Telugu is a Dravidian language native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it is also the official language. Spoken by about 96 million people (2022), Telugu is the most widely spoken member of the Dravidian language family and one of the twenty-two scheduled languages of the Republic of India. It is one of the few languages that has primary official status in more than one Indian state, alongside Hindi and Bengali. Telugu is one of six languages designated as a classical language by the Government of India. It is the 14th most spoken native language in the world. Modern Standard Telugu is based on the dialect of Krishna-Godavari delta region in Coastal Andhra.
Kamma is a Hindu caste from South India. The community of Kammas is believed to have originated from agriculturists of the Kammanadu region of the Guntur and Prakasam districts in Andhra Pradesh. Propelled by their military activity in the Vijayanagara Empire, Kammas are believed to have spread out from the region during the Vijayanagara period, followed by some in-migration during the British period and out-migration again during the twentieth century. Today they are regarded as the richest group in Andhra Pradesh and are a dominant caste from Coastal Andhra with socio-economic and political prominence throughout the Telugu-speaking regions of India.
Nannaya Bhattaraka was a Telugu poet and the author of the first Andhra Mahabharatam, a Telugu retelling of the Sanskrit-language Mahabharata. This work, which is rendered in the Champu style, is chaste and polished and of a high literary merit.
Cingireddi Narayana Reddy, popularly known as CiNaRe, was an Indian Telugu-language poet and writer. Reddy had produced over eighty literary works including poems, prose-plays, lyrical plays, translations, and ghazals. He was also a professor, film lyricist, actor, and Rajya Sabha politician. Reddy was awarded the Jnanpith Award by the Government of India in 1988, and he served as the Vice Chancellor of Telugu University.
Srinatha was a well-known 15th-century Telugu poet who popularised the Prabandha style of composition.
Telugu literature is the body of works written in the Telugu language. It consists of poems, short stories, novels, plays, and song lyrics, among others. There is some indication that Telugu literature dates at least to the middle of the first millennium, the first extant works are from the 11th century when the Mahabharata was first translated to Telugu from Sanskrit by Nannaya. The language experienced a golden age under the patronage of the Vijayanagara king-poet Krishnadevaraya.
Penukonda also called Penugonda is a town in the Sri Sathya Sai district of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is 70 km away from Anantapur town.
Charles Philip Brown was a British official of the East India Company. He worked in what is now Andhra Pradesh, and became an important scholarly figure in Telugu language literature.
Vijayanagara literature was produced in the Vijayanagara Empire during a golden age of literature in South India in general. The rulers patronised Kannada, Telugu, Sanskrit and Tamil scholars who wrote in the Jain, Virashaiva and Vaishnava traditions. The period produced hundreds of works on all aspects of Indian culture, religion, biographies, Prabhandas (stories), music, grammar, poetics and medicine. An attempt is made in this section to list the various poets and saints and their most famous works.
Hoysala literature is the large body of literature in the Kannada and Sanskrit languages produced by the Hoysala Empire (1025–1343) in what is now southern India. The empire was established by Nripa Kama II, came into political prominence during the rule of King Vishnuvardhana (1108–1152), and declined gradually after its defeat by the Khalji dynasty invaders in 1311.
Kasinadhuni Nageswararao, better known as Nageswara Rao Pantulu, was an Indian journalist, nationalist, politician, businessman, and a staunch supporter of Khaddar movement. He participated in the Indian independence movement and in the Indian National Congress party, including Mahatma Gandhi’s civil disobedience movement through salt satyagraha. He was conferred with the title Desabandhu by the people of Andhra Pradesh. He was a major financier of Congress activities in Andhra and Chennai and is also known for patenting Amrutanjan. He was conferred with the title Desoddhaaraka by the Andhra Mahasabha. In 1935, the Andhra University honoured him with Kalaprapoorna, an honorary doctorate of Literature.
Vijayanagara literature in Kannada is the body of literature composed in the Kannada language of South India during the ascendancy of the Vijayanagara Empire which lasted from the 14th through the 16th century. The Vijayanagara empire was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I. Although it lasted until 1664, its power declined after a major military defeat by the Shahi Sultanates in the battle of Talikota in 1565. The empire is named after its capital city Vijayanagara, whose ruins surround modern Hampi, now a World Heritage Site in Karnataka.
Bhatraju is an Indian caste of Telugu origin. Bhatrajus were originally a caste of Scholars, Soldiers, Ministers & Poets. Bhatraju caste claim to be one of the subcastes of the Kshatriyas. They are primarily found in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and also in smaller numbers in the neighbouring states. They are also known as Bhatturaju or Bhataraju or Bhatrajulu. While originally a caste of Ministers and Poets in the Kings' assembly, after the fall of indigenous kingdoms, they switched to Teaching & Poetry. They use Raju as their caste title. The Bhatrajus wear the sacred thread like the Brahmins and are well versed in sacred literature. They call themselves Rajus (Rajputs) claiming half-decent from ancient Kshatriya clans. Bhatrajus are classified under the other backward classes in most states of Southern India.
Nataraja Ramakrishna was a dance guru from Telangana, India. He was the chairman of Andhra Pradesh Sangeeta Nataka Academy. He was also a scholar and musicologist who promoted classical dance in Andhra Pradesh and worldwide.
Pavuluri Mallana was a c. 11th or early 12th century Indian mathematician from present-day Andhra Pradesh. He translated Gaṇita-sāra-saṅgraha, a 9th century Sanskrit mathematical treatise of Mahaviracharya into Telugu as Sāra Sangraha Ganitamu, popularly known as Pavuluri Ganitamu.
Vemulawada Bhima alias 'Vemulawada Bheemakavi' was a hugely popular Telugu poet for his style of poetry and is considered to be a demi-god for his powers.
Malliya Rechana was a 11th century Indian poet and writer in Telugu language. He hails from in present-day Vemulawada, Telangana region of India. He has written the first Telugu prosody (chandassu) book called Kavijanasrayam.
Bommalagutta also known as Siddhula Gutta, Bommalamma Talli gutta and Vrishabhadri hill a Jain centre situated near Kurikyala village of Karimnagar district in Telangana. This Jain center is situated 3 km from another famous Jain center Kulpakji.
Kākunūri Appa-kavi was a Telugu language poet and grammarian from present-day southern India, noted for writing the Telugu grammar book Appakavīyamu. He claims to have written the book at the instruction of the god Vishnu, based on a purported Sanskrit language work by the earlier poet Nannaya.
