Andhra Pradesh, India's fifth largest state, is sprawled over an area of 275,068 sq. km. History has forged, and left behind vital links with the state, as is evident from the many edifices, monuments and architectural ruins, the legacy of dynasties as old as 300 B.C. Traces of the diverse and variegated facets of the culture of the Mauryas, Pallavas, Cholas, Satavahanas, Chalukyas and Vijayanagar, offer imposing vistas, that continue to fascinate the observer.

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.