By Dec. 14 – As rioting continued across Andhra Pradesh following the Indian government’s decision to carve out part of it as a separate state of Telangana, we take a brief look at the history of the region and the reasons for the sudden conflict.
The state itself is India’s fourth largest state by area (275,000 square kilometers), fifth largest by population (77 million) and has the second longest coastline (972 kilometers) among the states in India. Historically the region comprising the state was known under several different names, more recently as Andhra Vishaya. Andhra Pradesh as an actual state was formed by merging the Telugu speaking areas of Hyderabad State and Andhra State.
The state of Hyderabad was formerly a princely state, and was not under control of the British Raj. The state then was controlled by the Nizam of Hyderabad, a line of local monarchs going back to the early 18th century. The name Nizam means “Administrator of the Realm” was the title given to the local sovereigns of Hyderabad state which belonged to the Asaf Jah dynasty since 1719.
The Asaf Jah dynasty began with the viceroy of the Deccan Empire, Mir Qamar-ud-Din Siddiqi, under the Mughal Emperors. They ruled under the title Asaf Jah in 1724, and after the Mughal Empire fell apart the young Asaf Jah would declare himself independent.
By the middle of 18th century, the Nizams ruled a vast area of 125,000,000 acres (510,000 kilometers) in south India and were among the richest people in the world. Hyderabad was ruled by seven Nizams for two centuries until Indian independence came in 1947.
Given its Mughal roots, Hyderabad is considered an Islamic enclave, with the city and surrounding area being predominantly Muslim. However, as the effects of union with the rest of India took hold more Hindu merchants, businessmen and farmers began to move into the region during the growth of India’s population.
Now, Hyderabad is secular and is predominantly Hindu but with a strong Muslim population. Andhra Pradesh is known as the “Rice Bowl of India” since more than 77 percent of its produce is rice at more than 20 million tons annually.
Andhra Pradesh is also close to the major port city of Chennai located in neighboring Tamil Nadu. Ethnic Tamils in the area have become more militant; asking for more autonomy and independence from Tamil Nadu. Accordingly, last week’s announcement by Home Minister P. Chidambaram that Telangana State would be created from Andhra Pradesh has created much excitement in Southern India and its implications for other states such as Tamil Nadu and the possibility of the area reverting back to ethnic Tamil rule.
The government’s denial that it wants to pursue similar claims of dividing other Indian states has also upset agitators. Meanwhile, the status of Telangana as a potential state has been further clouded by the government’s insistence that Chidambaram’s statement last week merely reflected government position to look at the issue and did not necessarily mean that statehood for Telangana would occur any time soon.
France also has an obscure interest in the matter since its only colonial outpost in the country is located in the Pondicherry area within Andhra Pradesh.
Last week, the decision was made to have 10 districts of the former Hyderabad state re-established as a new state, Telangana, including the capital Hyderabad. The new capital of Andhra Pradesh has not been announced, but could be either:
Vijayawada- It is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh. Its prominence as a major trading and business center has earned it the title of the “Business Capital of Andhra Pradesh.” Situated along the Chennai-Howrah and the Chennai-Delhi Railway route, this is the third largest railway junction in the world. The city is located in the Krishna district, about 275 kilometers from the current state capital Hyderabad.
Vishakhapatnam- Vishakhapatnam is an important shipbuilding center. The first steamer to be built in India was launched in Vishakhapatnam’s harbor in 1948. Vishakhapatnam’s port has grown in importance because it has the only protected harbor on the Coromandel Coast with agriculture as mainstay in the region’s economy. Its major industries are ship-building, oil refinery, fertilizer, petrochemical and steel mills.
Related Reading:
State Overview of Andhra Pradesh (PDF – subscribers only)
