Etymology
A popular etymology derives the word "Telangana" from '' Trilinga desa'' ("land of three lingas"), a region so-called because three importantDuring the just reign of Ibrahim Kootb Shah, ''Tulingana'', likeThe word "Telinga" changed over time to "Telangana" and the name "Telangana" was designated to distinguish the predominantly Telugu-speaking region of the erstwhileEgypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ..., became the mart of the whole world. Merchants from Toorkistan, Arabia, and Persia resorted to it; and they met with such encouragement that they found in it inducements to return frequently. The greatest luxuries from foreign parts daily abounded at the king's hospitable board.
History
Telangana was governed by many rulers, including the: *Early history
TheKakatiya Dynasty
The Telangana area experienced its golden age during the reign of theQutab Shahi and Asaf Jahi's
The area came under the rule of thePost-independence
When India became independent from the British Empire in 1947, theTelangana Rebellion
TheStates Reorganisation Commission
In December 1953, the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) was appointed to form states on a linguistic basis. 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. After reorganisation in 1956, the region of Telangana was merged withTelangana movement
There have been several movements to revoke the merger of Telangana and Andhra, major ones occurring in 1969, 1972, and 2009. The movement for a new state of Telangana gained momentum in the 21st century by an initiative of Kalvakuntla Chandrashekhar Rao from Telangana Rashtra Samithi later joined by Telangana Joint Action Committee, Telangana Political Joint Action Committee, TJAC including political leadership representing the Telangana area. On 9 December 2009 the government of India announced the process of formation of the Telangana state. Violent protests led by people in theFormation of Telangana state in 2014
On 30 July 2013, the Congress Working Committee unanimously passed a resolution to recommend the formation of a separate Telangana state. After various stages the bill was placed in the Parliament of India in February 2014. In February 2014, Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 bill was passed by the Parliament of India for the formation of Telangana state, comprising ten districts from north-western Andhra Pradesh. The bill received the assent of the President of India, president and was published in the Gazette on 1 March 2014. The state of Telangana was officially formed on 2 June 2014. Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao was elected as the first chief minister of Telangana, following elections in which the Telangana Rashtra Samithi party secured majority.Geography
Telangana is situated on theClimate
Telangana is a semi-arid area and has a predominantly hot and dry climate. Summers start in March, and peak in May with average high temperatures in the range. The monsoon arrives in June and lasts until September with about 755 mm (29.7 inches) of precipitation. A dry, mild winter starts in late November and lasts until early February with little humidity and average temperatures in the range.Ecology
The Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests ecoregion covers much of the state, including Hyderabad. The characteristic vegetation is woodlands of ''Hardwickia binata'' and ''Albizia amara''. Over 80% of the original forest cover has been cleared for agriculture, timber harvesting, or cattle grazing, but large blocks of forest can be found in Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve and elsewhere. The more humid Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests cover the Eastern Ghats in the eastern part of the state.National parks and sanctuaries
Telangana has three List of national parks of India, National Parks: Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park in Hyderabad District, India, Hyderabad district, and Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park and Mrugavani National Park in Ranga Reddy district. Wildlife Sanctuaries in Telangana include Eturunagaram Wildlife Sanctuary and Pakhal Lake, Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary in Warangal District, Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary, Kawal Tiger Reserve and Pranahita Wildlife Sanctuary in Adilabad district, Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary in Khammam district, Manjira Wildlife Sanctuary in Medak district, Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve in Nalgonda District, Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar districts, Pocharam Wildlife Sanctuary in Medak and Nizamabad districts, Shivaram Wildlife Sanctuary in Karimnagar district. Sacred groves of India, Sacred groves are small areas of forest preserved by local people. Sacred groves provide sanctuary to the local flora and fauna. Some are included within other protected areas, like Kadalivanam in Nagarjunsagar–Srisailam Tiger Reserve, but most stand alone. There are 65 sacred groves in Telangana—two in Adilabad district, thirteen in Hyderabad district, four in Karimnagar district, four in Khammam district, nine in Mahbubnagar district, four in Medak district, nine in Nalgonda district, ten in Ranga Reddy district, and three in Warangal district.Demographics
