Desi and Margi - T literature had two streams, an earlier one called Desi (folk literature - an oral tradition) and a later one called Margi (Sanskrit). Desi literature was rural, popular and independent of Sanskrit. The Margi literature was a deliberate concoction at first - a rich, exotic and stimulating beverage meant for the sophisticated court and urban population. Nanniah's Mahabharata which was composed in 1030 AD stands at the head of Margi literature. The epic seized Nanniah's imagination and set it flame. And at that moment formal T literature was born.

Telegu Mahabharatam - Although Nanniah began the work of giving Vyasa's Mahabharata a Telegu habitation and a name; he was able to complete only the first two parvas or cantos and a part of the third, the Aryanya Parva. After him for two centuries it remained as it is till in the latter half of the 13^th century arose another poet Tikkanna and fifty years later Errapragada who finished the T Mahabharatam.

Tikkanna 1220-1300 heralded a new era in T literature by making a fine synthesis between the marga of Nanniah and the desi of Palakuriki. A minister to a feudal king, he worked for the political unity of Andhra-desa with a view to averting a possible Muslim invasion. As an advaitin, he also worked for the religious unity of the Hindus by establishing the Hari-Hara cult. He brought together the Saiva and non-Saiva schools of T poets. His first work was the Ramayanamu written in kavya style.

Nanniah, Tikkanna and Errapragada are the great trio or the Kava Traya of T literature. The first is remembered for reducing Vyasa's epic to into a mellifluous and transparent T. Although he uses more Sanskrit than T his simplicity and ease are irresistible. Besides the Mahabharatam Tikkanna wrote a poem covering Rama's life after his return from Lanka. His style is described as that of an intellectual. The T version is written in a mixture of prose and poetry. There is less philosophy, more luxurious description, less depth but more humanity. The last of the trio was the first poet to render Harivamsa into T. His Nrsimha Puranamu is considered a landmark, as it initiated a literary type called Prabandha in T literature - referred to in next period.

Apart from the great work of Nanniah the 11^th and 12^th centuries saw little original literary activity. However, mention must be made of P Mallanna and E Peddanna, both of whom wrote Mathematical treatise in T based on translations from Sanskrit originals. During the 13^th century two versions of Ramayana appeared. Of these, the version in couplets attributed to Ranganatha is the earlier. The other version known as Bhaskara-Ramayanam is in champu form. Although widely read the Ramayanam does not reach up to the beauty of the T Mahabharatam.

The 12^th and 13^th centuries witnessed major political, social and religious changes in Andhra. Teachings of Basavesvara, prophet of Virasaivism, disturbed the social fabric of the people both in the Karnataka and Andhra regions. Virasaivism became partly a mass movement and its gospel was to preached through the literary works by Saiva poets. He advocated the desi against the margi tradition. Though the movement died with him, it did influence the writings of later poets.