Telangana (Telugu: తెలంగాణ), is a region in the present state of Andhra Pradesh, India and formerly was part of Hyderabad State which was ruled by the Nizams. It is bordered by the states of Maharashtra to the north and north-west, Karnataka to the west, Chattisgarh to the north-east and Orissa to the east. Andhra Pradesh State has three main cultural regions of which Telengana is one; others incl
ude Coastal Andhra region in the east and Rayalaseema region in the south. The Telangana region has an area of 114,840 square kilometres (44,340 sq mi), and a population of 35,286,757 (2011 census) which is 41.6% of Andhra Pradesh state population.[2][3][4]
The Telangana region comprises 10 districts: Hyderabad, Adilabad, Khammam, Karimnagar, Mahbubnagar, Medak, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Rangareddy, and Warangal. Since Telangana was merged with Andhra state to form Andhra Pradesh state in 1956, there were several agitations in Telangana to invalidate the merger and to form Telangana state. On December 9, 2009, Government of India announced process of formation of Telangana state. Due to objections raised in Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions immediately after the announcement, and due to the agitation in those regions for 14 days, the decision to form the new state was put on hold on December 23, 2009. Since December 2009, Telangana movement intensified and it continued to dominate the state politics and is the cause of instability in the region. Etymology
Natural Beauty of TelanganaThe etymology of "Telangana" is not known for certain. It is thought to have been derived from Trilinga, as in Trilinga Desa, "the country of the three lingas". According to a Hindu legend, Shiva descended as linga on three mountains namely, Kaleshwaram, Srisailam and Draksharama, which marked the boundaries of the Telangana[5] and the language spoken by Telangana people is known as Telugu. But Telugu is spoken outside the borders created by these three lingas.[6]
History:
Telangana was the center of culture, learning, and power in the Deccan and India for centuries. Telangana's long and rich history was shaped by the great empires that have risen and fell in its area. After the decline of the influential Mauryan Empire, the Satavahana dynasty (230 BCE to 220 CE), the first great Telugu empire, came to be the dominant power in the region. It originated from the lands between the Godavari and Krishna Rivers. Kotilingala in Karimnagar was their first capital, before moving to Dharanikota. Excavations at Kotilingala revealed coinage of Simukha, the first Satavahana emperor. The Satavahana Empire was important in repelling foreign empires from India, such as the Kushans, Sakas and Greeks, thereby preserving Indian culture. After the decline of the Satavahanas, various dynasties ruled the region such as the Vakatakas, Vishnukundinas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas and Western Chalukyas. The Warangal fort built by Kakatiyas
Ramappa Temple
Sangameshwar Temple at AlampurThe region experienced its golden age during the reign of the Kakatiya dynasty, a Telugu dynasty from Warangal that ruled most parts of what is now Andhra Pradesh from 1083 to 1323 AD. Ganapatideva was known as the greatest of the Kakatiyas, and the first after the Satavahanas to bring the entire Telugu area under one rule. He put an end to the rule of the Cholas, who accepted his suzerainty in the year 1210. He established order in his vast dominion that stretched from the Godavari delta in the east to Raichur (in modern day Karnataka) in the west and from Karimnagar and Bastar (in modern day Chattisgarh) in the north to Srisailam and Tripurantakam, near Ongole, in the south. It was during his reign that the Golkonda fort was constructed. Rudrama Devi and Prataparudra were prominent rulers from the Kakatiya dynasty. The great Vijayanagara Empire of South India may have had its origins in the Telugu Kakatiyas of Warangal. The Telugu origin of the dynasty proposes that first kings of the empires, brothers Bukka Raya I and Harihara I, were generals in the Kakatiya army. After defeat of the army by Muhammad bin Tughlaq, the brothers were taken prisoner and forced to convert to Islam. However, they managed escape, reconfirm their Hindu faith, and establish the Vijayanagara Empire. The region came under the Muslim rule of the Delhi Sultanate in the 14th century, followed by Bahmanis, Qutb Shahis, and the Mughals. The Telangana region was the heart of numerous dynasties. Chowmahalla Palace was home to the Nizams of Hyderabad State.[edit] Telangana RebellionMain article: Telangana Rebellion
The Telangana Rebellion was a peasant revolt which was later supported by the Communists. It took place in the former princely state of Hyderabad between 1946 and 1951. This was led by the Communist Party of India.[7]
