History of the Telangana movement

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Part of a series on

Telangana movement

Telangana region marked in white within the state of Andhra Pradesh

General

History

Pre-2004
2000's

2004-2010

Srikrishna committee
2010's

2011

Early 2011

Mid 2011

Late 2011

2012

The history of the Telangana movement refers to the political and social conditions under which
the Telangana region was merged with Andhra State to form the state of Andhra Pradesh and the
subsequent demands to reverse the merger to form a new state of Telangana.
Contents

1 Monarchy to Democracy

2 1952 Mulki agitation and Merger of Telangana and Andhra

3 Grievances of Telangana proponents

4 See also

5 References

6 External links

Monarchy to Democracy[edit]
When India became independent from the British Empire in 1947, the Nizam of Hyderabad, a Muslim king,
wanted Hyderabad State to remain independent under the special provisions given to princely states.
The Hindus of the Hyderabad State who accounted for 93 per cent of its population, launched the `Join India'
movement with the cooperation of a few patriotic Muslims for the integration of the State with the rest of the
country. The State Congress leaders and Arya Samaj leaders invoked themselves whole-heartedly in the
movement. The peasants of the state, influenced by Communist party, had also revolted against the Nizam,
who tried to suppress their armed struggle against landlords. Qasim Razvi led private Razakar Muslim army
fighting for continuation of the Nizam's rule, did worst forms of atrocities on people. [1][2][3] The Government of

India liberated and assimilated the Hyderabad State on 17 September 1948, in an operation by the Indian
Army called Operation Polo.
A Communist-led peasant revolt started in Telangana in 1946, which lasted until 1951. Hyderabad
state included 9 Telugu speaking districts of Telangana, 4 Kannada districts in Gulbarga division &
4 Marathi speaking districts in Aurangabad division. Rangareddy district was carved out of Hyderabad district of
Telangana in 1978. Now Telangana has 10 districts. The Central Government appointed a civil servant, M. K.
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 'Mulki-rules'(Local
jobs for locals only), which was part of Hyderabad state law since 1919. [4]
In 1952, 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 (Andhra region), and one in Frenchcontrolled Yanam. Meanwhile, Telugu-speaking areas in the Andhra region were carved out of the
erstwhile Madras state by leaders like Potti Sri Ramulu to create Andhra State in 1953, with Kurnool as its
capital.[5][6][7]

1952 Mulki agitation and Merger of Telangana and Andhra[edit]

Map of the Hyderabad State during 1909

In 1952, there was a students agitation against non Mulkis (mulki meaning locals). The agitation arose after
many jobs were taken by people from coastal Andhra. The popular slogans were Non-Mulki go back and Idli
Sambar go back. During the protests seven students were killed in police firing. [4] In December 1953, the States
Reorganization Commission was appointed to prepare for the creation of states on linguistic lines. [8] The
commission, due to public demand, recommended disintegration of Hyderabad state and to merge Marathi
speaking region with Bombay state and Kannada speaking region with Mysore state.

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 state

The States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) was not in favour of an immediate merger of Telugu speaking
Telangana region with Andhra state, despite their common language. Paragraph 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 lessdeveloped 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.
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.[9] He supported the Congress
party's central leadership decision to merge Telangana and Andhra despite opposition in Telangana. [10] 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."[11] Telangana leaders did not believe the safeguards would work. [12]
[13]

With lobbying from Andhra Congress leaders and with pressure from the Central leadership of Congress

party, 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. [14][15]
Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru initially was skeptical of merging Telangana with Andhra State, fearing a "tint
of expansionist imperialism" in it.[16][17] He compared the merger to a matrimonial alliance having "provisions for
divorce" if the partners in the alliance cannot get on well. [18][19][20] Following the Gentlemen's agreement, the
central government established a unified Andhra Pradesh on November 1, 1956. [5][21][22] 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.[23]

Grievances of Telangana proponents[edit]

A map showing several rivers including the Godavari and Krishna. Both the rivers flow into Coastal Andhra and through
Telangana

