Bhatti, the author of Ravanavadha, was the court poet of Dharasena IV (AD 645-650), the Maitraka ruler of Valabhi. Ravanavadha, (the Death of Rāvaṇa), more popularly known as Bhattikavya (Bhatti’s Poems), is a poem on the story of Rama.
Bhattikavya is sometimes included in the list of mahakavya.
Also called Trikanda, Amarakosha is a Sanskrit lexicon compiled in ancient India by Amarasimha who was one of the famous Navaratnas, or Nine Gems who adorned the court of the Gupta ruler Vikramaditya Chandragupta II (c. 376-415).
Most of Amarakosha’s works have been lost to us.
Illuminated mausoleum of Rahim in Delhi / Image Credit: Parveen Sharma Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan, popularly known as Rahim, was a medieval Hindi poet, scholar of Sanskrit and Persian and powerful minister and military commander during Mughal emperor Akbar’s reign.
According to tradition he was one of Akbar’s ‘Navratnas (“Nine Jewels”). The Navratnas were nine individuals of extraordinary ability gracing the court of Akbar.
Rahim was born in 1556 to Bairam Khan, the preceptor to Mughal emperor Akbar. The father-son duo were both titled Khan-i-Khanan. Rahim was four years old when his father was killed in 1561 AD by an Afghan at Patan on his way to Mecca.
On the instruction of Akbar, Baburnamah was translated into Persian in 1589 by Rahim.
Malik Maqbool tomb Delhi/ Image source
Jahan Khan or Malik Maqbul whose mausoleum in the Nizamuddin Basti in Delhi is the earliest octagonal tomb in India was the Wazir (Prime Minister) of the Delhi Sultanate under Firuz Shah Tughluq ((r. 1351–1388), the third ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty.
Also known as Khan-i-Jahan Maqbul Tilangani, Malik Maqbul was originally a Brahmin from Telangana in the service of the Kakatiya kingdom in eastern Deccan. He converted to Islam when the kingdom under Prataprudra was annexed to the Delhi Sultanate in 1323 during the reign of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq who had sent his son Ulugh Khan (later Muhammad bin Tughlaq) to bring the Hindu kingdom under the Muslim rule. Malik Maqbul was known as Gannama Nayaka or Yugandhar before his conversion.
Malik Maqbul was given the title of Khan-i-Jahan by Firuz Shah Tughluq who had succeeded Muhammad bin Tughlaq in 1351 AD. Firuz Shah Tughluq appointed Malik Maqbul his Wazir. In this role Malik Maqbul managed the affairs of the state efficiently.
After the death of Maqbul in 1370, his son, Juna Shah, was made the prime minister by Firoz. He was, however, killed by Muhammad Khan, the third son of Firoz Tughlaq, when Juna Shah tried to wrest the control of the state and become the ruler himself.
Malik Maqbul lies buried in mausoleum in Nizamuddin West in Delhi. The mausoleum, built by his son Juna Shah, is considered the first octagonal tomb in India. Tomb of Sufi saint Shah Rukn-i Alam in Multan is the only other octagonal mausoleum in the Indian subcontinent that pre-dates this tomb.
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| Tomb of Hazrat Data Ganj Baksh / Image source |
Also known as Data Ganj Baksh (Distributor of Unlimited Power), Khwaja Ali Hujjwiri lived in 11th century AD and is considered to be the earliest Sufi Saint of repute who made India his home.
Sufism is a form of Islamic mysticism.
Born in Ghazni in Afghanistan, he died in Lahore and his tomb, known popularly as Data Darbar, is an important place of pilgrimage in the city.
Also called Shaykh al-Hujwiri, Khwaja Ali Hujjwiri was a scholar and is known for compiling Kashf-ul-Mahjoob or Kashf al-Mahjub (Revelation of Mystery), a Persian treatise on Sufism, which was translated into English by British Orientalist and scholar Reynold Alleyne Nicholson. The work gives the biographies of Sufis from Prophet Muhammad's days to his own time.
His shrine in Lahore was visited by famous Chisti saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti who paid his homage to him by hailing him as 'Ganj Baksh' , the perfect pir.
