Asaf Jahis
The founder of this
dynasty was one Mir Kamaruddin, a noble and a courtier of the Mughal Muhammad
Shah, who negotiated for a peace treaty with Nadirshah, the Iranian invader;
got disgusted with the intrigues that prevailed in Delhi. He was on his way back
to the Deccan, where, earlier he was a Subedar. But he had to confront Mubariz
Khan, as a result of a plot by the Mughal emperor to kill the former. Mubariz
Khan failed in his attempt and he was himself slain. This took place in
A.D.1724, and henceforth Mir Kamaruddin, who assumed the title of
Nizam-ul-Mulk, conducted himself as an independent prince. Earlier, while he
was one of the Ministers of the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah, the latter
conferred on him the title of Asaf Jah. Thus begins the Asaf Jahi rule over
Golconda with the capital at Aurangabad. It was only during Nizam II rule that
the capital of the Deccan Subha was shifted to Hyderabad reviving its
importance.
The Asafjahi Nizams
are generally counted as seven, though they were ten. Nasir Jung and Muzaffar
Jung, son and grandson of the Nizam I who were killed by the Kurnool and
Cuddapah Nawabs and Salabatjung who also ruled for a decade, were not counted
by the historians though the Mughal emperors at Delhi recognised them as
Subedars of the Deccan.
The
Nizams of Asafjahi dynasty who ruled the Deccan are the following:
(1) Mir Kamaruddin
(Nizam-ul-Mulk - Asaf Jah I) (A.D.1724--1748),
(2) Nasir Jung (A.D.
1748--1751),
(3) Muzaffar Jung
(A.D.1750--1751),
(4) Salabat Jung
(AD.1751--1761),
(5) Nizam Ali Khan -
Asaf Jah II (A.D.1762--1803),
(6) Nizam III
Sikandar Jah (A.D.1803--1829),
(7) Nizam IV --
Nasir-ud-Daula (A.D.1829--1857),
(8) Nizam V --
Afzal-ud-Daula (A.D.1857--1869),
(9) Nizam VI -- Mir
Mahaboob Ali Khan (A.D.1869--1911), and
(10) Nizam VII --
Mir Osman Ali Khan (AD.1911--1948 September).
Though Hyderabad was
founded in A.D.1590--91 and built by Muhammad Quli, the fifth king of the
Qutbshahi dynasty, it was a princely capital under them. The pomp and peagantry
of the fabulous Asafjahi Nizams gained an all-India importance as well as World
wide recognition. The rule of the Nizams lasted not only for a much longer
period from A.D.1724 to 1948 but also concerned a large territory with diverse
language groups that came under their sway.
The authority of the
founder of the State of Hyderabad, Asafjah I, extended from Narmada to
Trichinapally and from Machilipatnam to Bijapur. During the period of
Afzal-ud-Daula (A.D.1857--1869) it was estimated to be 95,337 sq.miles
(2,46,922.83 sq.kms.), forming a lateral square of more than 450 miles (724.17
kms.) each way.
After Nizam I, Asaf
Jah, died in A.D.1748, there was tussle for power among his son, Nasar Jung,
and grandson Muzaffar Jung. The English supported Nasar Jung whereas Muzaffar
Jung got support from the French. These two heirs were subsequently killed by Nawabs
of Kurnool and Cuddapah, one after another, in A.D.1750 and AD.1751
respectively. The third son of Nizam I, Salabat Jung became the ruler as Nizam
under the support of the French.
Hostilities
recommenced in India between the French and the English in AD.1758 on the
outbreak of Seven Years War in Europe in A.D.1756. As a result, the French lost
their power in India and consequently it also lost influence at Hyderabad. In
A.D.1762 Nizam Ali Khan dislodged Salabat Jung and proclaimed himself as Nizam.
