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Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh, located on eastern coast of India, was constituted on November 1, 1956 under the states` reorganisation scheme. It is the fifth largest state with an area of 2,76,754 sq km, accounting for 8.4% of India`s territory. The state is endowed with a variety of physiographic features ranging from high hills, undulating plains to a coastal deltaic environment.
It is India`s fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Hyderabad. The State has the second longest coastline (972 km) among all the States in India.
History
Centuries ago, Andhra Pradesh was a major Buddhist centre and part of Emperor Ashoka`s sprawling kingdom. Not surprisingly, traces of early Buddhist influence are still visible in several places in and around the state. After the death of Emperor Ashoka, several dynasties from the Ikshvakus, Pallavas, Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Vijayanagaram kings, Qutb Shahis, Mughals and the Asaf Jahi`s, ruled this princely city.
The history of Andhra Pradesh dates back to the epic era of the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha. But the documented history points to 236 BC, when Satavahana established a kingdom and a dynasty around the modern Hyderabad. During the reign of 450 years, Buddhism flourished in the kingdom. The rulers were followers of Brahmanism, but the women folk practiced Buddism. It was during this period that Buddhism spread from these shores to China, The far East and to Sri Lanka. The Ikshvakus succeeded the Satavahanas and ruled the kingdom for 57 years. The Pallavas annexed the area South of River Krishna and ruled till the end of 6th century.
Then came the dynasties of Chalukyas and the Kakatiyas. The Kakatiyas established themselves as rulers of a Telugu speaking people. The glorious reign of the Kakatiyas came to 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 came in power in 1347 AD, governed by Allahuddin 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.
It was somewhere around this time that the Qutub Shahi dynasty came into being when Sultan Quli, the Bahmani governor of Telangana, became independent and extend the new kingdom of Golconda right upto Machlipatnam on the east coast. Given the title of Quli-ul-Mulk by the Bahmanis, Qutub Shah, a descendant of a royal family of Hamdan in Persia, took over the reins and ruled till 1548.
Aurangazeb last Mogul king to rule India, conquered the Deccan in 1687 and left his governors, the Nizams, to rule Andhra. The British and French took over from the Nizams. Andhra became a part of Indian Union in 1947. The present state was formed in 1953, merging a part of the then Madras State (present Tamil Naidu) and the princely state of Hyderabad.
Geography
Andhra Pradesh lies between 12°41` and 22°N latitude and 77° and 84°40`E longitude, ad is bordered by Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Orissa in the north, the Bay of Bengal in the East, Tamil Nadu to the south and Karnataka to the west. Andhra Pradesh is historically called the "Rice Bowl of India". It is currently the second largest producer of rice in India after West Bengal.
Two major rivers, the Godavari and the Krishna run across the state. The small enclave (12 sq mi (30 km²)) of the Yanam district of Pondicherry state lies in the Godavari Delta in north-east of the state.
Historically the region comprising the state was known as Andhraapatha, Andhradesa, Andhraavani, Andhra vishaya etc. Andhra Pradesh is formed from Andhra State on the 1st of November, 1956.
Demographics
Telugu is the official language of the state, spoken by 83.75% of the population. Telugu is the second most spoken language in India. The major linguistic minority groups in the state include the speakers of Urdu (8.63%) and Hindi (3.23%).[16] The Indian government designated Telugu as a classical and ancient language on November 1, 2008.
Other languages spoken in Andhra Pradesh by less than 1% each include Tamil (0.97%), Kannada (0.94%), Marathi (0.84%), Oriya (0.42%), Gondi (0.21%) and Malayalam (0.1%). Languages spoken by less than 0.1% are the states residents include Gujarati (0.09%), Savara (0.09%), Koya (0.08%), Jatapu (0.04%), Punjabi (0.04%), Kolami (0.03%), Konda (0.03%), Gadaba (0.02%), Sindhi (0.02%), Gorkhali/Nepali (0.01%) and Khond/Kondh (0.01%).