Telangana 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 including the
Hyderabad city revenue(50%), 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%.[24] 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 plateau region of
Telangana and flowing through the other parts of the state into bay of Bengal. [25]Telangana and non coastal
parts of Karnataka and Maharastra states form Deccan Plateau. 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.[26]
The share of education funding for Telangana ranges from 9.86% in government-aided primary schools to
37.85% in government degree colleges. The above numbers include the expenditure in Hyderabad. Budget
allocations to Telangana are generally less than 1/3 of the total Andhra Pradesh budget. There are allegations
that in most years, funds allocated to Telangana were never spent. According toProfessor 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.[26][27][28] 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.[26] 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. [29] 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][31][32]

Telangana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Telangana

Proposed state

Map of India with Telangana highlighted in red

Coordinates:

18N 79ECoordinates:

Country
State

18N 79E

India
Andhra Pradesh

Area[1]
Total

114,840 km2 (44,340 sq mi)

Population (2011)
Total

35,286,757

Density

310/km2 (800/sq mi)

Languages
Official

Telugu

Time zone

IST (UTC+05:30)

Largest city

Hyderabad

Telangana (Telugu: ) is a region within the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. It was formerly part
of Hyderabad State(Medak and Warangal divisions) which was ruled by the Nizams. Telangana is bordered by
the states of Maharashtra to the north and north-west, Karnataka to the west, Chhattisgarh to the north-east
and Odisha to the east. Andhra Pradesh State has three main cultural regions: Telangana, Coastal
Andhra and Rayalaseema. 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, Rangar
eddy, and Warangal. Bhadrachalam and Nuguru Venkatapuram Taluks of East Godavari district (part of coastal
Andhra Pradesh), which are on the other side of the river Godavari were merged into Khammam district on
grounds of geographical contiguity and administrative viability. Similarly, Munagala mandal was added to
Nalgonda district from Krishna district in 1959. TheMusi, Manjira, Krishna and Godavari rivers flow through the
region from west to east. Hyderabad and Warangal are two of the largest cities in Telangana.
Since Telangana was merged with Andhra state to form Andhra Pradesh state in 1956, there have been
several agitations in Telangana to invalidate the merger and to form Telangana state.
On 30 July 2013, the ruling Congress party resolved to request the Central government to make steps in
accordance with the Constitution to form a separate state of Telangana (the 29th independent state of Republic
of India), within a definite time frame. The timeline for the creation of the new state involves an elaborate
process, which has been allotted 122 days, or at least four months. [5]The city of Hyderabad would serve as the
joint capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for ten years. [6][7] The proposal is to be approved by
the Parliament of India and The President of India before the formation of new state. On 3 October 2013, Union
Cabinet approved the creation of a new State of Telangana by bifurcating the existing State of Andhra Pradesh.
[8]

Hyderabad state in 1909

Contents
[hide]

1 Etymology
1.1 Early Reference during Kakatiya rule

2 History

2.1 Early history

2.2 Kakatiya dynasty

2.3 Qutbshahis and Nizams

2.4 Post-independence

2.5 Telangana Rebellion

2.6 Formation of Andhra Pradesh

2.7 Separate Telangana Movement

2.7.1 Grievances of Telangana proponents

2.8 Proposal to form a separate Telangana state

3 Geography

4 Climate

5 Natural resources

6 Demography and language

7 Culture and identity

7.1 Festivals

8 Art and literature

9 See also

10 References

11 External links

Etymology
Telangana and the language spoken in that region, "Telugu", is thought to have been derived from trilinga, as
in Trilinga Desa, "the country of the three lingas". According to a Hindulegend, Shiva descended as linga on
three mountains namely, Kaleshwaram, Srisailam and Draksharama, which marked the boundaries of the
Trilinga desa.[9][10] This is roughly the region between Krishna and Godavari rivers or modern Telangana region.
[11]

The term "Telangana" was designated to distinguish the Telugu region from Marathwada as part of Hyderabad
State.[12]

