The region of Andhra emerged as a prominent political power during the
Maurya Empire. Historical accounts by Greek ambassador
Megasthenes () reference Andhra as a flourishing region under the
Satavahanas before the
Common Era. The Satavahana dynasty dominated the
Deccan Plateau from the 1st century BCE to the 3rd century CE. It had trade relations with the Roman Empire. The Satavahanas made
Dhanyakataka-
Amaravathi their capital. According to historian
Stanley Wolpert, it might have been the most prosperous city in India in 2nd century CE. Coastal Andhra was subsequently governed by the
Eastern Chalukya dynasty between the 7th and 12th centuries CE, followed by successive rule under the
Chola,
Kakatiya,
Reddys and
Vijayanagara empires. According to 11th-century inscriptions, the geographical boundaries of Coastal Andhra extended from the
Mahendragiri mountains in the northeastern border near
Orissa's
Gajapati district, to the
Kalahasti Temple in
Tirupati district, and the
Srisailam Temple in
Nandyal district. In the mid-18th century, the
Gajapati and
Ganjam districts, which were part of Coastal Andhra, were granted to the
French East India Company in 1752 but were later transferred to British control. Nellore, including areas reaching up to
Ongole Taluk, came under British administration after being acquired from the
Nawab of Arcot. Additionally, certain parts of present-day Nellore and Chittoor were managed by the
Venkatagiri Rajas until 1802, when the British entered into an arrangement with the Raja of Venkatagiri, consolidating their control over these territories. The Coastal Andhra districts, historically known as the
Northern Circars, along with the
Rayalaseema region, were ceded by the
Nizam of Hyderabad to the British colonial administration, becoming part of the
Madras Presidency under British rule. == Geography ==