Guntur: History

The earliest reference to Guntur, a variant of Guntur , comes from the Idern plates of Ammaraja I ( 922 – 929 ), the Vengi Chalukyan King. Guntur District is home to the second oldest evidence of humans in India, in the form of Palaeolithic (old stone age) implements. Ancient history can be traced from the time of Sala kings who ruled during the 5th century BCE. It is probable that the region in the Krishna river valley, where Buddhism prevailed, got the name from Theravada Buddhist concept of Kamma (Pali) or Karma (Sanskrit). This region was under the control of Satavahanas, Ikshvakus, Pallavas, Eastern Chalukyas and Telugu Cholas. Inscriptions mentioning Kammanadu are available since 3rd century A.D. The first records of the word Kammakaratham appeared in the Jaggayyapeta inscription of Ikshvaku King Madhariputra Purushadatta (3rd century A.D.). The Kammarashtram extended from the Krishna River to Kandukur (Prakasam Dt.). The next record was that of Pallava King Kumara Vishnu II followed by that of Eastern Chalukya king Mangi Yuvaraja (627-696 A.D.). The subsequent inscriptions of Telugu Chodas and Kakatiyas also mentioned Kammanadu (E.g., Konidena inscription of Tribhuvana Malla – 1146 A.D.). Part of this region is also known as Pallavanadu /Palnadu due to Pallava rule.

Later, several subordinate kingdoms ruled the region. These subordinate dynasties also indulged in mutual wars, one of which culminated in the famous battle of Palnadu which is enshrined in legend and literature as “Palnati Yuddham”" (Andhra Kurukshetra) in 1180. Guntur became part of the Mughal empire in 1687 when the emperor Aurangzeb conquered the Qutb Shahi sultanate of Golconda, of which Guntur was then a part. In 1724, Asaf Jah, viceroy of the empire’s southern provinces, declared his independence as the Nizam of Hyderabad. The coastal districts of Hyderabad, known as the Northern Circars, were occupied by the French in 1750. Guntur was brought under the control of the British East India Company by 1788, and became a district of Madras Presidency.The Guntur region played a significant role in the struggle for independence and the formation of Andhra Pradesh. India’s independence came in 1947, and Madras Presidency became Madras State. The northern, Telugu- speaking districts of Madras state, including Guntur, advocated for a separate state, and the new state of Andhra Pradesh was created in 1953 from the eleven northern districts of Madras.