North Andhra

The Kalingas have been mentioned as a major tribe in the legendary text Mahabharata. In the 3rd century BCE, the region came under Mauryan control as a result of the Kalinga War. Ashoka annexed the kingdom after the final battle near the Dhauli hills, the capital Sisupalgarh fell to the Mauryas. After the war, Buddhism prospered in Kalinga and spread to other south eastern regions through maritime trade routes. After the decline of the Mauryan Empire, the region came under the control of the Mahameghavahana family, whose king Kharavela described himself as the "supreme Lord of Kalinga".[7]

After several wars with Satavahanas and other kingdoms, the Kalinga dynasty crumbled and divided into small independent kingdoms. The Gupta ruler Samudragupta sensed an opportunity and invaded the kingdom. Kalinga came under Gupta suzerainty in the 4th century CE after his invasion, the kingdom got united and reclaimed its glory. They ruled the region from Mukhalinga and Dantapura of Northern Andhra. After the Gupta withdrawal, it was ruled by several minor dynasties. These included the Vasishthas, the Matharas, and the Pitrbhaktas.[8]

The last Eastern Ganga ruler Bhanudeva IV was dethroned by Kapilendra Deva in 1435. This event marked the foundation of the Gajapati Empire that ruled over the regions of Utkala (North Odisha) and Kalinga (South Odisha, North Andhra Pradesh). Prataparudra Deva was the last great king of the Suryavamsi Gajapatis and soon after his death his minister Govinda Vidyadhara usurped the throne by murdering the last two Gajapati scions. The fall of the Gajapati Empire meant the independence of their many tributary and feudal states.

Evidently, a tributary kingdom called Nandapur ruled by the Suryavamsa dynasty from 13th century .[9] The king of this kingdom was Vishwanatha Deva Gajapati who began expanding his kingdom in the southern region of Odisha and northern region of Andhra. In 1545, he sent his military commander and the chief of Kasimkota, Mukunda Deva/ Mukunda Harichandan to conquer the northern plains of Odisha which were under control of the weak Bhoi dynasty of Govinda Vidyadhara.[10]

Govinda Vidyadhara signed a truce with Vishwanatha Deva and was granted the status of a tributary state. Mukunda Harichandan was appointed as the minister in order to seek full control over the region, however, he later assassinated the last two Bhoi heirs and declared himself as the new king of Utkala. Nevertheless, Kalinga was still ruled by the Suryavansi kings until they were defeated and became a Vassal of the Golconda Qutb Shahi during the reign of Balarama Deva, who failed to control the vast dominion of his predecessor, Vishwanatha Gajapati.[11] His successors ruled over the region as 'Maharajah of Kalinga' until the feud of Ramachandra Deva I and Balarama Deva III which marked the end of their domination over Kalinga.[12] They came to be known as Kingdom of Jeypore.

In 1674, Vishwambhar Dev of Jeypore kingdom defeated the Faujdar of Chicacole (Srikakulam), appointed by the Qutb Shahi Sultans and claimed an independent semi-monarchy over the Circars.[13] Aurangzeb conquered Golconda in 1687 and the Circars along with the Qutb Shahi Sultanate were annexed to the extensive empire of Aurangzeb. However, the first two Faujdars appointed by the Mughals were defeated and slain in the battlefield by the Maharaja of Jeypore, Raghunath Krishna Dev, who continued to rule claiming independent control over the region until his death in 1708.[14] The successor of Raghunath Krishna proved to be an inefficient ruler and as a result lost a vast territory of the Circars. However, the kings of Jeypore continued to rule their decreased kingdom independently until the advent of the British in 1777. The British destroyed the fort of Jeypore and granted them a demoted status of a Zamindari.

In 1724, Mir Qamar-ud-din Khan was appointed the governor of Hyderabad, with the title Nizam al Mulk. He came to be known as the Nizam of Hyderabad, its de facto ruler. The fourth Nizam Salabat Jang, a son of the Nizam al Mulk, who was indebted for his elevation to the throne to the French East India Company, granted the circars to the French in return for their services. In 1759, through the conquest of the fortress of Masulipatnam, the maritime provinces from the river Gundlakamma to the Chilka Lake were transferred from the French to the British. But the British left them under the administration of the Nizam, with the exception of Masulipatnam, a valuable port, which was retained by the British.

In 1765 Lord Robert Clive obtained from the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II a grant of the five Circars. The fort of Kondapalli was seized by the British as an opening move. On 12 November 1766 a treaty of alliance was signed with Nizam Ali Khan by which the British undertook to maintain troops for the Nizam's assistance. By a second treaty, often referred to as the Treaty of Masulipatnam, signed on 1 March 1768, the Nizam acknowledged the validity of Shah Alam's grant and resigned the Circars to the British East India Company, receiving as a mark of friendship an annuity of £50,000. Finally, in 1823, the claims of the Nizam over the Northern Circars were bought outright by the Company, and they became a British possession.[15] The Northern Circars were governed as part of Madras Presidency until India's independence in 1947, after which the presidency became India's Madras State.

