page_title: Telugu Christians
section_title: Telangana Regions
hierarchical_section_title: Telugu Christians / History and spread / Telangana Regions
caption_attribution_description: English: Sir Arthur cotton's statue at Hyderabad. It was taken by Chavakiran.
context_page_description: Telugu Christians or Telugu Kraistava are an ethno-religious community who form the second-largest religious minority in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. According to the Census of India, there are over a million Christians in Andhra Pradesh constituting 1.5% of the state's population, although a decrease from the 1971 census figure which was 4.2%, as a result of low birth rates and emigration. However Christians from Dalit communities in Andhra Pradesh, who form the majority of the Christian population, are forced to declare their census religion as Hindus in order to obtain reservation benefits, a population estimated as 12-13% of the state.
  Most Telugu Christians are Protestant belonging to major Indian Protestant denominations such as the predominant Anglican Church of South India, the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches Bible Mission the Salvation Army and several others. There also is a significant number of Roman Catholics and Evangelicals.
caption: British officer Arthur Cotton played a significant role in the spread of Christianity in Andhra Pradesh
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