Which of the following describes how art historians understand the style of the arch on a gateway in the fortification wall of Vijayanagara and the dome over the gate?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Indo-Islamic: introduced by the Turkish Sultans, it grew through interaction with local building practices
Option (1) Indo-Islamic: introduced by the Turkish Sultans, it grew through interaction with local building practices — Correct. The arch and the dome are typical features of the architecture introduced by the Turkish Sultans. Art historians call the style Indo-Islamic because it kept growing through contact with local building practices.
Option (2) Indo-Saracenic: introduced by Portuguese traders, it grew through contact with ports on the western coast — Incorrect. Indo-Saracenic is a much later style of colonial buildings. The arch and dome of this gateway came with the Turkish Sultans.
Option (3) Dravida: taken from the gopurams of temples, it grew under the patronage of the Nayaka chiefs — Incorrect. A gopuram is the tall gateway of a temple, a different kind of entrance. The arch and the dome came with the Turkish Sultans.
Option (4) Indo-Islamic: introduced by the Mughal emperors, it grew after Vijayanagara came under Mughal rule — Incorrect. The name Indo-Islamic is right, but the features were brought by the Turkish Sultans, long before the Mughals. Vijayanagara was never under Mughal rule.
NCERT (2026-27): “3.2 Fortifications and roads … |