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History
Andhra Pradesh literally translates as the Land of the Andhras. The Andhras, also known as the Satavahanas governed a large part of the Deccan Plateau for almost 500 years from the 2nd century BC to 3rd century AD. The last decades of their reign coincided with the rise of Ashoka in the north. The Andhras promoted Buddhism in the area under their influence and developed trade relations with East Asia. Their decline left a vacuum that was filled in turns by the Pallava, Chalukya and the Chola dynasties.
By the 13th century, the Kakatiyas of Warangal succumbed under the pressure of frequent Muslim invasions while the Vijayanagar dynasty having lost their capital Hampi, shifted to Tirupati. Another couple of centuries down the line and parts of the Satvahana kingdom came under Mughal rule. The last to fall were the sultans of Golconda when the Mughals captured their fiefdom in 1687 and the region became an integral part of the Mughal Empire.
As the Mughal empire lost its authority after the death of its last powerful emperor, Aurangzeb, the Nizam of Hyderabad declared his independence in 1707. Thus was born the Asaf Jahi dynasty. Collusion with the British against Tipu Sultan won the Nizams more autonomy even under the British that continued even when all of India had come under British rule.
India gained Independence in 1947 and with independence came partition of the country on the basis of provinces with Hindu or Muslim majority going to India or Pakistan respectively. The Muslim Nizam of this Hindu majority state in the middle of India tried to join Pakistan but civil unrest and subsequent army intervention ensured otherwise. The princely state of Hyderabad signed the Instrument of Accession and became a part of the Republic of India in 1956; the city of Hyderabad became the capital of the new state of Andhra Pradesh.
In the 60s, a significant Maoist movement took root in the impoverished district of Telangana. It was violent and sought to redress the economic imbalance in society had become too obvious to ignore.
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Economy
Andhra Pradesh has a primarily agricultural economy with 70% of its population dedicated to this sector. It is one of the biggest producers of rice, though it also grows pulses, oilseeds, sugarcane and cotton. Its forests yield bamboo, cashew, casuarinas, teak, soft woods and eucalyptus.
Andhra Pradesh is also highly industrialised. Important industries include shipbuilding, heavy machinery, pharmaceuticals, cement, sugar refining and jute manufacture. It is a mineral rich state with substantial deposits of coal, bauxite, mica, copper and iron ore, and diamonds in Golconda. Tourism and of late, Information Technology are burgeoning sectors of the economy. A lot of money has been invested in these and foreign investors are now being wooed like never before.
The major centre of business wheeling and dealing is Hyderabad. Most corporate houses have their main offices in Andhra Pradesh in this city, as does the Telugu showbiz industry. The city is fast challenging the status of Bangalore as the cyber capital of India, with an overseas office of the U.S. software giant Microsoft being established here.. Fuelled by administrative ambition and Government patronage, the IT industry has and is getting a lot of encouragement here.
Capital city, headquarter of the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the world of busy bureaucrats- Hyderabad is also the place where decisions get made, deals are sealed and big contracts awarded. Hyderabad is a major trading centre for pearls and it also manufactures glass, textiles, guns, railway coaches and paper.
Visakhapatnam is India’s fourth largest port and one of the most heavily industrialised cities in Andhra Pradesh. Industries include steel, oil refining, fertiliser and chemical manufacturing. It also has the country’s largest shipbuilding yard. The Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy is also based in Visakhapatnam .
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