The main ethnic group of Andhra Pradesh is the Telugu people who primarily belong to the Dravidian peoples.
Population 2001 census
2001 75,727,000
Geography and Climate
Andhra Pradesh districts mapAndhra Pradesh can be divided into three regions, namely Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana.
Andhra Pradesh has 23 districts: Adilabad, Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, East Godavari, Guntur, Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Krishna, Kurnool, Mahbubnagar, Medak, Nalgonda, Sri Potti Sreeramulu Nellore, Nizamabad, Prakasam, Rangareddy, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Warangal and West Godavari.
Hyderabad is the capital and, along with the adjoining twin city Secunderabad, is the largest city in the state. Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh`s main seaport, is the second largest city of the state and is home to the Indian Navy`s Eastern Naval Command. Vijayawada due to its location and proximity to major rail and road routes is a major trading center and the third largest city of the state. Other important cities and towns are: Warangal, Guntur ,Ongole, Tirupati, Kakinada, Rajahmundry, Nellore, Kurnool, Anantapur, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Eluru.
Culture
Telugu, the official language of Andhra Pradesh, is described by C.P. Brown as the " Italian of the East ". It has been influenced by Sanskrit. The prominent poets of Telugu include Nannaya, Tikkana,Sri Nathudu, Tenali Rama Krishna, Sri Krishna Devarayulu and a host of others.
Urdu came to the Deccan, late in the 15th century. It flourished during the reign of the Qutubshahi Dynasty. The 17th century was the golden age of Urdu, with poets like Mohammed Quli, Mulla Wajhi, Sheikh Ahmed contributing their literary pieces.
Kuchipudi, a blend of music and abhinaya, is Andhra Pradesh`s unique contribution to dance.
The dance styles in the State are based on the standard treatises, viz. Abhinaya Darpana and Bharatarnava of Nandikeshwara, which is sub-divided into Nattuva Mala and Natya Mala. Nattuva Mala is of two types - the Puja dance performed on the Balipitha in the temple and the Kalika dance performed in a Kalyana mandapam.Nattuva Mala is of three kinds, viz. Ritual dance for gods, Kalika dance for intellectuals and Bhagavatam for common place.The Natya Mala is a dance-drama performed by a troupe, consisting only of men, who play feminine roles.
The earliest and the original Telugu drama was perhaps " Harishchandra " by Veeresalingam. The commercial troupes started performing in Andhra Pradesh with Dharvada company of Maharashtra, which toured in 1880. It was followed by Sangle of Poona and Bawalivala Parsi of Bombay.
The Telugu stage had a galaxy of versatile actors like Yedavalli Suryanarayana Rao, Uppuluri Sankiva Rao, Sthnam Narsimha Rao and a host of famous actors.
After the advent of cinema, the magic of drama receded.
Hindu festivals such as Dasara, Deepavali, Sri Ramanavami, Krishna Janmastami, Vinayaka Chavithi (Ganesh Chaturthi) and Maha Sivarathri are celebrated in the State. But the celebrations of Ugadi (Telugu New Year`s day), Sankranti,Dasara and Vinayaka Chavithi in the state are unique.
A widely known festival in Telengana area that falls on Asviyuja Shuddha Dasami (Sep/Oct) is the Batakamma Panduga. It is celebrated for nine days by married women in memory of a Vaisya married woman, who was killed by her own brother on the instigation of his wife. The murdered woman is believed to have manifested herself in her grave as a flowering tree. The Mahankali Jathara in the twin cities is celebrated at the onset of summer to propitiate the local village deities so that pestilence does not strike.
