A distinctive feature of nation-building in modern India has been the paradoxical persistence and growth of regional linguistic-based cultural identities. The appearance of regional languages on Rupee currency notes, the present provincial boundaries of India, and the rising strength of regional political parties manifest the importance of these regional identities to defining the national culture of India. Telugu Resurgence examines the origins and formation of a regional identity which ultimately gave birth to Andhra Pradesh, the first linguistic state formed in India after independence.