Hyderabad came into
focus again when Nizam Ali Khan (Nizam II) in A.D.1763 shifted the capital of
the Deccan from Aurangabad to Hyderabad. Such a move helped rapid economic
growth and expansion of the city, resulting in its importance and prosperity.
Between A.D.1766 and
A.D.1800, Nizam's sovereignty had declined considerably and the British gained
their authority over the Nizams by compelling the latter to sign six treaties.
In A.D.1766, the
Nizam signed a treaty with the British, whereby in return for the Northern
Circars, the British agreed to furnish Nizam Ali Khan with a subsidiary force
as and when required and to pay Rs.9 lakhs per annum when the assistance of the
troops was not required in
lieu
of Northern Circars to be ceded to them. In A.D.1768 he signed another treaty
conferring the Northern Circars to the British and the payment by the British
was reduced to Rs.7 lakhs. According to another treaty, he surrendered the
Guntur circar in A.D.1788. In A.D.1779, the Nizam conspired with Hyder Ali of
Mysore and the Peshwa of the Marathas to drive away the English. When they
learnt about his designs, the English marched against the Nizam who had to sue
for peace agreeing to the presence of an English Resident along with army,
artillery and cavalry at Hyderabad.
Through another
treaty, the Nizam was compelled to disassociate himself from Hyder Ali. In
A.D.1800 yet another treaty was signed by the Nizam with the British altering
the earlier treaties to increase the strength of the English army in Hyderabad.
In lieu of the cost of maintenance of the force, the Nizam had to cede to the
company an area comprising the districts of Rayalaseema and Bellary (now in
Karnataka). With this the Nizam lost not only the territory but also reputation
and power.
The East India
Company acquired the Nellore region comprising the present Nellore and Prakasam
districts and a part of the Chittoor district from the Nawab of Arcot in
A.D.1781. Together with the other parts of the territories of the Nawab, this
area was merged with the then Madras Presidency of the Company in A.D.1801.
Thus, by the beginning of the 19th century, the Telugu land was divided into
major divisions: one that came to be popularly called Telangana under the
feudal rule of the Nizam, accounting approximately one-third of the entire land
and the other, broadly designated as Andhra, in British India.
It was during the
period of Nizam III -- Sikandar Jah (A.D.1803--1829), that the English
cantonment, raised on the other side of Hussain Sagar, was named after him as
Secunderabad. This township grew rapidly as the modern town with Railway
station and other commercial establishments. The notable events under the rule
(A.D. 1857--1869) of Nizam V, Afzal-ud-Daula, were the construction of the
Afzal Gunj Bridge or the Nayapul, over the river Musi and the establishment of
a General Hospital.
The modern era of
the development of the twin cities began soon after the last flood of the river
Musi in A.D.1908 which had shattered the life of the people living in
Hyderabad. This necessitated the planned development of the city in a phased
manner. Sri M.Vishweshwarayya, the great engineer of Mysore, was specially
invited for this purpose and was appointed as adviser to the Nizam's Government
to suggest measures for flood control and improvement of the city. As a result
of his suggestion, Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar were constructed in A.D.1917.
These two dams not only controlled the floods from river Musi, but also
supplied drinking water to the city. These spots have also become recreational
centres for many people in Hyderabad. Another step taken for the development of
the city was the formation of the City Improvement Board in A.D.1912, which
paid greater attention to the construction of roads,
markets,
housing sites and shopping centres in the city. Nizam VII, Osman Ali Khan, also
moved to Kingkothi, the northern suburb of the city in A.D.1914, which helped
in the development of its surroundings. Several public utility services were
commissioned in A.D.1922. Electricity was commissioned in A.D.1923. In A.D.1928
with the establishment of
rail connection to
Bangalore, the city was brought on the metre-gauge map of India. By A.D.1932
bus service was started in the city and in A.D.1936 the bus routes radiated
from the capital to all the district headquarters. In A.D.1935, the
Madras-Karachi Air Service was linked with Hyderabad with Hakimpet as landing
ground.
