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An Imperial Capital : Vijayanagara
”Krishnadeva Raya was characterised by expansion and consolidation.” Justify the statement on the basis of evidences.
Krishnadeva Raya’s rule was characterised by expansion and consolidation:
(i) This was the time when the land between the Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers (the Raichur doab) was acquired (1512).
(ii) The rulers of Orissa were subdued (1514) and severe defeats were inflicted on the Sultan of Bijapur (1520).
(iii) Although the kingdom remained in a constant state of military preparedness, it flourished under conditions of unparalleled peace and prosperity.
(iv) Krishnadeva Raya is credited with building some fine temples and adding impressive gopurams to many important south Indian temples.
iv) He also founded a suburban township near Vijayanagara called Nagalapuram after his mother. Some of the most detailed descriptions of Vijayanagara come from his time or just after.
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How were the water requirements of Vijayanagara met?
What do you think were the advantages and disadvantages of enclosing agricultural land within the fortified area of the city?
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?
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