Language
Religion
According to the 2011 census, Hinduism, Hindus form 85.1% of the State's population. Muslims form 12.7% and Christians form 1.3%.Literacy
According to the 2011 census, Telangana's literacy rate is 66.46%. Male literacy and female literacy are 74.95% and 57.92%, respectively. Hyderabad district, India, Hyderabad district has the highest literacy rate with 80.96% and Mahabubnagar district has the lowest with 56.06%. In a 2019 report, the ''Key Indicators of Household Social Consumption on Education in India'', by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Telangana has a literacy rate of 72.8% which is the fourth lowest of large states. It also has the second lowest literacy rate among rural women at 53.7%. 37.1% of the population aged 3–35 years received free education at pre-primary and higher levels in Telangana.Administrative divisions
The state is divided into List of districts in Telangana, 33 districts. The latest two new districts, Mulugu and Narayanpet, were formed on 17 February 2019. The districts are divided into List of revenue divisions in Telangana, 70 revenue divisions which are further divided into List of mandals in Telangana, 584 mandals. The districts in the state are: There are a total of List of cities in Telangana, 12 cities in the state.Government and politics
Telangana is governed by a parliamentary system of representative democracy, a feature the state shares with other Indian states. Universal suffrage is granted to residents. There are three branches of government. # Executive (government), Executive authority is vested in the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister of Telangana, Chief Minister, although the titular head of government is the Governor of Telangana, Governor. The governor is the head of state appointed by the President of India. The leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the Legislative Assembly is appointed as the chief minister by the governor, and the Council of Ministers are appointed by the governor on the advice of the chief minister. The Council of Ministers reports to the Legislative Assembly. # The legislature, the Telangana Legislative Assembly and the Telangana Legislative Council, consists of elected members and special office bearers such as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, that are elected by the members. Assembly meetings are presided over by the speaker or the deputy speaker in the speaker's absence. The Assembly is bicameral with 119 Member of the Legislative Assembly (India), Members of the Legislative Assembly and 40 Member of the Legislative Council. Terms of office run for five years unless the Assembly is dissolved prior to the completion of the term. The Legislative Council is a permanent body with one-third of members retiring every two years. # The judiciary is composed of the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad and a system of lower courts. Auxiliary authorities known as ''panchayats'', for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs. The state contributes seats to Lok Sabha. The main players in the Politics of Telangana, regional politics are the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, All India Forward Bloc, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian National Congress. Following the 2014 Telangana Legislative Assembly election, Telangana Legislative Assembly Election in 2014, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi under Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao was elected to power.Economy
The economy of Telangana is mainly driven by agriculture. Two important rivers of India, the Godavari River, Godavari and Krishna River, Krishna, flow through the state, providing irrigation. Farmers in Telangana mainly depend on rain-fed water sources for irrigation. Rice is the major food crop. Other important crops are cotton, sugar cane, mango, and tobacco. Recently, crops used for Vegetable fats and oils, vegetable oil production such as sunflower and peanuts have gained favour. There are many multi-state irrigation projects in development, including Godavari River Basin Irrigation Projects and Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, the world's highest masonry dam. The state has also started to focus on the fields of information technology and biotechnology. Telangana is one of top IT-exporting states of India. There are 68 Special Economic Zones in the state. Telangana is a mineral-rich state, with coal reserves at Singareni Collieries Company. The Golconda region has produced some of the world's most famous diamonds, including the colourless Koh-i-Noor (United Kingdom), the blue Hope Diamond, Hope (United States), the pink Daria-i-Noor (Iran), the white Regent Diamond, Regent (France), the Dresden Green Diamond, Dresden Green (Germany), and the colourless Orlov (diamond), Orlov (Russia), Nizam Diamond, Nizam and Jacob Diamond, Jacob (India), as well as the now-lost diamonds Florentine Diamond, Florentine Yellow, Akbar Shah (diamond), Akbar Shah and Great Mogul Diamond, Great Mogul.Agriculture
