Class 12 History Chapter 7 — New Architecture: Hampi
Welcome to HSLC Guru. This page provides complete English-medium question answers for ASSEB Class 12 History Chapter 7 — An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara (New Architecture: Hampi) — covering NCERT Theme 7. The notes include a detailed summary, NCERT textbook questions, short and long answers, MCQs, key term tables, and a chronology of dynasties for HS Final Year exam preparation.
About the Chapter
This chapter explores the Vijayanagara Empire (founded 1336 CE) and its capital city Hampi, situated on the banks of the river Tungabhadra in modern Karnataka. It studies the rise and fall of the empire across four dynasties, the architectural marvels of its capital — temples, palaces, water tanks and fortifications — and the methods historians use to reconstruct the city’s past from ruins, inscriptions, foreign travellers’ accounts and surveys conducted from the colonial period onwards.
Summary (English)
The Vijayanagara Empire flourished in South India from 1336 CE until the 17th century. It was founded by two brothers, Harihara and Bukka, who established their capital at Vijayanagara (“city of victory”) on the southern bank of the Tungabhadra river. The empire was ruled by four successive dynasties — the Sangama (1336–1485), the Saluva (1485–1503), the Tuluva (1503–1570) and the Aravidu (1570–1650). Its most celebrated ruler, Krishnadeva Raya of the Tuluva dynasty (r. 1509–1529), expanded the empire, patronised Telugu literature (notably his own Amuktamalyada), and commissioned major temples and gateways at Hampi.
In 1565, the empire suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Talikota (also called Rakshasi-Tangadi) at the hands of an alliance of the Deccan Sultanates — Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Golconda and Bidar. The capital was sacked and abandoned, leaving behind the magnificent ruins of Hampi. The site was rediscovered in 1800 by Colonel Colin Mackenzie, the first Surveyor General of India, who prepared the first survey map of the ruins. Subsequent epigraphic and archaeological work, especially by the Archaeological Survey of India and the Karnataka Directorate of Archaeology and Museums (1976–1990s), has helped reconstruct the layout and life of the city.
Architecturally, Vijayanagara fused Dravidian temple traditions with Indo-Islamic forms. Temples such as the Virupaksha temple (dedicated to Shiva, the patron deity) and the Vitthala temple (with its famous stone chariot and musical pillars) display towering gopurams, pillared mandapas and raya gopurams introduced under Krishnadeva Raya. Royal structures such as the Lotus Mahal and the elephant stables in the Royal Centre show clear Indo-Islamic arches and domes, while the Hazara Rama temple — exclusive to the king — carries narrative reliefs from the Ramayana on its outer walls. The city was carefully zoned into a Sacred Centre (along the river), an Urban Core and a fortified Royal Centre, linked by roads and bazaars.
Vijayanagara’s water management was equally remarkable. The natural basin formed by the Tungabhadra was supplemented by embankments, channels and large tanks, of which the Kamalapuram tank (built in the early 15th century) and the Hiriya canal are best known. The Mahanavami Dibba — a massive raised platform in the Royal Centre — hosted the ten-day Mahanavami (Dussehra) festival described in detail by foreign travellers like Domingo Paes, Fernao Nuniz, Abdur Razzaq and Nicolo de’ Conti.