The revolt began in the Nalgonda district and quickly spread to the Warangal and Bidar districts. Peasant farmers and labourers revolted against the local feudal landlords (jagirdars and deshmukhs) and later against the Osman Ali Khan, Asif Jah VII. The violent phase of the movement ended after the central government sent in the army. Starting in 1951, the CPI shifted to a more moderate strategy of seeking to bring communism to India within the constraints of Indian democracy.[8]
[edit] Post-independenceWhen India became independent from the British Empire in 1947, the Nizam of Hyderabad did not want to merge with Indian Union and wanted to remain independent under the special provisions given to princely states. He even asked for a corridor, a passage from India. Rebellion had started throughout the state against the Nizam's rule and his army, known as the Razakars. The Government of India annexed Hyderabad State on 17 September 1948, in an operation by the Indian Army called Operation Polo which government called Police action. When India became independent, Telugu-speaking people were distributed in about 22 districts, 9 of them in the former Nizam's dominions of the princely state of Hyderabad, 12 in the Madras Presidency (Northern Circars), and one in French-controlled Yanam. The Central Government appointed a civil servant, M. Vellodi, as First Chief Minister of Hyderabad State on 26 January 1950. He administered the state with the help of bureaucrats from Madras State and Bombay State. In 1952, Dr. Burgula Ramakrishna Rao was elected Chief minister of Hyderabad State in the first democratic election. During this time there were violent agitations by some Telanganites to send back bureaucrats from Madras state, and to strictly implement rule by natives of Hyderabad.[9]
Meanwhile, Telugu-speaking areas in the Northern Circars and Rayalaseema regions were carved out of the erstwhile Madras state on the fast unto death by Potti Sri Ramulu to create Andhra State in 1953, with Kurnool as its capital.[10][11][12]
[edit] Merger of Telangana and AndhraIn December 1953, the States Reorganization Commission was appointed to study the creation of states on linguistic basis.[13] The States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) was not in favour of an immediate merger of Telangana region with Andhra state, despite their common language. Hyderabad state in 1956(in yellowish green). After reorganization in 1956, Regions of the state west of Red and Blue lines merged with Bombay and Mysore states respectively and rest of the state(Telangana) was merged with Andhra state to form Andhra Pradesh stateParagraph 382 of the States Reorganisation Commission Report (SRC) said "opinion in Andhra is overwhelmingly in favour of the larger unit; public opinion in Telangana has still to crystallize itself. Important leaders of public opinion in Andhra themselves seem to appreciate that the unification of Telangana with Andhra, though desirable, should be based on a voluntary and willing association of the people and that it is primarily for the people of Telangana to take a decision about their future". The people of Telangana had several concerns. The region had a less-developed economy than Andhra, but with a larger revenue base (mostly because it taxed rather than prohibited alcoholic beverages), which people of Telangana feared might be diverted for use in Andhra. They feared that planned irrigation projects on the Krishna and Godavari rivers would not benefit Telangana proportionately, even though people of Telangana controlled the headwaters of the rivers. It was feared that the people of Andhra, who had access to higher standards of education under the British rule, would have an unfair advantage in seeking government and educational jobs.[citation needed]
The commission proposed that the Telangana region be constituted as a separate state with a provision for unification with Andhra state, after the 1961 general elections, if a resolution could be passed in the Telangana state assembly with a two-thirds majority. The Chief Minister of Hyderabad State, Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, expressed his view that a majority of Telangana people were against the merger.[14] (evidence : url=http://missiontelangana.com/1954-1956-telangana-movement). He supported the Congress party's central leadership decision to merge Telangana and Andhra despite opposition in Telangana.[15] Andhra state assembly passed a resolution on 25 November 1955 to provide safeguards to Telangana. The resolution said, "Assembly would further like to assure the people in Telangana that the development of that area would be deemed to be special charge, and that certain priorities and special protection will be given for the improvement of that area, such as reservation in services and educational institutions on the basis of population and irrigational development."[16] Telangana leaders did not believe the safeguards would work.[17][18] An agreement was reached between Telangana leaders and Andhra leaders on 20 February 1956 to merge Telangana and Andhra with promises to safeguard Telangana's interests.[19][20]
Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru initially was skeptical of merging Telangana with Andhra State, fearing a "tint of expansionist imperialism" in it.[21][22] He compared the merger to a matrimonial alliance having "provisions for divorce" if the partners in the alliance cannot get on well.[23][24]
Following the Gentlemen's agreement, the central government established a unified Andhra Pradesh on November 1, 1956.[10][25][26] The agreement provided reassurances to Telangana in terms of power-sharing as well as administrative domicile rules and distribution of expenses of various regions. Anti-Nehru politics emerged with the repression of the Telengana movement; many within the Congress Party extended their hands to leftist causes. Feroze Gandhi was among them.[27]
[edit] Separate Telangana state movementMain article: Telangana movement
There have several movements to invalidate the merger of Telangana and Andhra, major ones occurring in 1969, 1972 and 2000s onwards. The Telangana movement gained momentum over decades becoming a widespread political demand of creating a new state from the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh.[28]
On December 9, 2009, Government of India announced process of formation of Telangana state. Due to objections raised in Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions immediately after the announcement, and due to the agitation in those regions for 14 days, the decision to form to new state was put on hold on December 23, 2009. The movement continues in Hyderabad and other districts of Telangana.[29][30]
[edit] Grievances of Telangana proponents
A map showing several rivers including the Godavari and Krishna. Both the rivers flow into Coastal Andhra and through TelanganaTelangana is the largest of the three regions of Andhra Pradesh state, covering 41.47% of its total area. It is inhabited by 40.54% of the state's population and contributes about 76% of the state's revenues, excluding the contribution of the central government. When the central government's contribution to revenue is included, Andhra Pradesh's revenue sources come from Telangana: 61.47% (including 37.17% from Hyderabad); from the central government: 19.86%; from Andhra: 14.71%; and from Rayalaseema: 3.90%.[31] Proponents of a separate Telangana state cite perceived injustices in the distribution of water, budget allocations, and jobs. Within the state of Andhra Pradesh, 68.5% of the catchment area of the Krishna River and 69% of the catchment area of the Godavari River are in the Telangana region. Telangana supporters state that the benefits of irrigation through the canal system under major irrigation projects is accruing substantially, 74.25%, to the Coastal Andhra region, while the share to Telangana is 18.20%. The remaining 7.55% goes to the Rayalaseema region. As per Volume-II of Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal Award - "The area which we are considering for irrigation formed part of Hyderabad State and had there been no division of that State, there were better chances for the residents of this area to get irrigation facilities in Mahboobnagar District. We are of the opinion that this area should not be deprived of the benefit of irrigation on account of the reorganisation of States.".[32]
There are allegations that in most years, funds allocated to Telangana were never spent. According to Professor Jayashankar only 20% of the total Government employees, less than 10% of employees in the secretariat, and less than 5% of department heads in the Andhra Pradesh government are from Telangana; those from other regions make up the bulk of employment.[33][34][35] He also alleged that the state was represented by Telangana chief ministers for only 6 1/2 years out of over five decades of its existence, with no chief minister from the region being in power continuously for more than 2 1/2 years.[33] As per Srikrishna committee on Telangana, Telangana held the position of CM for 10.5 years while Seema-Andhra region held it for 42 years.[36] Proponents of a separate Telangana state feel that the agreements, plans, and assurances from the legislature and Lok Sabha over the last fifty years have not been honoured, and as a consequence Telangana has remained neglected, exploited, and backward. They allege that the experiment to remain as one state has proven to be a futile exercise and that separation is the best solution.[30][37][38][39]
[edit] Geography
Telangana region marked in white within the state of Andhra Pradesh
Kuntala WaterfallTelangana is situated in the central stretch of the eastern seaboard of the Indian Peninsula. Of the three regions of the state of Andhra Pradesh,[40] Telangana has the largest area, with 114,800 square kilometres (44,300 sq mi). The Deccan plateau is drained by two major rivers, the Godavari and the Krishna. 69% of the Krishna River and 79% of the Godavari River catchment area is in Telangana region. Telangana is also drained by other minor rivers such as Manair, Bhima, Dindi, Kinnerasani, Manjeera, Munneru, Moosi, Penganga, Praanahita, and Peddavagu and Taliperu. The area is divided into two main regions, the Eastern Ghats and the plains. The surface is dotted with low depressions.
