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An Imperial Capital : Vijayanagara
On an outline map of the world, mark approximately Italy, Portugal, Iran and Russia.Trace the routes the travellers mentioned on p.176 would have taken to reach Vijayanagara.
Hints:
Fill the following with their names on correct place or location given within outline map of world:
(i) Italy, (ii) Portugal, (iii) Iran, (iv) Russia.
Travellers routes to be taken to reach Vijayanagara from Italy and Portugal:
The travellers would have crossed respectively Red Sea, Araban Sea and then, they should have taken land route to South India to reach Vijayanagara (Karnataka).
The travellers from Portugal should have cross Atlantic Ocean touching the Cape of Good Hope (extrme comer of South Africa) and then they should take Indian Ocean to reach Malabar from their to Vijayanagara taking land route.
From Iran they should taken Arab Sea and then Indian Ocean from Malabar coast to Vijayanagara.
From Iran via Afghanistan and modern Pakistan they would have taken land route upto Karnataka, India.
From Russia via Afghanistan they would have come to India crossing modem Punjab in Pakistan, central India crossing Vindhyachal, Satpura to Karnataka.
From Russia they could have sea route also either through China Sea to Bay of Bengal and then to Vijayanagara or from western coast of India taking Caspian Sea, Arabian Sea through Indian Ocean to south India.
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What do you think was the significance of the rituals associated with the Mahanavami dibba?
Fig. 7.33 is an illustration of another pillar from the Virupaksha temple. Do you notice any floral motifs? What are the animals shown? Why do you think they are depicted? Describe the human figures shown.
Discuss whether the term “royal centre” is an appropriate description for the part of the city for which it is used
What does the architecture of buildings like the Lotus Mahal and elephant stables tell us about the rulers who commissioned them?
What are the architectural traditions that inspired the architects of Vijayanagara? How did they transform these traditions?
What impression of the lives of the ordinary people of Vijayanagara can you cull from the various descriptions in the chapter?
On an outline map of the world, mark approximately Italy, Portugal, Iran and Russia.Trace the routes the travellers mentioned on p.176 would have taken to reach Vijayanagara.
Find out more about any one of the major cities which flourished in the subcontinent during c. fourteenth-seventeenth centuries. Describe the
architecture of the city. Are there any features to suggest that these were political centres? Are there buildings that were ritually significant? Is there
an area for commercial activities? What are the features that distinguish the urban layout from that of surrounding areas?
Give a brief description of Lotus Mahal, situated in the Royal Centre in the Vijayanagara empire.
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