সাৰাংশ (Assamese)
বিজয়নগৰ সাম্ৰাজ্য ১৩৩৬ চনত হৰিহৰ আৰু বুক্কা নামৰ দুজন ভাতৃয়ে স্থাপন কৰিছিল আৰু ই ১৭শ শতিকা পৰ্যন্ত দক্ষিণ ভাৰতত প্ৰভাৱশালী ৰূপত স্থায়ী আছিল। ৰাজধানী বিজয়নগৰ (আজিৰ হাম্পি) তুংগভদ্ৰা নদীৰ পাৰত অৱস্থিত। সাম্ৰাজ্যটো চাৰিটা ৰাজবংশ — সংগম, সালুৱ, তুলুৱ আৰু আৰৱিদু — য়ে শাসন কৰিছিল। শ্ৰেষ্ঠ সম্ৰাট আছিল তুলুৱ বংশৰ কৃষ্ণদেব ৰায় (১৫০৯–১৫২৯)। ১৫৬৫ চনৰ তালিকোটাৰ যুদ্ধত দাক্ষিণাত্যৰ সুলতানসকলৰ সংঘবদ্ধ আক্ৰমণত সাম্ৰাজ্য পৰাজিত হৈ ৰাজধানী ধ্বংস হ’ল। ১৮০০ চনত কৰ্ণেল কলিন মেকেঞ্জিয়ে হাম্পিৰ ধ্বংসাৱশেষ পুনৰ আৱিষ্কাৰ কৰে।
হাম্পিৰ স্থাপত্যত দ্ৰাবিড় শৈলীৰ লগতে ইন্দো-ইছলামিক প্ৰভাৱ স্পষ্ট। মুখ্য নিদৰ্শন — বিৰূপাক্ষ মন্দিৰ, বিঠঠল মন্দিৰ (পাথৰৰ ৰথ আৰু সংগীতময় স্তম্ভ), লোটাছ মহল, হাজাৰা ৰাম মন্দিৰ আৰু মহাণৱমী দিব্বা। নগৰখন পৱিত্ৰ কেন্দ্ৰ, নগৰীয় কেন্দ্ৰ আৰু ৰাজকীয় কেন্দ্ৰত বিভক্ত আছিল। কমলাপুৰম ট্যাংক আৰু হিৰিয়া কেনেলৰ দৰে উন্নত পানী যোগান ব্যৱস্থাই নগৰখনক জীয়াই ৰাখিছিল।
Dynasties of the Vijayanagara Empire
| Dynasty | Period | Founder / Important Ruler | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sangama | 1336–1485 | Harihara I and Bukka I | Founded the empire and capital at Vijayanagara. |
| Saluva | 1485–1503 | Saluva Narasimha | Brief military line that seized power from the Sangamas. |
| Tuluva | 1503–1570 | Krishnadeva Raya (1509–1529) | Greatest expansion; literature, Vitthala & Hazara Rama temples; raya gopurams. |
| Aravidu | 1570–1650 | Tirumala | Last dynasty; ruled from Penukonda and Chandragiri after Talikota. |
NCERT Textbook Questions and Answers
Q1. What have been the methods used to study the ruins of Hampi in the last two centuries? In what way do you think they would have complemented the information provided by the priests of the Virupaksha temple?
Answer: The ruins of Hampi have been studied through several complementary methods over the last two centuries:
- Survey and mapping: Colonel Colin Mackenzie prepared the first survey map of Hampi in 1800 and identified the site as the abandoned capital of Vijayanagara.
- Epigraphy: Inscriptions found at Virupaksha and other temples were collected and published, providing dates, donations and the names of rulers.
- Travellers’ accounts: Records of foreign visitors such as Abdur Razzaq, Domingo Paes, Fernao Nuniz and Nicolo de’ Conti supplied descriptions of palaces, festivals and markets.
- Archaeological excavation: Systematic work by the ASI and the Karnataka Directorate of Archaeology and Museums between 1976 and the 1990s uncovered the city’s plan, monuments and craft areas.
- Photographic documentation: 19th-century photographers like Alexander Greenlaw produced an invaluable visual record of the ruins.
The priests of Virupaksha preserved oral traditions about rituals, royal patronage and local legends. Their information complemented archaeological evidence by providing the religious meaning of monuments and confirming the continuous worship of Virupaksha as the patron deity, while the surveys and inscriptions supplied dates and political context that the oral tradition lacked.
Q2. How were the water requirements of Vijayanagara met?
Answer: The site of Vijayanagara is naturally surrounded by the Tungabhadra river, which forms a basin flowing in a north-easterly direction. The hilly terrain around it directs streams into this basin. To harness these resources, embankments were constructed along streams to create reservoirs of varying sizes. The most prominent of these is the Kamalapuram tank, built in the early 15th century, whose water was used to irrigate fields nearby and was also conducted to the Royal Centre through a channel. The Hiriya canal drew water from a dam across the Tungabhadra and irrigated the cultivated valley separating the Sacred Centre from the Urban Core. Ample wells, rainwater tanks and stone-lined aqueducts further supplied palaces and bath complexes inside the city.
Q3. What do you think were the advantages and disadvantages of enclosing agricultural land within the fortified area of the city?
Answer: Advantages: Enclosing agricultural land within fortifications was a deliberate strategy. During a siege, attackers usually destroyed crops to starve a city; by walling the fields in, the defenders ensured a continuous supply of food and could withstand long sieges. Abdur Razzaq noted that Vijayanagara had seven concentric fortifications enclosing not only the city but also fields and orchards. Disadvantages: Such enclosure required extensive walls, which were expensive to build and maintain. It also limited cultivable land to the area within and reduced the elasticity of food supply if the population grew. The arrangement demanded large reserves of water, increasing dependence on tanks and canals.