Many buildings of
utility like Legislative Assembly, Hyderabad and Secunderabad railway stations,
the High Court, City College, the Asafia Library (present State Central
Library), the Unani Hospital, the Osmania University, were constructed during
the reign of Nizam VII.
If Muhammad Quli
Qutb Shah was the founder of Hyderabad City, Osman Ali Khan, the Nizam VII, can
be called as the maker of modern Hyderabad, in a variety of ways. The buildings
constructed during his reign are impressive and represent a rich variety of architecture,
such as the magnificent Osmania University, synthesizing the modern, the
medieval and the ancient styles of architecture. The sprawling Osmania General
Hospital in the Mughal style, the lofty High Court in Indo-Saracenic style, the
stately well-proportioned Legislative Assembly building in Saracenic-Rajasthani
style, symbolize his desire to build modern and majestic Hyderabad. The
engineers or the architects and craftsmen of the period have to be
congratulated for their talent.
A fascinating pretty
edifice in the centre of the city is the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly
building, with the lawns of the Public Gardens, to form the needed premises.
The noble buildings
during the Asafjahis' period were the Chow Mahalla during Nizam V, Pancha
Mahal, and the Falaknuma Palace. The Falaknuma, built by Nawab Viquar-ul-Umra,
a Paigha Noble in A.D.1892 at a cost of Rs.40 lakhs, has become a land mark
like Charminar.
The hereditary
Diwans of the Nizams, the Salar Jungs were as colourful and dazzling as their
masters. The Mir Alam Tank, the Mir Alam Mandi, the Salar Jung Museum, their
Devdi, the Aliya School are inalienable parts of Hyderabad.
Under the Company and the Crown
It naturally took
some years for the East India Company to consolidate and stabilize its rule in
the Telugu area, which came under its direct rule. In the initial stages, the
Company had to counter strong resistance from the Zamindars in the coastal Andhra
and the Palegars in the Rayalaseema districts, that were in existence from the
ancient Hindu rulers or the medieval Muslim rulers. The Company decided to use
the Zamindari system to its best advantage, entrusting the Zamindars only with
collection of land revenue and taking away from them the executive and judicial
powers. The Company also introduced the system of `Permanent Settlement' in
A.D.1802.
In Rayalaseema, the
first Principal Collector, Thomas Munro, of the ceded districts suppressed all
the Palegars and established a new mode of collection of land revenue directly
from the tiller of the soil in A.D.1808. This system came to be known as `Ryotwari'
system.
The
administrative measures taken by the Company in the rest of the Telugu land
also led to similar changes in the Hyderabad State of which Telangana formed a
major constituent. The famine of A.D.1777 and the devastating flood in the
succeeding year greatly impoverished the State of Hyderabad and its economy was
badly affected. The unwise policies of the rulers led the State on the verge of
bankruptcy by neck-deep debts and the Nizam was harassed by Arab and Rohilla
bankers. In such situation, the Company, through its Resident, intervened and
saved the Nizam. Thus, the Nizam became a dependable friend of the Company and
his support to the Company in the crucial
period of the War of
Independence in A.D.1857 (otherwise called Sepoy Mutiny) turned out to be
decisive factor in clinching the issue in favour of the Company's rule in
India. In A.D.1858 the British crown took over the reign in the entire India.
Thus, the British,
who entered India in the early 17th century as a trading company, gained power
as its ruler for over a century and a half.
Freedom Struggle
The role of the
Andhras in the Freedom Struggle is next to that of none and they had always
been in the forefront along with the rest of the countrymen. The first War of
Independence in A.D.1857 did in no way affect the state of affairs in the
south, though ripples were felt in the State of Hyderabad, in the shape of a
raid by Rohilla and Arab soldiers against the Residency and a rebellion by the
Gonds in the Adilabad district under the leadership of Ramji Gond. However, in
A.D.1860, the English suppressed all these rebellions.