[edit] ClimateTelangana is a semi-arid region of Andhra Pradesh and has a predominantly hot and dry climate. Summers start in March, and peak in May with average high temperatures in the 42 °C (108 °F) range. The monsoon arrives in June and lasts until September with about 550 mm (22 in) of precipitation. A dry, mild winter starts in late November and lasts until early February. With little humidity and average temperatures in the 22–23 °C (72–73 °F) range, this is the best time to visit the region. Natural resources This section does not cite any references or sources. (December 2009)
Telangana region has rich natural resources. 45% of the forest area in Andhra Pradesh state is in Telangana region, spread across five districts. 20% of the coal deposits in the country are in Telangana region. The Singareni Collieries Company excavates coal for industrial purposes and for thermal power stations. The power generated is supplied to the entire of South India. There are limestone deposits in the region, which cater to cement factories. Telangana has other resources such as bauxite and mica.
[edit] Demography and languageAccording to the Backward Regions Grant Fund 2009–10, 13 backward districts are located in Andhra Pradesh; 9 (Except Hyderabad) are from Telangana region and the rest are from other regions.[43][44][45]
Telangana has 86% Hindu, 12.4% Muslim, and 1.2% Christian population. Hyderabad city(district) has 55.4% Hindu, 41.2% Muslim, 2.4% Christian population. Other districts in Telangana region (outside of Hyderabad district) have 8.4% of the Muslim population.[46][47]
About 83% of Telangana people speak Telugu[1].Rest of them speak Hyderabadi Urdu. After the formation of Andhra Pradesh,the usage of Urdu in Hyderabad has come down, with the influx of people from Coastal and Rayalaseema parts of the state, who are predominantly Telugu speaking. [48]
[edit] Culture and identity
Hyderabadi biryaniThe Hyderabad's Deccani or Dakkini culture is evolved on its own as a distinctive culture due to confluence of different people who came from different places to serve under the Golkonda rulers.[49][50]
[edit] FestivalsBonalu, Bathukamma, Diwali, Vijayadashami, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Moharram, Milad un Nabi, Christmas, Sri Rama Navami, Vinayaka Chaviti, Tholi ekadasi, Sammakka Saralamma, Mahashivarathri, Varalaxmi Vratam, Nagula Panchami, Nagula Chavithi, Sri Krishnastami and Ugadi are prominent festivals in Telangana. Other festivals of Hindus and Muslims such as Holi, Raksha Bandhan, Eid-ul-Fitr and Milad un Nabi are also celebrated with equal enthusiasm as in rest of India. The Sankranti festival is celebrated at the beginning of harvest season, generally, on January 14 every year. Bathukamma and Bonalu are regional festivals of Telangana. Bathukamma[edit] LiteratureSee also: List of Telangana poets
Bammera Pothana, the poet who composed the classic SriMadh Maha Bhagavatamu, a Telugu translation of Sri Bhagavatham, authored by Veda Vyasa in Sanskrit, belongs to Telangana region. Golkonda Nawab Muhammed Quli Qutub Shah had the distinction of being the first Saheb-e-dewan Urdu poet and is credited with introducing a new sensibility into prevailing genres of Persian/Urdu poetry . Other prominent poets of the Telangana region in the early era include Kancherla Gopanna or Bhakta Ramadasu, Gona Budda Reddy Palkuriki Somanatha, Mallinātha Sūri, Hulukki Bhaskara and in modern era poets include Padma Vibhushan Kaloji Narayana Rao, Sahitya Akademy award recipient Dasarathi Krishnamacharya, Vachaspathi Puraskar award recipient Sribhashyam Vijayasarathi and Jnanpith award recipient Dr. C. Narayana Reddy, Pamulaparti Venkata Narasimha Rao the 9th Prime Minister of India.Samala Sadasiva has been selected for 'Kendra Sahitya Puraskaram'. His book 'Swaralayalu' on Hindustani music got selected for the award for the year 2011.