Q4. What do you think was the significance of the rituals associated with the Mahanavami Dibba?
Answer: The Mahanavami Dibba was a massive platform, about 11,000 sq. ft in area and 40 ft high, in the Royal Centre. It hosted the ten-day Mahanavami (Dussehra) festival in September–October. Rituals included worship of the deity and the state horse, sacrifice of buffaloes and other animals, processions of caparisoned horses and elephants, dances, wrestling and music. The chiefs of the empire (nayakas) brought tribute and reaffirmed loyalty to the king. Symbolically, the rituals demonstrated the king’s authority over his subordinates, his role as protector of the realm, and the religious sanction of his rule. They reinforced the political integration of the empire by gathering all major nobles at the capital each year.
Q5. Fernao Nuniz describes the irrigation works in the Vijayanagara Empire. Do you think his account should be relied upon?
Answer: Fernao Nuniz, a Portuguese horse trader who visited Vijayanagara around 1535–37, recorded that water from a great tank was conducted by channels to the king’s gardens and to the city. Nuniz was an outsider, but his description is broadly trustworthy because (i) it tallies with archaeological remains of tanks, channels and aqueducts at Hampi; (ii) it is corroborated by other independent visitors such as Domingo Paes and Abdur Razzaq; and (iii) inscriptions confirm royal investment in irrigation. However, like all travellers’ accounts, his reports must be checked against epigraphic and archaeological evidence — he occasionally exaggerated dimensions and misunderstood local customs.
Q6. Discuss whether the term “royal centre” is an appropriate description for the part of the city for which it is used.
Answer: The term “Royal Centre” is largely appropriate but somewhat limiting. The area contains over 60 temples (such as the Hazara Rama, used exclusively by the king), more than 30 palatial buildings, the Mahanavami Dibba, the Lotus Mahal, the Queen’s Bath, audience halls and the elephant stables. These structures clearly served royal residential, administrative and ceremonial functions, justifying the name. However, it also housed temples, water tanks and quarters that were not strictly royal — many shrines were used by court Brahmanas, nobles and courtly women. So while “royal centre” captures the dominant function, the area was a layered space combining royal, religious and elite domestic activities.
Q7. What does the architecture of buildings like the Lotus Mahal and elephant stables tell us about the rulers who commissioned them?
Answer: The Lotus Mahal is a two-storied pavilion with a symmetrical plan, lobed arches, vaulted ceilings and pyramidal towers. The elephant stables consist of a long arcade of eleven domed chambers. Both structures show clear borrowings from Indo-Islamic architecture — arcuate construction, domes and decorative arches — combined with traditional Indian features. This tells us that:
- The rulers were cosmopolitan and confident enough to absorb stylistic elements from the Deccan Sultanates without seeing them as alien.
- They distinguished royal architecture (built with mortar, lime and brick using Indo-Islamic forms) from sacred architecture (built in the trabeate stone Dravidian style).
- Royal patronage extended beyond temples to functional and pleasure structures — stables, baths, audience halls — emphasising luxury and military strength (the elephant corps).
Q8. What are the architectural traditions that inspired the architects of Vijayanagara? How did they transform these traditions?
Answer: Vijayanagara architecture drew on three principal traditions:
- Dravidian temple tradition of the Cholas, Pandyas and Hoysalas — pillared mandapas, towered vimanas, monolithic columns.
- Indo-Islamic architecture of the Deccan Sultanates — arches, domes, vaults and lime mortar.
- Local Karnataka stone-carving traditions visible in narrative reliefs and animal sculptures.
The Vijayanagara architects transformed these by introducing the towering raya gopuram (eclipsing the central vimana); adding spacious open mandapas with composite pillars carved as rearing horses or yalis; constructing kalyana mandapas for ritual marriages of deities; and pioneering the amman shrine for the consort goddess within temple complexes. The Vitthala temple’s stone chariot and musical pillars represent the artistic high point. Royal architecture freely combined arches and domes with traditional pillared halls, producing a hybrid style of distinctive grandeur.
Q9. What impression of the lives of the ordinary people of Vijayanagara can you cull from the various descriptions in the chapter?