The rest of the 19th
century passed away without any event of major importance, though occasional
rebellions of the peasants here and there brought out their dissatisfaction to
the forefront. The introduction of English education helped the formation of a
strong educated middle class, which found security of life in the Government
jobs. Agriculture became the mainstay of the people, as the cottage industries,
especially the cloth industry, dwindled due to the deliberate policy of the
Government to encourage British industries and trade at the expense of the
indigenous ones. However, construction of dams across the Godavari and the
Krishna by A.D.1852 and 1855 respectively, resulted in increasing agricultural
production and helped, for a time, to cloud the real issues.
The beginning of the
twentieth century saw the emergence of the numerically strong, educated,
confident but dissatisfied middle class, seeking equality with the white ruler.
The dissatisfaction, as elsewhere, was voiced in the form of pamphleteering.
The foreign government, ever vigilant in such things, sought to nip it in the
bud and as a consequence of it, repressive measures were introduced. Gadicherla
Hari Sarvottama Rao (1883--1960) was the first victim of the move in Andhra. He
was sentenced for his seditious article `Cruel Foreign Tiger'. The young men of
Andhra had their own share in the `Vande Mataram' and `Home Rule' movements
also.
But, along with this
agitation, a kind of constructive work was also carried on by some fore-sighted
leaders such as Kopalle Hanumantha Rao (1880--1922). Long before Gandhiji
thought of the constructive programme, Hanumantha Rao founded his `Andhra Jateeya
Kalasala' (National College) in Machilipatnam to train young men in techniques
of modern production, as he thought that it was the surest way to win
independence from an imperialist rule which cared more for its markets than
anything else.
In 1920, when
Gandhiji started his non-co-operation movement, it had an immediate response in
Andhra. Under the leadership of eminent men like Konda Venkatappaiah
(1866--1948), Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu (1872--1957), Bulusu Sambamurti
(1886--1958) and Bhogaraju Pattabhi Seetaramaiah (1880--1959), the Andhra young
men made many a sacrifice for the cause of the Nation. Many practicing lawyers
gave up their lucrative practice and many a brilliant student gave up their
studies to respond to the call of the Nation. In November, 1921, the Congress
gave permission to the Provincial Committee to start Civil Disobedience if the
conditions laid down by Mahatma Gandhi were fulfilled.
Three episodes
during the Civil Disobedience Movement in Andhra attracted the attention of the
whole country. The first was the Chirala-Perala episode led by Duggirala
Gopalakrishnayya. He served for some time in the Government College at
Rajahmundry and the National College at Machilipatnam. He was, however, not
satisfied with the kind of education that was imparted there. Moreover, after
attending the Calcutta Congress in 1920, he was attracted to the programme of
Non-co-operation and resolved to dedicate his life to the achievement of
Swaraj. For this purpose he trained thousand disciplined band of warriors and
gave them the name `Ramadandu'. He put them to test at the All-India Congress
Session in Vijayawada to maintain peace and order and the All-India leaders
were immensely pleased with the kind of work they did.
Chirala and Perala
were two contiguous villages in Prakasam (then part of Guntur) district with a
population of 15,000. The Government wanted to combine them into a municipality
in 1920. But the people protested against this move because it meant imposition
of additional taxes. These protests were not headed to and the municipality was
constituted. As a protest against this, all elected councilors resigned. The
Government, however, carried on the administration of the municipality with a
paid chairman. In January, 1921, the residents refused to pay the municipal
taxes. Several of them including a woman were prosecuted, tried and sentenced
to imprisonment. This woman was considered to be the first woman in the country
to be imprisoned on political grounds. After the All-India Congress session at
Vijayawada, Gandhiji came to Chirala. Gopalakrishnayya sought his advice on the
future course of action to be taken. Gandhiji suggested two alternatives, (1)
to continue the No-Tax Campaign in a non-violent manner and (2) mass exodus of
people to the vacant areas beyond the municipal limits. The second would
automatically end the municipality. But he made it clear that whatever course
they chose the Congress would bear no responsibility and that they must stand
on their own legs. Gopalakrishnayya had enough confidence in himself and the
people, and in spite of the warning, he persuaded the residents to move to the
area outside the municipal limits and raise temporary tenements which he called
`Ramanagar'.
