What were the rayas of the Vijayanagar Empire called?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Narapati
Option (1) Gajapati — Incorrect. Gajapati means lord of elephants. It was the name of a ruling lineage that was very powerful in Orissa in the fifteenth century, not a title of the Vijayanagara rulers.
Option (2) Ashvapati — Incorrect. Ashvapati means lord of horses. In the popular traditions of Vijayanagara this was the name for the Deccan Sultans.
Option (3) Narapati — Correct. In the same traditions the rayas of Vijayanagara were called narapati or lord of men.
Option (4) Singhpati — Incorrect. There is no such title in these traditions; the three titles were for the lords of elephants, horses and men.
Note: A same/similar question was asked in CUET (UG) in the papers below.
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
| – | 20-05 S1 | – | 14-06 S2* | – |
* A similar question.
NCERT (2026-27): “Elephants, horses and men … Gajapati literally means lord of elephants. This was the name of a ruling lineage that was very powerful in Orissa in the fifteenth century. In the popular traditions of Vijayanagara the Deccan Sultans are termed as ashvapati or lord of horses and the rayas are called narapati or lord of men.” |