A historian at a museum in Hampi is writing a label on the military commanders who were given territories to govern by the Vijayanagara raya. These commanders collected taxes, kept horses and elephants for the king, and came to court each year with gifts. She wants the label to explain where the word amara in their title may come from, and to name a foreign visitor who wrote about their capital.
The historian notes a Persian term that the word amara is said to resemble. What does that Persian term mean?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → A high noble
Option (1) A high noble — Correct. Amara resembles the Persian term amir, meaning a high noble. The amara-nayakas were powerful commanders close to the king, so the link fits.
Option (2) A military rank — Incorrect. A military rank is the idea behind a mansab in Mughal times. The Persian term amir means a high noble.
Option (3) A revenue assignment — Incorrect. A revenue assignment is what an iqta was in the Delhi Sultanate. The amara-nayaka system may have borrowed from it, yet amir means a high noble.
Option (4) A provincial governor — Incorrect. The commanders did govern territories for the raya. The word amir, though, means a high noble and names no office.
NCERT (2026-27): “2.3 The rayas and the nayakas … “Amara is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word samara, meaning battle or war. It also resembles the Persian term amir, meaning a high noble.” |