HistoryMedieval India: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara

The arched audience hall at Madurai carries on the palatial building…

The arched audience hall at Madurai carries on the palatial building style of Vijayanagara after that city was sacked. Which rulers carried on this building tradition?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → The nayakas

Option (1) The Bahmani sultans — Incorrect. The Bahmani sultans were rivals of Vijayanagara in the Deccan, with their own capitals and buildings.

Option (2) The Hoysalas — Incorrect. The Hoysalas ruled long before Vijayanagara. They belong to the older temple-building history of the region.

Option (3) The nayakas — Correct. The nayakas had served as military chiefs under Vijayanagara. After the city fell, they continued its palatial building traditions, as the Madurai hall shows.

Option (4) The Gajapati rulers — Incorrect. The Gajapati rulers of Orissa were enemies of Vijayanagara on its eastern side.

NCERT (2026-27): “4.2 Other buildings in the royal centre …
While many of the structures at Vijayanagara were destroyed when the city was sacked, traditions of building palatial structures were continued by the nayakas. Many of these buildings have survived.”