Telinga Kingdom

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Telinga was a kingdom south to Kalinga. Andhra Kingdom lay to the south of it. Telinga was one of the ancient South Indian kingdoms. The language Telugu originated here. It falls in the Telingana region of Andhra Pradesh, i.e., the northern part of Andhra Prasesh.

References in Mahabharata

There is only one speculative reference to Telingas in the epic Mahabharata. During the southern military campaign of the Pandava general Sahadeva he is mentioned as defeating a tribe called Talavanas, between Andhras and Kalingas. This reference is believed to be of the Telingas.

The hero brought under his subjection and exacted tributes from the Paundrayas (Pandya?) and the Dravidas along with the Udrakeralas and the Andhras and the Talavanas (Telingas?), the Kalingas and the Ushtrakarnikas, and also the delightful city of Atavi and that of the Yavanas (MBh 2:30).