History

Andhra Pradesh is said to have been the home of the Pre- Dravidian dark coloured inhabitants. Andhra region witnessed the rule of Chandragupta Maurya during which it established itself as an independent kingdom. After Ashoka, the Mauryan empire declined giving opportunity to establish smaller kingdoms. In about the third century BC the Satavahanas ruled for about five centuries. The Satavahanas established a strong rule with their territories extending up to Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The Satavahanas were overpowered by the Ikshvakus by the third century AD. During this period Brahmanism is said to have been revived. This reduced the influence of the Buddhist which was fostered by the Satavahanas.

By the end of the third century AD the Pallavas of Kanchi put an end to the rule of the Ikshavakus. Art and Architecture advanced during their rule. By 4th century AD the Anandas established their rule which lasted till 6th century. During the 7th century the Eastern Chalukyas exercised their power for many centuries. Literature was advanced during this period with promotion of the Telugu script. The Kakatiyas who were the feudatory's of the Eastern Chalukyas became independent in about the 12th century. During the rule of Delhi Sultanate, Muslims repeatedly attempted to intrude into Andhra. In 1332 AD Ulugh Khan established the Reddi Kingdom of Kondavidu; the Velama kingdom. The Vijayanagar Kingdom also ruled independently. The rule of Muhammad Tughlaq witnessed the rise of the independent Muslim Power at Bijapur. This was under the Bahamani Sultanate. In 1518 the Sultan Qili Qutub Shah declared himself independent and founded the Qutub Shah dynasty which existed till 1687. During this period literature, art and architect advanced. The city of Hyderabad was laid in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah. The Mughals put an end to the Qutub Shahi rule in 1687. Then the Asafjahis called Nizams emerged. They influenced Andhra Pradesh during 18th century till it was ceded to the East India Company. Gradually the whole of Andhra Pradesh, except Hyderabad, was under the British till 1947. In 1956 Andhra Pradesh was declared as a state.

Hyderabad was spun into a city with the yarn of love. The tale runs in the land of fancy but is probably true. It is about a young Muslim prince and his love for a humble Hindu girl about a relationship that develops in spite of caste, class and religious divides. About a town that grew into a city called Bhagyanagar (named after the girl called Bhagamati, or the lucky one). The prince became King and shifted his capital to the town of his beloved (of course - there are more prosaic reasons, but we don't go into details!).

Its evident that this is a city that has been loved and cared for. The wide roads and public parks in the garrison town of Secunderabad, the leisurely pace of Hyderabadi people who still have the time and the gentility to offer 'adaab' (namaskar or salute) and to cook up a slow simmering storm in flavourful cauldrons do this special city real proud. The twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad are one of the major centres of Information Technology development, so much so that Microsoft has one of its two overseas offices here. A delightfully elegant disposition, a miracle of technological revolution or a city with quite some tradition - Hyderabad is really all of these and more.

Capital	Hyderabad
Coordinates	17.22° N 78.26° E
Largest city	Hyderabad
Largest metro	Hyderabad
Population (2001)	75,727,000 (5th)
Density	275/km²
Area	275,068 km² (4th)
Districts	23
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Establishment	October 1, 1953
Official language(s)	Telugu, Urdu
Abbreviation(ISO)	IN-AP