A contemporary of Chalukya King Pulakeshin II who defeated him on the banks of Narmada in 618 AD, Harsha was an Indian emperor who brought a semblance of stability to the politics of North India amidst the chaos that characterized the period following the decline of the Gupta empire.
The reign of Harsha, also known as Harshavardhana, is well documented compared to other ancient Indian rulers. His court-poet was the famous Brahmin author Banabhatta whose magnum opus is Harshacharita (The Deeds of Harsha). Chinese scholar and traveler Huen Tsang came to his court leaving a valuable description of India.
Harsha who ascended the throne in 606 at the age of sixteen was the second son of Prabhakaravardhana, a local king of the Pushyabhuti dynasty (Vardhana dynasty) ruling from Sthanvisvara (modern Thanesar in Kurukshetra district of Haryana).
Prabhakaravardhana grew in strength by successfully raiding against the Hunas, who still held parts of the Panjab, After Prabhakaravardhana, Harsha’s elder brother, Rajyavardhan, took over the reins of the kingdom. However, after a brief period, he along with his brother-in law and Maukhari ruler Grahavarman of Kannauj, was killed in a battle with Sasanka, the fierce anti Buddhist king of Bengal.
It was against this backdrop that Harsha became the ruler of Thanesar and as Grahavarman died childless he was invited by the nobles of Kannauj to assume the Maukhari throne.
After coming to the throne Harsha began to strengthen his position and brought most of Northern India, from Bengal to Gujarat, under his control. His empire was feudal in structure.
After bringing North India under his subjugation it was natural for Harsha to focus his attention on the Deccan. However it was an unsuccessful endevour as he was thoroughly defeated by Pulakeshin II as mentioned earlier.
Harsha was a scholar-king. He had authored three dramas: Ratnavali, Priyadarsika and Nagananda (the Joy of the Serpents).
After ruling for 41 years Harshavardhan died in 647 AD.
Achyuta Raya was a Vijayanagar ruler who succeeded to the throne in 1529 following the death of his half-brother Krishna Deva Raya, the greatest Vijayanagar emperor. If Portuguese chronicler Fernao Nuniz, who spent three years in Vijayanagar empire during the reign of Achyuta Deva Raya from 1535 to 1537, is to be believed, the Vijayanagar ruler was given to cruelty and tyranny. However, Achyuta Raya was not such a dishonest and weak ruler as maligned by Nuniz.
Achyuta Deva Raya ruled for 13 years and internal revolts ruled the roost during the period. However, he managed to keep the vast Vijayanagar dominions intact.
Achyuta Raya is more known for his work in the field of culture and religion. In 1534 he built the Tiruvengalanatha shrine in Hampi, more popularly known as Achyuta Raya Temple, named after him. The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Tiruvengalanatha, a form of Vishnu.
Purandaradasa, known as Father of Carnatic music or Karnataka Sangeetha Pitamaha. was patronized by Achyuta Deva Raya in whose court also flourished Sanskrit scholar Rajanatha Dindima and Kannada poet Chatu Vittalanatha. Rajanatha Dindima had written a Sanskrit poem named Achyutaraydbhyudaya dealing with the life of Achyuta Deva Raya.
Situated southeast of the massive Tughlaqabad Fort, on the opposite side of the Badarpur -Mehrauli road, the relatively unknown Adilabad fort is referred to by historians as the fourth fort of Delhi, the others being Red Fort, Old Fort and Tughlaqabad Fort.
Adilabad fort has for long been in the shadows of Tughlaqabad Fort which was built by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq, the founder of the Tughluq dynasty, the third of the five dynasties, the combination of which went on to be called the Delhi Sultanate.
Adilabad fort, on its part, was built by his son Juna Khan, better known as Muhammad bin Tughluq, who succeeded his father in 1325.
Born Muhi ul-Millat, Shah Jahan III was a Mughal Emperor for a brief period from December 1759 to October 1760. His father was Muhi us-Sunnat who was the son of Aurangzeb’s youngest son, Muhammad Kam Bakhsh.
