Question 1

Q1: What have been the methods used to study the ruins of Hampi over the last two centuries? In what way do you think they would have complemented the inf...

Accepted Answer

The study of the ruins of Hampi over the last two centuries has involved a combination of methods. It began in 1800 with Colonel Colin Mackenzie, who prepared the first survey map. From 1856, photographers started documenting the monuments, and from 1836, epigraphists began collecting inscriptions....

Question 2

Q2: How were the water requirements of Vijayanagara met?

Accepted Answer

The water requirements of Vijayanagara were met through an elaborate and sophisticated system of water management, which was crucial given its location in one of the most arid zones of the peninsula. The key methods were:    Utilising the Tungabhadra River: The city was situated in a natural basin f...

Question 3

Q3: What do you think were the advantages and disadvantages of enclosing agricultural land within the fortified area of the city?

Accepted Answer

Enclosing agricultural land within the fortified area of Vijayanagara was a unique strategy that offered significant advantages but also had certain disadvantages. Advantages:    Food Security during Sieges: The primary advantage was ensuring a stable food supply during a military siege. Medieval si...

Question 4

Q4: What do you think was the significance of the rituals associated with the mahanavami dibba?

Accepted Answer

The rituals associated with the Mahanavami dibba held immense political and cultural significance for the Vijayanagara Empire. This massive platform was the hub of state ceremonies during the ten-day Mahanavami festival.    Display of Power and Sovereignty: The ceremonies were an occasion for the Vi...

Question 5

Q5: Fig. 7.33 is an illustration of another pillar from the Virupaksha temple. Do you notice any floral motifs? What are the animals shown? Why do you thi...

Accepted Answer

Based on the illustration of the pillar from the Virupaksha temple (Fig. 7.33):    Floral Motifs: Yes, floral motifs are noticeable. They are intricately carved, especially at the base and top sections of the pillar, framing the central figures. These motifs add decorative richness to the sculpture....

Question 6

Q10: On an outline map of the world, mark approximately Italy, Portugal, Iran and Russia. Trace the routes the travellers mentioned on p. 176 would have ta...

Accepted Answer

This is a map-based activity. The solution requires marking the specified countries and tracing the probable routes of the travellers to Vijayanagara. Travellers and their origins:    Nicolo de Conti: Italy    Duarte Barbosa, Domingo Paes, Fernao Nuniz: Portugal    Abdur Razzaq: Persia (modern-day I...

Question 7

Q11: Find out more about any one of the major cities which flourished in the subcontinent during c. fourteenth-seventeenth centuries. Describe the architec...

Accepted Answer

This is a project-based question that requires independent research. Students are expected to choose a city from the specified period (e.g., Delhi under the Sultanate, Jaunpur, Mandu, Gaur, or one of the Bahmani or Deccan Sultanate capitals like Bidar or Golconda) and analyse it based on the given p...

Question 8

Q12: Visit a religious building in your neighbourhood. Describe, with sketches, its roof, pillars and arches if any, corridors, passages, halls, entrance,...

Accepted Answer

This is a project-based question requiring a field visit and primary observation. The goal is to apply the concepts learned from studying Vijayanagara's architecture to a local religious building. Guidelines for the Project: 1.  Visit and Observe: Choose a local temple, mosque, church, or gurudwara....

Question 9

Q6: Discuss whether the term "royal centre" is an appropriate description for the part of the city for which it is used.

Accepted Answer

The term "royal centre" is a largely appropriate, yet incomplete, description for the south-western part of Vijayanagara. Its appropriateness stems from the concentration of structures clearly associated with the king and the administrative functions of the empire. Archaeologists have identified ove...

Question 10

Q7: What does the architecture of buildings like the Lotus Mahal and elephant stables tell us about the rulers who commissioned them?

Accepted Answer

The architecture of buildings like the Lotus Mahal and the "elephant stables" in the royal centre of Vijayanagara reveals a great deal about the rulers who commissioned them. These structures reflect their power, cultural sophistication, and openness to diverse influences. Firstly, the style of thes...

Question 11

Q8: What are the architectural traditions that inspired the architects of Vijayanagara? How did they transform these traditions?

Accepted Answer

The architects of Vijayanagara drew inspiration from a rich legacy of pre-existing architectural traditions, which they skillfully adapted and transformed to create a unique and powerful imperial style. One major source of inspiration was the temple-building traditions of earlier powerful dynasties...

Question 12

Q9: What impression of the lives of the ordinary people of Vijayanagara can you cull from the various descriptions in the chapter?

Accepted Answer

The descriptions in the chapter provide a vivid, though incomplete, impression of the lives of ordinary people in Vijayanagara, portraying a bustling, well-organised, and prosperous urban society. According to the sixteenth-century Portuguese traveller Barbosa, the houses of ordinary people were tha...

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