Vol. 9, Issue 1, Part B (2023)

The society of 17^th and 18^th centuries Andhra consisted of two main sections namely the Hindu and the Muslims. The Hindus, being the original inhabitants of the region constituted the bulk of the population. The Muslims, though a minority in numbers, constituted the ruling elite. They held the reins of power in their hands. The Europeans came to Andhra Desa in the 17^th century and formed the third important section. They never claimed to be a native of this region and continued to stay here as outsiders. They were very few in numbers but by mid eighteenth century, they came to acquire power over the region and became an important constituent of the local population. With the passage of time, while the Muslim started calling the region as their motherland, the Europeans never forgot the countries that they came from. They took pride in calling themselves as British, French, and Danes etc.