Answer: Travellers’ accounts and surveys suggest that ordinary people of Vijayanagara lived in compact mud-and-thatch houses in the Urban Core. Bazaars stretching along main streets sold cloth, jewels, horses, spices and foodstuffs; Abdur Razzaq remarked on the abundance of roses and produce. Many residents were artisans — weavers, sculptors, metalworkers — and many were soldiers, peasants and traders. Domestic shrines have been excavated in residential quarters, indicating that religion penetrated daily life. Wells, small tanks and grinding stones are common finds. The presence of slabs containing memorial sculptures (hero stones) suggests that warfare and danger were familiar realities. The contrast between massive royal monuments built of stone and the modest, perishable homes of commoners shows the social inequality typical of the period.
Short Answer Questions (2–3 marks)
Q1. Who founded the Vijayanagara Empire and when?
Answer: The Vijayanagara Empire was founded in 1336 CE by two brothers, Harihara I and Bukka I, of the Sangama dynasty. They were originally officers under the Kakatiyas and later set up an independent kingdom on the southern bank of the Tungabhadra river.
Q2. What is the meaning of the name “Vijayanagara”?
Answer: Vijayanagara means the “City of Victory” (vijaya = victory, nagara = city). The empire is also known by this name. Its modern site is identified with the village of Hampi in Karnataka.
Q3. Who rediscovered the ruins of Hampi and when?
Answer: The ruins of Hampi were rediscovered in 1800 by Colonel Colin Mackenzie, an engineer with the East India Company who became the first Surveyor General of India. He prepared the first survey map of the ruins.
Q4. Name the four dynasties that ruled the Vijayanagara Empire.
Answer: The four dynasties were the Sangama (1336–1485), Saluva (1485–1503), Tuluva (1503–1570) and Aravidu (1570–1650).
Q5. Who was Krishnadeva Raya?
Answer: Krishnadeva Raya (1509–1529) was the most famous king of the Tuluva dynasty. He expanded the empire, patronised Telugu and Sanskrit literature, wrote the Telugu work Amuktamalyada, and built the raya gopuram of the Virupaksha temple and the Hazara Rama temple.
Q6. What was the Battle of Talikota?
Answer: The Battle of Talikota (also Rakshasi-Tangadi) was fought in 1565 between Vijayanagara, ruled by Rama Raya, and the combined forces of the Deccan Sultanates — Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Golconda and Bidar. Vijayanagara was defeated and the capital was abandoned soon afterwards.
Q7. Who were the nayakas?
Answer: Nayakas were military chiefs in the Vijayanagara Empire who controlled forts and armed supporters. They moved with their men to suit the requirements of the rulers and were given amaram (territorial revenue rights) in exchange for military service.
Q8. What is the Mahanavami Dibba?
Answer: The Mahanavami Dibba is a massive raised platform in the Royal Centre, used during the Mahanavami (Dussehra) festival. The king received tribute, witnessed processions, dances and animal sacrifices, and reaffirmed his authority over the nayakas from this platform.
Q9. What is a gopuram? Mention one example at Hampi.
Answer: A gopuram is a monumental gateway tower in a temple complex. The raya gopuram of the Virupaksha temple, added by Krishnadeva Raya, is a famous example.
Q10. Name two foreign travellers who visited Vijayanagara.
Answer: Abdur Razzaq (Persian ambassador, 1443) and Domingo Paes (Portuguese, c. 1520) are two important foreign travellers who left detailed accounts of Vijayanagara. Others include Nicolo de’ Conti and Fernao Nuniz.
Q11. What is the amaram system?
Answer: Under the amara-nayaka system, military commanders called amara-nayakas were given territories called amaram by the king. They collected taxes from peasants, artisans and traders, kept part for themselves and their troops, and paid the rest as tribute to the king. They were expected to keep contingents of cavalry, elephants and infantry ready for royal service.
Q12. What is the Hiriya canal?
Answer: The Hiriya canal is a major irrigation channel built by the Sangama dynasty that drew water from a dam across the Tungabhadra river and supplied the cultivated valley between the Sacred Centre and the Urban Core.
Long Answer Questions (5–8 marks)
Q1. Describe the rise of the Vijayanagara Empire and its political importance in South India.
