Which of the following statements are true regarding the architecture of ‘Hampi’:
(A) The fortifications encircled not only the city but also its agricultural hinterland and forests.
(B) Gateways leading into the fortified settlement contain elements of Indo-Islamic art.
(C) Mortar or other cementing agents were employed in the construction of buildings.
(D) Tombs and mosques located here have distinctive functions, yet their architecture resembles that of the mandapas found in the temples of Hampi.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → (A), (B) and (D) only
(A) The fortifications encircled not only the city but also its agricultural hinterland and forests. Correct. Abdur Razzaq, an ambassador from Persia, mentioned seven lines of forts, and these encircled the city as well as its farmland and forests.
(B) Gateways leading into the fortified settlement contain elements of Indo-Islamic art. Correct. The arch on the gateway leading into the fortified settlement and the dome over the gate are typical features of the architecture introduced by the Turkish Sultans, a style art historians call Indo-Islamic.
(C) Mortar or other cementing agents were employed in the construction of buildings. Incorrect. No mortar or cementing agent was employed anywhere in the construction. The stone blocks were wedge shaped, and this held them in place. NTA dropped one small word, ‘No’, and a true fact became false. Read every statement to its last word.
(D) Tombs and mosques located here have distinctive functions, yet their architecture resembles that of the mandapas found in the temples of Hampi. Correct. These buildings stood in the Muslim residential quarter of the urban core, and they borrowed the form of the temple mandapas.
NCERT (2026-27): “3.2 Fortifications and roads … Abdur Razzaq, an ambassador sent by the ruler of Persia to Calicut (present-day Kozhikode) in the fifteenth century, was greatly impressed by the fortifications, and mentioned seven lines of forts. These encircled not only the city but also its agricultural hinterland and forests. The outermost wall linked the hills surrounding the city. The massive masonry construction was slightly tapered. No mortar or cementing agent was employed anywhere in the construction. The stone blocks were wedge shaped, which held them in place, and the inner portion of the walls was of earth packed with rubble.… 3.2 Fortifications and roads … Gateways were distinctive architectural features that often defined the structures to which they regulated access. The arch on the gateway leading into the fortified settlement as well as the dome over the gate (Fig. 7.6) are regarded as typical features of the architecture introduced by the Turkish Sultans. Art historians refer to this style as Indo-Islamic, as it grew continually through interaction with local building practices in different regions.… 3.3 The urban core … found fine Chinese porcelain in some areas, including in the north-eastern corner of the urban core and suggest that these areas may have been occupied by rich traders. This was also the Muslim residential quarter. Tombs and mosques located here have distinctive functions, yet their architecture resembles that of the mandapas found in the temples of Hampi.…” |