None of the houses of ordinary people in Vijayanagara have survived. What does the sixteenth-century Portuguese traveller Barbosa's account tell us about them?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → They were thatched but well built, arranged according to occupations
Option (1) They were thatched but well built, arranged according to occupations — Correct. Barbosa saw thatched houses that were still well built. They stood according to occupations, in long streets with many open places.
Option (2) They were thatched but well built, arranged according to castes — Incorrect. The thatch and good building are right, but Barbosa grouped the houses by occupations. Caste is a swapped word.
Option (3) They were built of masonry, arranged according to occupations — Incorrect. Masonry was used for temples. Barbosa calls the houses thatched.
Option (4) They were built of masonry, arranged according to castes — Incorrect. Both parts are off: the houses were thatched, and their streets followed occupations. Masonry belonged to temples.
NCERT (2026-27): “3.3 The urban core … “Field surveys indicate that the entire area was dotted with numerous shrines and small temples, pointing to the prevalence of a variety of cults, perhaps supported by different communities. …” |