The Department of History, Easwari School of Liberal Arts (ESLA) organised a National Symposium on Andhra in Historical Perspective: Pre-Colonial Histories of Gender, Religion, Trading Networks and Heritage on March 6, 2026.

Convened by Dr Lekshmi Chandran CP, attended by the faculty from the Department of History, other faculty from Easwari School of Liberal Arts, PhD scholars, and students, the symposium welcomed distinguished speakers; Prof. Aloka Parashar Sen, Professor Emerita, University of Hyderabad, Prof. R Mahalakshmi, Centre of Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Prof. Suchandra Ghosh, Department of History, University of Hyderabad.

From the nineteenth century onward, colonial interventions and nationalist discourse reshaped the meanings of “Andhra” and “Telugu,” leading to the formation of modern linguistic and political identities.

The National Symposium explored the history and identity of the Telugu-speaking region as complex and shaped by interactions between geography, political formations, material culture, and socio-religious practices within the Deccan Plateau, particularly the Krishna–Godavari basin. The event explored how, over time, the fluid political landscapes of pre-colonial states contributed to a diverse historical geography and examined the significance of Andhra in the pre-colonial Deccan, highlighting its archaeological and architectural heritage, as well as its religious, trade, and patronage networks.

Our Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ch Satish Kumar greeted the esteemed speakers of the Symposium and highlighted the importance of AI Integration, the first of its kind in the Easwari School of Liberal Arts.