Muhi ul-Millat was raised to the throne as Shah Jahan III by the Mughal Vizier Ghaziuddin Khan Feroz Jung III, popularly known as Imad-ul-Mulk on whose orders the previous Mughal emperor Alamgir II was put to death on 29th November 1759. Shah Jahan III was later deposed by the Marathas who now placed Shah Alam II on the throne.
The power of the Chola dynasty reached its pinnacle during the reigns of Rajendra Chola (1014- 1042) and his father Rajaraja I (985-1014). Rajendra Chola was the worthy son and successor of his father. Though he succeeded to the Chola throne in 1014, his regal years are counted from 1012 AD when he was declared heir-apparent.
By his military prowess and administrative skill, Rajendra Chola raised the Chola power to the zenith of glory. Probably in 1017 AD, he conquered the whole of Sri Lanka, the northern part of which was already annexed to the Chola empire during the reign of his father Rajaraja I.
In the next year (1018 AD) Rajendra Chola forced the rulers of Kerala and the Pandyan country to accept the suzerainty of the Cholas. He defeated the Western Chalukya power under Jayasimha II Jagadekamalla (c. 1016-42). Rajendra also came in conflict with the Pala ruler of Bengal, Mahipala I, and his armies spread their victorious wings as far as the Ganges. To commemorate this daring victory, he assumed the title of Gangaikondachola (The Chola conquer of the Ganga) and founded a new capital named after him - Gangaikonda – Cholapuram, identified with modern Gangaikondapuram in the Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu.
Rajendra Chola possessed a powerful fleet and is credited with sending a great naval expedition which occupied parts of South East Asia including Myanmar, Malaya and Sumatra. This naval expedition, unique in the annals of Indian history, was undertaken to presumably suppress the piratical activities of the Indonesian rulers, which were an obstacle to the flourishing trade between China and the South India.
Rajendra Chola is known by a variety of titles such as Tyagasamudra, Gangaikonda and Pandita Chola. Parakesari, Mummudi and Yuddhamalla were some the other titles that were assumed by Rajendra I.
Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram / Image Source
He built the Shiva temple in Gangaikonda Cholapuram. Known as Brihadisvara Temple, this temple has a similar name as the one built by his father in Thanjavur. A UNESCO World Heritage site, this temple is adorned with exquisite granite sculptures.
Rajadhiraja Chola has assumed the title of Rajakesari.
Reign of Rajendra II witnessed the continuation of the Chalukya-Chola struggle and both sides as usual clamed victory for themselves. He continued the traditional war with the Chalukyas. in 1062 AD he inflicted a crushing defeat on Someshvara I Ahvamalla in the battle of Kudal-Sangamam near the confluence of Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers.
After Rajendra II’s death in 1963, his younger brother Virarajendra Chola came to the throne. During the reign of Rajadhiraja I, Virarajendra served as the viceroy of the Chola province in Sri Lanka. Virarajendra gave his daughter in marriage to the Western Chalukya ruler Vikramaditya VI bringing the perpetual hostilities between the two kingdoms to a temporary suspension. Virarajendra also installed Vijayaditya on the throne of Vengi, which was rightfully Eastern Chalukya prince Kulottunga’s. Vijayaditya was the uncle of Kulottunga.
After Virarajendra’s death in 1070 AD, his son Adhirajendra came to the Chola throne. After ruling for few months Adhirajendra lost his life in a popular rising. Taking advantage of the prevailing confusion Kulottunga captured the Chola throne and expelled Vijayaditya from the Vengi throne.
Cholas, one of the three major ruling dynasties of the Tamil Country during the Sangam period (between the 3rd century B.C. and 3rd century A.D.), were reduced to the dustbin of obscurity by the Pallavas, only to rise once again in the mid 9th century AD and rule for some 300 years the Coromandel Coast and much of south India and as far as Sri Lanka and the Maldive Islands. During this period the Cholas came to be called Imperial Cholas because they managed to bring large swath of territory under their influence.
Indasala Cave or Indrasala Cave in Bihar is identified with a cave set at the base of a cliff of sheer rocks in the Giriyek Mountain in the midst of a serene and tranquil landscape.
