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Telugu language

Telugu is a Dravidian language of south-eastern India, the main language of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and one of the most widely spoken languages of India. It is written in its own script, derived from Brahmi, and its earliest inscriptions date from the 6th century. Its literature begins with Nannaya's translation of the Mahabharata in the 11th century.

Telugu language
Image: C1MM · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 14 state histories

Eastern ChalukyasVelanati ChodasKakatiya dynastyReddi KingdomVijayanagara EmpireRecherla NayakasWanaparthy SamasthanGolconda SultanateMadurai Nayak dynastyThanjavur Nayak kingdomJatprole SamasthanMadras Presidencyand 2 more

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Telugu language. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/telugu-language
MLA
“Telugu language.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/telugu-language. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Telugu language.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/telugu-language.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Telugu language’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/telugu-language (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