Early Reference during Kakatiya rule

One of the earliest references to the word Telangana can be seen from the name of Malik Maqbul, who was
called Tilangani, which infers that he was from Tilangana. He was born aHindu named Nagaya Ganna and was
called Yugandhar. He was the son of Dadi Nagadeva. Yugandhar was the commander of Warangal
Fort (Kaaka pludu in Telugu).[13] After promotion to commander status, he was addressed as Gannama
Nayaka.
After the fall of Warangal in 1323, the Kakatiya king Prataparudra and his trusted minister and commander
Gannama Nayaka were captured and taken to Delhi.[14] King Prataparudra committed suicide by drowning in
the Narmada River. Yugandhar converted to Islam and was given a new name, Khan-i Jahan Maqbul Tilangani.
[15]

History

Early history
Kotilingala in Karimnagar was the capital of Assakajanapada, considered one of the 16 great janapadas of
early India. This area yielded coins issued by pre-Satavahana kings. Coins of Chimukha, the founder of
Satavahana dynasty, and those cast in lead copper issued by later kings were found. [16]
The Satavahana dynasty (230 BCE to 220 CE) became the dominant power in the area. It originated from the
lands between the Godavari and Krishna rivers. [citation needed]
After the decline of the Satavahanas, various dynasties, such as
the Vakataka, Vishnukundina, Chalukya, Rashtrakuta and Western Chalukya, ruled the area.[citation needed].

The Satavahana dynasty had its roots in Koti Lingala on the banks of the Godavari River, in present day Karimnagar district

Torana built by the Kakatiyas in Warangal in 1163

Charminar in Hyderabad

Painting of Rama on a temple at Bhadrachalamin Khammam District

Kakatiya dynasty
The area experienced its golden age during the reign of the Kakatiya dynasty that ruled most parts of what is
now Andhra Pradesh from 1083 to 1323 CE. Ganapatideva, who came to power in 1199, 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 Telugu 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 dayChhattisgarh) 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 dynasty
weakened with the attack of Malik Kafur in 1309 and was dissolved with the defeat of Prataparudra by the
forces of Muhammad bin Tughluq in 1323.

Qutbshahis and Nizams

The area came under the Muslim rule of the Delhi Sultanate in the 14th century, followed by the Bahmani
Sultanate. Quli Qutb Mulk, a governor of Golkonda, revolted against the Bahmani Sultanate and established
the Qutb Shahi dynastyin 1518. On 21 September 1687, the Golkonda Sultanate came under the rule of the
Mughal emperor Aurangzeb after a year-long siege of the Golkonda fort.[17]
In 1712, Qamar-ud-din Khan was appointed to be Viceroy of the Deccan with the title Nizam-ul-Mulk (meaning
"Administrator of the Realm"). In 1724, he defeated Mubariz Khan to establish autonomy over the Deccan
Suba and took the name Asif Jah, starting what came to be known as the Asif Jahi dynasty. He named the

area Hyderabad Deccan. Subsequent rulers retained the title Nizam ul-Mulk and were referred to as Asif Jahi
Nizams or Nizams of Hyderabad.
When Asif Jah I died in 1748, there was political unrest due to contention for the throne among his sons, who
were aided by opportunistic neighbouring states and colonial foreign forces. In 1769, Hyderabad city became
the formal capital of the Nizams. Nizam signed a subsidiary alliance in 1799 with British and lost its control over
the state's defence and foreign affairs. Hyderabad State became aprincely state among the presidencies and
provinces of British India.

Telangana was the seat of numerous dynasties. Chowmahalla Palace was home to theNizams of Hyderabad.