It was an
unprecedented step in the history of the country. For eleven months people
lived there in thatched huts braving the severity of weather. Gopalakrishnayya
and his Ramadandu kept up the morale of the people. Their aim was to establish
a parallel government and demonstrate to the outside world how Swarajya, as
conceived by him, would be like. He constituted an Assembly comprising members
elected from each caste and established an
arbitration
court. Sankirtans and Bhajans kept up the morale of the people. He, however,
faced financial difficulties and he went to Berhampore in 1921, when the Andhra
Conference was in session to collect some money. There he was prohibited to
address the public meetings but he defied the orders. He was arrested and
sentenced to one year's imprisonment and sent to Trichinapally. There was no
other person who could occupy his place. The Government also took repressive
measures against those who built sheds on government lands. People returned to
their homes in the municipality at the end of eleven months and reconciled
themselves to its constitution. Though the movement failed, the qualities of
courage and fearlessness they developed stood them in good stead in the
subsequent stages of the freedom movement.
There were similar
movements, though not of the same scale or character, in Repalle and Vijayawada
municipalities. The Government was not obdurate and yielded to popular pressure
and took steps to redress their grievances.
The next episode was
the `Forest Satyagraha' of the ryots of Palnad in Guntur district in 1921. The
peasants of this place had to pay heavy tax for permission to graze their
cattle in forests. When the crops failed that year, they decided to send their
cattle into the forests without paying the fee and suffer the penalties. They
resorted to social boycott of all government officials and refused supply of
even the bare necessaries of life to them. It did not produce the desired
change in the attitude of the officials. They took the cattle forcibly,
confined them in cattle-pounds and refused to free them unless the fee was
paid. There was, therefore, clash between the cattle owners and the armed
police that was brought on the scene. In the firing that took place one
Kannuganti Hanumanthu was killed. Meanwhile, Gandhiji called off the
Non-Co-operation Movement due to some untoward incidents at Chowri Chowra and
with this the Palnad Satyagraha also came to an end.
The
No-Tax Campaign at Pedanandipadu in Bapatla taluk of Guntur district was the
third famous landmark. There was considerable difference of opinion between
leaders like Konda Venkatappayya and Mahatma Gandhi with regard to this
campaign. Gandhiji wanted to try the experiment first in Bardoli in Gujarat.
The local leaders, however, tried to convince him that the conditions laid down
for starting such a campaign were fulfilled by the people of this place and
they were very keen on starting it. Gandhiji reluctantly gave permission to
proceed with it. In January, 1922, when the first instalment of land revenue
fell due, a non-payment campaign was started under the leadership of
Parvataneni
Virayya Chowdery. As
a first step the village officers were persuaded to resign so that no land
revenue could be collected. The Revenue officials could not collect even five
per cent of the demand of land revenue. Repressive measures were resorted to
movables, cattle and even lands were attached for non-payment of land tax, but
none was present to bid them in the auctions. Military was moved into the area
to terrorise them. These did not produce any result. The volunteers worked day
in and day out to maintain order and see that no untoward incident took place.
Before they proceeded on further action, the movement was called off and the
local leaders gave up the No-Tax Campaign, and the taxes were paid.
When the movement
was called off, it left the minds of many young men sore and the disappointment
took a violent turn in one instance. A rebellion broke out in the agency areas
of the Northern Circars under the leadership of Alluri Sitaramaraju (1897--1923).
