.html.
- ^ "Andhra Pradesh: basic info". http://www.e-greenstar.com/India/Andhra-Pradesh-info.htm.
- ^ http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761580539/Andhra_Pradesh.html
- ^ http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761580539/Andhra_Pradesh.html
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=wRAhAAAAMAAJ&q=andhra+race&dq=andhra+race&lr=&pgis=1
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=Sae4q93tSGkC&q=andhra+race&dq=andhra+race&lr=&pgis=1
- ^ Josiah Conder, The Modern Traveller: A Popular Description, Geographical, Historical, and ... v. I, India, (1828), p.139
External links
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