Located to the east of Rajgir, Indasala Cave is a famed Buddhist site where the Buddha is said to have delivered one of his most thought provoking sermons recorded in the Sakkapanha Sutta.
According to the Buddhist accounts, Sakka, an inquisitive person who was searching answers for his questions, came to the cave where the Buddha stayed for some time and asked his forty-two questions which were fittingly answered by the Buddha.
It was during his stay at Indasala Cave that the Buddha uttered verses 206, 207 and 208 of the beautiful Pali text, Dhammapada (Verses on the Virtues). Added to this, the Indasala Cave also played host to Buddhasrijnana, the famous commentator on the Guhyasamaja Tantra.
Another prime attraction of the area is the Hansa Stupa, located on the top of the Giriyak Mountain. The stupa, hailed as the most complete one in India, finds mention in the accounts of famous 7th century Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang who gives a valuable description of its construction. Hiuen Tsang made it a point to visit this stupa.
Before Hiuen Tsang, Indasala Cave was also visited in the fifth century AD by the Chinese monk Fa-hsien who came to India to obtain copies of Buddhist scriptures.
Pilak in South Tripura is an archeological site of immense significance to Buddhism which flourished here from the 8th to the 12th century AD. The excavations at the site have unearthed a fair amount of ancient Buddhist sculptures and artefacts including a stupa, statues of Buddha in meditation and Avalokiteśvara.
Located close to the Bangladesh border, Pilak is an extension of Buddhist sites of Bangladesh and Burma and formed part of the Samatat kingdom in ancient Bengal. The area has been referred to the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang who visited this area during 637-39 AD.
Today Pilak attracts thousands of Buddhists from across the world and is fast emerging an important Buddhist pilgrimage site in India.
You can also find a colossal image of Hindu god Surya in a standing posture holding lotus in Pilak.
How to Reach Pilak
Air: The nearest airport to Pilak is at Tripura's capital Agartala which is 100 km away. The Agartala airport is connected by air with major cities in India.
Rail: The nearest major railhead is Agartala Railway station. Kanchenjunga Express and Tripura Sundari Express connect Agartala with Kolkata and Delhi respectively by rail.
Road: Good motorable roads connect Pilak with other parts of Tripura including Agartala.
Manimekalai was written by the poet Seethalai Saathanar, who was a Buddhist. The heroine of Manimekalai, Manimegalai, is the daughter of Kovalan, the son of a wealthy merchant of the city of Kaveripattinam. Her mother was Madavi, a dancer who became a Buddhist nun on hearing of Kovalan’s death. Manimegalai also became a Buddhist nun.
Kaveripattinam (currently Poompuhar), also known as Puhar in ancient India, is home to the ruins of a 4th-5th-century AD Buddhist monastery. According to the 5th century AD Pali commentator Buddhadatta, Theravada Buddhism flourished in Kaveripattinam. He spent some time in this monastery while composing his Abhidhammavatara.
Located at the convergence of river Kaveri and Bay of Bengal, Kaveripattinam was swallowed by the sea and is now only a small village.
Ala-ud-din Masud proved to be a depraved and licentious ruler. In June 1246 the nobles deposed him and put him into prison, where he was murdered. Ala-ud-din Masud had reigned for four year.
In 1246 he was deposed by the nobles and was succeeded to the Slave throne by his cousin Nasiruddin Mahmud (1246–66), grandson of Iltutmish through his son Nasiruddin Mahmud.
Mysore Palace / Image CreditA fine specimen of Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, Mysore Palace is a wonderful feat of engineering which makes it a huge drawcard for millions of tourists every year. Also known as ‘Amba Palace’, the Mysore Palace was built over a period of 15 years at the beginning of the 20th century at a cost estimated at the time to be around 4 million Indian rupees. A treasure-trove of exquisite sculptures and works of art, the structure features stained glass ceilings and Italian crystal chandeliers.
This Mysore’s most enduring symbol is a testament to the pomp and grandeur of one of India's notably wealthy princely states- Wadiyar dynasty.
Designed by an English architect, Henry Irwin, the Mysore Palace is at its exuberant best during 10-day Dusshera festival when the stunning palace is illuminated at night by thousands of bulbs.
