Facts on Telangana

Telangana is India’s youngest and most newly formed state. Its capital city is Hyderabad, and the state is home to various accomplished personalities, beautiful architecture, and intriguing history.  

General Facts 

• Capital City- Hyderabad
• Districts- 33
• Chief Minister- Shri K. Candrasekar Rao
• Governor- Dr. (Smt.) Tamilisai Soundararajan
• State tree- Jammi Chettu (Prosopis Cineraria)
• State bird- Palapitta (Blue Jay)
• State animal- Jinka (Deer)

History

On June 2, 2014, Telangana became the newest and youngest state of India. This 29th state is supposed to be almost 2,000 years old with links to great empires like Satvahanas, Kakatiyas, Ikshvakus, Qutb Shahis, and Asif Jahis. The Satavahanas rose to power after the fall of the Mauryan empire during the 3rd century BC. From Kotalinga to Paithan to Amaravati, the Satavahanas changed their capital multiple times. Numerous shreds of evidence prove that the Satavahanas ruled a large area with oceans on three sides, serving as borders. 

After the fall of the Satavahanas, Telangana was ruled by various small rulers for six to seven centuries, before we see the rise of the Kakatiyas. The Kakatiyas were strong, broad-minded, and just rulers. During their reign, the kingdom flourished in art and culture, as well as in terms of administration. This dynasty is also known for having the first woman ruler in the subcontinent, Rani Rudrama Devi. This caused many rulers to attack the state and in 1323, Malik Kafur defeated Prataprudra, which led to the state breaking up again for the next 150 years. 

In 1496, Sultan Quli Qutb Shah, a subedar, declared his independence and made Golconda the capital. This dynasty ruled not only present-day Telangana but also parts of Karnataka, and Maharashtra for 7 generations. They were defeated by the Mughals, leading to the empire breaking up again. 

Emperor Farrukhsiyar appointed Qamar-ud-din Khan as the viceroy of Deccan and gave him the title Nizam-ul-Mulk in 1712 and after him, 7 Nizams ruled the present-day Hyderabad.

After independence, Telangana state was declared an independent princely state for 13 months before Operation Polo was conducted to make it a part of the Union of India. The state then came to be known as Hyderabad, and included the regions of present-day Telangana. The first appointed Chief Minister of the state was M. K. Vellodi, and the first elected Chief Minister was Dr. Burgula Ramakrishna Rao.

Phases of the Telangana Movement

The Telangana movement started at the beginning of the 1950s when the people of the Telangana region demanded a separate state. The State Reorganisation Committee was appointed in 1953 by the Government of India to look into this matter and remedy the unrest and protest in the region. 

Due to lobbying by influential leaders, the region was added to the State of Andhra. An agreement was signed between the leaders of the state of Telangana and Andhra to protect the interest of the people of present-day Telangana. The violation of this agreement resulted in agitation in 1969 by the students, and on 19 January later that subsequent year, all party accords were introduced stating-

1. All posts reserved for the locals of Telangana will be immediately vacated if held by a non-local.
2. The surplus of Telangana will only be used for its development.
3. The agitation will be called off.

The unrest however continued and the Telangana Praja Samithi (TPS) political party was formed. But even then the government was then formed by the Congress, under the leadership of Mrs. Indira Gandhi. Indira Gandhi later introduced policies for safeguarding the interest of Telangana and the TPS party was merged with Congress. 

In 1997, the Bharatiya Janata Party passed a resolution for Telangana. They created the new states of Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, and Uttarakhand in 2000, however, the demands for Telangana were not approved. From there on till 2008, Telangana went through various agitations, including the formation of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi party and several alliances.

On Nov 29th, 2009, Sri Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao, leader of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi party announced an indefinite hunger strike demanding independent statehood for Telangana. However, he was arrested and sent to Khamman jail, which then resulted in a massive rebellion. After 4 years in 2013, the process of statehood began and it was completed in February 2014. The state of Telangana elected  Sri Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao as its first chief minister. 

Districts 

Telangana state covers an area of 1,12,077 sq. km and has 33 districts. The largest district is Bhadradri Kothagudem and Hyderabad is the smallest. The names of the districts of Telangana are as follows – 

• Adilabad
• Bhadradri Kothagudem
• Hanumakonda
• Hyderabad
• Jagtial
• Jangaon
• Jayashankar Bhupalpally
• Jogulamba Gadwal
• Kamareddy
• Karimnagar
• Khammam
• Kumuram Bheem
• Mahabubabad
• Mahabubnagar
• Mancherial
• Medak
• Medchal-Malkajgiri
• Mulugu
• Nagarkurnool
• Nalgonda
• Narayanpet
• Nirmal
• Nizamabad
• Peddapalli
• Rajanna Sircilla
• Rangareddy
• Sangareddy
• Siddipet
• Suryapet
• Vikarabad
• Wanaparthy
• Warangal
• Yadadri Bhuvanagiri

Some General Facts

• During the Kakatiya Dynasty, dance forms such as Perini Sivatandavam evolved. The locals in the state developed story-telling through Golla Suddulu, Oggu Kathalu, Gotralu, etc.
• A theatre art form, Chindu Bhagavatham, a variant of Yakshagana is famous all across Telangana. 
• Qutub Shahi and the Asaf Jahi rulers preferred Qawali, Ghazals, and Mushairas.
• Bathukamma is a famous festival of Telangana celebrated during Dasara. 
• A Hindu festival ‘Bonalu’ is celebrated in June/July. 
• Telangana is famous for its crafts as well. Some notable names include Bidri Craft, Banjara Needle Crafts, Dokra Metal Crafts, Nirmal Arts, and Bronze Castings.
• Telangana has won 12  ‘Swachh Survekshan’ awards, 12 national Panchayat awards, and various other accolades.
• Telangana is home to many famous personalities including Olympic silver medalist P.V. Sindhu, veteran actress Sabana Azmi, and cricketer Mohammed Azharrudin.
• Telangana is a famous tourist destination with historical landmarks such as Warangal Fort and Charminar, Ramappa Temple, the UNESCO heritage site, and Taj Falaknuma Palace. 

Conclusion

Telangana is truly a remarkable place with culture, history, spirituality, and prosperity combined in one.  The people themselves are hardworking and diligent, not to mention sophisticated and aesthetic. They have proved their mettle time and again and have always inspired many to do the same. The history of this state is rich and diverse, influencing the population, art, and culture.