He was a simple and unostentatious young man given to studies of spiritual
importance. He was keen on the welfare of the lowly and the innocent. He
contributed his mite in the days of the non-co-operation movement and later
settled down among the hill tribes of the Visakhapatnam district, spending his
time in spiritual practices. The misdeeds of a British contractor, who took
pleasure in under-paying the workers drawn from the hill tribes, brought him
into a tussle with the police who supported the contractor. This led to
encounters between the police and Sitaramaraju, who was supported by the hill
tribes under the leadership of the Gamu brothers. Sitaramaraju raided many
police stations and carried off guns and powder. The alien Government then made
use of all its resources to quell the rebellion. A company of the Assam rifles
under the leadership of Saunders was sent there. The campaign lasted nearly for
one year from December 1922 and, in the end, many of the followers of Raju,
especially the Gamu brothers, were overpowered in an encounter. The rebellion
petered off by October 1923. Raju surrendered himself, so it was said, and was
shot dead without any trial.
In 1930 when
Gandhiji started his salt-campaign, the broad east coast of Andhra became the
venue of memorable deeds of many a young man and woman, who in spite of the
severe blows of lathis, prepared salt and courted imprisonment. The tremendous
awakening, which was an outcome of this movement, resulted in the rout of the
parties other than the Congress in the elections of 1937.
The thirties saw the
emergence of leftist organisations in Andhra which gave a fillip to the
progressive trends. Meanwhile, in 1939, the British Government dragged India
into World War II and the Congress ministries resigned.
From 1942, history
moved with a quick and vigorous pace. The arrest of the leaders at Bombay on
August 9, 1942, provoked the masses. The `Do or Die' message of the National
Congress inspired the people of Andhra, who under the leadership of young but
devoted workers, brought the functioning of the Government to a stand still for
a few days. Many young students and workers faced the bullets cheerfully, to
swell the number of those unknown, unwept, and unsung heroes of India who died
to make their country live.
Events moved on
quickly and, on August 15, 1947, India achieved its Independence. A new
Constitution came into force from the 26th of January, 1950, which envisaged
the new set-up of Government at the Centre as well as at the States by duly
elected representatives from the people on an adult franchise.
The Andhras all
along their fight with the British authorities thought that the exit of the
Britishers would facilitate the early formation of the Telugu areas as a
separate State. But the Constituent Assembly had to decide otherwise and this
proved to be a bitter pill for the Andhras to swallow.
Economic and Social
Developments
The period of
British rule in India forms a significant chapter in the history of the ancient
land. Many aliens came to this land, conquered some parts of the territory, but
were soon absorbed as natural citizens of the country. For the first time, the
British (and the other European nationals) who conquered and ruled it for a
considerable time remained aliens administering a colonial rule and ultimately
had to return. The policy that underlined the various measures the British took
in legislative, judicial and executive fields was only to tighten their grip
over the country and to exploit it to the advantage of their own motherland
However, the very
measures they took had, curiously enough, initiated and promoted many positive
factors leading to consolidation of the Indian society and their urge for
freedom. The colonial rule, of course, left the country impoverished
economically, but it unified the nation, which was rudely shocked and,
therefore, prepared itself for a searching introspection. This resulted in
ushering in a new order, which almost displaced the old one.
As a constituent of
India, Andhra region also received its share of these negative and positive
forces. Andhra was noted, for a long time since the period of the Satavahanas,
for its cloth industry. In spite of several political upheavals, the ports of Andhra
had been busy with incoming and outgoing ships of various countries. Even in
the early years of the British rule, Andhra flourished as an exporter of fine
varieties of cloth, chintz, palampores, etc. Handicrafts and metal crafts also
formed a part of the exports along with cloth. Narsapur, in the present-day
West Godavari district, was noted for its ship-building activity and some of
the Europeans also were customers at the place. There used to be a great demand
for indigo, an agricultural product, available only in Andhra and in a few
other parts of the country. The over-all exports were far ahead of imports in
value and the region earned a lot of foreign exchange, which enabled it to
withstand the severity of famines that ravaged the country often.