Rice is the major food crop and staple food of the state. Other important crops are maize, tobacco, mango, cotton and sugar cane. Agriculture has been the chief source of income for the state's economy. The Godavari and Krishna River, Krishna rivers flow through the state, providing irrigation. Apart from major rivers, there are small rivers like Tunga Bhadra, Bima, Dindi, Kinnerasani, Manjeera, Manair, Penganga, Pranahitha, peddavagu and Taliperu. There are many multi-state irrigation projects in development, including Godavari River Basin Irrigation Projects and Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, the world's highest masonry dam. Agri Export Zones for the following produce have been proposed for the following locations: * Gherkins: Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy, Medak,Neoliberal influences in cotton farming
Andrew Flachs, an environmental anthropologist from Purdue University, wrote an article on his fieldwork in India. The article, In ''Planting and performing: Anxiety, aspiration, and “scripts” in Telangana cotton farming'', was a way to help better understand the aspects of cotton farming, which remains a big market in India. Fachs's research demonstrates how the facets of cotton farming in India are a big example of “a growing neoliberal instability in rural India’s agrarian political economy.” For starters, Flachs recognizes that so much societal and financial pressure is put onto small cotton farmers. Because of this, cotton farmers in Telangana are at risk for “suicide and indebtedness”. According to Flachs, what drives most, if not all cotton farmers is what he refers to as “manci digubadi,” which translates to “I’m hoping for a good yield.” This saying is what the farmers refer to as a “script”. A “script” can be defined as a means for farmers to justify their decisions when it comes to seed planting and farming. Flachs claims that “scripts reveal how farmers are conditioned to follow rules and norms”. One major issue in Indian cotton farming is the lack of seed knowledge the farmers retain. Flachs affirms that each season is driven by the GM seed market. The privatization of this market has caused an influx of seeds and an immoral market. Each year the cotton farmers are purchasing the newest seeds with no previous knowledge or reference to empirical data. Because the cotton farms are considered in determining the validity of the farmer, farmers tend to just purchase seeds that their neighbors have had previous success with, despite existing confounding variables such as irrigation, weather, and pesticide use. While many of the cotton farmers have adapted to the constantly changing seed market in hopes to achieve a “good yield”, others have in turn abandoned agriculture altogether, or have even committed suicide to protest against the “Indian agribusiness”. Overall, Flachs asserts that “Manci digubadi” goes much deeper than achieving good yields, saying that this “script” is the result of cotton farmers seeking “social recognition, personal satisfaction, relief, and affirmation”.Industries
Several major manufacturing and services industries are in operation mainly aroundTourism
Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC) is a state government agency which promotes tourism in Telangana. Telangana has a variety of tourist attractions including historical places, monuments, forts, waterfalls, forests and temples.Waterfalls
*Kuntala Waterfall () located in Kuntala, Adilabad district, Kuntala, Adilabad district. *Bogatha Waterfall is waterfall located in Koyaveerapuram G, Wazeedu Mandal, Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, Telangana. *Savatula Gundam Waterfalls in Adilabad districtAwards
Telangana state has won CNBC-TV18's Promising State of the Year Award for the year of 2015. The Jury for the India Business Leader Awards (IBLA) has collectively chosen Telangana for the award.Media
The print media mainly consists of Telugu and English newspapers. ''Nava Telangana'', ''Sakshi (newspaper), Sakshi'', ''Andhra Jyothi'', ''Eenadu'' and ''Namaste Telangana'' are all Telugu newspapers. Mainly in English newspapers are ''Deccan Chronicle'', ''The Times of India, The Times Of India'', ''The Hindu'', and ''The Hans India''. Notable Urdu newspapers include ''Etemaad Daily'', ''The Munsif Daily'', and ''The Siasat Daily''.Infrastructure
Power
Hydel and thermal power projects in the state meet the power requirements of the state. A number of new power projects are coming up in the State which is expected to generate additional power capacity in the state.Irrigation projects
Major cities
*Adilabad *Hanamkonda *Major towns
*Armoor *Asifabad, Telangana, Asifabad *Bellampalle *Bhadrachalam *Bhainsa *Bhongir *Bodhan *Gadwal *Huzurnagar *Huzurabad *Jammikunta *Jangaon *Kamalapur, Hanamkonda district, Kamalapur *Kamareddy *Kodad *Korutla, Koratla *Kothagudem *Madhira *Mahabubabad *Mancherial *Medak *Metpally *Nagarkurnool *Nakrekal *Narayankhed *Naspur *Nirmal *Palwancha *Peddapalli *Siddipet *Sangareddy *Sathupalli *Sircilla *Tandur *Vikarabad *Wanaparthy *ZaheerabadTransport
The state is well connected with other states by means of road, rail and airways. The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) is the major public transport corporation that connects all the cities and villages. Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (M.G.B.S) inRoadways
