THEME -7 (XII) AN IMPERIAL CAPITAL VIJAY NAGAR (QUESTION ANSWERS)

THEME -7

AN IMPERIAL CAPITAL VIJAY NAGAR

(C. FOURTEENTH TO SIXTEENTH CENTURY)

(QUESTION ANSWERS)

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OTQ (1 MARKS)

 

Q.1: What is the meaning of Vijaynagra?

Ans: Vijayanagra means the city of victory. This word was used for emepire as well as city.

 

Q.2: Hampi was named after local Goddess…………..

Ans- Pampa devi

 

Q.3: The rulers of Vijayanagara mentions them as ………….

Ans- Raya or Narpati

 

Q.4: In which three high value goods vijayanagra market dealt in?

Ans- Species, textiles and precious stones

 

Q.5: Communites of local traders known as…………………controlled trade in horse from………….

Ans-Kudria Chettis, Arabia

 

Q.6: Krishnadev raya ruled in Vijaynagra during which period?

Ans- 1509-1526 AD

 

Q.7: ______________suburban Township was founded by Krishnadev raya named on his mother.

Ans-Nagalapuram

 

Q.8: Named three wars that were fought by Krishnadev Raya?

Ans-1512-Raichur Doab, 1514-Odisha, 1520- Bijapur

 

Q.9: Sultanates had given Krishnadev raya the title of……………

Ans-Establishers of Yavana Kingdom

 

Q.10:  Identify the following features related to water Resources of Vijayanagara.

Ans-River that formed Natural Basin-Tungabhadra

          Famous tank-Kamlapuram Tank

          Most prominent water work-Hiriya canal

 

Q11: Who was / were the founder of Vijay nagar Empire ?

Ans: Two brothers Harihara & Bukka.

 

Q12: In which Area Gajapati rulers were rulling.

Ans: Orissa.

 

Q13: Local communities of merchants were known by which name ?

Ans: Kudirai Chetty.

 

Q14: How many dynasties were exercised control on Vijay nagar     Empire?

Ans:  4  Sangam, Saluvas, Tuluvas, Aravidu

 

Q15: What is the present name of Vijaynagar?

Ans: Hampi .

 

Q16: Writer the name of Capital / Capitals of Vijayanagar Empire .

Ans: Vijaynagar , Penukonda , Chandragiri , respectively .

 

Q17: Battle year of the Talikota war?

Ans: 1565 C.E.

 

Q18: Battle of Talikota was also known as another name –

Ans: Rakshasi – Tangadi

Q19: Who was the chief minister of Vijayanagar at that time?

Ans: Rama Raya.

 

Q20: Who was Abdur Razzaq.

Ans: An Ambassador sent by the ruler of Persia to calicut .

 

Q.21: Local goddess Pampa Devi did penance to marry lord…………in these hills.

Ans-Virupaksha

 

Q.22: Arched gateways with domes were typically features introduced by whom?

Ans- Turkish Sultans

 

Q.23: The vijayanagra empire have which three important Zones?

Ans- Royal Centre, Sacred centre, urban core

 

Q.24: Most beautiful building in the royal center was___________

Ans- Lotus mahal

 

Q.25: Lotus Mahal was called by which name?

Ans- Council chamber

 

Q.26: Which two impressive platforms found in Royal center?

Ans- Audience hall, and Mahanavami Dibba

 

Q.27: According to the local tradition this area belongs to whom?

Ans- Monkey kingdoms of Vali and Sugriva

 

Q.28: Which temple has scenes from Ramayana sculpted on inner wall?

Ans- Hazararama Temple

 

Q.29: In which year Hampi was recognisedas a site of national importance?

Ans-1976

 

Q.30: Which are two main important features of Raya tempels.

Ans- Gopuram-Gateways and Mandapas-Pavillions.

 

Q.31.Who was Colonel Colin Mackenzie?

Ans.a).An employee of the English East India Company.

b).Ruins at Hampi were brought to light in 1800 by him.

 

Q.32 What do you know about Gopuram ?

Ans: Gopuram is a large pyramidal tower constructed over the entrance gate of a temple.

 

Q.33 What do you know about Mandpam?

Ans: Mandapam were pillared outdoor hall for public rituals

 

Q.34 Why do you think agricultural tracts were incorporated within the fortified area?