Tourism
Andhra Pradesh Heritage Tourism : Andhra Pradesh has wealth of edifices and heritage structures, that draw tourists from all over the world. Be it historical or religious, the monuments of the state bear a testimony to their master craftsmanship. Erected several centuries ago, the monuments of Andhra Pradesh are visual feast for tourists. Charminar in the capital city Hyderabad is one of the splendid piece of architecture. Standing in the heart of the city, the magnificent monument was built by Quli Qutub Shah in 1591. Adjacent to Charminar, Mecca Masjid is an architectural masterpiece and it also one of the largest mosques in India.
Golconda Fort, just 9 kms away from old city is another jewel of Hyderabad. Constructed by Mohd Quli Qutub Shah in 1525, the fort stands as the epitome of Islamic culture and grandeur. Chandragiri, one the capital of Vijaynagar empire is home to the massive fort and mahals. A splendid piece of architecture, Chandragiri Fort stands on a 183 m high hill and houses two mahals (palaces) including the Raj Mahal. Besides the historical structures, Andhra Pradesh is home to around 50 Buddhist sites. In Hyderabad in the middle of Hussain Sagar lies the huge monolithic 17 m high statue of Buddha. Amaravati, set on the banks of river Krishna is present-day Guntur and believed to be one of the oldest Buddhist sites having the largest stupa in the country.
Andhra Pradesh Pilgrim Tourism : Towns of Andhra Pradesh are home to innumerable temples which attracts tourists and pilgrims all through the year. Andhra Pradesh houses the richest Hindu religious institution, Tirupati. The abode of Lord Venkateswara, Tirupati earns an annual income of Rs 100 billion, from the offerings of devotees. Pattuparthy, a small village of Andhra Pradesh is the home of Sri Satya Sai Baba, considered to be a living god by millions. People seeking peace of mind and soul make a beeline to visit the Prasanthi Nilayam, an imposing edifice at Puttaparthy. Srisailam is another revered pilgrimage centre of Andhra Pradesh and it is home to one of the 18 shaktipithas and one of the 12 jyothirlings. Vijayawada has the second biggest temple of Goddess Durga also known as Kanaka Durga.
Veerabhadra temple of the town is known for typical Vijayanagar architectural style and art. Bhadrachalam temple is another important temple of Vijayanagar. Mangaliri situated between Vijayawada and Guntur is also a temple town. Vemulavada is popular for the Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy temple complex, which houses the temple of Sri Raja Rajeswara Swamy and temples dedicated to other deities namely Ram, Laxman, Ganesh, Lord Bhimeshwara and Lord Padmanabha Swamy.
Andhra Pradesh Eco Tourism : Andhra Pradesh has a 1,000 km long coastline, a vast forest area spread over an area of 11,980 sq. km with 20 wildlife sanctuaries and national parks that provide natural habitat to a rich variety of flora and fauna. Bestowed with such natural jewells, Andhra Pradesh offers excellent opportunities for eco tourism. Andhra Pradesh government has introduced programmes to increase awareness about nature, the environment and its conservation. Tyda is an important and famous spot for eco-tourism. Set in the lush forests of the Eastern Ghats, Tyda provides an idyllic holiday to the common tourists, ornithologists and adventure enthusiasts. Talakona, 76 kms from Tirupati is famous for its gushing waterfalls, dense forests, varied wildlife, picture perfect setting and pleasant atmosphere. Other popular eco-tourism spots of Andhra Pradesh are Belum Caves, Borra Caves, Ettipthala Waterfalls and Durgamcheruvu lake.
Government
Andhra Pradesh has a Legislative Assembly of 294 seats. The state has 60 members in the Parliament of India; 18 in the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House and 42 in the Lok Sabha, the Lower House.[21][22]
Andhra Pradesh had a series of governments headed by Indian National Congress (INC) Party until 1982. Kasu Brahmananda Reddy held the record for the longest serving chief minister which was broken by N.T. Rama Rao in 1983. P.V. Narasimha Rao also served as the chief minister of the state, who later went on to become the Prime Minister of India in 1991. Among the notable chief ministers of the state are Tanguturi Prakasam, Chief Minister (CM) of Andhra State (the first CM of the present Andhra Pradesh was Neelam Sanjiva Reddy) others include Kasu Brahmananda Reddy, Marri Chenna Reddy, Jalagam Vengal Rao, Nedurumalli Janardhana Reddy, Nadendla Bhaskara Rao, Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy, N.T. Rama Rao, Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.