Emphatically not to be missed while you're in Jodhpur is a visit to the historic Mehrangarh Fort. This impressive fort, whose ramparts rise from a sheer-sided sandstone outcrop, houses several beautiful palaces, temples and gardens. As you enter the crenelated walls of the fort through its arched gates, it is like stepping into the medieval past.
Mehrangarh Fort / Image Credit
Located in the Rupandehi District in Nepal, Lumbini is the spiritual centre of Buddhism. For Buddhists, a visit to this Buddhist site is one the most important religious and spiritual journeys of their life. The reason is not far to seek.
It was in Lumbini that the Buddha, one of history’s greatest teachers, was born. Its central temple, Maya Devi Temple, is an obligatory stop on the Buddhist pilgrimage circuit. Unsurprisingly, this UNESCO World Heritage–listed site is a huge drawcard for the Buddhist pilgrims from around the world for centuries. According to the Lumbini Pillar Edict (also known as Rummindei Pillar Inscription) in Nepal, Mauryan Emperor Ashoka travelled to Lumbini in 249 BC and constructed four stupas and erected a stone pillar with a figure of a horse on top.
Lumbini is one of the four main sacred sites of the Buddhist religion. Other three holy places are Bodh Gaya (Tree of Wisdom at Gaya where Buddha gained enlightenment), Sarnath near Varanasi where he preached his first sermon and Kushinagar where he died- all located in India.
Apart from the Maya Devi Temple, many monasteries and temples of various Buddhist traditions dot the town, built in their national style by foreign Buddhist communities.
Maya Devi Temple
The spiritually important Maya Devi Temple marks the exact spot where Siddhartha Gautama, who later came to be known as the Buddha after he attained enlightenment, was born to Queen Maya Devi. On the south of the temple is the holy pond where Maya Devi is believed to have bathed before giving birth to the Buddha. Adjacent to the area are ancient ruins of brick stupas and the Ashokan pillar and a sacred Bodhi tree under which maroon robed monks from different parts of the world congregate to offer prayers and mediate.
World Peace Pagoda
The brilliant white World Peace Pagoda in Lumbini is one of the several pagodas built by the Japanese Buddhists. Built in 2001 at a cost of US$1 million, the pagoda houses a shining golden statue representing the posture the Buddha took when he was born.
8 km from the hill station of Lonavala in Maharashtra, Karla is home to awe-inspiring Buddhist caves dating back to 2nd century BC. The most striking highlight of these caves is the presence of a deep apsidal chaitya hall cut in solid rock which is hailed as the largest in India. Chaitya is a sacred spot or shrine indigenous to Buddhism. Made in the first century BC, the chaitya of Karla is cut 124 feet deep into the rock. Karla cave is much developed in size and splendour when compared to other caves of that period.
The columns of the chaitya are ornately carved and each of them is set a square stepped plinth. Each of 37 pillars sports a group of horses and elephants with riders to support the roof. The Karla caves have three entrances and splendid relief panels of dampati couples with small carved gable-ends above. The large windows let light into the hall.
How to reach Karla Caves
Rail: Lonavala is the nearest railway station on the Mumbai-Pune section of Central Railway, well connected with other cities and places in India.
Air: nearest airports to Karla Caves are at Pune and Mumbai which are 55km and 80 km away respectively.
Road: Karla caves are situated on the National Highway-4 between Mumbai and Pune.
Q.1. Who among the following Bahmani rulers was married to the daughter of Vijayanagar ruler Dev Raya I?
(a) Firuz Shah Bahmani
(b) Alauddin Hasan Bahmani
(c) Ahmed Shah
(d) Muhammad Shah III
Q.2. Which of the following foreign travellers had visited the court of Deve Raya I?
(a) Ibn Batuta
(b) Nicolo de Conti
(c) Abdur Razzak
(d) Domingo Paes
Q.3. Which of the following foreign travellers had visited the court of Deve Raya II?
(a) Ibn Batuta
(b) Nicolo de Conti
(c) Abdur Razzak
(d) Domingo Paes
Q.4. The permission of which Vijayanagara emperors was solicited by Francisco Albuquerque, the Portuguese governor of Goa in India, to build a fort at Bhatkal?