Ans. To be prepared for their protection against the sieges

 

Q.35:- Hampi town is located in the bank of which river.

Ans. It is located on the bank of Tungabhadra river.

 

Q.36:- Who was Colin Mackenzie?

Ans. He was a famous engineer, surveyor and humanist.

 

Q.37:- How did the water requirements problems solved in Vijayanagar Empire?

Ans. The natural reservoir, providing water for Vijayanagar is Tungabhadra River.

 

Q.38: The principle deity worshipped in Mahrashtra was………….who is a form of Vishnu.

Ans- Vitthal

 

Q.39: Who mentioned that houses of ordinary people were thatched which have not survived?

Ans-Portuduese traveler Barbosa

Q.40: Which were the two major part of Kings Palace.

Ans- Audience hall and Mahanavami Dibba

Q.41: Elephant stable is the part of which zone of the city?

 Ans- Royal center

 

Q.42. Hampi declared a world heritage site by UNESCO?

Ans-1986

Q.43: Who has take first detailed photographs of archaeological remains at Hampi?

Ans-Alexander Greenlaw in 1856.

Q.44: What do you mean by Kalyana Mandapa?

Ans. It meant to celebrate divine wedding.

Q.45: What do you mean by House of Victory?

Ans. Domingo Paes called the audience hall and Mahanavmi Dibba  together  as House of victory.

Q.46: Write down the name of place of these temple- Brihadishvara Tempe and Chennakeshava temple.

Ans- Brihadishvara Tempe- Thanavur

         Chennakeshava temple-Belur

Q.47: What do you mean by antiquarian?

Ans- It means the person who collects and study about old things.

Q.48: All royal order of the vijayanagara rulers were signed on the name of which God?

Ans-Shri Virupaksha in Kannada  script.

Q.49: Vijayanagra ruler also indicated their close link with gods by using which title?

Ans- Hindu Suratrana.

Q.50: Which temple has a unique shrine designed as a chariot?

Ans- Vitthala temple

S.A. (3-MARKS)

 

Q.1:Describe the main features of the temples in Vijayanagara Empire.

Ans.  1. Architects were influenced by the Indo-Islamic architectural styles.

2. Huge structure of temple.

3. Gopuram and Mandapas.

4. Temples were the symbol of Kings Power and resource.

5. Building of story upon story above the "garbhagriha" called Vimana.

6. Architecture was 'Dravida Style' but it had its own distinct features.

7. Temples have a Kalyanamandapa, used to music, dance, drama etc.

 

Q.2:How were the water requirements of Vijayanagara met?

Ans. Water requirements of Vijayanagara were met by the river Tungabhadra.

 Tanks were made to overcome this problem.

Kamalapuram tank was used for irrigation and needs of the royal   centers.

 Hiriya canal was the most prominent water works.

 

Q.3: What is Amara - Nayaka System?

Ans. It was a major political innovation of the Vijayanagara Empire.

Many features of this system were derived from Delhi Sultanate.

 

 

Q.4: What was the role of Colin Mackenzie in the discovery of Hampi?

Ans-Role of Colin Mackenzie in the discovery of Hampi

1.    The ruins at Hampi were brought to light in 1800 by an engineer and antiquarian named Colonel Colin Mackenzie.

2.    He was born in 1754 and became an engineer, surveyor and cartographer.

3.    In 1815, he was appointed as the first Surveyor General of India and remained in the post till his death in 1821.

4.    In order to understand India’s past to make governance of the colony easier he surveyed many historic sites.

5.    He thought that regional customs and traditions will benefit the English East India Company in its administration.

6.    As an employee of the English East India Company, he prepared the first survey map of the site.

7.    He conducted his studies first based on the memories of priests of the Virupaksha temple and the shrine of Pampadevi.

8.    Subsequently, from 1856, photographs began to record the monuments which enabled scholars to study them.

9.    As early as 1836,epigraphists began collecting several dozen inscriptions found at this and other temples at Hampi.The information thus collected was corroborated with the accounts of foreign travellers and other literary works.

 

Q.5: Write down about the contemprory rulres of Vijayanagra?