Post-independence
When 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. The Government of India annexed Hyderabad State on 17 September 1948 in Operation Polo.
The 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, and one in French-controlled Yanam.
The Central Government appointed a civil servant, M. K. 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 Raowas 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. [18]
Meanwhile, Telugu-speaking areas in the Northern Circars and Rayalaseema regions were carved out of the
erstwhile Madras state as a result of the 'fast unto death' incident by Potti Sri Ramulu to create Andhra State in
1953, with Kurnool as its capital.[19][20][21]

Telangana Rebellion
Main article: Telangana Rebellion
The Telangana Rebellion was a peasant revolt supported by the Communists. It took place in the former
princely state of Hyderabad between 1946 and 1951. It was led by the Communist Party of India.[22]
The revolt began in the Nalgonda district against the feudal lords of Reddy and Velama castes. It quickly
spread to the Warangaland Bidar districts. Peasant farmers and labourers revolted against the local feudal
landlords (jagirdars and deshmukhs) and later against the King of Hyderabad State. The violent phase of the
movement ended after the central government sent in the army.[23]Starting in 1951, the CPI shifted to a more
moderate strategy of seeking to bring communism to India within the framework of Indian democracy.[24]

Formation of Andhra Pradesh

In December 1953, the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) was appointed to recommend the
reorganisation of state boundaries.[25] The SRC was not in favour of an immediate merger of Telangana with
Andhra state, despite their common language.

Hyderabad State in 1956 (in yellowish-green). After reorganisation in 1956, the regions of the state west of the Red and Blue
lines merged withBombay and Mysore States, respectively, and rest of the state (Telangana) was merged with Andhra
State to form Andhra Pradesh

Paragraph 382 of the SRC said "opinion in Andhra is overwhelmingly in favour of the larger unit; public opinion
in Telangana has still to crystallise 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. Their region had a less-developed economy than Andhra, but
had a larger revenue base which people of Telangana feared might be diverted for use in Andhra. They feared
that planned irrigation projects on theKrishna 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. [26] 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.[27] He supported the Congress party's central leadership decision to
merge Telangana and Andhra despite opposition in Telangana.[28] 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." [29] Telangana
leaders did not believe the safeguards would work. [30][31] 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.[32][33]
Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru initially was sceptical of merging Telangana with Andhra State, fearing a "tint
of expansionist imperialism" in it.[34][35] He compared the merger to a matrimonial alliance having "provisions for
divorce" if the partners in the alliance cannot get on well. [36][37]
Following the Gentlemen's agreement, the central government established a unified Andhra Pradesh on 1
November 1956.[19][38][39] 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.[40]

Separate Telangana Movement

Main article: Telangana movement
There have been several movements to invalidate the merger of Telangana and Andhra, major ones occurring
in 1969, 1972 and 2009. The Telangana movement gained momentum over decades becoming a widespread
political demand of creating a new state from the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh. [41]
On 9 December 2009 the Government of India announced process of formation of Telangana state. After
Members of Legislative Assembly & Council from Coastal Andhra andRayalaseema regions had submitted
resignations in response to the announcement, as well as violent protests raised in those regions immediately
after the announcement, the decision to form to new state was put on hold on 23 December 2009. The
movement continued in Hyderabad and other districts of Telangana. [42][43]

Grievances of Telangana proponents

A Dutch-language map showing several rivers including the Godavari and Krishna. Both rivers drain Telangana, then flow
into the Bay of Bengal at Coastal Andhra

Telangana 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 50% from Hyderabad); from the
central government: 19.86%; from Andhra: 14.71%; and from Rayalaseema: 3.90%. [44][dead link] 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.". [45]
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.[46][47][48] 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. [46] 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.[49] 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. [43][50][51][52]
According to activists, from 2010-12 over 300 young people killed themselves - sixteen by self-immolation demanding more political control for the locals of Telangana. [53]According to Telangana Amaraveerula
Kutumbala Vedika(Telangana Martyrs families forum)'s directory there have been 904 suicides in Andhra
Pradesh from November 2009 to February 2013 demanding Telangana. [54]

Proposal to form a separate Telangana state

On 30 July 2013, the Congress Working Committee unanimously passed a resolution to recommend the
formation of a separate Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh to the INC-led central
government. Hyderabad was proposed to be the joint capital for both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for 10
years. Process to create proposed State gives a general overview of steps to be taken for formation of
proposed state. On 3 October 2013, Union Cabinet approved the creation of a new State of Telangana by
bifurcating the existing State of Andhra Pradesh. Union Cabinet has also approved the setting up of a Group of
Ministers(GoM) to go into the various issues which concern both the States including setting up of a new capital
for the residuary State of Andhra Pradesh. [55][56]