The state has a total of List of National Highways in India by State#Telangana, 16 national highways and accounts for a total length of .Railways
The history of railways in this region dates back to the time ofAirports
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad is an international airport serving the city ofCulture
Telangana culture combines cultural customs from Persian traditions, embedded during the rule of the region by the Mughal Empire, Mughals, Qutub Shahis andArchitecture
Medieval forts such as theReligious destinations
There are religious worship centres of different religions in the state. Hindu worship destinations include Bhadrachalam Temple, Gnana Saraswati Temple, Basar, Gnana Saraswati Temple, Yadagirigutta Temple,Cinema
Telugu cinema, also known by its sobriquet as Tollywood (Telugu), Tollywood, is a part of Indian cinema producing films in the Telugu language, and is centred in the Hyderabad, Telangana neighbourhood of Film Nagar. In the early 1990s, the Telugu film industry had largely shifted from Chennai toCuisine
Visual arts
Indigenous art forms of Telangana include the Cheriyal scroll painting, Nirmal paintings, and Silver Filigree of Karimnagar, Karimnagar Silver Filigree. A distinctive Persianate society, Persianate style of painting, called Deccan painting developed in the region during the medieval period. Notable museums in the state include the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad, which is one of the largest in India. Other museums include the Telangana State Archaeology Museum, Telangana State Archeology Museum, City Museum, Hyderabad, City Museum, and Nizam Museum in Hyderabad, Warangal Museum in Warangal, and Alampur Museum in Alampur.Education
Telangana has multiple institutes of higher education universities along with numerous primary and secondary schools. The Department of Higher Education deals with matters relating to education at various levels in the state of Telangana. According to a 2019 report, the state has a literacy rate of 72.8%, which is one of the List of Indian states and union territories by literacy rate, lowest in India. Schools in Telangana are run by the state government or private organisations, which include religious institutions. Some specialized schools such as the Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas are run by agencies of the central government. , there are 41,337 schools in the state, with about 70% of them being government schools. Telangana is home to 27 universities, which include 3 Central university (India), central universities, 17 State university (India), state universities, 2 Deemed university, deemed universities, and 5 Private University (India), private universities. The Osmania University in Hyderabad, established in 1918, is the oldest modern university in the state, and one of the List of largest universities, largest university systems in the world. The University of Hyderabad consistently ranks among the top universities in the country. Apart from these, specialised Institutes of National Importance, institutes of national importance in the state include All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bibinagar, AIIMS Bibinagar, IIT Hyderabad, and National Institute of Technology, Warangal, NIT Warangal. Other notable institutions include Indian School of Business, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, Kakatiya University, International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, NALSAR University of Law, Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences, National Institute of Fashion Technology Hyderabad, Footwear Design and Development Institute, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, and Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies, Basar, among others.Sports
The Hyderabad FC is a professional Association football, football club based in Hyderabad and plays in top-tier league of India, the Indian Super League. The home ground of the club is G.M.C Balayogi Athletic Stadium, in Gachibowli. The Hyderabad cricket team is represented in the Ranji Trophy and has won twice. The Sunrisers Hyderabad, an Indian Premier League franchise, is based in Hyderabad and has won the trophy once. Deccan Chargers, a currently defunct franchise from Hyderabad, also won the Indian Premier League once. The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium is the home ground of both Hyderabad cricket team and Sunrisers Hyderabad. It hosts international as well as domestic matches. The Hyderabad Hunters (Badminton team), Hyderabad Hunters, a Premier Badminton League franchise; the Telugu Titans, a Pro Kabaddi League franchise; the Hyderabad Sky, a UBA Pro Basketball League franchise and the Telugu Tigers, a Premier Futsal franchise are also based in Hyderabad. Hyderabad Hunters (Badminton team), Hyderabad Hunters are previous winners of the Premier Badminton League title. Other stadiums include G. M. C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium, Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium and Gachibowli Indoor Stadium.Notable people
See also
*References
Further reading
*External links
Government