Ans- 1. On the northern frontier, the Vijayanagara kings (Narapati) competed with contemporary rulers such as the Sultans of the Deccan (Asvapati) and the Gajapati rulers of Orissa for control of the fertile river valleys and the resources that were brought by overseas trade.

a.     Many parts of this empire also see the development of powerful kingdoms in south  as Cholas of Tamilnadu and Hoysalas of Karanataka.

b.    The rules of Vijayanagar interect with their contemperory rulers and borrowed the concept and building technique and develop further.

c.     They build many temples and buildings according to the traditions of Brihadishvara temples of Thanjavur and Chennakeshava temple of Belur under Chola rulres.

 

Q-6. Write down about  the market of Vijayanagra kingdoms.

Ans- Markets in the Vijayanagara Empire were known for its spices, textiles and other precious stones.

Ø Trade was a status symbol for cities in the empire and boasted of a wealthy population that was in need of high value exotic goods such as precious stones and jewellery.

Ø The revenue that came from the trade was used for the prosperity of the state.

 

Q-7. Write a description about battle of Talikot.

Ans- THE BATTLE AT RAKSHAI-TANGADI OR TALIKOTA

1.    The military ambitions of the rulers of Vijayanagara and the Deccan sultans resulted in shifting alignments.

2.    Eventually it resulted in an alliance of the sultanates against Vijayanagara.

3.    In 1565, the battle of Talikota started and the army was led by Rama Raya, the chief minister of Vijayanagara.

4.    The army of Vijayanagara defeated by the combined armies of Bijapur, Ahamad nagar and Golkonda.

5.    The victorious armies sacked the city of Vijayanagara. The city was abandoned within a few years.

6.    After the defeat the Aravidu dynasty shifted its focus to the east and ruled from Penukona later from Chandragiri near Tirupati.

 

Q-8: Write down about amara nayaka system.

Ans- THE AMARA-NAYAKA SYSTEM

1.    The amara-nayaka system was a major political innovation of the Vijayanagara Empire.

2.    This system was derived from the Iqta system of Delhi Sultanate.

3.    The amara-nayakas were military commanders. They were given territories to govern by the raya.

4.    Their duty was to collect taxes and other dues from peasants, craftsmen and traders in the area.

5.    They kept part of the revenue for personal use and for maintaining a stipulated contingent of horses and elephants.

6.    Some of the revenue was also used for the maintenance of temples and irrigation works.

7.    They sent tribute to the king annually and personally appeared in the royal court with gifts to express their loyalty.

8.    Kings asserted their control over them by transferring them from one place to another.

9.    In course of time, they established independent kingdoms. This was one of the causes of weakening and declining of the Vijayanagara Empire.

 

v Q.9: Explain the features of fortification of hampi.

Ans- The accounts of Abdul Razzaq about the walls of the Vijayanagara Empire. Abdul Razzak was an ambassador sent by the ruler of Persia to Calicut in the 15th century.

1.    He was greatly impressed by the fortifications and mentioned seven lines of the forts.

2.    He says that the forts were encircled not only the city but also its agricultural hinterland and forests.

3.    The outermost wall linked the hills surrounding the city. The masonry construction was slightly tapered.

4.    No mortar or cementing agent was employed anywhere in the construction. The stone blocks were wedge shaped, which held them in place.

5.    The inner portion of the walls was of earth packed with rubble. Square or rectangular bastions projected outer wards.

6.    The most important feature of the Vijayanagara fortification was its incorporation of the agricultural tracts, because the rulers were well prepared to face the sieges and its consequences.

7.    Abdur Razzaq noted that “between the first, second and the third walls there are cultivated fields, gardens and houses”

 

Q-10. What do you know about Hzara rama temple

Ans- Though most of the temple are found in the sacred center but some were found in the royal center.

1.    On of the most spectacular of these is one known as Hazara Rama Temple.

2.    This was probably meant to be used only by the king and his family.

3.    The images in the central shrine did not found by the archeologists.

4.    In the inner wall of the temple there were many scene taken from the Ramayana found in the shrine.

 

Q.11-How the Vijaya nagra rulers associated with Gods.

Ans- In fact the Vijayanagara kings claimed to rule on behalf of the god Virupaksha.

1.    All royal orders were signed “Shri Virupaksha”, usually in the Kannada script.

2.    Rulers also indicated their close links with the gods by using the title “Hindu Suratrana”.

3.    This was a Sanskritisation of the Arabic term Sultan, meaning king, so it literally meant Hindu Sultan.

4.     Even as they drew on earlier traditions, the ruler of Vijayanagara innovated and developed these.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long Answer - (8 Marks)

Q.1.Describe the main causes responsible for the downfall of Vijayanagara Empire.

