What is "andh"

The Andh are a designated Scheduled Tribe in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. They seem to have originated in southern India in the vicinity of Madras which was once ruled by the Andhra dynasty. However the identification is only used for the people who by the start of the 20th century had a long history of residence in central India.

The Andhs live primarily in the hills of the Adilabad district in Andhra Pradesh. They are further subdivided into the Vertali and the Khaltali. The Vertali consider themselves as superior people and avoid marrying the Khaltali.

According to the Anthropological Survey of India, there are over 74,000 Andhs in Maharashtra These Andhs speak Marathi. The Andhs are primarily Hindus.

About 100,000 Andh speak the Andh language.