The rulers of Vijayanagara drew on different traditions to create an imperial culture. One such tradition is given in the options. Identify it.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → The introduction of the worship of Lord Vitthala, a form of Vishnu, in the Vijayanagara Empire.
Option (1) Raya gopurams or royal gateways were constructed. — Incorrect. The raya gopurams were new structures of immense scale that often dwarfed the towers on the central shrines. They were a mark of imperial authority, reminders of the power of the kings; they did not bring in a tradition from another region.
Option (2) Agricultural tracts were also included in the fortifications. — Incorrect. This was a measure of defence. Medieval sieges often tried to starve the defenders into submission; other rulers built large granaries, but the rulers of Vijayanagara chose the more expensive way of protecting the agricultural belt itself within the walls.
Option (3) The introduction of the worship of Lord Vitthala, a form of Vishnu, in the Vijayanagara Empire. — Correct. Vitthala was a form of Vishnu generally worshipped in Maharashtra. Bringing his worship into Karnataka is another indication of the ways in which the rulers of Vijayanagara drew on different traditions to create an imperial culture.
Option (4) Water from a dam across the Tungabhadra was brought to the city through the Hiriya canal. — Incorrect. The Hiriya canal was one of the city’s waterworks. It drew water from a dam across the Tungabhadra and irrigated the cultivated valley between the “sacred centre” and the “urban core”; it met the city’s need for water and was not a borrowed tradition.
NCERT (2026-27): “5.2. Gopurams and mandapas … Another shrine, the Vitthala temple, is also interesting. Here, the principal deity was Vitthala, a form of Vishnu generally worshipped in Maharashtra. The introduction of the worship of the deity in Karnataka is another indication of the ways in which the rulers of Vijayanagara drew on different traditions to create an imperial culture.… 5.2. Gopurams and mandapas … In terms of temple architecture, by this period certain new features were in evidence. These included structures of immense scale that must have been a mark of imperial authority, best exemplified by the raya gopurams (Fig. 7.7) or royal gateways that often dwarfed the towers on the central shrines, and signalled the presence of the temple from a great distance. They were also probably meant as reminders of the power of kings, able to command the resources, techniques and skills needed to construct these towering gateways.… 3.2 Fortifications and roads … What was most significant about this fortification is that it enclosed agricultural tracts. … Why do you think agricultural tracts were incorporated within the fortified area? Often, the objective of medieval sieges was to starve the defenders into submission. These sieges could last for several months and sometimes even years. Normally rulers tried to be prepared for such situations by building large granaries within fortified areas. The rulers of Vijayanagara adopted a more expensive and elaborate strategy of protecting the agricultural belt itself.… 3.1 Water resources … One of the most prominent waterworks to be seen among the ruins is the Hiriya canal. This canal drew water from a dam across the Tungabhadra and irrigated the cultivated valley that separated the ‘sacred centre’ from the ‘urban core’. This was apparently built by kings of the Sangama dynasty.…” |