Geography
Telangana is situated in the central stretch of the eastern seaboard of the Indian Peninsula. Of the three
regions of the state of Andhra Pradesh,[57] 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. Some 69%
of the Krishna River and some 79% of the Godavari River catchment area is in Telangana. Telangana is also
drained by 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 depressions.

Climate
Telangana is a semi-arid area within Andhra Pradesh and has a predominantly hot and dry climate. Summers
start in March, and peak in May with average high temperatures in the42 C (108 F) range.
The monsoon arrives in June and lasts until September with about 755 mm (29.7-inch) of precipitation. A dry,

mild winter starts in late November and lasts until early February. With little humidity and average temperatures
in the 2223 C (7273 F) range, this is the most comfortable time of the year.

Warangal

Climate chart (explanation)

F M A M

O N D

15

15

50

85

17

16

70

10

30

30 33 37 40 42 37 32

33 31 15
31

33

16 18 22 26 28 28 25

22 18
25

23

Average max. and min. temperatures in

C

Precipitation totals in mm

Source: mustseeindia.com

[show]Imperial conversion

[hide]Climate data for Hyderabad

Month

Jan

Feb

Record high C (F)

33.4

36.8

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

36.0

34.7

39.9

43.1

43.7

45.5

(103.

(109.

(110.

(113.

(92.1) (98.2)

Average high C (F)

Daily mean C (F)

Average low C (F)

Record low C (F)

28.6

31.8

8)

6)

35.2

37.6

(83.5) (89.2) (95.4) (99.7)

22.2
(72)

14.7

25.1

28.4

31.5

7)

38.8
(101.
8)

33.0

6.1

34.4

(96.8) (94.5)

30.5

29.6

(93.9) (86.9) (85.3)

29.3

27.0

26.2

(77.2) (83.1) (88.7) (91.4) (84.7) (80.6) (79.2)

17.0

20.3

24.1

26.0

(58.5) (62.6) (68.5) (75.4) (78.8)

(43)

9)

11.3

14.6

(52.3) (58.3)

17.2

17.8

(63)

(64)

23.9
(75)

18.6

22.5

22.0

(72.5) (71.6)

19.2

(65.5) (66.6)

20.0
(68)

Rainfall mm
(inches)

3.2

5.2

12.0

21.0

37.3

96.1

163.9

171.1

(0.12

(0.20

(0.47

(0.82

(1.46

(3.78

(6.45

(6.73

6)

5)

2)

7)

9)

3)

3)

6)

Avg. rainy days

.3

.4

.9

1.8

2.7

7.6

10.6

10.1

% humidity

56

49

39

37

39

61

71

74

Mean monthly sunshine

hours

279.0 271.2

263.5 273.0 282.1 180.0 142.6

136.4

Source #1: India Meteorological Department (19511980), [58] NOAA (extremes, mean, humidity, 19711990)

Source #2: Hong Kong Observatory (sun only, 19711990)[60] Hyderabad, IMD

Natural resources
Telangana is situated on an elevated plateau. Two major rivers, Godavari and Krishna, flow through the area,
but most of the land is arid.[62] Northern Telangana gets between 900 to 1500mm rainfall per year from the
southwest monsoons. Various soil types abound here, including chalkas, red sandy soils, dubbas, deep red
loamy soils, and very deep b.c. soils that facilitate planting mangoes, oranges and flowers. Southern Telangana
gets 700 to 900mm rainfall per year, also from the southwest monsoons. The red earths with loamy sub-soils
(chalkas) in these parts facilitate planting oranges, mangoes, vegetables, sapotas and flowers. [63] About 45% of
the forest area in Andhra Pradesh state is located in Telangana, spread across five districts. Around 20% of the
coal deposits of India are found in Telangana. The Singareni Collieries Company excavates coal for industrial
purposes and for fuelling power generating plants. The power generated here supplies the entire south India.
There are limestone deposits in the area, which are exploited by cement factories. Telangana has deposits
of bauxite and mica.