High Court at Hyderabad, the main judicial body for the State.In 1983 the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) won the State elections and N.T. Rama Rao (NTR) became the chief minister of the state for the first time introducing a formidable second political party to Andhra Pradesh`s politics and thus breaking the single party monopoly on Andhra Pradesh`s politics. After a few months, Nadendla Bhaskar Rao usurped power when NTR was away in the United States for medical treatment. After coming back, NTR successfully convinced the then State Governor to dissolve the Assembly and call for a fresh election. TDP won the elections with a large majority and NTR became Chief Minister of the State for the second time. His government policies included investment in education, rural development and in holding corrupt government officials.
In 1989 group elections ended the 7-year rule of NTR with INC party returning to power with Dr. Marri Chenna Reddy at the helm of affairs. He was replaced by N. Janardhan Reddy who was in turn replaced by Kotla Vijaya Bhasker Reddy.
In 1994, Andhra Pradesh gave a mandate to TDP again and saw NTR becoming the chief minister again. Chandrababu Naidu who was the Son In Law of NTR back stabbed NTR and took power in a political coup. NTR, later died of a heart attack unable to digest the treachery. TDP won election in 1999 before he was defeated by the INC-led coalition spearheaded by YS Rajasekhara Reddy in the May 2004 polls.
Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy of INC, became Chief Minister of state after May 2004. Rajasekhara Reddy fought the 2004 Assembly elections in an alliance with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which was formed by Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao whose aim is to form a separate state and also with the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Economy
Agriculture has been the chief source of income for the state`s economy. Four important rivers of India, the Godavari , Krishna ,Penna and Thungabhadra flow through the state, providing irrigation. Rice, sugarcane, cotton, mirchi (chilli pepper), mango and tobacco are the local crops. Recently, crops used for vegetable oil production such as sunflower and peanuts have gained favour. There are many multi-state irrigation projects in development, including Godavari River Basin Irrigation Projects and Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, the world`s highest masonry dam.
Cyber towers at Hyderabad, the state capital and largest city in the state.The state has also started to focus on the fields of information technology and biotechnology. In 2004–2005, Andhra Pradesh was at the fifth position in the list of top IT exporting states of India. The IT exports from the State were Rs.1,800 million in 2004. The IT sector is expanding at a rate of 52.3% every year. The IT exports reached Rs.190,000 million in 2006–2007 and ranked fourth in India. The service sector of the state already accounts for 43% of the gross state domestic product (GSDP) and employs 20% of the work force. The state capital, Hyderabad is considered to be bulk drug capital of the country. 50% of the top 10 companies in Pharmaceutical field are from the state. The state also commands a very prominent place in the infrastructure space, with many companies from the state being up there at the fore-front.
Andhra Pradesh is a mineral rich state, ranking second in India in terms of mineral wealth. The state has about one third of India`s limestone reserves, estimated at about 30 billion tonnes.The Krishna-godavari basin has huge reserves of natural gas and petroleum reserves. The state is also blessed with huge amount of coal reserves.
The state ranks first nationwide in hydro electricity generation with national market share of over 11%.
Andhra Pradesh`s GSDP for 2005 was estimated at $62 billion in current prices. This is a chart of trend of GSDP of Andhra Pradesh at market prices estimated by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation with figures in millions of Indian Rupees. Accordingly, the state ranks fourth in terms of overall GSDP[20] and fourth in per capita GSDP among the major states of India.
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| 2004 LOKSABHA SEATS |
| SEATS |
42 |
| Congress |
29 |
| TDP |
5 |
| TRS | 5 |
| Others | 3 |
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