Answer: The Vijayanagara Empire rose against the backdrop of Sultanate invasions of the Deccan in the early 14th century. After the collapse of the Kakatiyas and the Hoysalas, two brothers — Harihara I and Bukka I — founded the kingdom in 1336 CE at the strategic site on the southern bank of the Tungabhadra. Politically, the empire became the principal Hindu power resisting the spread of the Bahmani Sultanate and its successor states (Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Golconda, Bidar, Berar). It united the linguistic regions of Karnataka, Andhra and Tamil Nadu and offered patronage to Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada and Tamil literature. Under Krishnadeva Raya (1509–1529), the empire reached its zenith, controlling territories from the Tungabhadra in the north to Cape Comorin in the south. Its political importance lay in providing stability, encouraging temple building and irrigation, fostering trade with Persia, Arabia and Portugal through ports such as Malabar, and consolidating Hindu cultural traditions for nearly three centuries.
Q2. Describe the architectural features of Hampi (the capital of Vijayanagara).
Answer: Hampi’s architecture combined Dravidian, Indo-Islamic and indigenous Karnataka elements:
- Temple architecture: Towering raya gopurams, pillared mandapas, kalyana mandapas for ritual weddings, and separate amman shrines for the consort goddess. The Virupaksha (patron-deity Shiva) and the Vitthala (with stone chariot and musical pillars) are masterpieces.
- Royal buildings: The Lotus Mahal uses lobed arches and pyramidal towers; the elephant stables have eleven domed chambers; the Queen’s Bath is an arched pavilion around a pool; the Mahanavami Dibba is a massive ritual platform.
- Sculptural detail: Composite pillars carved as rearing horses, yalis and warriors. The Hazara Rama temple bears narrative friezes from the Ramayana on its outer walls.
- Fortifications: Massive cyclopean walls of mortarless stone, with seven concentric lines of defence and gateways protected by bent entrances.
- Water structures: Tanks, channels, aqueducts, pushkarinis (stepped tanks).
Q3. Describe the town planning and the three zones of Vijayanagara.
Answer: Vijayanagara was carefully zoned into three principal areas:
- Sacred Centre: Lying along the southern bank of the Tungabhadra, it contained the chief temples — Virupaksha, Vitthala, Krishna and Achyutaraya — clustered around hills associated with mythological events from the Ramayana. Long colonnaded bazaars (chariot streets) led from the temples.
- Urban Core: The residential and commercial heart of the city, with markets, residences of merchants, artisans and minor officials, modest mud-and-thatch houses, wells and small shrines. Excavations have revealed Chinese porcelain and Persian ceramics indicating long-distance trade.
- Royal Centre: Fortified inner enclosure containing palaces, audience halls, the Mahanavami Dibba, the Hazara Rama temple, the Lotus Mahal, the Queen’s Bath and elephant stables. It was separated from the Urban Core by additional walls and gateways.
The three zones were linked by roads, gateways and water channels, all enclosed by seven concentric fortification walls.
Q4. Discuss Vijayanagara’s water supply and irrigation systems.
Answer: The site of Vijayanagara is bounded by the Tungabhadra and granite hills, forming a natural basin. The kings supplemented this with extensive engineering:
- Embankments and tanks: Streams flowing into the basin were dammed to create reservoirs. The Kamalapuram tank (early 15th century) is the largest and supplied irrigation as well as water to the Royal Centre.
- Canals: The Hiriya canal drew water from a Tungabhadra dam and irrigated the cultivated valley between the Sacred Centre and the Urban Core.
- Aqueducts and channels: Stone-lined channels carried water into palaces, baths and gardens; the Queen’s Bath received fresh and waste-water through such channels.
- Wells and stepped tanks: The Royal Centre features an excavated stepped tank (pushkarini) of finely cut chlorite blocks, used for ritual bathing.
This careful management allowed both military self-sufficiency (during sieges) and the cultivation of orchards, paddy and gardens within the fortifications.
Q5. Discuss the contributions of Krishnadeva Raya to Vijayanagara.
Answer: Krishnadeva Raya (r. 1509–1529) of the Tuluva dynasty contributed in several ways:
- Military expansion: He defeated the Gajapati ruler of Orissa, captured the Raichur Doab from the Bijapur Sultanate, and stabilised the empire’s northern frontier.
- Architecture: He commissioned the suburb of Nagalapuram (named after his mother), the spectacular raya gopuram of the Virupaksha temple, and the Hazara Rama temple in the Royal Centre.
- Literature: A scholar himself, he wrote the Telugu epic Amuktamalyada and patronised the ashtadiggajas — the eight poet-laureates of his court, including Allasani Peddana.