Demography and language

According to the Backward Regions Grant Fund 200910, 13 backward districts are located in Andhra Pradesh:
nine (all except Hyderabad) are from Telangana and the rest are from other regions. [64][65][66]
The religious makeup of Telangana is 84% Hindu, 12.4% Muslim, and 3.2% Sikh, Christian, and others.[67][68]
About 76% of the population of Telangana speak Telugu, 12% speak Urdu, and 12% speak other languages.[69]
[70]

Before 1948, Urdu was the official language of Hyderabad State, and due to a lack of Telugu-language

educational institutions, Urdu was the language of the educated elite of Telangana. After 1948, once Hyderabad
State joined the new Republic of India, Telugu became the language of government, and as Telugu was
introduced as the medium of instruction in schools and colleges, the use of Urdu among non-Muslims
decreased.[71]

Culture and identity

Hyderabadi biryani

The Hyderabad's Deccani or Dakkini culture has 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. [72][73]

Festivals
Sankranti, Bonalu, Bathukamma, Vijaya Dasami (Dasara), Vinayaka Chaviti, Ugadi, Diwali, Rama Navami,
Tholi Ekadashi,Sammakka Saralamma Jatara, Varalakshmi Vratam, Naga Chaturthi and Nag
Panchami, Krishna Janmashtami, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Muharram and Mawlid are prominent festivals in
Telangana. Other festivals such as Holi and Raksha Bandhan are also celebrated with equal enthusiasm as in
rest of India. Bathukamma and Bonalu are regional festivals of Telangana.

Bathukamma

Art and literature

See also: List of Telangana poets
Telangana has a rich cultural heritage. Poet Pothana composed the classic SriMadh Maha Bhagavatamu, a
Telugu translation ofSri Bhagavatham authored by Veda Vyasa in Sanskrit. Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah had
the distinction of being the first Saheb-e-dewan Urdu poet, and is credited with introducing a new sensibility to
the main genres of Persian/Urdu poetry. Other prominent poets of Telangana from the early era
include Kancherla Gopanna or Bhakta Ramadasu, Gona Budda Reddy, Palkuriki Somanatha,Mallintha Sri,
and Hulukki Bhaskara. In the modern era poets include such figures as Padma Vibhushan, Kaloji Narayana
Rao,Sahitya Akademi Award recipient Daasarathi Krishnamacharyulu, Vachaspathi Puraskar award
recipient Sribhashyam Vijayasarathi, and Jnanpith Award recipient C. Narayana Reddy, as well as P. V.
Narasimha Rao, ninth Prime Minister of India.Samala Sadasiva has been selected for the Kendra Sahitya
Puraskaram distinction. His book Swaralayalu on the subject ofHindustani classical music won the award for
the year 2011.

