In the 14th century Moslem power finally reached this far south and for centuries the region was an arena for Hindu-Moslem power struggles. Finally it was taken over by a general of the Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb in 1713. His successors, the Nizams of Hyderabad, ruled the state right down to independence.

The final Nizam of Hyderabad was reputed to be one of the richest men in the world but Andhra Pradesh itself is one of the poorest and least developed states in India. New dams and irrigation projects are improving the barren, scrubby land of the plateau but much of the state remains economically backward.