(a) Devaraya I
(b) Devaraya II
(c) Krishnadevaraya
(d) Virupaksha Raya
Q.5. The Battle of Talikota between Vijayanagara empire and the Muslim Sultanates of Deccan took place in which year?
(a) 1526
(b) 1556
(c) 1565
(d) 1605
Q.6. ------is a book written by famed historian Robert Swell about Vijayanagara empire?
(a) A Forgotten Empire
(b) The Birth of an empire
(c) The Empire of South India
(d) Empire on Tungabhadra
Q.7. When did Vijayanagar king Krishnadevaraya die?
(a) 1346
(d) 1526
(c) 1529
(d) 1530
Q.8. Who was the Vijayanagara emperor during Talikota war?
(a) Sadasiva Raya
(b) Krishnadevaraya
(c) Harihara I
(d) Bukka Raya II
Q.9. Who among the following beheaded Rama Raya, the de facto ruler of Vajayanagara, at the battle of Talikota in 1565?
(a) Husain Shah Nizami
(b) Ibrahim Adil Shah
(c) Burhan Nizam Shah II
(d) Murtada Nizam Shah I
Q.10. When was the present day Hampi, the nucleus of Vijayanagar empire, designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO?
(a) 1981
(b) 1986
(c) 1996
(d) 2006
Answers
1-a
Notes
The marriage of Firuz Shah Bahmani with the daughter of Deva Raya I was celebrated with great pomp and show.
Addicted to hard drinking, Firuz Shah Bahmani, like many other medieval rulers, was a blood thirsty tyrant. He won two battles against the Hindu Vijayanagar kingdom in 1398 and 1406. After these victories, he took delight in massacre of the populace and left “the roads littered with the bodies of the slaughtered Hindus”. Firoz Bahmani entered into a new relationship with Vijayanagar ruler Deva Raya I by marrying his daughter.
2-b
Notes
Born at the coastal town of Chioggia in Italy, Nicolo Conti was an Italian and the earliest European visitor to the mighty Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar. Nicolo Conti reached the city in 1420 -21 in the reign of Devaraya I. His original travel account in Latin is lost. Conti gives a vivid account of the city of Vijayanagar, its court, customs, currency, festivals and other matters.
3-c
Notes
Abdur Razzaq was a Persian who was sent by Timur's son and successor Shah Rukh as ambassador to the Zamorin of Calicut. In April 1443, Abdur Razzaq also visited Vijayanagar during the reign of Devaraya II. Abdur Razzaq was overawed with the size and grandeur of the city of Vijayanagar.
He says, “The city is such that eye has not seen nor ear heard of any place resembling it upon the whole earth. It is so built that it has seven fortified walls, one within the other.” His narrative supplies valuable information on the topography, administration and social life of Vijayanagar at that time.
4-c
Notes
Krishnadevaraya granted the permission to Portuguese to erect a fort at Bhatkal.
5-c
Notes
It was during the reign of the Taluva king Sadashiva Raya (1543- 69) that famous battle of Rakshasa Tangadi or Talikota in 1565 was fought in which Vijayanagar army was defeated by the combined forces of the five Muslim Sultanates of Deccan. This gave body blow to the empire. After this battle the kingdom lost its grandeur and glory.
Ram Raja was the de facto ruler of Vijayanagara during the battle and was killed.
6 – a
Notes
A Forgotten Empire is an account of the Vijayanagar kingdom.
7-c
Notes
An epigraphical reference to the date of death of Krishnadevaraya was discovered at Honnenahalli in Tumakuru district. According to the inscription, Krishnadevaraya died on October 17, 1529.
8-a
Notes
The Battle of Talikota took place in 1565 between the Vijayanagara Empire and an alliance of the Deccan sultanates. During the battle, the Vijayanagara emperor was Sadasiva Raya. During his reign the famous battle of Rakshasa Tangadi or Talikota in 1565 was fought between Vijayanagar and the combined forces of the five Muslim Sultanates of Deccan.
9-a
Notes
Hussain Nizam Shah had beheaded the de facto ruler of Vajayanagara, Rama Raya of Vijayanagara, after the Battle of Talikota.
