ABSTRACT
Telugu is the second most widely spoken language in India, used by about 80 million people in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is a south Indian language with a vocabulary derived from Dravidian as well as Sanskrit sources. Telugu literature begins with Nannaya, but Telugu language is much more ancient. The founder of Hyderabad city was Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah. During the period of the Asaf Jahis, though the Telugu-speaking people were in majority, Telugu language was suppressed and humiliated at every juncture by the rulers. Telugu was considered inferior to Urdu. In the city of Hyderabad all the rich people, government employees and in one word, all the elite spoke only Urdu. The culture of Hyderabad also known as Deccani tehzeeb, characterizes distinct linguistic and cultural traditions of north and south India, which meet and mingle in the city. The influence of Telugu is very much visible on the Hussain Sagar tank bund.
