Which terms are directly associated with the Vijayanagara Empire?
(A) Nayanars
(B) Rayas
(C) Amara-Nayakas
(D) Kudirai-Chettis
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → (B), (C) and (D) only
(A) Nayanars — Incorrect. The Nayanars (literally, leaders who were devotees of Shiva) led some of the earliest bhakti movements, from about the sixth century, and sang hymns in Tamil in praise of Shiva. They belong to the bhakti tradition of Tamil Nadu, not to the Vijayanagara Empire.
(B) Rayas — Correct. The rulers of Vijayanagara called themselves rayas.
(C) Amara-Nayakas — Correct. The amara-nayaka system was a major political innovation of the Vijayanagara Empire. The amara-nayakas were military commanders who were given territories to govern by the raya.
(D) Kudirai-Chettis — Correct. Warfare depended upon effective cavalry, so the import of horses mattered to the Vijayanagara kings. Local communities of merchants known as kudirai chettis or horse merchants took part in this trade.
NCERT (2026-27): “2. Rayas, Nayakas and Sultans … Some of the areas that were incorporated within the empire had witnessed the development of powerful states such as those of the Cholas in Tamil Nadu and the Hoysalas in Karnataka. Ruling elites in these areas had extended patronage to elaborate temples such as the Brihadishvara temple at Thanjavur and the Chennakeshava temple at Belur. The rulers of Vijayanagara, who called themselves rayas, built on these traditions and carried them, as we will see, literally to new heights.… 2.1 Kings and traders … As warfare during these times depended upon effective cavalry, the import of horses from Arabia and Central Asia was very important for rival kingdoms. This trade was initially controlled by Arab traders. Local communities of merchants known as kudirai chettis or horse merchants also participated in these exchanges.… 2.3 The rayas and the nayakas … The amara-nayaka system was a major political innovation of the Vijayanagara Empire. It is likely that many features of this system were derived from the iqta system of the Delhi Sultanate. The amara-nayakas were military commanders who were given territories to govern by the raya. They collected taxes and other dues from peasants, craftspersons and traders in the area. They retained part of the revenue for personal use and for maintaining a stipulated contingent of horses and elephants.…” |