Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c9.s6.55

c9.s6.55

In the opinion of Dr. Smith the **Andhras** were a Dravidian people, now represented by the large population speaking the Telugu language, who occupied the deltas of the Godāvarī and the Kṛishṇā. Mr. P. T. Śrīnivās Iyengar argues that the Andhras were originally a Vindhyan tribe and that the extension of Andhra power was from the west to the east down the Godāvarī and Kṛishṇā valleys.² Dr. Bhandarkar points out that the Serivāṇij Jātaka places Andhapura, *i.e.*, the *pura* or capital of the Andhras, on the river Telavāha which he identifies with the modern Tel or Telingiri.³ But if ‘Seri’ or *Śrī-rājya*⁴ refers to the Gaṅga kingdom of Mysore, Telavāha may have been another name of the Tuṅgabhadrā-Kṛishṇā, and Andhapura identical with Bezvāḍa or some neighbouring city.⁵ The Mayidavolu plates of the early Pallava ruler Śivaskanda-varman prove that the Andhra country (*Andhrāpatha*) embraced the lower valley of the Kṛishṇā and had its centre at Dhaññakaḍa *i.e.*, Bezvāḍa, or some neighbouring city on the south bank of the Kṛishṇā.¹ Yuan Chwang applies the name An-to-lo (Andhra) to the district round Ping-ki-lo (Veṅgīpura) near Ellore. In later times the Andhra-*Khaṇḍa* extended from the Godāvarī to the borders of Kaliṅga (*ārabhya Gautamanadītaṭam ākaliṅgam*) and included Piṭhāpurī (Pithapuram)².