As per the 8th century BCE Rigvedic text Aitareya Brahmana, the Andhras left North India from the banks of the Yamuna river and migrated to South India. In the third century BCE, Andhra was a vassal kingdom of Ashoka of Mauryan Empire. After his death, it became powerful and extended its empire to the whole of Maratha country and beyond under the rule of Satavahana dynasty. After that, the major rulers included Pallavas, Eastern Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Vijayanagara empire, Qutb Shahi dynasty, Nizam dynasty, East India Company, and British Raj.

Some of the unique products from the state are Banaganapalle mangoes, Bandar laddu, Kondaplli toys, Tirupati laddu, and saris made in Dharmavaram and Machilipatnam. Kuchipudi is the official dance form. Many composers of Carnatic music like Annamacharya, Kshetrayya, Tyagaraja, and Bhadrachala Ramadas were from this region. The Tirumala Venkateswara temple near Tirupati is the most visited Hindu religious place in the world. The state is home to a variety of other pilgrimage centres and natural attractions.