state of Hyderabad with the Telegu-
speaking provinces of the former state
of Madras. This merger did not hap-
pen without some drama; when inde-
pendence arrived, the Nizam of
Hyderabad, a Muslim ruler whose
subjects were mainly Hindus, was ini-
tially reluctant to join the Indian
union, although he acceded after
troops were deployed by the Indian
government. The state capital has
remained at Hyderabad, which is the
largest and most important city.
Andhra Pradesh is overwhelmingly
agricultural, with fertile land in the
Krishnaand Godavaririver deltas, but
it is relatively undeveloped, and there
is still a great disparity between the
rich and the poor. In recent years it has
become the home of an important
regional political party, the Telegu
Desam, as well as a base for the
Marxist revolutionary group known as
Naxalites, who are carrying on an
armed struggle against the landlords.
Andhra is also home to India’s
richest temple, the temple of
Venkateshvara at Tirupati, and to
Mallikarjuna, one of the twelve jyotir-
lingas, a group of sites especially
sacred to Shiva. For general informa-
tion about Andhra Pradesh and all the
regions of India, an accessible refer-
ence is Christine Nivin et al., India. 8th
ed., Lonely Planet, 1998.
Anekantavada
One of the three causal models in
Indian philosophy, along with
asatkaryavadaand satkaryavada. All
three models seek to explain the work-
ings of causality in the everyday world,
particularly the relationship between
causes and their effects, which has
profound implications for religious
life. Philosophical theory assumes
that if one understands the causal
process correctly and can manipulate
it through one’s conscious actions, it
is possible to gain final liberation of
the soul (moksha). Disagreements
over differing causal models are
grounded in varying assumptions
about the nature of things.
The asatkaryavada model assumes
that effects do not preexist in their
causes; the satkaryavada model
assumes that they do. The third model,
Anekantavada (“the view that things
are not single”), seeks to occupy the
middle ground between these two.
Anekantavada stresses how one
looks at things and the way that this
can color a judgment. In viewing the
transformation of milk to curds, butter,
and clarified butter, an anekantavada
proponent would claim that the
substances in question were contained
in the causes (supporting the
satkaryavada notion), but that the
qualities each of these substances pos-
sessed were newly created each time
(supporting the asatkaryavada notion).
Thus, causes and effects are simul-
taneously both the same and different,
depending on the lens through which
one looks at them. This theory is an
attempt to find a middle ground
between the other two causal models
by showing that each is possible, but it
runs the risk of being seen as not taking
any position at all. The major propo-
nents of this position are the Jains, who
are outside the scope of the present
work. For further information see Karl
H. Potter (ed.), Presuppositions of
India’s Philosophies, 1972.Anga
The traditional name for the region
and people of the border area in east-
ern India shared by the modern states
of West Bengaland Bihar.Angada
In the Ramayana, the earlier of the two
great Hindu epics, Angada is the sonof
the monkey-king Baliand his wife Tara.
Even though Rama, the seventh incar-
nation of Vishnu, has killed his father
under questionable circumstances,
Angada is one of Rama’s loyal allies.
Angada takes part in the search for Sita,
and then in the battle in Lankato freeAngada