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History of Telugu literature

Telugu — Subject Knowledge (130 marks) · History of Telugu literature

Useful for: OSSC RHT — Regular High School Teacher

Overview

Telugu literature runs from Nannaya’s Mahabharata in the 11th century through the Kavitrayam, Potana and the Vijayanagara court to modern reformers and Jnanpith winners.

Key points

Nannaya began the Andhra Mahabharatam (11th century) and is called Adikavi.
Nannaya, Tikkana and Errana are the Kavitrayam who completed the Mahabharata.
Bammera Potana wrote the Andhra Mahabhagavatam.
The Ashtadiggajas were eight poets in Krishnadevaraya’s court; Allasani Peddana is called Andhra Kavita Pitamaha.
Gurajada Apparao’s play "Kanyasulkam" (1892) is a landmark of modern Telugu.
Viswanatha Satyanarayana received the first Telugu Jnanpith (1970); Sri Sri wrote "Maha Prasthanam".

Explanation

Vemana wrote popular moral verses.
Kandukuri Veeresalingam pioneered reform and the Telugu novel.
Progressive and revolutionary movements shaped modern poetry.
Timeline study helps answer questions.
Link writers with their works.

Step by step

Place the writer in the timeline.
Recall the work.
Eliminate wrong periods.

Examples

Adikavi of Telugu → Nannaya.
"Kanyasulkam" → Gurajada Apparao (1892).
First Telugu Jnanpith → Viswanatha Satyanarayana (1970).

Traps and advanced points

Trap: Wrong Kavitrayam members.
Trap: Mixing Potana and Peddana.
Trap: Wrong Jnanpith year.

Quick revision

Nannaya, Tikkana, Errana.
Potana; Ashtadiggajas.
Gurajada 1892; Viswanatha 1970.

Practice MCQs

Who is called the Adikavi (first poet) of Telugu?
1. Nannaya
2. Tikkana
3. Pothana
4. Vemana
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Answer: (a) Nannaya. He began the Telugu Mahabharatam in the 11th century.
The Kavitrayam (poet trinity) who rendered the Mahabharata into Telugu are
1. Pothana, Vemana and Tyagaraja
2. Nannaya, Tikkana and Errana
3. Gurajada, Viswanatha and Sri Sri
4. Annamayya, Kshetrayya and Ramadasu
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Answer: (b) Nannaya, Tikkana and Errana. The work took about three centuries.
Pothana is known for his Telugu rendering of the
1. Rigveda
2. Ramayana
3. Bhagavata Purana
4. Panchatantra
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Answer: (c) Bhagavata Purana. Andhra Maha Bhagavatamu.
The emperor-poet who wrote Amuktamalyada is
1. Prataparudra
2. Raja Raja Narendra
3. Krishnadevaraya
4. Rudrama Devi
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Answer: (c) Krishnadevaraya. His court had the Ashtadiggajas.
Kanyasulkam, a landmark modern Telugu play, was written by
1. Viswanatha Satyanarayana
2. Gurajada Apparao
3. Kandukuri Veeresalingam
4. Sri Sri
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Answer: (b) Gurajada Apparao. It criticised the practice of bride price.
The first Telugu writer to receive the Jnanpith Award was
1. C. Narayana Reddy
2. Viswanatha Satyanarayana
3. Ravuri Bharadwaja
4. Gurajada Apparao
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Answer: (b) Viswanatha Satyanarayana. He received it in 1970 for Ramayana Kalpavrukshamu.

Notes and questions are written by Kundali IQ for practice. They are not official papers; always check the latest official notification for the syllabus and pattern.