A class in Hosapete is preparing an exhibition on how historians know about the city of Vijayanagara. One group studies stone records left by the kings and their chiefs, found at many sites across the region. Another group reads the account of a sixteenth-century visitor from Portugal who climbed a hill to look over the city but could not see all of it. They plan a short panel for each kind of source.
What would the first group's panel say these records of the kings and their nayakas mainly describe?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Donations to temples and important events
Option (1) Land revenue fixed for each village — Incorrect. Revenue was collected by the amara-nayakas. The recovered inscriptions, however, record gifts to temples and events.
Option (2) Donations to temples and important events — Correct. The inscriptions of the kings of Vijayanagara and their nayakas record donations to temples and describe important events.
Option (3) Trade agreements with Portuguese merchants — Incorrect. Portuguese visitors such as Paes and Nuniz wrote accounts of the city. Trade agreements with them are a separate matter from these inscriptions.
Option (4) Soldiers and horses kept in each fort — Incorrect. The amara-nayakas kept contingents of horses and elephants. The inscriptions record temple gifts and events instead.
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