According to palaeographists and linguists, the earliest inscription written in Telugu language was the Kalamalla copper plate charters of the Telugu Chola kings, who claimed descent from Karikala Cholan of the northern expedition fame. Concerning Telugu inscriptions in Tamil Nadu, they are few and far between.

Some of the copper plates of the Madurai Nayak queen Rani Mangammal, Vijayaranga Chokkanatha, and Pudukkottai Thondaiman rulers are inscribed in Telugu.

Some of their coins have legends in the Telugu script. The concluding portion of some copper plate inscriptions belonging to the Vijayanagar period (15 ^th– 16 ^th century CE) contain the signature or royal insignia of the Emperor (i.e. Virupaksa) in Telugu.The mural paintings belonging to the Nayak period (16-18^th centuries) have labels in Telugu.

Due to the impact of Nayak rule, native chieftains of Tamil origin also used Telugu along with Tamil in their official correspondences and documents. When the British East India Company started ruling South India, they had their treasury seal in Tamil, Telugu, English and Persian.