- Administration: He systematised the amara-nayaka system, controlled trade and welcomed Portuguese horse traders to strengthen the cavalry.
Q6. Why did the Vijayanagara Empire decline? Explain the causes and effects of the Battle of Talikota.
Answer: The decline of Vijayanagara was caused by:
- Successor weakness after Krishnadeva Raya’s death and bitter succession conflicts.
- Rama Raya’s diplomacy, which played the Deccan Sultanates against each other but ultimately drove them to unite.
- Economic strain of constant warfare and the cost of foreign mercenaries.
- The combined attack of the Sultans of Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Golconda and Bidar at Talikota in 1565, where Rama Raya was killed.
Effects: Vijayanagara was sacked, looted and burned for several months. The capital was abandoned and never rebuilt. The Aravidu dynasty shifted its capital to Penukonda and later to Chandragiri but never recovered its former glory. The political vacuum was gradually filled by the Deccan Sultanates and, eventually, the Mughals.
Q7. How do historians reconstruct the past of Vijayanagara? Discuss with reference to sources.
Answer: Historians use multiple complementary sources:
- Archaeological remains — temples, palaces, fortifications, tanks, sculptures and pottery uncovered through systematic surveys (Mackenzie 1800; ASI and Karnataka Directorate 1976–1990s).
- Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada and Tamil on temple walls and copper plates record dates, donations, land grants and royal titles.
- Literary works such as Amuktamalyada by Krishnadeva Raya and Telugu and Sanskrit court poetry.
- Foreign travellers’ accounts — Abdur Razzaq (Persian, 1443), Domingo Paes (Portuguese, c. 1520), Fernao Nuniz (1535–37) and Nicolo de’ Conti (1420s).
- Coins minted by various Vijayanagara rulers for trade and political legitimacy.
- Oral and ritual traditions preserved by priests of the still-functioning Virupaksha temple.
Cross-referencing these sources allows historians to reconstruct political events, daily life, religion, architecture and economy.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. The Vijayanagara Empire was founded in:
(a) 1206 CE (b) 1336 CE (c) 1498 CE (d) 1565 CE
Answer: (b) 1336 CE
2. Who founded the Vijayanagara Empire?
(a) Krishnadeva Raya (b) Rama Raya (c) Harihara and Bukka (d) Tirumala
Answer: (c) Harihara and Bukka
3. The capital city of the Vijayanagara Empire was:
(a) Madurai (b) Hampi (c) Tanjavur (d) Penukonda
Answer: (b) Hampi
4. Hampi is situated on the bank of the river:
(a) Krishna (b) Kaveri (c) Tungabhadra (d) Godavari
Answer: (c) Tungabhadra
5. The four dynasties of Vijayanagara were:
(a) Sangama, Saluva, Tuluva, Aravidu (b) Chola, Chera, Pandya, Pallava (c) Hoysala, Kakatiya, Yadava, Bahmani (d) None
Answer: (a) Sangama, Saluva, Tuluva, Aravidu
6. The most famous king of the Tuluva dynasty was:
(a) Bukka I (b) Saluva Narasimha (c) Krishnadeva Raya (d) Rama Raya
Answer: (c) Krishnadeva Raya
7. Krishnadeva Raya ruled during:
(a) 1336–1356 (b) 1485–1503 (c) 1509–1529 (d) 1542–1565
Answer: (c) 1509–1529
8. The Battle of Talikota was fought in:
(a) 1336 (b) 1498 (c) 1565 (d) 1600
Answer: (c) 1565
9. Vijayanagara was defeated at Talikota by:
(a) The Mughals (b) The Portuguese (c) The combined Deccan Sultanates (d) The British
Answer: (c) The combined Deccan Sultanates
10. The ruins of Hampi were rediscovered in 1800 by:
(a) Alexander Cunningham (b) Colonel Colin Mackenzie (c) John Marshall (d) James Prinsep
Answer: (b) Colonel Colin Mackenzie
11. The patron deity of the Vijayanagara kings was:
(a) Vishnu (b) Vitthala (c) Virupaksha (Shiva) (d) Rama
Answer: (c) Virupaksha (Shiva)
12. The Vitthala temple is famous for:
(a) Stone chariot and musical pillars (b) White marble dome (c) Cave paintings (d) Buddha statues
Answer: (a) Stone chariot and musical pillars
13. The Lotus Mahal is located in the:
