New evidence in the form of coins suggests the existence of Telugu kingdoms ahead of the Satavahanas in the pre-Christian world

HYDERABAD: Epigraphic evidence could not help the ‘Telugu cause’ all these years. Quotes from the Puranas did not succeed in establishing the ‘age’ of the language and Telugu continues to be denied the ‘classical language’ status.

However, fresh evidence to support the claim has been unearthed and that could prove the existence of Telugu kingdoms ahead of the Satavahanas in the pre-Christian world.

The Andhra Pradesh Official Language Commission has thrown new light that substantiates the argument that Telugu deserves the status of classical language.

This one pertains to a study of the punch marked coins traced from Kotalingala in Karimnagar district and Singavaram in Krishna district done by D. Raja Reddy whose meticulous work over the years is well acknowledged.

The general belief was that the earliest proof of Telugu could be traced to the ‘Satavahana period’ and that ‘Chimukha Satavahana’ was the founder of the Satahavana empire in the South after the fall of the Mauryan empire.

However, the discovery of Kotalingala coins from the ‘Assaka’ region (as Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Adilabad area was known during the period of ‘Janapadas’) now proves beyond doubt that the Satavahana kings were only successors of ‘Gobada, Narana, Kamvaaya and Samagopa’ kings belonging to 7th and 3rd century BC.

The latest discovery should strengthen the cause of Telugus, says the chairman of the Official Language Commission, A. B. K. Prasad.