Painful memories for erstwhile Hyderabad

State

Submitted by Anonymous on 2 August 2007 - 3:40pm

India News
By Mohammed Shafeeq, IANS
Hyderabad : It's a bloody chapter in Indian history that still rankles those who lived through it. Real freedom for the
erstwhile Hyderabad state came 13 months after the country's independence Aug 15, 1947, and that too through a
military operation.
Unlike hundreds of other princely states, which immediately merged with the Indian Union after independence, the
Nizam or ruler of Hyderabad sought to keep the state independent.
Despite 85 percent of its 17 million population wanting to merge with India, the Nizam was carried away by the
rhetoric of a few and decided to take on the might of the Indian Army without realising the consequences for his
people.
The climax came to be known in popular parlance as "police action", also called "operation polo". And it is still fresh
in the minds of many in the erstwhile Hyderabad state - comprising the Telangana region of the present Andhra
Pradesh as well as the Kannada and Marathi-speaking regions of the present states of Karnataka and Maharashtra.
"Hundreds of people were killed in police action. Many districts witnessed the worst communal riots. Wells and fields
were filled with bodies. More people were killed in police action than at the hands of (pro-Nizam) 'razakars'," said
Jamalunnisa, a freedom fighter belonging to the Communist Party of India (CPI).
An official report said that at least 27,000 people were killed during and after the 'police action'.
With an area of 223,000 sq km, Hyderabad was the largest and perhaps the most developed of all princely states in
pre-independence India. Its ruler, Mir Osman Ali Khan, was said to be the richest man in the world.
Osman Ali, who began his reign in 1911, was the seventh and last Nizam of the Asafjahi dynasty (1724 to 1948).
Following India's independence and partition, he sought freedom for his state after his proposals for recognition of
Hyderabad as an independent constitutional monarchy within the British Commonwealth or merger with Pakistan
were rejected.
Almost the entire population of the state's 2.5 million Muslims were for merging with Pakistan while the 15 million
non-Muslims, barring a few who enjoyed high positions in the government, were for integration with India.
At that time, Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), a Muslim party, had become a dominant force. Its paramilitary
wing, made up of the 'razakars', was blamed for repression on Hindus, especially in remote districts.

"The razakars were also involved in converting Hindus to Islam through allurement," said Narayan Rao Pawar, an
Arya Samaj activist who is now 82.
The Nizam had banned political parties but organisations like the Andhra Mahasabha, Arya Samaj, the Hyderabad
State Congress and the CPI were carrying on covert activities for the state's merger with the Indian Union.
The peasants of the state had also revolted against the Nizam, who tried to suppress their armed struggle against
landlords.
"The razakars used to attack and loot houses and rape women," said Konda Lakshman Bapuji, who was part of the
Andhra Mahasabha.
MIM leader Qasim Razvi had become more powerful than the Nizam and his fiery speeches against the Indian Union
and its leaders added fuel to fire. Thousands of Muslims who were victims of communal violence took refuge in
Hyderabad.
"They were not ready to listen to the voice of nationalist Muslims like Shoiabullah Khan, editor of the Urdu daily
Imroz. He was stabbed to death by razakars," said Bapuji, who was then a lawyer in his early 20s.
The repression by the Nizam's Army and razakars forced Arya Samaj activists like Pawar to hatch a plan to kill the
Nizam.
"It was around 5 p.m. Dec 4, 1947. His convoy had emerged from his palace King Koti and I hurled a bomb which hit
the rear side of the car but exploded only after the car had zipped past the place," he said.
Pawar was tried and after four to five months, the sessions court awarded him the death sentence. He recalled that the
Nizam was gearing up for a battle with the Indian Army.
"It was not mere rhetoric by Qasim Razvi. The Nizam was procuring sophisticated weapons. Sydney Cotton (a pilot
and arms trader from Australia) used to airdrop weapons in Hyderabad and Warangal. The Nizam was also getting
arms from Goa which was under the rule of Portugal," he said.
On the intervening night of Sep 12 and 13, 1948, the Indian Army finally attacked Hyderabad state from five sides.
The Indian Army made rapid progress from all sides and on Sep 17, the Hyderabad Army surrendered.
After these events, the Nizam was appointed 'rajpramukh' (constitutional figurehead) of the state by the government
of India. He continued in office until 1956, when the state was dismembered pursuant to the linguistic reorganisation
of states.

Jamalunnisa, 90, one of the few Muslim women political activists in those days, recalling the 'police action', said: "It
was gloom for hundreds of families. Many felt betrayed by the razakars. Several youths recruited for fighting lost their
lives.
"The economy was destroyed and hundreds of people fled their villages to save themselves. Many migrated to
Pakistan.
"The large-scale communal riots in the north also created a gulf between the two communities which were living in
harmony."
Sums up Bapuji, who became a minister after the formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956: "The Nizam was not a bigot
but wanted to protect his rule at any cost. He always sided with the British and when the British left he wanted the
state to remain independent."