(a) Sacred Centre (b) Urban Core (c) Royal Centre (d) Outside the city
Answer: (c) Royal Centre
14. The Hazara Rama temple was used by:
(a) The general public (b) Only the king (c) Foreign visitors (d) Merchants
Answer: (b) Only the king
15. The Mahanavami Dibba was used during the festival of:
(a) Diwali (b) Mahanavami (Dussehra) (c) Holi (d) Onam
Answer: (b) Mahanavami (Dussehra)
16. The Persian ambassador who visited Vijayanagara in 1443 was:
(a) Ibn Battuta (b) Abdur Razzaq (c) Al-Biruni (d) Marco Polo
Answer: (b) Abdur Razzaq
17. The Portuguese traveller who visited Vijayanagara around 1520 was:
(a) Vasco da Gama (b) Domingo Paes (c) Fernao Nuniz (d) Both (b) and (c)
Answer: (d) Both (b) and (c)
18. The Telugu work written by Krishnadeva Raya is:
(a) Manucharitra (b) Amuktamalyada (c) Andhra Mahabharatam (d) Ramayana
Answer: (b) Amuktamalyada
19. The largest tank built in the early 15th century at Vijayanagara is:
(a) Kamalapuram tank (b) Pushkarini (c) Queen’s Bath (d) Hiriya tank
Answer: (a) Kamalapuram tank
20. The amara-nayakas were:
(a) Priests (b) Merchants (c) Military commanders given territorial revenue rights (d) Court poets
Answer: (c) Military commanders given territorial revenue rights
21. The eight poet-laureates of Krishnadeva Raya’s court were called:
(a) Navaratnas (b) Ashtadiggajas (c) Acharyas (d) Pandits
Answer: (b) Ashtadiggajas
22. The Aravidu dynasty shifted the capital after Talikota to:
(a) Madurai (b) Penukonda (c) Hyderabad (d) Bijapur
Answer: (b) Penukonda
23. Vijayanagara had how many concentric fortifications, according to Abdur Razzaq?
(a) Three (b) Five (c) Seven (d) Nine
Answer: (c) Seven
24. The Hiriya canal supplied water to:
(a) The Royal Centre baths (b) The cultivated valley between Sacred Centre and Urban Core (c) The Vitthala temple only (d) The Queen’s Bath
Answer: (b) The cultivated valley between Sacred Centre and Urban Core
25. The architectural style combining Dravidian and Indo-Islamic elements at Hampi is best seen in:
(a) Virupaksha temple (b) Lotus Mahal and elephant stables (c) Mahanavami Dibba (d) Vitthala stone chariot
Answer: (b) Lotus Mahal and elephant stables
Key Terms and Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Vijayanagara | “City of Victory” — capital and name of the empire founded in 1336 CE. |
| Hampi | Modern village in Karnataka where the ruins of Vijayanagara stand; UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
| Gopuram | Monumental gateway tower of a South Indian temple. |
| Raya gopuram | Royal gateway tower introduced by Vijayanagara kings, often taller than the central vimana. |
| Mandapa | Pillared hall in front of a temple sanctum. |
| Kalyana mandapa | Hall used for the ritual marriage ceremony of the deity. |
| Amman shrine | Subsidiary shrine for the consort goddess within a temple complex. |
| Pushkarini | Stepped temple tank used for ritual bathing. |
| Mahanavami Dibba | Massive raised platform in the Royal Centre used for the Dussehra festival. |
| Nayaka | Military chief of the Vijayanagara army; controlled forts and contingents. |
| Amaram / Amara-nayaka system | Territorial revenue assignment given to military commanders in return for service. |
| Yali | Mythical lion-like creature carved on temple pillars. |
| Ashtadiggajas | The “eight elephants” — eight Telugu poets at Krishnadeva Raya’s court. |
| Talikota | Site of the 1565 battle (also Rakshasi-Tangadi) that ended Vijayanagara’s power. |
| Sacred Centre | Riverside zone of Hampi containing the major temples. |
| Urban Core | Residential and commercial zone of Hampi. |
| Royal Centre | Fortified inner zone with palaces, ritual platforms and royal temples. |
These notes follow the ASSEB Class 12 History syllabus (NCERT Theme 7 — An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara) and are intended for Higher Secondary final-year examination preparation. For more chapter-wise solutions, visit HSLC Guru.