The most striking feature about the location of Vijayanagara is the natural basin formed by the river Tungabhadra which flows in a north-easterly direction. The surrounding landscape is characterised by stunning granite hills that seem to form a girdle around the city. A number of streams flow down to the river from these rocky outcrops. One of the most prominent waterworks to be seen among the ruins is the Hiriya canal.
According to the missing lines, which area did the Hiriya canal irrigate, and who apparently built it?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → The valley between the sacred centre and the urban core - kings of the Sangama dynasty
Option (1) The valley between the sacred centre and the urban core - kings of the Sangama dynasty — Correct. The canal watered the cultivated valley between the sacred centre and the urban core. It was apparently built by kings of the Sangama dynasty, the first dynasty of Vijayanagara.
Option (2) The valley between the sacred centre and the urban core - kings of the Tuluva dynasty — Incorrect. The area is right, but the builders are wrong. The Tuluva dynasty, to which Krishnadeva Raya belonged, came later; the canal is linked with the Sangamas.
Option (3) The fields around the royal centre - kings of the Sangama dynasty — Incorrect. The builders are right, but the area is wrong. The channel to the royal centre came from Kamalapuram tank.
Option (4) The fields around the royal centre - kings of the Tuluva dynasty — Incorrect. Both parts are wrong. The royal centre was served by the Kamalapuram channel, and the canal is linked with the Sangama kings.
NCERT (2026-27): “3.1 Water resources … “One of the most prominent waterworks to be seen among the ruins is the Hiriya canal. This canal drew water from a dam across the Tungabhadra and irrigated the cultivated valley that separated the “sacred centre” from the “urban core”. This was apparently built by kings of the Sangama dynasty.” |