10- b
Notes
The site of Hampi, the capital city of Vijayanagar Empire, was declared a World Heritage Site in 1986.
(a) Muhammad bin Tughlaq
(b) Giyas-ud-din Tughlaq
(c) Firoz Shah Tughlaq
(d) Khizr Khan
Q.2. Which of the foreign travelers had visited the Vijayanagara empire during the reign of Krishnadevaraya?
(a) Duarte Barbosa
(b) Domingo Paes
(c) Abdur Razzaq
(d) Both a and b
Q.3. Which of the following Vijayanagara rulers had earned the title of Purvapaschima Samudradhishavara?
(a) Deva Raya II
(b) Virupaksha Raya
(c) Krishnadeva Raya
(d) Harihara I
Q.4. Which of the following was a bone of contention between Vijayanagara empire and Bahmani Sultanate?
(a) Bijapur
(b) Gulbarga
(c) Raichur Doab
(d) Golconda
Q.5. The correct chronological order in which the following dynasties of the Vijayanagara empire were established:
(i) Saluva Dynsty
(ii) Tuluva dynasty
(iii) Sangama Dynasty
(iv) Aravidu dynasty
(a) II, I,III,IV
(b) II, I, IV,III
(c) I, II, IV,III
(d) III, I, II, IV
Q.6. Krishnadevaraya’s reign spanned the years from --------- to -------------.
(a) 1501-1520
(b) 1505-1526
(c) 1509-1529
(d) 1510-1530
Q.7. Who was the last king of Sangama Dynasty?
(a) Praudha Raya
(b) Virupaksha Raya II
(c) Mallikarjuna Raya
(d) Deva Raya II
Q.8. Which of the following Vijaynagar ruler had taken the title of 'Gajabetekara (the elephant hunter)'?
(a) Bukka Raya II
(b) Deva Raya II.
(c) Virupaksha Raya II
(d) Harihara Raya II
Q.9. Which Bijapur Sultan was defeated by Krishnadevaraya in the battle of Raichur?
(a) Yusuf Adil Shah
(b) Ismail Adil Shah
(c) Ibrahim Adil Shah I
(d) Ali Adil Shah I
Q.10. In the court of which of the following rulers did Ashtadiggajas flourish?
(a) Deva Raya II
(b) Harihara I
(c) Krishnadevaraya
(d) Bukka Raya II
Answers
1-a
Notes
During his reign Muhammad bin Tughluq had to encounter as many as thirty four rebellions, twenty seven of them in the south. Vijayanagar Empire came into existence at the cost of Sultanate territory during the rule of Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
The rule of Muhammad bin Tughlaq lasted from 1325 to 1351. The Vijayanagara Empire was founded in 1336.
2-d
Notes
In April 1443, Abdur Razzaq also visited Vijayanagar during the reign of Devaraya II.
Duarte Barbosa was a Portuguese traveller who came to Vijayanagar during the reign of Krishnadeva Raya.
Domingo Paes was a Portuguese traveler who visited Vijayanagar during the reign of its greatest ruler Krishnadeva Raya in 1520.
3-d
Notes
Harihara I, the founder of Vijayanagara kingdom, had earned the title of Purvapaschima Samudradhishavara ("master of the eastern and western seas").
4-c
Notes
Raichur Doab is the region between the Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers. Thanks to its being a fertile land, Raichur Doab was a bone of contention between the rulers of the Vijayanagar and the Bahmani kingdom.
5-d
Sangama Dynasty was founded in 1336. Saluva dynasty was founded in 1885. Tuluva dynasty was founded in 1491.
6- c
Krishnadeva Raya ruled from 1509 to 1529.
7-a
Notes
Praudha Raya was the last king of Sangama Dynasty.
8-b
Notes
Deva Raya II who ruled from 1424 to 1446 was the greatest ruler of the Sangama dynasty of Vijaynagar. He is known for his title Gajabetegara (a hunter of elephant).
9-b
Notes
Krishnadevaraya had inflicted a crushing defeat on Isma'il 'Adil Shah of Bijapur on the 19th March, 1520.