In an effort to gain an independent state based on linguistic identity, and to protect the interests of the Telugu-speaking people of Madras State, Potti Sreeramulu fasted to death in 1952. As Madras became a bone of contention, in 1949 a JVP committee report stated: "Andhra Province could be formed provided the Andhras give up their claim on the city of Madras [now Chennai]". After Potti Sreeramulu's death, the Telugu-speaking area of Andhra State was carved out of Madras State on 1 October 1953, with Kurnool as its capital city.[16] On the basis of the gentlemen's agreement of 1 November 1956, the States Reorganisation Act formed combined Andhra Pradesh by merging Andhra State with the Telugu-speaking areas of the already existing Hyderabad State.[17] Hyderabad was made the capital of the new state.

In February 2014, the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 bill was passed by the Parliament of India for the formation of the Telangana state comprising ten districts. Hyderabad will remain as a joint capital for not exceeding ten years.[18] The new state of Telangana came into existence on 2 June 2014 after approval from the President of India.[19] Number of petitions questioning the validity of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 is long pending for the verdict since April 2014 before the Supreme Court constitutional bench.[20]

In 2017, Andhra Pradesh Government began operating from the newly planned capital city Amaravati.[21][22] In August 2020, Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act, 2020. According to its provisions, Visakhapatnam is the executive capital while Amaravati and Kurnool serve as legislative and judicial capitals, respectively.[23] The decision resulted in widespread protests by the farmers of Amaravati.[24] The act has been challenged in Andhra Pradesh High Court, which ordered to maintain status quo until the court completes its hearing.

Major crops grown in this region are rice, black gram, green gram, groundnut, sugarcane, sesame, pearl millet, Mesta, finger millets, and horse gram.[28] This region is home to many co-operative sugar factories, jute mills, cashew processing industries.

Visakha Dairy is second biggest co-operative dairy in India.

Visakhapatnam is the biggest city of the region and is placed 10th among the top 15 cities contributing to India's overall Gross domestic product.[29] The industrial city, Visakhapatnam has contributed a GDP of $43.5 billion. The city has state owned heavy industries and a steel plant.

Weaving at Ponduru

The ITES and IT sector is growing at its pace in the city of Visakhapatnam, the generated revenue from these sectors are a boon to the economy. The IT special economic zone and incubation center exists at Rushikonda Hills, of the city. There are many national and multi–national IT/Ites and banking firms such as Mahindra Satyam, Pulsus Group, Wipro, Kenexa, Infotech, IBM, Sutherland, and HSBC etc. Software exports from Visakhapatnam have increased by nearly 90% each year.^{[citation needed]}

The IT exports from the city for 2012 were ₹1,200 crore and 16,000 people were employed. According to data released by the state IT department for the financial year 2012–13, IT industry registered an impressive in IT/ITeS revenues, that generated ₹1,445 crore (US$180 million), an increase of 20%, compared to the previous financial year. The same year saw an increase in employment, generated by the IT/Ites industry, with 16,988 jobs as compared to 16,000 in 2011–12 period. The Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) project, planned by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, may generate employment to approximately, up to 15 lakh IT professionals and also the it can generate revenue for the economy, of up to ₹3.11 crore (US$390,000).

Palasa-Kasibugga is the center of cashew industries in the Srikakulam district.

Ponduru handloom where the finest khadi is woven. Jute mills and dairy products industry like Visakha Dairy contribute to the economy of the region[32]

• Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh, Vizianagaram

Andhra University, Visakhapatnam

• Andhra University, Visakhapatnam
• Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University - Gurajada, Vizianagaram
• Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University, Srikakulam
• GITAM University, Visakhapatnam
• Centurion University, Vizianagaram
• Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University
• Indian Maritime University

• Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam
• Gayatri Vidya Parishad Institute of Health Care and Medical Technology, Visakhapatnam
• Gitam Institute of Medical Science and Research, Visakhapatnam
• Government Medical College, Srikakulam
• Great Eastern Medical School and Hospital, Srikakulam
• Maharaja Institute of Medical Sciences, Vizianagaram
• NRI Institute of Medical Sciences, Visakhapatnam

• Indian Institute of Management Visakhapatnam
• Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy
• National Institute of Oceanography, India
• Kalam Institute of Health Technology, Visakhapatnam

• Edward Hay Mackenzie Elliot (Governor of New Zealand)
• Arthur Luard (English cricketer)
• George William Forbes Playfair (British businessman and member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong)

There are many Buddhist sites like Thotlakonda, Bhavikonda, Shankaram, Pavurallakonda, Kotturu Dhanadibbalu, Gudiwada dibba, Bojjanakonda.