But the Industrial
Revolution which started in England in the latter half of the 18th century,
gradually affected the cottage industries of Andhra as well as those in the
rest of India. England then turned out to be a manufacturing country. By the
aid of machines, the English factories could manufacture finished articles at a
lesser cost than those from the cottage industries. Further, the British being
the rulers in the country, discouraged the artists and craftsmen by imposing
heavy taxes. As a result of these measures the once flourishing cottage
industries and handicrafts of Andhra languished and gradually vanished. The
finished articles that came out of the factories in England were imported into
Andhra and thus began the economic drain which gradually impoverished the
country and enriched Great Britain. The synthetic method of preparation of
indigo by the western scientists, affected the farmers very badly. The
unemployed poor artisans in the villages became agricultural labourers thus
swelling the ranks of those that depended on the land.
A greater harm was
caused by the `divide and rule' policy of the British. The communal virus thus
injected into the political body of the country had vitiated the relations
between the Hindus and the Muslims to such an extent that it forced the Indians
to agree for the division of India into two independent states. Though Andhras
living in the coastal and Rayalaseema districts managed to keep away from this
communal divide, those living in the State of Hyderabad had to undergo a lot of
suffering in 1946-48 in the wake of a fanatic struggle carried on by Razakars
to carve out the Nizam's dominions as an independent Muslim-dominated State.
However, the timely action by the Union Government of Free India saved the
situation.
But, as mentioned
earlier, some of the measures introduced by the alien rulers to safeguard their
own interests proved very beneficial to Indians. The political and
administrative unity brought in by the Britishers, helped the various,
linguistic groups to come together and take pride in being the citizens of a
great country with common cultural traditions. The rail-road, the telegraph,
the telephone and the newspaper brought all those living in various corners of
this vast country come together and to understand each other. This system of
communication also helped the transit of goods from one place to the other and
was of immense help during the times of famine.
The Britishers,
wanted to keep India as a producer of raw materials and as such harnessed the
rivers by constructing dams. The dam on the Godavari at Dowleswaram was
constructed in 1852 and the one on the Krishna at Vijayawada in 1855. These
naturally helped the farmers of the delta areas, though they could not solve
the problem of poverty that tormented the people at large.
It must, however, be
conceded that the foreigner's rule had resulted in a renaissance that yielded
fruitful results in social and cultural fields. The introduction of English as
a medium of teaching in schools is the main factor that contributed to this transformation,
though it was mainly intended to train Indians for ministerial jobs. This new
system of education, unlike the old traditional one, threw open the gates of
the schools to all Indians irrespective of caste or creed. A certificate from
such a school served as a passport for a job in the service of the Government.
The Christian missionaries from England and America also played a notable part
in spreading the system.
The introduction of
printing press in the State in or about 1810 helped in bringing knowledge to
the door-steps of the ordinary readers. As a result, educational activity in
Andhra as well as in the rest of India, was influenced by European literatures,
modern sciences and democratic ideas that sprung from the knowledge. This
knowledge brought out many revolutionary changes in the religious and cultural
fields.
This contact with
European thought enabled many Hindu leaders to reinterpret Hinduism to
strengthen it to withstand the threat from the proselytisation carried on by
the Christian missionaries. The reaction to it resulted in the founding of the
Brahma Samaj and the Arya Samaj. At the same time, Europeans such as Anne
Besant, captivated by the merits of the ancient Hindu and Buddhist thoughts,
founded the Theosophical Society. All these gained some following in Andhra,
especially among the educated classes.
Telugu literature
also underwent a sea-change under the influence of the English writings. The
credit for pioneering such a change goes to Kandukuri Veeresalingam Pantulu. He
was also responsible for bringing in many social reforms, the main thrust of which
was the upliftment of the women's status.
All these
revolutionary changes in social and cultural fields found their expression in
the urge for freedom among people