10-c
Notes
The court of Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya was adorned by the 'Ashtadiggajas'' (eight elephants), a collective title given to his eight Telugu scholars and poets whose contribution the world of Telugu literature is immense.
Q.1. Who was the founder of Vijayanagar Empire?
(a) Harihara I and Bukka I
(b) Krishnadeva Raya
(c) Deva Raya
(d) Narasimha Saluva
Q.2. Vijayanagara kingdom was established on the banks of which river?
(a) Godavari
(b) Krishna
(c) Kaveri
(d) Tungabhadra
Q.3. Which of the following is the ruined capital of Vijayanagara Empire?
(a) Hampi
(b) Halebid
(c) Pattadakal
(d) Madurai
Q.4. The distinction of bringing ruins of Vijayanagar empire at Hampi to light is given to
(a) T. S. Burt
(b) Colonel Colin MacKenzie
(c) C. J. Franklin
(d) John Marshal
Q.5. Vijayanagara rulers adopted the emblem of the ‘varaha’ or boar. The symbol was earlier a royal insignia of which of the following kingdoms?
(a) Hoysalas
(b) Kakatiyas
(c) Chalukyas
(d) Rashtrakutas
Q.6. Harihara I and Bukka I belonged to ____ dynasty, one of the four main dynasties, combination of which is known as the Vijayanagar empire.
(a) Saluva Dynsty
(b) Tuluva dynasty
(c) Sangama Dynsty
(d) Aravidu dynasty
Q.7. The greatest Vijayanagara ruler Krishnadevaraya erected the pillar of victory (Vijayastupam) at ________.
(a) Cuttack
(b) Srisailam
(c) Hampi
(d) Simhachalam
Q.8. Krishnadeva Raya's magnum opus Amuktamalyada was written in _______.
(a) Tamil
(b) Telugu
(c) Kannada
(d) Malayalam
Q.9. Who among the following had founded a new city named Nagalapur?
(a) Deva Raya II
(b) Virupaksha Raya
(c) Krishnadeva Raya
(d) Sadasiva Raya
Q.10. In which year was the Madurai Sultanate annexed to the Vijayanagara Empire?
(a) 1335
(b) 1336
(c) 1358
(d) 1378
Answers
1-a
Notes
Vijayanagar Empire was founded by Harihara I and Bukka I. Vijayanagar’s first dynasty which lasted from 1336 to 1485 was named after Sangama, father of the duo. After Harihara, Bukka ruled from 1356 to 1377.
2-d
Notes
The nucleus of the Vijayanagar kingdom was the city of Vijayanagar, identified with present day Hampi (located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River) in Karnataka.
3-a
Notes
The nucleus of the kingdom was the city of Vijayanagar, identified with present day Hampi (located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River) in Karnataka.
4-b
Notes
Colin Mackenzie was born in Scotland in 1754. He was the first Surveyor General of India. He was the first to bring to the world's attention the rich architectural heritage of the Vijayanagara ruins at Hampi.
5- c
Notes
The Vijayanagara kingdom had adopted the emblem of the Chalukyas, varahaas or boar their royal insignia.
6-c
Notes
Harihara I and Bukka I belonged to the Sangama Dynsty, one of the four main dynasties, combination of which is popularly known as the Vijayanagar Empire.
7- d
Notes
Krishnadevaraya had erected the pillar of victory at Simhachalam (in Andhra Pradesh) in course of his eastern expedition.
8-b
Notes
Krishnadeva Raya wrote Amuktamalyada in Telugu. Amuktamalyada is a work on polity.
9- c
Notes
Krishnadeva Raya founded a city called Nagalapuram named after his mother Nagalamba. He built several temples there. Nagalapuram in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh is 20 km from Puttur in Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka.
10- d
Notes
The Madurai Sultanate was annexed to the Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar in 1378. The victory has been celebrated in the Sanskrit epic poem Madura Vijayam (Conquest of Madurai) or Kamparaya-Charitam (History of Kampanna), composed by Ganga Devi, queen of Vira Kampanna, who led the Vijayanagar army. Vira Kampanna was the son of Bukka I, co-founder of Vijayanagar empire.
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