Ans. Weakness of the Central Government.

1. Weak successor.

2. Rules of the different dynasties.

3. Continuos struggles against Bahamani Empire.

4. Role of Army.

5. Battle of Talikota.

Q.2. Describe the salient features of the administration of Vijayanagara Empire.

Ans. 1. The King.

2. Cabinet minister.

3. Provincial Government.

4. Local administration.

5. Judicial administration.

6. Financial administration.

7. Amar Nayak System.

Q.3. Describe the contribution of Krishnadeva Raya the greatest King of the Vijayanagara.

Ans. 1. His period is characterized by expansion and consolidation.

2. Broad toleration prevailed in his empire.

3. After a series of battles Vijayanagara emerged as a strongest military power.

4. Preach and Prosperity.

5. Efficient administration under his sway.

6. Productive agriculture.

7. Flourished inland coastal and overseas trade.

8. He was a great builder.

9. He was a scholar of Telugu and patron of Telugu, Kannada and Tamil poets.

10. He was a man of justice.

Q-4. Write down the feature of royal center of Vijayanagra Empire.

Ans-THE ROYAL CENTRE OF THE VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE

Ø The royal centre was located in the south-western part of the settlement. It included 60 temples.

Ø The patronage of temples was important for rulers, because they were trying to establish their authority through association with the divinities housed in the shrines.

Ø About thirty buildings have been identified as palaces.

Ø The difference between temples and secular buildings was that temples were constructed entirely of masonry way whereas materials used in the secular buildings were perishable.

 

v THE “KING’S PALACE

Ø In the royal center the name of buildings were assigned by their functions or their structure. The “king’s palace” is the largest building in the royal center but it was not used as royal residence. It has two platforms:

 

v THE “AUDIENCE HALL

Ø The audience hall is a high platform with slots for wooden pillars at close and regular intervals.

Ø It had a staircase going up to the second floor, which rested on these pillars.

Ø The pillars being closely spaced and thus it is not clear what the hall was used for.

v THE MAHANAMI DIBBA-

Ø It is located on the highest points in the city.

Ø The “mahanavami dibba” is a massive platform rising from a base of about 11,000 sq. ft to a height of 40 ft.

Ø There is evidence that it supported a wooden structure. The base of the platform is covered with relief carvings

Ø Rituals associated with the structure probably coincided with Mahanavami (literally, the great ninthday) of the ten-day Hindu festival during the autumn

months of September and October.

Ø It is  known by various names like  Dusehra (northern India), Durga Puja (in Bengal) and Navaratri or Mahanavami (in peninsular India).

 

Q-5 Explain the features  of temple architecture of Vijay nagara.

Ø During this period, certain new features were evident in the temple architecture.

Ø These included structures of enormous size that must have been built to mark the imperial authority.

Ø  One of the best examples is rayas gopurams or royal gateways that often dwarfed the towers on the central shrines.

Ø These gopurams signaled the presence of the temple from a great distance. These towering gateways also reminded about the power of the king who could command the resources techniques and skills that was required to construct them.

Ø Another distinctive feature of the temple architecture was mandapas or pavilion and long, pillared corridors that often ran around the shrines within the temple complex.

Ø Famous temples- Virupaksha temple  

§  Virupaksha temple  is one of the most important of vijayanagara. The Virupaksha temple was built over centuries.

§  Inscriptions suggest that this shrine date to the ninth-tenth centuries.

§   On the occasion of his coronation, Krishnadeva Raya built the elaborate hall in front of the main shrine.

§   The hall was adorned with delicately carved pillars. Eastern gopuram was also built by him.

Ø Famous temples- Vitthala temple  

§  In Vitthala temple the principal diety was Vitthala, a form of Vishnu, generally worship in Maharrashtra.

§  This shows that that Vijayanagara rulers focus on different traditions to create an  imperial culture.

§  This temple also have several halls and unique shrinedesigned as a chariot.

§  It has a chariot streets that extended from the temple gopuram in a straight line.

§  These streets were paved with stone slabs and lined with pillared pavilions in which merchants set up their shops.