A student in Bengaluru is preparing a map project on the Vijayanagara Empire. She marks Chandragiri, Madurai, Ikkeri, Thanjavur and Mysore, and asks how rivers and hills may have helped or blocked travel from each place to the capital. She learns that the chiefs who held these places controlled forts, kept armed supporters and usually spoke Telugu or Kannada. She then looks up the title these chiefs held under the raya.
The word amara in the title of these chiefs is believed to come from a Sanskrit word. What does that Sanskrit word mean?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Battle or war
Option (1) A land grant — Incorrect. Land given to govern recalls the iqta idea of the Delhi Sultanate. The word itself is traced to samara, meaning battle.
Option (2) Immortal — Incorrect. Many students know amara as a Sanskrit word for immortal. The title is traced instead to samara, a word linked with fighting.
Option (3) A fort — Incorrect. The nayakas did control forts. Still, the word amara is traced to samara, which means battle or war.
Option (4) Battle or war — Correct. Amara is believed to come from the Sanskrit word samara, meaning battle or war. This suits the amara-nayakas, who were military commanders.
NCERT (2026-27): “2.3 The rayas and the nayakas … “Amara is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word samara, meaning battle or war. It also resembles the Persian term amir, meaning a high noble.” |